Freedom Ads Essay, Research Paper

In America today, advertisements can be seen just about everywhere. They are frequently done on

television, radio, and billboards; in newspapers, magazines, and catalogs; and through direct mail to consumers

around the nation. The purpose of each ad is to appeal to the individual and persuade them to purchase the

proposed product. These appeals offer the hope of more money and better jobs, security against the hazards of old

age and illness, popularity and personal prestige. The products also offer praise from others, more comfort,

increased enjoyment, social advancement, improved appearance, better health, and freedom.

Born in the 1960?s, liberation marketing has advertised goods by using the appeal of freedom. ?Business

theory today is about… liberation,? stated Thomas Frank, and ?mainstream commercial America is in love with

revolution and alternative?(Frank 1). Companies use liberation advertisement to appeal to a person?s sense of

individuality, a need to rebel against the norms of society and turn to the alternative. There are many ads out there

that have this idea incorporated into their message. By examining the ?Bacardi By Night? ad, the ?Rave New

World? ad, and Volkswagen?s ?Driver?s Wanted? ads, the consumer can better understand what makes an

advertisement a liberation advertisement.

There have been many ads that appeal to night life. This touches on the idea that after a long, strenuous

day at work, everyone needs something that frees them from life?s routine stresses and introduces them to an

escape from the drudgery of life. The ?Bacardi By Night? magazine ad is a very simple ad with only six words:

?Cubicles By Day, Bacardi By Night.? Many Americans consider work to be a trap, and certainly not fun. This ad

suggests freedom at the end of slaving for the boss all day; rebellion against normal, boring, everyday life. It shows

a large picture of a party where everyone is drinking Bacardi, laughing, and feeling free.

Drinking and laughing, however, doesn?t make everyone feel free. Some people think of being free as

wide open spaces; the sky, for instance, outer space, or a desert; the scenery for the ?Rave New World? magazine

advertisement. In this ad, the subtitle speaks of ?fast-forward(ing) into the 21st century? and ?head(ing) for a new

horizon,? giving the reader the option of either remaining in the life of today, or turning to the alternative; the

future. These phrases cause the reader to imagine escaping from the 20th century and more importantly, from

present-day trials and tribulations.

Factors such as overwork, boredom, and hierarchy are obstacles that Volkswagen ads suggest can be

resisted as long as you own one of their vehicles. One recent ?Drivers Wanted? television commercial showed a

?soulless? office made of glass and steel, suggesting that ?on the road of life, there are entrepreneurs and then there

are hapless organization drones?(Frank 3). The soul individualizes a person. By suggesting that owning a

Volkswagen vehicle offers a new soulful life to replace that of the soulless drone, appeals to a person?s sense of

individuality. This theme coincides with that of the Bacardi ad as well as many others in America today.

Although not all ads focus on liberation, it seems to have become one of the most popular themes

in advertising today. The three examples discussed clearly promise more than the product actually can deliver.

This is the gist of liveration marketing, and even though it is not the only technique used, it seems to be the most

effective. The ?Bacardi By Night,? ?Rave New World,? and ?Driver?s Wanted? ads all illustrate liberation from

everyday life and freedom with their product.

Frank, Thomas. Home page. 1997 .