Analysis Of Two Different Articles Essay, Research Paper

Analysis of two different things ..

In order for advertisements to succesfully portray a product, they must be

directed to the appropriate intended audience. Magazines, in general, are usually

geared towards a specific audience with distinct interests. Therefore, the `ads’ need

to be carefully designed to attract the attentions of the magazine reader. This very

concept is well displayed in the two selected, yet very different, magazine ads from

the software magnate Microsoft Corporation.

The first ad is taken from Computer Games Strategy Plus – a gaming

magazine, as one might infer from the title. The product `Monster Truck Madness’

is a computer video game designed, quite obviously, for entertainment purposes.

The second ad is from PC World, which is of a much more technical nature than its

previous counterpart. The product in this ad is `Microsoft Project for Windows 95′,

a software used for businesses and project development teams.

The `Monster Truck Madness’ ad encaptivates the casual browser with its bright

yellow background with a large purple type set across the top of the page

accompanied by the words: `Size Matters”. This leads the reader to ponder the

meaning of this rather unusual phrase and to further read the smaller print. Here,

the reader encounters an irregular font of different sizes to accentuate certain words.

While this may be annoying to many, its overall purpose is to create a lively playful

environment through the usage of fonts. This, of course, is an attempt to appeal to a

younger gaming audience. On the other hand, the `Microsoft Project’ ad does not

envoke any visual desire read further into the text. The sections are divided into fine

print paragraphs with a slightly larger heading above. Everything is set plainly and

unassumingly. This can be justified to mirror an American professional’s lifestyle:

simple, neat, and organized.

The first four lines in the `Monster Truck’ ad: “bigger tires, bigger competition,

bigger thrills, bigger mud-splitting” uses repetition to accentuate the fact that this

game is bigger and better than all the other racing car games. Microsoft then

introduces the product in a rather blunt manner but just stating the title of the game.

The reader is then asked to “strap yourself into a 1,500 horsepower tower of

American pig iron, punch it when the light turns green, and you’re in for the biggest

race of your life.” Having read this far, the reader should be overwhelmed by the

forceful way the ad delivers its message. From this, one can derive the intent to

parallel the `brute force and run over everything attitude’ that only a monster truck

can possess, in the text.

The `Project’ ad explains very straight-forwardly what the software is capable

of doing for the readers and their businesses. What this lacks in excitement is made

up for through a very complete description of the product. This is appropriate for

the intended audience: no-nonsense, no-hassle businessmen. Strangely enough, the

`Monster Truck’ ad, in sharp contrast, discusses absolutely nothing about the actual

game itself. Instead it elaborates on other parts of the ad more important to

persuading the intended group of people.

The pictures and images are, of course, `everything’ to an advertisement. They

retrieve preconceptions from each individual without using words at all.

Consequently, these pictures must express a meaning related to its intended purpose

- in this case, to sell the product. In the `Monster Truck’ ad, the first image the

reader should notice is the massive blue and yellow monster truck. Certainly

because it is the largest picture, but also because it is seemingly `standing’ on its

back tires. My first impression of this picture was one of pure awe. I imagine

hearing the powerful revving of the engine and the massive tires rumbling through

the grass. However, if the reader has no preconception of what a monster truck is or

how large it is, this picture may be nothing more impressive than a Micro Machine.

Nextly, two additional pictures are taken from the computer game itself. Both, in an

attempt to impress the viewer, are taken at an inspiring frame deserving of a

highlight reel. The viewer can see the rich color and high resolution details of each

individual screenshot. The purple monster truck in mid-air flying off a ramp is

strategically positioned in the exact middle of the photo, bringing all attention to the

truck. The picture on the lower left shows the interior of the vehicle, the

speedometer and tachometer; everything a real-life monster truck would have.

Lastly, the last corner of the rectangle holds the picture of the box of the software.

This is most likely intended to allow the reader to recognize the box when they head

over to the store. The quote in the picture: “Down and Dirty Racing”, goes to

emphasize the fact that the game is not intended for the faint hearted conservative

but rather for the hardcore gamer.

Conversely, the pictures in the `Project’ ad are very realistic to one’s life

compared to the `virtual’ world of the `Monster Truck’ game. The central picture is,

of course, the businessman who is denoted by the blue collared shirt, tie and neat

appearance. The man has a Windows 95 `Start’ button on his head possibly

symbolizing that all ideas start within the mind. From here, small blurbs of photos

are linked together. One is a flowchart of coworkers connected on a board,

signifying the need for companies to work and communicate together in order to be

successful. The second is a building made up for wooden blocks allowing, as the

title states, teams to visualize where the project is going. Next is photo is a small

boy whispering into the ear of a girl. While this can signfy communication among

everyone, instead I believe it to be the man’s children to show that he is a successful

business and family man. Lastly, the final link goes to a picture of the box

`Microsoft Project’. This relates the software to the other items by linking the

results that your company will receive when you buy `Microsoft Project’. Also,

this box is Microsoft’s way of allowing you to remember what it looks like at the

store. The box is simple, neat and organized signifying the orderly fashion of a

company. One clear lacking of this ad are pictures from the actual software itself.

It may be safe to assume that the software is just a large array of icons and there is

nothing amazing to look at. Once more, as stated at the beginning of the paragraph,

a business type is more concerned with `real world’ pictures rather than one of the

`virtual’ gaming world.

Two very different advertisements from two very different magazines selling

two very different products, yet all from the same company. While the reader may

not be aware of it, each ad differs from one magazine to another. This is due to the

typical stereotype of the persons who usually buy a certain product. Am I saying

that all people are stereotyped? Yes, of course. If this were not the case, then ads

would not be specifically designed to attract each unique group of people and

everything would be colorlessly drab. Ads are meant to be directed to a particular

prototype of the buyer, economy relies on this constant method to thrive.

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