Tropicana Ads Essay, Research Paper

The marketing cycle begins with a product that is created to meet a consumer s need. The most important rule in advertising is to know the product and the consumer, because advertisement is an art, and there are many ways to persuade. If an advertisement can reach to the emotions of the consumers, the product is sold. Consumers do not easily forget an advertisement for a product that touches their heart, makes them angry, or produces hysterical laughter. The emotional appeal in the Tropicana Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice advertisement, found in the March 1999 edition of In Style, sparks the consumers interest by using human vulnerability.

The physical appearance of the Tropicana Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice advertisement is a contrast of a bright salmon color and a variety of gray-purple tones. At first glance the background of the advertisement appears to be black and white. Just below center of the page is a white carton of Tropicana Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice tilted slightly towards the right. The carton is floating in a river of salmon grapefruit juice. Tropicana is printed at the top of the carton in green. Below the green text is Pure Premium printed in white in all capital letters on a thick green ribbon. Ruby Red Grapefruit is written in white in all capital letters on a maroon distorted semi-circle closer to the bottom of the carton. The word grapefruit is printed in a larger font. The carton also displays a picture of a grapefruit cut open with juices dripping out from the inside. The grapefruit sits on three green leaves. The halved grapefruit is placed in the foreground of two whole grapefruits. The carton also mentions some small details about the juice, such as, The Original, Not From Concentrate, and 100% Pure Florida Squeez[ed] Grapefruit Juice, in smaller green text. On the top of the carton is a green screw-on top. Some Pulp is printed in white on a maroon band on the top of the carton. Printed vertically on the top of the carton is Tropicana, Pure Premium, and Ruby Red Grapefruit in a smaller version of the printing on the front of the carton. The same printing as the entire front of the carton is visible on the left side of the carton.

Directly above the carton, is written, Bliss. Available by the carton, in white text. To the right of the writing is a cut-open grapefruit leaping into the air. The grapefruit leaves a trail of grapefruit juice that leads to the river of grapefruit juice. The river appears to be floating to the left. Floating below and to the right of the white carton is a whole grapefruit. A red and white diagonally striped straw is stuck in the right backside of the grapefruit and is titled towards the right. On the left side of the grapefruit printed in green is, Absolutely Pure. On the right side the word Perfect is written also in green. The font of these two statements matches the writing above the carton. Floating on the left side of the carton is another halved grapefruit. This grapefruit is surrounded by a splash of grapefruit juice.

In the background of the advertisement is a photographic picture in different tones of gray-purple and white. The picture is of a middle-aged woman sitting on the rocky shore of a river. The woman faces the left side of the advertisement. The woman is sitting in an Indian-style position with her eyes shut drinking a glass of grapefruit juice. The only color portion of the photographic picture is the salmon colored grapefruit juice in the woman s glass. The woman wears a flannel shirt over a white tee-shirt while leaving her legs bare. Sitting in front of the woman is a golden retriever also facing left. The dog sits contently with its tongue hanging out of its mouth.

Behind the woman and the dog is a splashing river. On the far side of the river is a small cliff and various sized rocks covered with trees. At the top of the advertisement, some clouds speckle the sky.

The bright white carton draws the consumers attention to the product. The printing on the carton is clearly visible for identification. The distinct green top exhibits the easy-to-open carton. Once the product has been identified and described by the writing on the carton, the eyes are drawn up to the white text. The word bliss written by itself on one line creates imagery for the audience. Reading the text from left to right moves the attention to the grapefruit that looks as if it were jumping from the grapefruit river. The trail of the grapefruit juice points the eyes down to the other grapefruit and to the green writing surrounding it. The word perfect written by itself also creates imagery for the audience. The focus is then directed up to the other halved grapefruit.

The combination of displaying the side of the carton and the splashes and drops of grapefruit make the advertisement seem three dimensional. The scene with the grapefruits and river catches the readers eye because of the bright colors, and it almost looks as if the entire spectacle is about to come off of the page.

The dark tone of the photographic picture also adds to the brightness of the grapefruits. The grapefruit in the woman s glass is colored to associate it with the grapefruit juice at the bottom. The color also catches the consumers attention and forces them to look at the background picture. The outline of the woman draws the focus down to the trail of grapefruit juice, which draws the focus again down. Following the straw down to the grapefruit also leads the focus back to the product.

The words Tropicana and Grapefruit are written in larger font to make the consumer remember the product. If they can remember the brand name and the type of juice, the advertisement will be effective. The text written above and below the carton is written in different colors to make it more visible. The white writing shows a clear contrast against the photographic picture. At the same time, the green text at the bottom is distinctly visible against the grapefruit juice.

The overall direction of the advertisement is illustrated by the river, by the direction of the woman and the dog, and by the grapefruits. This technique is used to draw the attention from the outside of the ad to the inside.

This advertisement uses many different techniques to try to sell the product. Some of them are evident, but others are subtle. A common technique found in this ad and many ads is word fogging or doubletalk. This is when the ad uses words that do not give any information about the product. The use of perfect and bliss creates an emotional association with images, but it does not give any information about the product. The combination of these words and the image in the background represent what everyone truly wants out of life. Everyone desires some kind of bliss or happiness, and who would not take pleasure from being perfect? Many people associate a day in the wild, sitting next to a streaming river, with their dog to be the perfect day. A day of relaxation when one forgets of their problems and genuinely enjoys life.

This ad also appeals to status; it tries to prove that the consumers overall attitude and essence of life will improve with the use of this product. The creator of this advertisement did not choose a random person for the photograph. By using ordinary-looking people, consumers can associate with the ad. This is a common technique used in many advertisements called influencing with everyday people.

The main point that the creator of the ad is trying to get across is that drinking this grapefruit juice will bring the consumer closer to rapture, but there are many other techniques used. Advertisement is not something that is simply thrown on a page. Advertisements are carefully thought out and if effective will never be forgotten. Advertising is an art of selling hope. Many products sell and guarantee things that could never be possible. But with the accurate techniques, consumers will believe that anything is possible.

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