Unfortunately, I don't have my camera right now, so I just got a billboard off of Google that I thought definitely used psychology to influence people's actions and opinions. The billboard displays a pair of vibrant teenage girls and merely states the date that they died after being hit by a drunk driver. It's a very simple ad, but it appeals to people's sympathy and good values by showing them how a foolish choice destroyed and ended the lives of two young girls. Even if you don't know the girls, you feel a sense of sympathy for their family and friends and are angry that a foolish mistake destroyed their chance to live a full life. I think the billboard also tries to change the behavior of anyone who drives drunk by making them feel guilty. The billboard shows anyone who drives and has driven buzzed or drunk what these foolish actions cost others. If you do not drive drunk, it inspires you to communicate to others how damaging that action can be and attempt to influence them to alter their behavior. This billboard really focused on affecting its audience by appealing to people's emotions and trying to change behaviors by influencing attitudes.
Ok, well I'm not entirely sure how to get a picture posted on this thing, so I guess I'll just do my best to describe the ad I want to post on. When thinking about billboards, I figured why not use a moving billboard? Or better known as a city bus. While I was going through my pictures, I came across one that I took of a London double decker bus. Across one of the sides of this huge red bus is a big light purple strip that spans almost the entire length of the bus. It says "Bag a Million at Brent Ross" in all capital white letters with a purple and white circle underneath that says win 1M pounds (at the time it would've equaled about 2 million dollars in the US). Purple and white in all caps is very eye catching against a fire engine red bus, grabbing the passerby's eye. All one has to do is see the "Bag a million" part in order to be interested. The company, TV show, casino, whatever Brent Ross is exactly, knows that any average person walking by or getting on that bus will be interested in somehow obtaining a million dollars (who isn't?). That's what makes this simple advertisement on the side of a bus work, by appealing to the masses with a prize that is very desireable and by using contrasting colors to make it pop out against the red.
Since I'm talking about colors, I found it interesting that when one is mixing paints to create a certain color, the process one is actually doing is subtractive color mixing. Because when mixing paint, we are subtracting wavelengths from light reflected at us. It is illustrated by when you mix the three primary colors together, it creates a brown or blackish color. When we see an object as red, it is because the object rejects and reflects back to us the red wavelengths.
I also don't have access to a digital camera, but I'll be sure to snap a picture of this billboard when I get the chance (tomorrow?). Anyway, the one on my mind is located on Main and 22nd-ish here in Cedar Falls. It's a big Coke advertisement letting the general public know that they can get a Coke at convenience stores for only 99 cents. This may look like a great deal at first glance, partly because there appears to be a 20 oz bottle in the picture. However, upon closer inspection, we are able to see that this price applies only to the 16 oz version (which is actually pictured), not the typical 20 oz variety. So, although not exactly false advertising, this ad is somewhat deceptive and makes the consumer think they're really getting a good deal.
Also not quite sure how to post a picture up here, but I wanted to talk about that giant billboard in Waterloo on San Marnan that's like a TV screen. It's all lit up and flashes different ads up on it - I've seen it with ads for local hospitals and also for the Isle Casino (neat combination!)
My take on it is that it is incredibly eye-catching. Even on a dark day, you can easily see it, and because it moves and changes, it catches your eye BIG time. And especially the ones for the Isle are beautifully colorful and a bit flashy. I think it's a brilliant idea for a billboard because not only are we attracted to color and movement, but we're incredibly accustomed to the look and feel of modern technology and TV. Whether or not it makes me more or less likely to go to the Isle Casino or ...hospital... is hard to say. But it's definitely effective in getting our attention moreso than the flat billboards.
All that being said, I really don't think that something flashy and eye-catching is the best thing to have at a busy city intersection while people are driving... Especially for certain people who are easily distracted or who have a special affinity for shiny things, this is a much more enjoyable thing to focus on instead of worrying about not rear-ending someone.
I'm also not sure how to post a picture. I did get a picture of a billboard near 18th and main street. It has a picture of Smokey Bear on it with the phrase "Get Your Smokey On." Underneath in smaller letters, it says "only you can prevent wild fires."
Other than the picture of Smokey's face and the writing, the billboard has a completely white background. I think this billboard is trying to popularize an old public service announcement by adding the phrase "Get you Smokey on." Because this is a phrase used by many different people for many different activities, it is very popular and well known. By icluding this phrase in the message, maybe more people will recognize the billboard.
Also, the placement of Smokey's face in the bottom right-hand corner makes it seem almost like he is watching over you, making sure you are not doing anything wrong. He also has a ranger hat on, giving him a look of authority. By having the picture of Smokey on the billboard, many people will tune in to the message because everyone knows Smokey the Bear!
This is a billboard I saw in Spain over spring break. I snapped a photo, just because it was right outside my apartment there, I never thought I'd need it for a class.
The translated print says "And me? (What about me?) Protect my life!" The animal on the right has a caption that says "Protected lynx." This billboard makes the connection between two cute and cuddly little animals, one that is protected by a federal law and one that is not. The top photos of the embryos tune us in to the message of the billboard. If those weren't there, we might make the uninformed assumption that the billboard is referring to killing babies already born, rather than their message of abortion.
By putting the language in first-person, we feel an emotional attachment to the baby too. It is as if a child walked up to you and asked the question. Instead of being a random child on a billboard, we begin to feel this attachment as if he is asking us individually. Creators of this billboard are attempting to tack in to our emotional side and get us connected to this child. By doing so, we are more likely to not only remember the message, but also take action.
I didn't take the photo of this myself but I've seen this billboard before and searched for a photo of it because I think it is a good one. It proves how big companies can create such a strong brand for it self that something as simple as the bottle shape can become strongly associated with the brand without most people consciously realizing it until you see an ad like this one.
Since I was going through my pictures to print out a picture of that bus to bring to class, it sparked memory of some billboards I remember seeing on the way out to California one year. Anyone ever heard of Wall Drug in South Dakota? For hundreds of miles in each direction you see signs like "475 miles to Wall Drug!" and so on and other ones like the examples I found in a picture online. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://pkr.info/blog_pics/7-01_04_IMG_4266_blog.jpg&imgrefurl=http://pkreeves.blogspot.com/2007/07/wall-drug-south-dakota.html&usg=__I8OA81BWPVwuZAK8uPT-hvTNyxc=&h=480&w=640&sz=166&hl=en&start=10&tbnid=mVnAmnmKFw02RM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwall%2Bdrug%2Bbillboards%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26ie%3DUTF-8
They are very simple billboards that are easily comprehended speeding past them. And I remember my own reaction from seeing dozens upon dozens of these billboards... "Dad, what IS wall drug? Why are these things everywhere?" These billboards spark your curiousity because it doesn't tell you what Wall Drug really is other than the name of being a drug store. Apparently it used to be one of the only places to get supplies while people were traveling west way back when so basically the name itself ended up being more important than the actual Wall Drug was. In reality, it was a very big general store, but after all the hype from the hundreds of billboards, my little brother was extremely less than impressed. I think he had such a big expectation of this gigantic impressive something in his mind from the sheer number of billboards that it ended up being disappointing for him that it was now just a tourist attraction with a bunch of trinkets.
The billboard is rather straightforward and simple. It just gives the name of the casino and one of their newest games to play. I would say that this is rather generic, and looks like it would appeal to almost anyone. Except maybe this is why it is so simple, a lot of individuals who go to the casino are retired individuals, and so maybe this is the type of advertising that is effective for their generation. They do not need a lot of fancy add ons; just give them the facts.
I think that Meskwaki has actually bought this board space to use all the time, because there is always some sort of ad for their casinos up there. In December it features whatever the act that is coming on New Year's Eve would be. The board is situated strategically on one of the main highways that will take you to the casino. Interestingly, I have never seen any ads for the Isle of Capri in Waterloo, even though that casino may actually be closer to my town than Meskwaki.
I can't really remember what many of the other ads look like, but I wonder how the advertising for casinos has changed in light of the economic downturn. I would imagine that it would be rather difficult for casinos to get customers; you'd think that playing the slots would be an extra that families would cut out of their budgets at the moment. So, this makes me think that this would be the reason the $25,000 would be put in such a main focus on the board. Perhaps the casino advertising people put the main focus on the money, rather than the fun or entertainment aspect of being at a casino right now.
I found these two billboards online so I am not sure if they are actually up in any cities or not. The first one is using a sexual inuendo to portray a serious message about greenhouse gas. By having the phrase "Hey meaty, you're making me so hot" in large letters, it engages people and makes them want to read more. Then the billboard hits you with the fact that "meat and dairy animals produce more greehouse gases than all the world's transport-combined." The final phrase goes back to the seuxal conotation by saying "Fact not Fantasy."
Besides the sexual undertones of the billboard I thought the background was thought provoking. With all the cracks on this green/blue surface, you get the image of something drying up. And then, right behind the woman who is glistening in sweat, you have the brown, cracked surface, suggesting that it is completly dry and hot.
I also really liked the second billboard with Heather Mills on it. The saying that an environmentalist "doesn't have a leg to stand on" if they eat meat and dairy products is ironic in the fact that Mills herself is missing a leg. I think this is a cute play on words and celebrity status. Most people know Mills and recognize the fact that she is missing a leg. I wonder if she was a good choice for the billboard however, because of her recent divorce from Paul McCartney and how she was portrayed as a malicious, gold digging, bitter ex wife. There are always going to be ups and downs to using a celebrity in an advertising campaign. On the one hand, you get that automatic recognition and the associations that come along with that particular celebrity, but on the other, if the associations that come along with the celebrity are not desirable, it could effect your audience in a negative way.
I found a billboard in Waterloo near Crossroads Mall. It was an advertisement for Fogdall RV. There is a picture of a family outside an RV, and below it reads, "Rediscover your family time." There is also an ancient looking compass next to this phrase. I thought this was an interesting way to advertise an RV. I would assume that the RV business has been hurting ever since the spike in gas prices last year.
The company decided to take the angle of bringing the family together instead of focusing on the appeal of traveling the world. The old compass next to the phrase seems to represent that families were closer and spent more time together "back in the day". This may be a more cultural assumption, but perhaps if we consider farming families this would be true. Farming seems to have become more of a business than the family activity it was in the past. Families on farms had to work hard together to get things done. The parents also had to work with their kids to teach them the skills they needed. However, now when kids are old enough to work they most likely get a job outside the house, decreasing the amount of spent with parents. This ad suggests that you can bring that family time back by buying an RV.
Also, we are in Iowa which has a relatively large farming community and so there are families still working on farms and probably parents in Waterloo who might have grown up on farms as a kid. This ad could elicit an emotional response in parents in general who don't spend much time with their kids. This ad could make parents feel guilty and sad, making them feel like perhaps traveling in an RV would bring their family closer together.
This is the billboard I found. It is so interesting because it's just a big frame. It's an advertisement put out by the Estonian postal service. They are now allowing people to design their own stamps. I couldn't find what the "Tee oma postmark!" means but I'm sure it's something about making your own stamp. I thought this was so cool because it is using negative space to advertise something. They use the absence of the rest of the billboard to tell you that you can put anything you want into that square. It's kind of important that people have some kind of schema for how the postal system and stamps work for this to be effective. I just thought it was so cool because It's so simple. It would look completely different depending upon where you were looking at it from. I'm not sure how effective the billboard is or was, but it is a really interesting concept. There are not a lot of ads out there that use the lack of advertising to advertise if that makes sense.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3bp4zoi6JRk/SRQpfFJgHZI/AAAAAAAAA0o/8UZrGBrBwpQ/s400/drink_billboard_102208_big.jpg
Unfortunately, I don't have my camera right now, so I just got a billboard off of Google that I thought definitely used psychology to influence people's actions and opinions. The billboard displays a pair of vibrant teenage girls and merely states the date that they died after being hit by a drunk driver. It's a very simple ad, but it appeals to people's sympathy and good values by showing them how a foolish choice destroyed and ended the lives of two young girls. Even if you don't know the girls, you feel a sense of sympathy for their family and friends and are angry that a foolish mistake destroyed their chance to live a full life. I think the billboard also tries to change the behavior of anyone who drives drunk by making them feel guilty. The billboard shows anyone who drives and has driven buzzed or drunk what these foolish actions cost others. If you do not drive drunk, it inspires you to communicate to others how damaging that action can be and attempt to influence them to alter their behavior. This billboard really focused on affecting its audience by appealing to people's emotions and trying to change behaviors by influencing attitudes.
Ok, well I'm not entirely sure how to get a picture posted on this thing, so I guess I'll just do my best to describe the ad I want to post on. When thinking about billboards, I figured why not use a moving billboard? Or better known as a city bus. While I was going through my pictures, I came across one that I took of a London double decker bus. Across one of the sides of this huge red bus is a big light purple strip that spans almost the entire length of the bus. It says "Bag a Million at Brent Ross" in all capital white letters with a purple and white circle underneath that says win 1M pounds (at the time it would've equaled about 2 million dollars in the US). Purple and white in all caps is very eye catching against a fire engine red bus, grabbing the passerby's eye. All one has to do is see the "Bag a million" part in order to be interested. The company, TV show, casino, whatever Brent Ross is exactly, knows that any average person walking by or getting on that bus will be interested in somehow obtaining a million dollars (who isn't?). That's what makes this simple advertisement on the side of a bus work, by appealing to the masses with a prize that is very desireable and by using contrasting colors to make it pop out against the red.
Since I'm talking about colors, I found it interesting that when one is mixing paints to create a certain color, the process one is actually doing is subtractive color mixing. Because when mixing paint, we are subtracting wavelengths from light reflected at us. It is illustrated by when you mix the three primary colors together, it creates a brown or blackish color. When we see an object as red, it is because the object rejects and reflects back to us the red wavelengths.
I also don't have access to a digital camera, but I'll be sure to snap a picture of this billboard when I get the chance (tomorrow?). Anyway, the one on my mind is located on Main and 22nd-ish here in Cedar Falls. It's a big Coke advertisement letting the general public know that they can get a Coke at convenience stores for only 99 cents. This may look like a great deal at first glance, partly because there appears to be a 20 oz bottle in the picture. However, upon closer inspection, we are able to see that this price applies only to the 16 oz version (which is actually pictured), not the typical 20 oz variety. So, although not exactly false advertising, this ad is somewhat deceptive and makes the consumer think they're really getting a good deal.
Also not quite sure how to post a picture up here, but I wanted to talk about that giant billboard in Waterloo on San Marnan that's like a TV screen. It's all lit up and flashes different ads up on it - I've seen it with ads for local hospitals and also for the Isle Casino (neat combination!)
My take on it is that it is incredibly eye-catching. Even on a dark day, you can easily see it, and because it moves and changes, it catches your eye BIG time. And especially the ones for the Isle are beautifully colorful and a bit flashy. I think it's a brilliant idea for a billboard because not only are we attracted to color and movement, but we're incredibly accustomed to the look and feel of modern technology and TV. Whether or not it makes me more or less likely to go to the Isle Casino or ...hospital... is hard to say. But it's definitely effective in getting our attention moreso than the flat billboards.
All that being said, I really don't think that something flashy and eye-catching is the best thing to have at a busy city intersection while people are driving... Especially for certain people who are easily distracted or who have a special affinity for shiny things, this is a much more enjoyable thing to focus on instead of worrying about not rear-ending someone.
Good advertising, maybe not that well executed...
I'm also not sure how to post a picture. I did get a picture of a billboard near 18th and main street. It has a picture of Smokey Bear on it with the phrase "Get Your Smokey On." Underneath in smaller letters, it says "only you can prevent wild fires."
Other than the picture of Smokey's face and the writing, the billboard has a completely white background. I think this billboard is trying to popularize an old public service announcement by adding the phrase "Get you Smokey on." Because this is a phrase used by many different people for many different activities, it is very popular and well known. By icluding this phrase in the message, maybe more people will recognize the billboard.
Also, the placement of Smokey's face in the bottom right-hand corner makes it seem almost like he is watching over you, making sure you are not doing anything wrong. He also has a ranger hat on, giving him a look of authority. By having the picture of Smokey on the billboard, many people will tune in to the message because everyone knows Smokey the Bear!
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0EcNG7dqzbMXVg
Hopefully the above link works...
This is a billboard I saw in Spain over spring break. I snapped a photo, just because it was right outside my apartment there, I never thought I'd need it for a class.
The translated print says "And me? (What about me?) Protect my life!" The animal on the right has a caption that says "Protected lynx." This billboard makes the connection between two cute and cuddly little animals, one that is protected by a federal law and one that is not. The top photos of the embryos tune us in to the message of the billboard. If those weren't there, we might make the uninformed assumption that the billboard is referring to killing babies already born, rather than their message of abortion.
By putting the language in first-person, we feel an emotional attachment to the baby too. It is as if a child walked up to you and asked the question. Instead of being a random child on a billboard, we begin to feel this attachment as if he is asking us individually. Creators of this billboard are attempting to tack in to our emotional side and get us connected to this child. By doing so, we are more likely to not only remember the message, but also take action.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3061/3014569490_43d9e472dd.jpg
Here is the Smokey billboard
http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/presscenter/img/imagecontour/downloads/us_billboard_1994.jpg
I didn't take the photo of this myself but I've seen this billboard before and searched for a photo of it because I think it is a good one. It proves how big companies can create such a strong brand for it self that something as simple as the bottle shape can become strongly associated with the brand without most people consciously realizing it until you see an ad like this one.
Since I was going through my pictures to print out a picture of that bus to bring to class, it sparked memory of some billboards I remember seeing on the way out to California one year. Anyone ever heard of Wall Drug in South Dakota? For hundreds of miles in each direction you see signs like "475 miles to Wall Drug!" and so on and other ones like the examples I found in a picture online. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://pkr.info/blog_pics/7-01_04_IMG_4266_blog.jpg&imgrefurl=http://pkreeves.blogspot.com/2007/07/wall-drug-south-dakota.html&usg=__I8OA81BWPVwuZAK8uPT-hvTNyxc=&h=480&w=640&sz=166&hl=en&start=10&tbnid=mVnAmnmKFw02RM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwall%2Bdrug%2Bbillboards%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26ie%3DUTF-8
They are very simple billboards that are easily comprehended speeding past them. And I remember my own reaction from seeing dozens upon dozens of these billboards... "Dad, what IS wall drug? Why are these things everywhere?" These billboards spark your curiousity because it doesn't tell you what Wall Drug really is other than the name of being a drug store. Apparently it used to be one of the only places to get supplies while people were traveling west way back when so basically the name itself ended up being more important than the actual Wall Drug was. In reality, it was a very big general store, but after all the hype from the hundreds of billboards, my little brother was extremely less than impressed. I think he had such a big expectation of this gigantic impressive something in his mind from the sheer number of billboards that it ended up being disappointing for him that it was now just a tourist attraction with a bunch of trinkets.
I took a picture of one of the few billboards to be found in my small hometown.
http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=289794361/PictureID=7067146941/a=48300112_48300112/t_=48300112
The billboard is rather straightforward and simple. It just gives the name of the casino and one of their newest games to play. I would say that this is rather generic, and looks like it would appeal to almost anyone. Except maybe this is why it is so simple, a lot of individuals who go to the casino are retired individuals, and so maybe this is the type of advertising that is effective for their generation. They do not need a lot of fancy add ons; just give them the facts.
I think that Meskwaki has actually bought this board space to use all the time, because there is always some sort of ad for their casinos up there. In December it features whatever the act that is coming on New Year's Eve would be. The board is situated strategically on one of the main highways that will take you to the casino. Interestingly, I have never seen any ads for the Isle of Capri in Waterloo, even though that casino may actually be closer to my town than Meskwaki.
I can't really remember what many of the other ads look like, but I wonder how the advertising for casinos has changed in light of the economic downturn. I would imagine that it would be rather difficult for casinos to get customers; you'd think that playing the slots would be an extra that families would cut out of their budgets at the moment. So, this makes me think that this would be the reason the $25,000 would be put in such a main focus on the board. Perhaps the casino advertising people put the main focus on the money, rather than the fun or entertainment aspect of being at a casino right now.
http://www.viva.org.uk/campaigns/hot/media/billboards_thumb.jpg
I found these two billboards online so I am not sure if they are actually up in any cities or not. The first one is using a sexual inuendo to portray a serious message about greenhouse gas. By having the phrase "Hey meaty, you're making me so hot" in large letters, it engages people and makes them want to read more. Then the billboard hits you with the fact that "meat and dairy animals produce more greehouse gases than all the world's transport-combined." The final phrase goes back to the seuxal conotation by saying "Fact not Fantasy."
Besides the sexual undertones of the billboard I thought the background was thought provoking. With all the cracks on this green/blue surface, you get the image of something drying up. And then, right behind the woman who is glistening in sweat, you have the brown, cracked surface, suggesting that it is completly dry and hot.
I also really liked the second billboard with Heather Mills on it. The saying that an environmentalist "doesn't have a leg to stand on" if they eat meat and dairy products is ironic in the fact that Mills herself is missing a leg. I think this is a cute play on words and celebrity status. Most people know Mills and recognize the fact that she is missing a leg. I wonder if she was a good choice for the billboard however, because of her recent divorce from Paul McCartney and how she was portrayed as a malicious, gold digging, bitter ex wife. There are always going to be ups and downs to using a celebrity in an advertising campaign. On the one hand, you get that automatic recognition and the associations that come along with that particular celebrity, but on the other, if the associations that come along with the celebrity are not desirable, it could effect your audience in a negative way.
I found a billboard in Waterloo near Crossroads Mall. It was an advertisement for Fogdall RV. There is a picture of a family outside an RV, and below it reads, "Rediscover your family time." There is also an ancient looking compass next to this phrase. I thought this was an interesting way to advertise an RV. I would assume that the RV business has been hurting ever since the spike in gas prices last year.
The company decided to take the angle of bringing the family together instead of focusing on the appeal of traveling the world. The old compass next to the phrase seems to represent that families were closer and spent more time together "back in the day". This may be a more cultural assumption, but perhaps if we consider farming families this would be true. Farming seems to have become more of a business than the family activity it was in the past. Families on farms had to work hard together to get things done. The parents also had to work with their kids to teach them the skills they needed. However, now when kids are old enough to work they most likely get a job outside the house, decreasing the amount of spent with parents. This ad suggests that you can bring that family time back by buying an RV.
Also, we are in Iowa which has a relatively large farming community and so there are families still working on farms and probably parents in Waterloo who might have grown up on farms as a kid. This ad could elicit an emotional response in parents in general who don't spend much time with their kids. This ad could make parents feel guilty and sad, making them feel like perhaps traveling in an RV would bring their family closer together.
This is the billboard I found. It is so interesting because it's just a big frame. It's an advertisement put out by the Estonian postal service. They are now allowing people to design their own stamps. I couldn't find what the "Tee oma postmark!" means but I'm sure it's something about making your own stamp. I thought this was so cool because it is using negative space to advertise something. They use the absence of the rest of the billboard to tell you that you can put anything you want into that square. It's kind of important that people have some kind of schema for how the postal system and stamps work for this to be effective. I just thought it was so cool because It's so simple. It would look completely different depending upon where you were looking at it from. I'm not sure how effective the billboard is or was, but it is a really interesting concept. There are not a lot of ads out there that use the lack of advertising to advertise if that makes sense.
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/353/70/1600/billboard_stamps.jpg