Advertising Response Post

            The advertising group covered key topics and issues in the advertising industry during their presentation on Monday. The presentation began with a brief class activity, where classmates pointed out key differences between several sets of two advertisements shown on the television screen. Next, the group discussed the history of the advertising industry, its evolution and use today, how ads can appeal to customers, well-known advertising agencies, product placement in television, and jobs in the advertising industry. The group placed the most emphasis and importance on the ways advertisements appeal to customers.

            The group discussed the 15 ways advertisements can appeal to customers during the middle portion of their presentation. They are the needs for sex, affiliation, nurture, guidance, to aggress, to achieve, to dominate, prominence, attention, autonomy, escape, to feel safe, aesthetic sensations, satisfied curiosity, and physiological needs. The class took part in an activity where each student received an advertisement and discussed the needs of individuals that were targeted in each advertisement. For example, an advertisement for Durex, a condom producer, took advantage of the need for sex and the need to feel safe in its advertisement. Another example included a girl in a bikini holding a life-size bottle of Coca-Cola, another appeal to the need for sex. Throughout the activity, the need for sex was the overwhelmingly most common need targeted by advertising agencies. Although several other needs were common in other advertisements, such as the need for prominence and need for autonomy, the need for sex was not only the most common, but the most consistent need addressed by advertisements from both decades ago and today.

            Throughout the advertising group’s presentation, class activities and interactions helped show the evolution of the advertising industry. From its initial beginnings in the 18th century to today, advertising has adapted to the modern-day market and its need for advertisements. By taking advantage of the 15 ways advertisements appeal to customers, the industry will no doubt continue to be a major mass medium for years to come.