Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Essay

ADVERTISEMENT EVERYWHERE: PRINT

When either two or more types of media used (i.e. audio, video, animation, still images, and interactivity) to create contents, then the content is a multimedia product. Advertising is one of the commercial industries that produce multimedia content creatively. By producing a multimedia content, audiences’ senses (i.e. touch, hear, vision, smell, and taste) are stimulated thus enable the advertisements to inform, persuade, and giving brand of a service or product known to the audiences. In today’s world, it is impossible that one go all day without seeing an advertisement no matter how one tries to avoid it. As said of the advertisements, printed advertisement is one of the oldest forms of advertisement that is still widely used.

Advertisement started to expand and being paid for during 17th century which is after the invention of the printing press machine. During this century, advertisements were mainly advertised on newspapers promoting books and newspapers although there were also posters of play and government proclamations. The advertisements were straightforward facts, no fancy typeset nor illustration. It was humble and sincere. In 18th century, in the industrial age, consumer goods began to mass produce. To market the goods in a large geographical area, newspapers were used to send out the information of the product and to attract consumers’ attention and need. Hence, the structure and format of printed advertisement began to evolve.

Then, illustrations begin to appear in newspapers, magazines and posters advertisements in the 19th century to create better awareness and attention. The illustrations were printed using lithography method which requires skill and time consuming. The illustration, especially on posters were taken seriously as in artform. It is detailed enough to be compare to a painting in the art museum. Thereafter, alongside with the growth of economy, advertising demand grew during early 20th century. Governments began to use posters as an advertisement for army enlistment and to extend ideas to public. Then, large posters or billboards start to be seen along the busy roads. However, it was mostly hand-painted on separate panel in large studios before it is assembled outdoor. Although there were reduction of advertisement fees in newspaper, placement and production of print advertisements especially posters and billboards was still used with limitation.

After World War II, advertisements started to grow rapidly along with economy and technology. Psychological manipulation technique used in advertisement is now more refined than before. In order to create awareness and leave great impact to the viewers, contemporary creativity was highly appreciated than before in order to market products or services to a more sophisticated society. Keywords and sentences that opposed to conventional sentences were used to grab the attention of viewers as in like the advertisement campaign of Volkswagen Beetle’s “Think Small”. Also, in this printed advertisement, exploitation of simplicity and photograph was applied instead of detailed and painting-like images. Thus, the advertisement had very much changed the concept of advertisement which is still applied on today’s advertisements.

By 21st century, importance of advertisement has already established among people. Advertisement is no longer only use by manufacturing companies to market their products but small and medium companies applied advertisement in their marketing strategy as well. Due to the development of digital technology, software to create and manipulate images is constantly updated to assist the job of artist and designer and endless new and improved products being created, corporations needed advertisement more than ever to withstand in the competition. Hence, to be outstanding, printed advertisement was no longer restricted to newspapers, magazine, handbills, flyers, posters by the windows or in restrooms, and billboards. Some corporations make subtle advertisement by printing details and logo of the company on the products packaging. Also, printed advertisement is seen on shopping bags that are either provided upon purchase or reusable shopping bag that is being purchased. As well, paper cups that are used for take away by coffeehouse chain or fast food restaurant chain printed their logos on the cup while the manufacturer of the cup printed their company’s detail at the bottom of the cup. In addition, some companies printed details of the company and sometimes promotional details on complimentary gift; for instance, stationeries and tissue packages.

Besides, some advertisements campaign have printed stickers stick on elevators, public transports and on the windows. Whereas banners are hanging down or fly behind with light aircraft to increase awareness of events or any promotion. At the same time, billboards were in mobile. One of the example of mobile billboards is one of the newspaper publisher had their logo printed on a sail mounted on a sailboat and sail it near a target area. As well, immobile billboards were taken to another level by adding smell to it. This was seen and smelt by users of a highway in North Carolina, United States of America. The billboard was mounted with picture of a giant piece of meat on a fork emitted scent of black pepper and charcoal during peak hours. Furthermore, some boards of product or product resemblance image are creatively assemble in certain area as an advertisement campaign; for example, a board of a fork shape with printed details of the vegetarian restaurant were put against a lush green tree with the tip almost hiding under the leaves giving the idea of eating fresh greens. While smaller companies that could not afford for an advertisement campaign could have their advertisements publish on local advertisement magazine that delivers from door to door.

Without realizing it, advertisements are seen every day and everywhere; even we have not turn on to television, radio, internet nor go to a cinema. As print advertisements are seen indoor and outdoor; by the roads, on and in buildings, public transports, restrooms, shopping carts, receipts, mailers, packaging, and even when one is sitting in own private room for as long as spaces are available. For that, although types of advertising have diversified, print advertisement will still be on demand.

http://www.mediaknowall.com/gcse/advertising/history.html

http://infoacrs.com/a/adhistory.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poster

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard

http://www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~el6/presentations/pres_c2_hoa/19thand20thadvertising.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_Small

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/03/steak-scented-billboard-p_n_599202.html

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/ambient/tibits_vegetarian_restaurant_fork

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