Advertising in the United States tells a lot about the people it is intended for. Advertising agents use different techniques depending on the target audience. After seeing this I learned I could tell a lot about people by the things they buy or the things they find “cool”. Moreover, I found out I could tell a lot about myself by seeing what advertisements appealed to me. If you have ever heard the radio commercials for “Real Men of Genius” advertising Bud Light it may make you more prone to buy Bud Light because of the funny advertisement. I have fallen victim to this and have purchased quite a bit of Bud Light in my day. It has little to do with the taste of the beer which, after stepping back to think about it, I realized that I do not really care for Bud Light. I saw an advertisement on television where Miller Light said it had more flavor and that Bud Light tasted like water. They were right! The only problem was that once I thought it over I realized that Miller Light tasted like water too. It was like upgrading from a three inch LCD screen to a three and a half inch LCD screen. What is the difference? Now I would like to say I learned from this and no longer drink either of those beers, but when Bud Light is on sale I have to remember a buzz is a buzz.
When looking at advertisements it is interesting to look at why it appeals to you or why it lacks your taste. If something does not appeal to you it can be worthwhile to figure out who would like it. If you have ever traveled the country it is interesting to see what billboards advertise by the side of the road. They use different slang and pictures to get the people’s attention. Often those same signs would not be affective on the side of I-94 up here in Detroit. Think about our signs advertising the start of the NHL season. I do not think people in Nebraska care much about it. Overall, we can learn a lot about ourselves by looking at advertisements presented to us.
Troy Kosal
