The argument that the New Balance ad is trying to make is that their shoes help runners take on challenges they set for themselves. The ad is trying to make a very broad appeal to all types of marathon runners, from first timers to those that have done them before. This seems like a very good attempt tby the ocmpany to attract business from all types of runners. By not focusing on die hard runners or those who are just getting into it, they can make an appeal to a group without making anyone feel left out. Looking at the ad it is very apparent that the ocmpany is trying to make an emotional and sentimental appeal to the audience.
Three short blurbs are put inext to the pictures of three different runners which gives the audience the feeling that these runners wrote each little statement. However the ad does not say if these are from actual people or just the marketing people. However this does not make a big difference because the average reader will probably not consider this when reading through the ad. I did not realize this until I sat down and started to type this. Each of these follows a small trend. All three make mention of a different number of miles at least twice. They also tell the emotions that are going through each person at different parts of the race. This helps the audience to make a personal connection with the ad by putting in real emotions that actual people feel. By doing this New Balance is able to become more personal rather than just a faceless company.
The passages also have a similar style of language and writing. They all use short senteces that contain very simple words. This almost gives it a feel like the people are actually saying this or thinking it as they are running the marathong. Doing this makes it seem as if running the marathon is going easily for the people, which could be a result of wearing comfortable New Balance shoes.
The bottom portion of the ad also does a very good job of appealing to people in the Chicago area. They are able to make an appeal to the entire city by mentioning that they have sponsored the Chicago city marathon since 1997. Saying this shows that the company cares and is giving back to the area and supporting their sport.
By featuring a picture of both men and owmen as the focal point, New Balance was also able to appeal to both sexes with one ad. This is very important because a lot of ads are focused more on one sex than the other. There are also three different shoes shown, and it is noted that they are all available in both men's and women's. Having both men and women helps to show that the company does not favor one sex over the other, and support both sexes.
This ad overall is pretty effective. It focuses more on an emotional appeal of people who run marathons, which is a market that doesn't seem to receive much publicity. A good job was done targeting this group of athletes which tend to get neglected by more popular sports. The language used also helped make this strong by using emotions that go through a runners head during a race. Through this ad the company was able to make a connection to its customers.
-Jake
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I agree that the New Balance ad is trying to convince consumers that they have the particular shoe that helps runners take on desired challenges. I also feel though, that the company is trying to convince consumers that they have the best product, and that there is one made for each individual and their needs. They do this by saying, “It’s the same 26.2 miles. But every marathoner faces something different.” They are telling others that they are aware that everyone’s experience while running will be different and they have the shoe that will be beneficial to each person, individually, as they take on this feat of running a marathon or running in general. Also, the add includes the slogan “For love or money?” They are implying that they have set their products at a reasonable price so that money will not constrain anyone from having the shoes that will help them to succeed in their tasks and goals of a runner.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the ad appeals to runners in general and not just marathon runners, even though that is who the ad initially refers to. They do this by discussing the characteristics of the shoes as they appeal to runners in general and not just the marathoners. An example is “A fast, efficient ride for elite runners, chasing elite times.” They are referring to a runner and not the marathoner in particular. The ad may even serve to inspire those runners to consider running a marathon, especially The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, as the ad refers to the fact that New Balance sponsors it. I also agree that the advertisements appeals to a rather universal audience, runners of all skill levels, males and females, and that is a good tactic to attract any and all consumers that they can.
I noticed as well, that the company makes a pathetic appeal towards the audience. As you said, by adding in personal statements made by runners of all experience levels and sexes, they appeal to the emotions of the audience. Each particular blurb made by the runners is full of the runners’ emotions and thoughts while running the race. The blurb discusses events of the race that other runners may be able to relate to or are worded in a way to help imagine what it is like in their shoes. It makes one feel as if they are a part of it too. Also, I observed that the ad makes ethical appeals as well. New Balance appeals ethically when they say that they “know every runner is driven by something different” and discussing that they are the proud sponsors of a marathon, implying that they care and are involved in the lives of those individuals who purchase their products. They continue to create a good character with the statement “For love or money” right next to their logo. This serves to imply that they want consumers to be able to afford their product and do what they love because they understand the passion for the activity. I have also noticed a slight amount of logos in the ad through means of syllogism. For example, New Balance discusses how an individual completed a marathon, the shoes could help them get there, and therefore, an individual can complete a marathon or any type of run with the aid of these shoes.
The author often makes this pathetic appeal through rather descriptive stories of past events, which then allows for great imagery. This enables the reader to imagine, feel, and relate to what the marathoner is feeling, at least to some extent. Also, while the author presents the blog of the marathoner, he often uses ellipsis by omitting many of the words that begin the sentence. This omission makes the thoughts concise, as if they are actually inside the head of the runner. Also, I assumed that the author wrote the blurbs because throughout the blurbs, the same writing style is maintained. The author tends to be quite repetitive while writing as well. He or she writes three marathoner stories, giving a detailed description and always using a success story. The author also repeatedly discusses how the shoe is available in men’s and women’s models, making it clear that New Balance is not gender specific.
After reading this article, I was relatively convinced that the New Balance had the shoe for any of my running needs. I also concluded that the advertisement was very effective, as I was particularly affected by how they seemed to have a specific shoe to meet my needs and at a reasonable price. Not to mention, when I read past marathoner’s stories, I could not help but put myself in their position and feel as if the shoe actually would be helpful in carrying out this difficult feat. I may just be the ultimate consumer and perceive this advertisement as effective, but I truly feel that it is well done and will be convincing to many others.
Hey,
ReplyDeleteI was reading this ad and had a few thoughts. I felt from a content perspective the ad was very effective. New Balance has the ethos of making shoes for runners and played that point up. The only problem I have with the ad is its complexity; I felt they did not successfully navigate the constraints of magazine advertising.
As a runner, I can attest to the importance of a shoe that is lightweight and comfortable. The niche market for running shoes is large and competitive. Nike, New Balance, Saucony and Oasics are all in direct competition to increase market share and increase profits. Running shoes can cost upwards of $100 and many marathoners are fiercely loyal to their favorite type of shoe.
It is in this context that the New Balance ad really shines. New Balance painstakingly tries to address every group of marathoner. They present diverse range of products that will help every runner, no matter how fast or slow, improve. New Balance advertises three of their shoes by picturing a marathoner on the left hand side and a short paragraph about that marathoner’s running background and goals. These blurbs, nor more than 50 words, allows each runner to establish an ethos that the reader will associate with a particular shoe. The blurbs consist of short and concise sentences that are devoid of any complexity. This again establishes the New Balance ethos as being in touch with a runner’s personality. The physical demands of a marathon prevent competitors from having deeply complex thoughts. It’s like the Yogi Berra saying that you can’t think and do at the same time.
In these short statements, the runners describe the wide array of emotions that one faces during a marathon. They describe the, optimism, pain, fear, despair during the race and the ecstasy they experience upon reaching their goals. These emotions are delicately balanced with each runners times and training regimen. After spending the past five years in the track world, I have found one absolute truth about speaking to runners. No matter what the subject matter, runners always discuss their weekly mileage. By including mileage in these blurbs, New Balance again establishes its running ethos. Any runner can immediately identify with the three characters that they present in the middle of the page.
After making it clearly establishing their ethos as a running shoe, New Balance hammers the point home on the bottom of the page. New Balance mentions its sponsorship of the Chicago marathon. I thought it was interesting to place this on the bottom of a page. Clearly this fact was not the focus of the ad. Placing the fact on the bottom of the page helps New Balance. Sponsorship takes a lot of money which means New Balance must sell a lot of shoes and thus be known in the running world. Any prospective runner would see this and possibly join the bandwagon of people who purchase New Balance running shoes. The second advantage of mentioning their sponsorship at the bottom of the page, it again reinforces New Balances Ethos as being in touch with running culture.
While New Balance does a tremendous job of establishing their running ethos, I thought they did an abysmal job navigating the constraints of advertising in a magazine. Most readers spend a few, if any, seconds on looking at advertisements. An advertiser has a precious few seconds to introduce the reader to the product and convince the reader to purchase the product. Reading the advertisement took almost as long as reading some articles in a magazine. The advertisement lacks any catchy saying or iconography that would make a reader want to re-read the advertisement. New Balance does not put forth a catchy slogan that will stay with the reader. This advertisement reminded me a lot of the Barak Obama infomercial this fall. Like the Obama infomercials, the ad does a great job of establishing an ethos with its intended audience. Like the Obama infomercials, the ad takes is lengthy and complex. Most people did not spend 30 minutes to see what Obama has to say and most readers will not spend the 30 seconds needed to completely grasp the message of this advertisement. In reality people only saw fractions of these advertisements.
It is for this reason I cannot say I liked the advertisement. If a magazine ad cannot get its point across in 3 seconds then it belongs on television. This ad provides a textbook example of how to establish and maintain a certain ethos with a reader. That ethos however, is unlikely to be established because readers will not take the time to read everything New Balance has to say.