While reading through the news articles available on
Huffington Post.com, I came across a piece of controversial news that is taking
the breath of many drivers away. An ad campaign devoted to a product called
SnoreStop is causing a lot of problems because of the image the organization
has chosen to portray the product. It is an image of a military husband and his
Muslim wife. Now, I know what you are thinking, what does that have to do with
snoring? Well, according to the organization, there is no hidden agenda. The
image is simply out there to show that the product will stop snoring, so that
you and your partner can be together. The billboard has no image of the
product, just the man and the woman. Now, personally, I feel that there is some
type of agenda here. I mean are they really just talking about snoring? The
first thing you notice about the billboard are the man and woman. Secondly you
notice the hashtag followed by be together. The last thing that the viewer
notices is the words SnoreStop. However, the people behind the ad assure the
news outlets that the product is simply what is being pushed, and that this is
simply just an image of a couple. They claim that it was created to shock you
and make you look, so that they could sale a product. So, what do you think? Is
it an ad simply about snoring? Is it about Couples being together? Or, Is it
about something else? What do you think?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/01/soldier-muslim-billboard-ad-snorestop_n_4192238.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D400333
When I see the ad the first thing I think is that it's a company promoting world peace or the War in Iraq. In no way do I associate the image with a sleeping aid, enabling you to stop snoring. If they had used the same man and same woman, but placed them in a bed together on the billboard the ad would have been more effective for the sale of the product.
ReplyDeleteSure, the company is right, their goal is to shock you to get your attention. But if it doesn't point to what your product is about, and you don't make a profit from it, then what's the point? I agree with you, I think the ad is less about the product and more about a hidden agenda. There are ways to go about promoting social ideologies, but this isn't it.
oh there is defiantly an agenda in this ad. I think they wanted to get people's attention to their product. I think this is an example of some publicity is better then no publicity stunt. In my opinion that is the only thing that is happening with this ad because I don't think a majority of people would look at that billboard and think oh that snore ad. The picture don't fit the product at all. Even if she was not a Muslim and was hugging her husband with the hashtag # betogether... I would not get the picture and product connection.
ReplyDeleteWhen I found the add I had no thoughts of it actually being about the sleeping aid the company is saying they are trying to sell; however, as you noted if they were intending to get the audiences attention they certainly did. Also I do believe that there must have been an alterative motive here because there are plenty other ways to catch our attention.
ReplyDeleteMost of the ads now a days has anything to do with the product. I have to agree with Beverly Simmons on this,
ReplyDeleteI think there is a hidden agenda in this product even if the company claims there is not. I haven't seen this ad, but this is got my attention as you mentioned in the blog post. I would focus more on the choice in representatives for the snore product than the product itself. I wouldn't be thinking about what the product offers. I think there is a deeper message there they wanted to get out.
ReplyDelete