Ad Examples: The Good and the Bad

This advertisement for the Nissan LEAF™ can be considered unappealing for several reasons. First and foremost, the distracting quotes that surround the car cause the ad to appear to be wordy. Furthermore, despite the display of such quotes that venerate the conservational aspects of the car, most appear to not have great catch-phrases (excluding the punch line). The font chosen for the words seem to be bland and non-expressive as well. However, the most glaring flaw of this ad is how it portrays the Nissan LEAF™ – only the rear view of the car is exposed to the viewer. As a result, viewers have no idea how the car looks like on the front; they are robbed of the chance to either admire or dislike the appearance of its frontal side or the car as a whole. Actually, some customers buy a car because they are attracted to its form (shape) and looks rather than its function. Ultimately, because of such flaws, this ad can easily be skipped over by readers of the magazine.

This simple yet clever two-page advertisement for the Hyundai EQUUS manages to create an illusion the moment its viewers set their eyes upon it. Moreover, the ad is actually attempting to sell two commodities at once – the car itself and the iPad™. On the second page of the ad, it successfully manages to have the picture of the EQUUS on an iPad™ blend into the actual background; such an illusion can impress and bewilder its viewers. Even if the front side of the car is only shown, it is enough to catch the viewer’s attention due to it being a luxury car (some people prefer to pay attention to the front side of the car compared to its rear side). The first page displays a short and effective punch line on a pure black background that appears to be both elegant and commanding due to it being huge capital letters in bold and italics. The purpose of the ad is to promote the idea that the car’s Owner’s Manual can be accessed via the iPad™, and the picture on the second page is an appropriate illustration for the marketing of both innovative products.