Mind Blowing Advertisements

As a student of Communication and Media Management, I learnt how to disect advertisements and identify the hidden messages embedded in them. 

When we come across advertisements, be it radio advertisments or TV commercials, most of us just watch it or listen to it absent mindedly or forward/skip it (if we can), especially if they do not catch our attention within probably the 1st one second. However, what we do not realise, is that as long as we've watched an ad once, or even just had a glimpse of it, the message will be embedded in our subconscious mind. We do not realise it, but the next time we see the product, our mind identifies it. That's why advertisements play a humungous role in brand marketing, and now you know why businesses are willing to pay by the buckets for catchy, creative and really avant-garde ads. Of course there are the technical aspects of an ad which makes this "embedment" possible, but I shall not divulge the trade secrets. 

Then there are the advertisments which do not use words at all. I've always been so intrigued by these kind of advertisements. Though mostly, these kind of ads are released by top ranking brands. One reason for this, is just to emphasize on the fact that these top brands are so famous that narration is not necessary for people to identify the brand or what it's selling. 

Here is one such example, from LV. I received this email from LV a few days before Father's Day, and the title of the email was "Life is a Journey". Enough Said.

Because I have learnt about identifying the deeper messages in ads, I can list a whole lot of interpretations for this wordless advertisement. The interesting thing about this is that it is entirely up to the viewer to decipher it whichever way you want to. But somehow, the different perceptions will still revolve around masculinity, adventure and other things related to men, fathers and their positive role in life.

And that's the beauty of advertisements like this. The advertisers manage to get the specific message across even without words. It's a work of art in itself. 

This applies not only to photographs but also to videos. The video below is the perfect example. 

Before you proceed to watch this video, it would be good if you turned up the volume.

There you go, my mind is blown. I mean, it's a 3 minute long video that portrays the journey of Cartier throughout history, and the only word spoken is "Cartier" at the end. They took it in such a fashion that it also showcases the products that Cartier offers. The first thing it shows is how good the Cartier branding is.

Now, if you do some research about this advertisement, you will find out that Cartier has been around for 165 years, in which some marvelous, world changing inventions and incidents have taken shape. One of them, as shown in the ad, is the invention of the airplanes. I got to know from my research that Cartier, which specializes in jewelry and watch-making, happened to create a watch for the pilot who travelled around the world, in the airplane shown in the video. A very critical point in the history of mankind, of course. The watch is also shown in the video. 

The reason for all the grandeur in this ad, is to symbolize the fact that Cartier has long been a favorite among Aristocrats around the world. The video first shows Russia, through the snowy landscapes and the attires of the people in the carriage pulled by the horses, then China, through the dragon and the Great Wall of China, then India, through the giant elephant and the Taj Mahal like architecture, and then Paris, which is where the Cartier headquarter is located. In between all of this, they are careful not to deter from Cartier's expertise - Jewelry and Watches. You can see gold, platinum, diamonds, precious stones and watches being portrayed in different ways throughout the video.

Obviously, the biggest question on everyone's mind is why Cartier uses a panther to be the main character of the movie rather than a beautiful model. Yes, it's a panther, not a cheetah. And, isn't it only too obvious why they used the panther? It's because the panther is a registered trademark of the brand, and they portrayed it really beautifully in the video. The panther is actually metaphorically used to represent the Cartier woman - elegant, free spirited and independent - as portrayed by the model towards the end of the video. 

Music has played a huge role in the success of this ad too. The music was composed solely for Cartier and is Cartier's theme music. The music is what catches your attention first, and makes you want to see what the video is about. I came across this ad while watching a video in YouTube. Normally the ads can be skipped after about 4 seconds and this ad also had that option. But this is the 1st and only ad that I chose not to skip. Not only did I watch it till the end, I was actually looking forward to the next time I would see the ad again.

This is a true example of how mind-blowing an ad can be. 

Note: 

I gathered these information about Cartier and this ad through Wikipedia and the Cartier website. They have a website solely dedicated for this advertisement: http://www.odyssee.cartier.us/#/home

Take a look, and be mesmerized.