Confused?

Just to refresh your memory and make sure that you're still on the same track ...

Dont get confused ...Comparing advertisements is not any different from analyzing them.

If you are able to interpret the advertisement, critique it, and compare it to another similar advertisement then you're one step ahead!

How to analyze advertisements is not something that can be learned through a book or by just reading this blog, you have to practice it, and "practice makes perfect"..

We are here as a guide to help you understand each step that goes into analyzing and then giving you examples to show you how to put together all the steps.

We also compare different advertisements that are based in the Gulf and others that are based mostly in the West because it is important for all of you to understand that the advertising strategy of a company changes according to the country they are marketing to. So this effects: the message, slogan, layout, text, and illustrations to make it more suitable for the countries culture.

This in hand does effect the way you have to analyze the advertisement, because you then learn how to see the advertisements from different points of views, which helps broaden your skills of deconstructing and helps you notice the smaller hidden details and intentions behind the advertisement.

Stay tuned for more! :)

Etisalat vs. Vodafone

Since we're still going along with the theme of comparing ads..

Lets look at these two ads for the iphone 3G

Again, same product but different companies...

Etisalat and Vodafone. One local company based here in the UAE, and another international company based in the UK.

You can see that both ads have a white background but they each use a different signature color that is associated with the brand. The Etisalat ad uses a touch of green color all around the border, and Vodafone uses a bit of red color on the bottom.  

Both ads have used the product's name as the title/heading which is the same since Apple have used this name internationally. But notice that they use different slogans...This is probably beacuse Apple have created several slogans for the iphone 3G and each company has chosen to use a different one.

The font is also similar because the companies are not allowed to change the font that the supplier (Apple) uses.

Etisalat placed its logo on the screen of the iphone, while Vodafone placed it at the bottom of the ad.

If you notice that Vodafone feature different screens that the iphone has in it to give the audience a sense of how the iphone looks and a preview of the applications and system, while Etisalat chose to show only one screen of Etisalat homepage in the iphone which is a way of pushing the customers to the Eitsalat service.

Another aspect to notice is that the iphone in the Etisalat ad has a picture of a desert. This sends a message to the customers that this iphone is adjusted to suit the UAE. Under the desert picture, you can see it says "Welcome to Etisalat", which symbolizes the launch of the iphone.

The Etisalat ad has strategically used two languages. They have chosen to keep the product name, slogan, and front page of the iphone solely in English and have only shown the launch announcment in Arabic. This acts as a dual purpose for the company, since it can be understood to customers of both languages they don't have to publish different kinds.

We really liked the green border around the Etisalat ad because it makes it more attractive and organized and the keeps the customers attention on the product. Whereas, in the Vodafone ad we found that the red bottom bar that contains the details of the offer attracts more of the customers attention away from the product picture.

Also, Vodafone included the promotion that comes with iphone at the bottom of the ad. This way customers know what to expect and can start their desicion-making process. However, Etisalat was only announcing to the public that iphone 3G is available. This leaves the consumers curious to find out about the different services and offers which leads them to directly contact the company or visit their webiste or service desks.

Both ads are informational/rational appeals which focuses on the consumer’s practical and functional need for the product.