Not Cute
What is the deal with the idea of photocopying yourself at the office? Not to long ago I say a commercial for Subway where a manager asks an employee for a receipt. The employee responds with….um can I just photocopy my butt. The boss lets the guy photocopy his butt, but while doing so the guy breaks through the glass. When I conducted a search to see who the advertisement was for I found multiple sights talking about the Subway commercial but numerous others talking about the subject.
I bring this up because I went to Google to do a search for a print ad that I could do for this week’s assignment. I typed in print ad and started my search under the image setting. What do I find on the fourth image of the search results?
This ad for Dodge is using the same idea of photocopying a rear end. I actually think the ad is very creative with the use of personifying the Dodge Caliber. It even goes further with the statement “anything but cute.” The Dodge is not only personified, but personified doing something our culture labels as inappropriate or “not cute.”
This weeks reading talks about companies using cultural surroundings to create appeal. Photocopying oneself at work appeals to people. Whether it be the danger of doing it without getting caught or a juvenile sense of humor, photocopying rear ends is appealing. Dodge tapped into this appeal with a creative twist. When you first look at the ad you are focused to the rear end of the Dodge and the photocopier. Cars don’t sit at an angle while resting its weight on a photocopier. The attention of the reader is focused at the actions of the Caliber. The light of the imager is still on, the SUV has been caught in the middle of the act. Not cute at all. This ad does not show features, specs or even a believable picture. It does, however, use the cultural surrounding of today to appeal to our societies humor. I don’t believe either ad discussed was very effective. I couldn’t even remember what product the guy busting through the photocopier was promoting. Both ads did get their names out there and the repetition can get people thinking of the product.
