Advertising: The Life of Trade*

Other than my Cooking, Photography, and Movies, I am also quite fond of Advertising. Being a Business Management student, I recognize the significance (or insignificance) of marketing in any industry. It takes a lot of creativity, expertise and instinct in creating a good and persuasive ad.

Marketing takes up a good percentage on the budget of the whole management process. Marketing answers how the product should look, how much should it cost, where to sell it and how do you advertise the product.

Advertising has been questioned in the past for spending so much of a company’s limited funds with no guarantee of a return on the investment. In spite of this, companies spend millions to make sure that their product is “out there.” Great advertisements are memorable, effective and of course, persuasive.


Right off the top of our heads, we could think of great companies who continuously create entertaining ads like Pepsi, HP, Nike, Sony, and Apple. Do you remember Sony Bravia’s mesmerizing and colorful commercials? How about Pepsi and their endorsers? And who could forget the recent hit of Apple’s “I’m a Mac and I’m a PC” ad campaign?

This is an ad campaign against child slavery. They placed life sized images of chained children on revolving doors.

Viral Ad campaigns create great effect with minimal effort. Do you remember Dove’s Ad Campaign Evolution? A great form of promotion which conjures emotion from their customers. and contains a deeper message. Other memorable video ads are Budweiser’s croaking frogs, and the Energizer Bunny (the first ad that stuck in my head).

On to my favorites: Print Ads! Instant impact is what print ads aim for. Unlike TV commercials – which are repeated constantly on different shows on different channels – a print ad has to grab your attention in just one glimpse in order for the customer to see their product. The ad has to be witty, simple, and attractive. Fascinating isn’t it? You can just imagine all the creative ways companies and ad agencies have already thought of in order to get you to buy a product.

A great ad from Sony for their Micro Vault Tiny

Lately, Ambient Ads are the in thing for advertisements. Placing ads around a customer’s daily routine is what Ambient Advertising is all about. It is outside of the media and can be commonly seen on buildings, roads, and structures at a certain locale. They are visually attractive and invoke curiosity and surprise. Some of the best in this category become attractions or modern sculptures.

Creative use of the steam for a coffee ad.

A wonderful ad from HP

M&M's as buttons for doorbells!

Fun use of the hot blowers in comfort rooms for a hot sauce ad.

Advertisement is fun, creative and mentally challenging. Some ads can be so beautiful and creative that they are considered as today's form of art. It is the principle focal point at which makes a business or a corporation seem more accessible and attuned to the needs of its target market.

*a quote from the author Calvin Coolidge