Transcript Shock Ads PPT

SHOCK ADVERTISING
Emergence of shock advertising
• Media clutter:
consumers are
bombarded with 3,000
messages per day
• Shock ads seek to
stand out against the
background of clutter
• Shock ads attempt to
exploit a norm
violation
• DaisyAd1964.mpeg
• brainondrugs.avi
Why use shock?
• the whole point is to
be disturbing,
offensive, crass,
tasteless, edgy
– capture attention by
braking through media
clutter
– increase awareness,
recognition
– generate media buzz
through social
controversy
– promote memory,
retention of an issue
Shock ads as viral marketing
• One goal of
“shockvertising” is
to grab attention
and increase
awareness
• An effective shock
ad will generate its
own publicity by
generating “buzz”
Shocking Public Service Announcements
(PSAs)
• Norm violation in the
form of gory,
disgusting images
– Anti-smoking PSA
– Child Abuse
Awareness PSA
(Saatchi & Saatchi,
2002)
– AntiSmokingPSA.avi
– CartoonBoy.avi
Shock Ads in Commercial Advertising
• Miller Lite
• Benetton:
Shock ads in advertising
• Mocking animal
cruelty to increase
name recognition
• Volkswagon: safe
happens
• Shock is often
combined with humor,
sex
• OutpostComShockAd.
avi
• Virgin Elderly Sex
Romp.wmv
• smartbeep00.so.mov
• subway-husband.mov
Walking a thin line
• A shock ad that is
too shocking may
backfire
• A shock ad that
isn’t shocking
enough may not
break through
media clutter
• Is it better to be
seen and
perceived as
offensive, or not to
be seen at all?
• C:\Documents and
Settings\rgass\My
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Pictures\Shock Ad
Tom Ford for Men.jpg
Shock ads for social causes
• PETA uses sex
appeals to attract
attention for
animal rights
• Is it okay to save
animals by
objectifying
women as sex
objects?
• Has PETA gone
too far?
– Guiliani “Got
prostate cancer?”
– “Unhappy mother’s
day for pigs.”
– The PSP ad below,
shown in Holland,
sparked
controversy.