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This advertisement that appeared in FHM for Evan Williams Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey targets drinking-age men who have an appreciation for high quality liquor. The ad's design is effective on many levels using pathos, logos and ethos as well as line, balance, font, color and even architecture to reach its audience.
It is apparent that the specific audience is mature men and the ad intends to appeal to their pathos by generating feelings of nostalgia and sophistication associated with the older vehicle. In additon, it attempts to appeal to the target audience's logos by drawing a parallel between the vintage sports car and the aged spirit. If we look at the car, we notice several things about it that are intended to suggest something about the bottle of whiskey in the foreground. One thing is the condition of the car. It has obviously been meticulously cared for over the years, which we are also to assume about the whiskey while it was aged. Because such care was taken, the value appreciated by 1000%.
At first look, the line draws us from the beginning of the caption ("The longer you wait") in the top left of the image, across the windshield where we see the "for sale" signs, to the latter half of the caption ("...the better it gets.") in the lower right of the image. From there our eyes wander over to the bottle where we can pick up the label details that give the product's manufacturer its credibility (ethos) as Kentucky's 1st distiller, est. 1783. Last, we soak up the final thought that Evan Williams is "aged longer to taste smoother." We are also given the web address in case we're interested in doing some in-depth web-based research before we try the product.
The page is laterally balanced and threaded together nicely to give continuity to the whole composition. For example, not only does the car (as the whole subordinating subject) relate both separate backgrounds to each other, but the apexes of the two garages converge and the relationship of the two halves is again reinforced. The bottle sits dead center at the base, giving weight to the center line that bisects the page.
Other design elements that contribute to the effectiveness of this ad may be subtle, but they are numerous and are meant to appeal to us more on a subconscious, emotional level (pathos, again) . Each side contains details to suggest that as we move from left to right we are also moving forward in time, toward richness and refinement.
The fonts used in the "for sale" signs on the windshield create a past-versus-present-day feel, suggesting the passage of many years.
Color is used in different ways:
The achromatic scheme on the left vs. the chromatic scheme on the right again gives us the feel of past versus present (we usually associate black & white photography with antiquity and color photography with modernity). This combines with the difference in seasons to create another contrast of drab and harsh (associated with winter) vs. vivid and warm (associated with summer). The latter characteristics are, naturally, desirable in a good bourbon.
The red of the car (visible only on the color side of the page) represents sporty-ness and desirability. The green of the grass provides a lush backdrop that makes the red stand out even more. The complimentary contrast of the amber color of the bourbon to the violet colored band across the bottom of the page helps to "push" the bottle forward for greater accessibility.
The stylistic appearances of the buildings too (from the plain and dated look of the garage on the left to the fancier and more modern-looking suburban house and garage on the right), give the sense of passage of time and accruement of net worth. The distance from the garages from the car even suggest that there is a more spacious yard. This may indicate relative affluence when compared to the compact feel of the short driveway on the left.
Over all, I think this is a strong advertisement. (That's why I chose to analyze it in the first place.) It uses the mentioned design elements effectively and fits well within the context of For Him Magazine. Since it is presented in the FHM context (targeted at adult males), I don't have any ethical reservations about the placement of a liquor advertisement. However, I do think it's a little questionable associating drinking with driving. (Hey, with a classic sportscar and a bottle of good bourbon, how can you go wrong?) I don't think this was the intent of the advertisor. Perhaps it was just an oversight or maybe they thought that such a message would be nullified by the disclaimer at the bottom of the page. Regardless, the real purpose here is to sell alcohol and it works for me. <hic!>
