To the Editor:
In his article "Advertising Down for the Count?" (The Dartmouth, Jan. 22), Kabir Sehgal states that today's advertising has lost its effectiveness because it relies more on art than on content. He suggests that the purpose of advertising to increase sales and fulfill the needs of its clients has taken a back seat to the creativity of the ads themselves. Call it advertising for art's sake.
In fact, when it comes to advertising, effectiveness and artistry go hand in hand. Brands such as Nike, Apple Computer, The Gap, IKEA and Volkswagen have effectively combined art and substance to create ads that translate into commercial success . The long-running print campaign for Absolut Vodka, which Mr. Sehgal cites as an example of advertising that has lost its business purpose, is one of the most effective advertising efforts in history; Absolut is one of the most widely imported brand of vodka in the U.S.
Mr. Sehgal measures the effectiveness of advertising by looking at a product's sales history in relation to its advertising budget. Fair enough, although there are many factors other than advertising that contribute to sales results. There's another, arguably more important, statistic that advertisers use to gauge advertising success: brand awareness, or consumers' ability to recall a brand based solely on its marketing. Here's an exercise: what are the first three television ads that spring to mind? Chances are they're commercials you find interesting, funny and artistic. Advertising is only effective if it's memorable, and the most memorable ads are usually the most creative.
Art and Advertising
To the Editor:
In his article "Advertising Down for the Count?" (The Dartmouth, Jan. 22), Kabir Sehgal states that today's advertising has lost its effectiveness because it relies more on art than on content. He suggests that the purpose of advertising to increase sales and fulfill the needs of its clients has taken a back seat to the creativity of the ads themselves. Call it advertising for art's sake.
In fact, when it comes to advertising, effectiveness and artistry go hand in hand. Brands such as Nike, Apple Computer, The Gap, IKEA and Volkswagen have effectively combined art and substance to create ads that translate into commercial success . The long-running print campaign for Absolut Vodka, which Mr. Sehgal cites as an example of advertising that has lost its business purpose, is one of the most effective advertising efforts in history; Absolut is one of the most widely imported brand of vodka in the U.S.
Mr. Sehgal measures the effectiveness of advertising by looking at a product's sales history in relation to its advertising budget. Fair enough, although there are many factors other than advertising that contribute to sales results. There's another, arguably more important, statistic that advertisers use to gauge advertising success: brand awareness, or consumers' ability to recall a brand based solely on its marketing. Here's an exercise: what are the first three television ads that spring to mind? Chances are they're commercials you find interesting, funny and artistic. Advertising is only effective if it's memorable, and the most memorable ads are usually the most creative.
