Chris Northrop
Media & Culture
02/20/02
 

Assignment #6
Written Assignment: Advertising 

            For this assignment I have chosen to take a look at a new advertising campaign recently launched by the Lifesavers candy company. The set of ads that are the focus of this analysis appear in the February 22, 2002 issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine. Effective use of various production values, such as color and scale, help to properly convey elements of cultural context. We the consumer can relate to these ads via paralleled worldviews. The Lifesavers represent individuals, each with unique personalities and characteristics. This campaign, boasting the tagline – Lifesavers For Everyone – implies that no matter who you are there is a Lifesaver for you. Using the media keys mentioned earlier, this study examines how a media communicator can reel in a consumer base simply by transforming a product into a personality that a target audience can relate to or one in which an individual strives to be.

            The Lifesaver ads appear on pages 103 and 105 of the February 22, 2002 issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine. The ads each take up a full page. The first of the two promotes the cherry flavored Lifesaver. The top half of the page is taken up by a large picture of the cherry candy. The shimmer and enlarged size makes the candy appear extremely mouth-watering and delicious. By dramatically increasing the scale of the Lifesaver, the reader and potential consumer is exposed to greater detail and ultimately a more appealing image.

            Color, a production value element, is key in this ad campaign. The Lifesaver pictured is a rich and vibrant red, comparable to the color worn on the lips of a voluptuous woman. The background is a deep pink gradient that fades to a soft whitish shade of pink. The softer shade appears behind the red Lifesaver, allowing the candy to stand out from the backdrop. The ad is neatly contained on the page by a red border that matches the featured Lifesaver.

            The lower half of the page is primarily occupied by words, which appear in a rounded font. The shape keeps to the theme of the rounded candy. The text reads:

Ms. Popularity always the first one picked, cherry has taste and beauty. And she knows it. Tends to act innocent. She isn’t.

            The text has a white fill, however the word cherry is red. Below the text is an illustration of the Lifesavers package. Next to it are the words “for everyone.” This is the common slogan and underlying theme of each ad.

            It is also important to note the position and angle of the pictured cherry Lifesaver. The candy is centered and leaning upward implying confidence, power and a sense of achievement. The angle of the candy reinforces the personality trait featured in the text -- Ms. Popularity.

Many people strive to be individuals with beauty and popularity. Others have achieved that status and flaunt their position. Either way, we can identify with these characteristics. In the world presented, the cherry Lifesaver is the high school cheerleader, the snotty rich kid, the glamorous woman who looks great and knows it. Now that we can identify with the messages presented, we must make a choice whether we like the image. For those who are or wish to be “Ms. Popularity,” we have found our flavor in life, and that flavor is in a package of Lifesavers. For those of us who choose to pass on the cherry, more options await us right around the corner.

On page 105, another Lifesavers ad appears, structured very similar to the previous; however, the colors red and pink are replaced with shades of orange. And you guessed it; orange is the next featured Lifesaver flavor. The text in the ad reads:

The Runner-Up born with talent, living in another’s shadow. She tries hard but comes up short. We love orange. We just love cherry more.

            It is also interesting to note that the angle of the orange Lifesaver is different from the cherry Lifesaver in the previous ad. The featured candy is tilted down implying a lack of power, a feeling of sadness and perhaps defeat.

            Though we do not strive to be second, only a select few can be the first or the best or winners all the time. The orange Lifesaver represents the younger sister, the assistant, and the silver medallist. Those who can relate to these characteristics and positions in life sympathize and will choose orange as their favorite flavor in a package of Lifesavers.

            If cherry and orange don’t sell you, other magazines feature different flavors that can be found in a Lifesaver pack. For instance, the March 2002 issue of Vibe magazine features “Ms. Popularity” followed by the lime Lifesaver. Justly colored in shades of green, this ad presents lime as “The Outsider.” Another example can be found in the March 2002 issue of Official U.S. Playstation Magazine. On page 29 is an ad for Lifesavers Kickerz hard candy. The featured Lifesaver from this new sour and sweet candy pack is dubbed “The Troublemaker.”

            It certainly appears that the advertising team accredited for creating this ad campaign put a lot of time and thought into presenting an image for a product that we all can relate too. A more in depth look at the magazine as a whole reveals an advanced target market strategy.

            The February 22, 2002 issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine focuses on the upcoming Oscars. Key words in the Lifesaver ads in this magazine, such as “The Runner-Up,” reveals a link between the content in the featured articles and the content in the paid advertisements. To further stress this point, the urban influenced Vibe magazine mentioned earlier features Michael Jackson on the cover. Ironically this is the issue that contains the Lifesaver ad that promotes the lime flavor -- “The Outsider.” And in the Official U.S. Playstation Magazine, which is geared toward an audience that includes teens, we see the promotion of “The Troublemaker” Lifesaver.

            The classic Lifesaver candy roll has been a favorite for decades. Now this legendary team has chosen to individualize themselves in hopes of attracting a new generation of sweet tooth victims. Shades of a retro image still lingers however conformity is a thing of the past. A Lifesaver package is now as diverse as our ever-growing globe. Everyone can relate to a flavor; “Lifesavers For Everyone.”