After a few drinks, our young lady decides to tell her friends about an embarrassing story, which seems to go some thing like this. “One night, I was standing next to this woman who was sitting in a chair holding a cute little beagle. Well, I was minding my own business, when I felt a little draft. I looked around, and there was a dog picking up my skirt and flashing everyone. I was so embarrassed.” The message is less than subtle. If you want to enjoy the company of good friends and have an engaging story to tell, drink a refreshing Miller Light.
The Miller Company uses a very common strategy for their commercial spots. In an attempt to connect with their customers, to convince them that Miller is right for their needs, they try to portray an image of understanding. They try to make the consumer think that “this company knows what I go through. They can relate and understand me.” By doing this, Miller gains the sympathy of their audience. These tactics are very common among companies that sell alcohol.
Another common strategy for advertisers is to have incredibly attractive people trying to sell the product. If the consumer uses the product, he or she will join the fantasy portrayed in the advertisement. Average-looking people are featured only when they are directly related to the product they are selling. To be believable, an ad for acne medicine, must show someone who has suffered from the condition.
This ad does seem to deviate from the more traditional guy-oriented beer commercials, which usually depict a bunch of men watching spots or trying to seduce woman. This ad strays from conventional beer advertisements by depicting the woman in control. The young lady in this ad seems to be the one trying to initiating the conversation by telling everyone her story, and getting all of the attention for her self. This gives the female readers the idea that they too can get all the attention. The miller company uses these types of strategies to try and appeal more to women, but with out losing their male audience as well.
Advertisers try to keep their message simple and easy to understand. By not being too specific and only placing small hints towards certain group’s people, they are able to reach a larger audience. The idea of fun and pleasure is applicable to almost everyone. In the Miller advertisement, they seem to be focusing more on people in their 20’s, but that doesn’t mean they’re not trying to reach out to other audiences as well. Adults, college students, even teenagers will find something appealing in the ad.
Ironically, the advertiser tries to insert a moral component in the Miller ad. In small little letters, we are admonished to “live responsibly.” Most likely, this is a response to some sort of regulation, because these days it seems all alcoholic beverages have some sort of safety message to get across. Have fun, they say, but don’t be stupid about it.
When looking at advertisements, one must always to try to be careful not to be sucked in by the fantasy. It is the consumer’s responsibility to analyze the details of the advertisement and guard against manipulation.