Deodorant Ads:An Analysis

Shopping for deodorant in the grocery store can be a hassle, because of the different varieties that are available. There are deodorants for men, women, teens, and on top of that there is a huge variety of strengths to choose from. These can range from powder fresh to peachy peach. Because there are so many choices, advertisers have to come up with catchy images that appeal to human desires, in order to make their product sell. By analyzing the ads for the Adidas, Lightning Speed Stick, and Platinum Secret deodorants -- it can be seen how the ads make appeals to the human desires of total control, power, and confidence.
The ad for the Adidas deodorant features the silhouettes of three guys playing basketball under the blazing hot sun. Mysteriously their faces are not shown, nor the colors that they wear, they remain secret. There is just the image of them playing basketball. With the presence of the fading orange background, it seems as if these guys have been playing all day. The color scheme of the ad is very dull. Midway through the ad, on the right hand side, there is a picture of the three different Adidas antiperspirants that the buyer can choose from. These include dynamic, sport, and

The Platinum Secret ad is directed toward the opposite sex, but is very similar to the other two ads. Like the others this ad uses bold and dark colors to symbolize the seriousness of this deodorants protection, however the main desire of this ad is confidence. The young lady featured in this seems to be very confident. She wears a very simple hairstyle, is fully dressed, and has on no makeup, yet is still confident. Many ads that feature females, present them as being sex symbols, in order to sell their items, but in this ad it is the complete opposite. The female featured in this ad is confident because of the deodorant she wears. The caption speaks for itself, when it says: “Anything stronger and you’ll need a prescription.” This deodorant is strong and will leave you feeling confident.

The Lightning Speed Stick ad is also targeted toward the male audience, but dos not carry the same message, or images. This ad shows a young, muscular, and attractive African American male. He is dressed in a black shirt and a black cap, wearing only one ring and a watch. His facial expression shows that he is bold and powerful. Like the previous ad, this ad also uses a basic color scheme, showing the guy only in black and white. The purple background is dark and bold, with lightning bolts flashing through it. There is a caption above the guy’s head, which reads: “Lightning. Bold. Intense. Electrifying. Serious protection with a serious scent.” In the lower right hand corner there is a picture of the deodorant. Underneath the guy’s picture, there is another caption that reads: “Inspired by the Power of