Detailed analysis of a noteworthy ad

25.

Brand and product: Clorox/Greenworks Cleaning Wipes
Source: Cooking Light
Publication date: March 2009

All ads work to promote their products in different ways. These different approaches allow advertisers to reach people from all demographics and psychographics. The main approach used in this Greenworks Cleaning Wipes ad is in response to society's trend of "going green." The ad creates as harmonious atmosphere in which their product is centrally located. The woodland scene that the product is placed creates a frame around the Greenworks container and the viewer feels almost as if they are looking up at the product. An area of sunshine is behind the top of the wipes almost reminiscent of a halo, which gives the product almost a powerful, godly feeling. 

 

There is also harmony in the colors of the ad. The text colors mimic those of the dark areas of the trees and grass. The light shining through the leaves of the trees is repeated at the bottom of the ad. As a whole this color harmony helps the viewer to look around the picture and see the product in an environment. This creates a feeling that the product is a part of the environmental scene or as if it is as natural as the woods. The small white flowers at the bottom of the ad act as a symbol. The color white is generally associated with goodness, purity, cleanliness or perfection. To the consumer all of these qualities then subconsciously seem to also relate to the cleaning wipes. The ad put the word "naturally" next to the image of their product in such way that it reads: "Greenworks, naturally." The implication that the product is also pure, clean and perfect helps to emphasis how natural it is. 

 

One type of ad that slightly uncommon is the self-­referential form of advertising. This Greenworks ad does this, but in a way that is not ostentatious and does not push the product at the consumer. The first line of the text says, "Just what the world needs, another cleaning product." This statement is acknowledging the fact that they are selling a cleaning product and that there are many products out there for the consumer to chose from. They then go on to describe how powerful the wipes are despite the fact that they are biogradable and 99% natural. Finally they say, "Actually, they're exactly what the world needs." At this point they are making their claim that their product, although competing with many others, is better for everyone and the environment. The text effectively sends the companies message but is supplemented by the size of the text. As the information gets closer to the product the font size decreases considerably. This helps to emphasize that the product is simple and natural. They are using bold fonts and bright colors, but calm, small text.

 

The manifest message of this ad is that Greenworks Cleaning Wipes are what the world "needs." They a promoted as product that every household should not do without. This is directly stated in the phrase "Just what the world needs." Taken out of context with the rest of the text this statement seems to be saying that this product is what the world did not know it was waiting for and now it's here. The latent message is that by choosing this product over others you will ultimately be helping the environment, which is something that consumer do not do enough of. They seem to be implying that generally consumers do not take the well-being of the environment into account when buying household cleaning products.

 

This ad can be seen as direct reflection of today's society. Clorox is promoting a product that they know consumers will more likely to buy because they are becoming more and more aware of how their actions affect the environment. A situation is created here that allows the consumer to buy a product that they already have a need or want for but without feeling guilty because it claims to be natural. It seems that this could be deceiving the consumer, the ad doesn't say what makes the product natural or even what the word natural implies. They have given the consumer an easy way out. Through this ad it can be seen, that today's consumers have a moral conscious to do what is good for the environment, but are not willing to give up their way of life to do it. This type of product creates a situation, where consumers feel they are helping the environment, but in reality they are still what they were before: consumers.