Let’s Get Together and Have a Good Time

Alcohol products are among the most prevalent types of goods that are marketed and advertised in mainstream magazines. There are a broad range of alcoholic products on the market today and each company strives to distinguish their product from their competitor. Perusing through many of the popular publications such as GQ or Esquire, one will find more advertisements for alcohol than any other type of product. With such high demand and supply for such products, advertisers must be more diligent than ever to distinguish themselves from their competitors. “Alcohol advertisements focus on 3 effects of usage, sexual success, social success, and negative effects (anti-drinking ads)” (Burkey 5) which are no different in the case of Hennessy yet somewhat different in the case of Bombay Sapphire. Hennessy, a maker of cognac, creates an advertisement that is superior to Bombay Sapphire, a maker of dry gin, with respect to the use of color, emotional appeal and the overall tone which cause the viewer to spend money by pursuing an experience with their product. The Hennessy ad creates a storyboard effect by using four separate images. Three photographic images of a social scene and the Hennessy product surround a graphic image of the golden Hennessy logo. Each image varies in size and dimension. Two of the photographs show a cast of four people having a good time and one of the photographs shows of a bottle of Hennessy. The first photograph of the party goers takes place in an entryway where bright smiles compliment white shirts, slightly raised hands easily grasp cognac filled glasses, and friends approach each other to embrace in greeting. The second and largest photograph continues to feature the same four well dressed party goers but the scene now takes place in nicely furnished living room where two friends engage in conversation while the other two intensely watch a boxing match on television. Glasses of Hennessy adorn the end of almost every man’s arm like ornaments on the boughs of a Christmas tree. The television itself cannot be seen but the two framed prints on the wall depicting a boxing match are dead giveaways as to what the social event is all about. One of the sports fans in this party appears to be mimicking what he sees by clenching his fists and holding his arms in a fighting position. The low lying dark wood lacquered coffee table that sits in front of the black leather couch offers up a small plate of cherries, a large saucer of cashews, and a nearly full bottle of Hennessy cognac. Various shades of grey and brown along with a few subtle splashes of color contrast well in the dark color scheme. The brightest and most unique color of the translucent golden brown cognac dominates the third photograph as the sole focal point is a bottle of Hennessy. The bottle sits with label facing out on a polished silver tray accompanied by a steel carafe of ice cubes and a couple of partially filled glasses. The flat black of the page’s entire background creates good separation between the three photographs. The graphic image of the Hennessy logo eliminates any negative space between the photographs and creates a dynamic contrast of gold on black. Bombay Sapphire’s ad consists of a single photographic print with a few graphic overlays depicting an exquisite island bar at an exotic location. A round polished table in the lower right edge of the foreground supports an illuminated highball glass of dry gin on the rocks accented with a yellow wedge of lemon accompanied by a bottle of Bombay Sapphire with label facing outward. The bar itself sits just beyond the table as the centerpiece for the ad. A finely crafted marble countertop crowns artistic walls made of opaque panes of thick blue glass that illuminate with a whit blue light from behind. A well dressed bartender stands on the other side of the bar and mixes a cocktail with a long stir stick and sleeves rolled up. Fine glassware of different shapes and sizes stock the large bottom shelf, a row of Bombay Sapphire stocks the slightly smaller second shelf, and decorative lamps perch on the little top shelf. The bar is outdoors, creating an open environment, and enclosed by a well constructed canopy made with a dark wood frame and having a roof covered with thick straw. Descending from the apex of the canopy, many intricately designed and stunningly beautiful lamps glow and hover slightly over the top shelf of the bar. Several palm trees rise in the background, just beyond the bar. Just beyond the palm trees, a body of blue water separates the island bar from the mainland. The dark mainland silhouette of a mountain range draws a sharp contrast against a fading sunset. The bright and tantalizing color scheme includes many shades of blue along with various shades of yellow and green. The caption in the lower left hand of the page which reads, “Ten journeys contained in a single drop,” accompanies small graphic images of the ten exotic botanical ingredients in Bombay Sapphire dry gin. Color is a very key element in advertising and different colors evoke different emotions and convey different messages so advertisers give much thought to which colors they use and exactly how they use them. The color red “symbolizes love” (Sells and Gonzales Unit 11) and is often used in ads that feature romantic situations while the color yellow “exudes warmth, inspiration and vitality” (Unit 11) and is often used in ads that feature children. This is done so the viewer associates feelings of warmth with their product and to instill a desire to bring those same feelings to their children. Colors each evoke a different emotion and symbolize something, and since color evokes emotion, it can be a powerful tool for advertisers. With respect to alcohol, advertisers are very careful in their color selection. As the goal is to sell more products, the advertiser intends to use colors that either relate directly their product or colors that give the viewer a good feeling. There is a clear and sharp difference in the color schemes used by the Hennessy ad and the ad for Bombay Sapphire. The Hennessy ad is mainly comprised of neutral tones with the most vibrant color being the soft brown with an amber hue of the cognac itself. The rest of the scheme is primarily filled with white, black, and various shades of grey. The attire worn by the four men are two black suits and two white suits. One of the white suits is covered by a grey trench coat. This balance of black and white attire does two things for the viewer. First it provides a neutral background on which to project the soft brown cognac. Second, it indicates “the nightlife and sophistication” (Unit 13) and the pursuit for “excellence and enlightenment” (Unit 11). The amber color of the Hennessy logo is similar to the color of the product itself. The Bombay Sapphire ad uses a much broader range of colors but does little to distinguish the color of the product from the rest of the ad. The most eye-catching array of colors comes from the lights shining from the lamps which hang from the canopy ceiling. These colors have quite an aesthetic appeal which capture the viewer’s attention but almost detract the viewer’s attention away from the product. When creating an advertisement “don’t let the colors and decorations overpower the message” (Hammond) that is being conveyed or else the viewer might lose sight of the product itself and be distracted by the flashy scheme. The Bombay Sapphire advertisers would have done well to heed this advice. The ornate and intricate lamps create lighting effects that tend to draw the viewers attention away from the product and toward the surrounding aesthetics. When persuading a viewer to choose their product, an advertiser can choose to make a logical appeal, an ethical appeal, or an emotional appeal, of these three, the emotional appeal is the most effective. This is because an emotional appeal stirs within the viewer different feelings that compel them to action. There are various emotional appeals that can be made and they “fall into several distinguishable categories” (Fowles, par. 11). Each of the advertisements has very clear and strong appeals that fall into these categories. The Hennessy ad makes an obvious appeal for affiliation. This appeal uses “images of companionship” (par. 23) to fulfill “the need to associate with others” (par.23). Two of the three photographs depict a group of people having a good time. In the first photograph, the men are laughing and embracing. In the second photograph, the men are conversing and watching a boxing match. These images tell the viewer that when Hennessy is present, then so are friends. Alcohol has long been regarded as a social lubricant and this ad captures that essence to a tee. Affiliation should very well be the primary aim for any alcohol related advertising appeal and is also “the most prevalent appeal” used by advertisers in general. Conversely, the Bombay Sapphire ad makes an obvious appeal for escape. The viewer is instantly taken to a remote and exotic location far from the reaches of everyday humdrum where they can “duck out of … social obligations” (par.63). Each of the ads has contrasting secondary appeals as well. The Hennessy ad appeals for the need to aggress. This can be seen by the images of a boxing match on the walls of the living room and the body language of the man watching the boxing match on television which is a demonstration of “anger and violence” (par. 43). The need to aggress is closely related to the need to relieve stress as a means of releasing “harbored energy” (par. 43). The Bombay Sapphire ad appeals to aesthetic sensations which are those elements which attract the eye. Advertisers need to make their ads “visually pleasing” (par. 73) in order to draw viewers to their primary message. This can be seen by stunning beauty of the lamps and the cosmetic design of the bar. There is one appeal that both ads share in common; this is the appeal for prominence which is “the need to be admired and respected” (par. 54). Both ads depict very classy scenarios. The Hennessy ad shows an upscale residence with well dressed men and the Bombay Sapphire ad shows an upscale retreat. The idea that comes to the viewer’s mind is that these products elevate a person’s social status and bring them into a whole new class. Between the contrasting appeals of affiliation and escape, affiliation is the more compelling appeal. There is an innate desire and need in every person to have human contact. This desire is fulfilled by the Hennessy ad. Another key element in advertising is tone which is the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people that advertisers carefully consider as a way to help sell their product. The Hennessy ad has a very lively tone and conveys a very social atmosphere. This is done by depicting a group of men with smiles on their faces. In one of the photos two of the men are caught in motion, about to embrace in a high-five type handshake and pat on the back. In the other photo they are conversing and watching a boxing match. The tone is clearly one of conviviality and good times. The viewer gets the sense that a party is going on and that if they drink Hennessy cognac then they will be part of the party. Friends and good company are instant manifestations that result from the simple indulgence in a glass of Hennessy. In contrast to the social tone of Hennessy, the Bombay Sapphire ad has a very relaxed tone. The viewer has the sense that they are on vacation at some very far off and remote spot. All cares in the world can simply disappear by drinking some dry gin. There is no sign of civilization other than the bar itself. Nothing else seems to matter except that the viewer comes to the bartender and order a glass of Bombay. The pressures of everyday life cease to exist. There is no more clocking in and clocking out, there are no more deadlines, there are no more assignments, there are no expectations from other people, there is nothing demanded of the viewer, and anything could be possible. Between these two tones the tone of a social atmosphere is more compelling than the tone of a relaxed atmosphere. This is in large part because sociability is much more difficult to achieve than relaxation. A person can simply relax by themselves, taking a few deep breaths, closing their eyes, and taking a bubble bath. People cannot, however, be sociable without some real form of skill in dealing with other people. There is a stark contradiction between the fact that “people are ever more going it alone in their lives” (par. 23) yet the most widely used and effective appeals are the ones that convey a need for affiliation. This suggests that people want to be social but have a difficult time actually doing it. People need other people more than people need to escape from people and Hennessy does a much better job at setting that mood.

Works Cited

Burkey, Jen. “Advertising Strategy: Product Usage.” Slideshare. .
Fowles, Jib. “Advertising’s Fifteen Basic Appeals.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum, Brief Edition. Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. 3rd ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. 409-26.
Hammond, Donald. “Color and Tone in Advertising.” Ezine Articles.
Sells, Peter, and Gonzalez, Sierra. The Language of Advertising. .