There is one thing business owners in all different industries have in common. Regardless of how good one’s products or services are if they don’t advertise, no one will know they exist. It is an essential key that enables businesses to effectively compete with one another to get their buyers attention. Advertisement is an investment and when it is done right, it is worth every penny. As much as a good advertisement has the ability to increase the profits of a business, a bad advertisement can really do damages. A print advertisement that I found the most convincing is an ad camping for Volkswagen Amarak. According to many people, an effective advertisement is one that is hard to define. For this reason, I am going to use an operational definition to define it. An effective advertisement needs to have a clear message for their audience, it needs to display artistic expression (imaginative, colors, etc.), and last but not least target their audiences emotion.
According to the criteria listed above, the print advertisement for Volkswagen Amarak is effective. The ad campaign shared what the product is and why people should buy it. The ad was effective in controlling the audience feeling and also included images that required the audience to use their imaginations.
The printed advertisement contains three individual images. The main eye catching image on the ad is the gigantic car Key that comes out from the left side of the picture stretching across the middle. It is the most creative and significant part of the campaign. They used the groves of the key and altered it into a safari and mountain scene. The second image used is a picture of the car on the left corner of the advertisement. Last but not least is a printed statement that reads “Turn on your adventure” and right on the bottom of it “Over 620 miles on a single tank. Volkswagen Amarak” (Amarak, Volkswagen). The Volkswagen logo is engraved on the key and also placed on the right corner of the ad. For the upper ¾ of the ad, they used the color gray. Gray displays neutrality, the color does not have any psychological properties. However, they did use shading. There is a contrast between light and dark. There is a darker shade of gray around the key and gets really bright towards the center. The bottom of the ad is plain white so that the print is readable and stands out.
Capturing and connecting with the audience is wonderful but an effective advertisement has to have a clear message. The potential buyer needs to understand the message in order for them to respond as they are intended to. Volkswagen did a brilliant job making known the product and why their targeted audience should buy it. The advertisement was clear in getting across the capability and uniqueness of the car. It had the name which is Volkswagen Amarak written plainly and best of all included an image of the vehicle. The reason why the Amarak is the best decision for the audience was also made vibrant. As gas prices constantly go up, American’s are becoming more aware of their cars level of efficiency. In fact it is such a big deal the president passed a bill that goes by cash for clunkers to have only fuel efficient cars out on the road. The print advertisement entrusts the market that the Volkswagen Amarak has good fuel efficiency. They demonstrate the logic of their position with a printed statement on the bottom of the ad that reads “Over 620 miles on a single tank. Volkswagen Amarak” (Amarak, Volkswagen). Whether the potential buyer is an expert or just an average Joe, the statement is very simple and clear to understand the quality of the vehicle. If a car is able to travel over 620 miles per a tank, anyone and everyone would understand its fuel efficient.
The advertisement campaign had the best technique that targeted the audience’s imagination. The main eye catching image on the ad is a gigantic car Key that comes out from the left side of the picture stretching across the middle. They used the groves of the key and altered it into a safari and mountain scene to tap into the audience’s imagination. It inspires the audience to imagine all of the places they ever dreamed of traveling to and all the possibilities there is when you have a vehicle that is fuel efficient. Our minds are very sensitive and does not require much to bring forth ideas and desires of our heart. The simple altered image of the safari has a sense of freedom associated with the vehicle. Travel and go out too wherever you please.
Last but not least the advertisement campaign had control over the audiences feeling. The emotion of the audience is the most significant role when it comes down to their decision making. The emotion behind the advertisement creates a sense of connection between VW and the potential customer, which in hand increases sales. As the person is looking at the key with groves that is altered into a safari and etc. they are getting the emotion that is associated with traveling to places similar to that. It creates a sense of bond between traveling to the outer most parts of the world and the possibilities and potential of the car. They also added to that by having a printed statement that reads “Turn on your adventure” (Amarak, Volkswagen). The word adventure adds on to the message they are trying to get across. They want their audience to take action and make an emotional decision. The key is to capture the heart of their targeted audience.
An effective advertisement needs to be able to get its message across to its targeted audience clearly and precisely, without doing so it is a waste of money and time. It needs to be able to draw and attract its audience using techniques that grabs hold of their emotion and imagination. By having in mind these key points in the creation of an advertisement, anyone will be able to influence their targeted audience into making a decision to buy. It is all about capturing the heart and explaining the emotional benefit that comes with making the decision. Volkswagen did an excellent job touching all the parts that are necessary to make sales and increase profits.

Amarak, Volkswagen. Print Advertisement. Creative Blog August 2003