Week 10: The Shock Factor

Every brand, every company, every product wants to be different, wants to be noticed, and wants to be remembered. Nowadays, advertisements can be seen most anywhere; online, on television, in magazines, on the radio, etc, etc.

So what does it take for an advertisement to really stand out? Well, sometimes advertisers use the shock factor to make their product remembered. This is a risky move, which can sometimes be worth it, and other times do noting but bring a product/company down.

Using the shock factor is questionable, because it certainly depends on the topic of the advertisement. I find that almost always, charitable organizations and movements will use the shock factor to try and guilt consumers into following them/donating money. This approach normally works well for companies like these because the outcome is that you can make a difference. Sure, the advertisement may have upset you, but knowing that you can help change it by donating some money, makes consumers more keen on donating.

The shock factor, I believe, can also do much more harm than good to certain brands. When it comes to wanting a consumer's attention, the shock-factor will work very well. However, when it comes to wanting a consumer's money, if the consumer is offended/shocked/upset by your ad, it is very unlikely that they will want to put forth any of their money to the brand.

Sometimes, crossing the line can be beneficial, depending on who the target audience is as well as the goal of the ad in the first place. For example, an advertisement that is Pro-Life is looking for people to be against abortion, and take a stand against it with other Pro-Life activists. In such a case, a shocking ad showing a fetus after being aborted would be beneficial for the companies desires. The goal of the movement is conversation.. and therefor a shocking ad will definitely start conversation.

The difference comes when we talk about everyday brands and products looking to make consumers buy their product. For example, an ad for Sisley showing two girls who appear to be snorting cocaine (however it is really a dress) has nothing but negative connotation. An advertisement that appears to be glorifying drugs, will upset and hurt many people, and there will be many people who find it inappropriate. Companies cannot expect to upset consumers and have that make them buy their products - it just doesn't work that way!