It's the simplest makeup ad ever. Is it the stupidest?
(click ad for closer look)
Pink ad mean it for me, girl. Thin lashes, boy no call. Thick lashes, boy call. Me go buy Covergirl mascara. Apply to lashes, make them thick. Boy then call. Ladies (and Jared Leto)? Your feelings please? (I'll give the ad one thing—at least they've eschewed the usual close-up smiling female face batting eyes photo. ad by Grey, Buenos Aires. image via.) update: you can also go to PollsBoutique to vote your opinion.
posted by copyranter @ 12:00 PM
19 Comments:
I was convinced it was a student ad, since the product name is the super-generic "eyelash mascara." But then you said it was foreign, so whatever. I'll give them their props on one thing -- those little lines radiating from the ringing phone look like EYELASHES. Get it?
I don't think it's horrible, but maybe that's only because it is so different from the standard close-up eyelash photo format. Or maybe it's because I had three beers at lunch. Who knows . . .
It is the stupidest - because it's a double page spread for a small beauty product which leads me to believe it is merely a scam ad.
I don't know...it's got credits at the source, with agency listed.
Don't all make-up ads have this same message? This one's a bit better.
I don't hate this, either. It communicates its message with the barest minimum of visual clutter and does so in a clever way.
The 'message' is, of course, pretty silly, but I appreciate the format. In a business that usually relies upon hyperbole and over-stimulation to get its point across, I can ignore this ad with hardly any effort. If only television commercials could be so unobtrusive.
CR, had you not walked me through the whole "getting a phone call from a boy" angle, I would have never understood the ad as anything beyond that of a play on eyelashes and a ringing phone cartoon. The implication that Covergirl makeup will make you prettier, and in turn attract men (or, their phone calls) is too disconnected here.
It doesn't make me want to buy mascara. But this woman hates mascara with an undying passion. I'm also not a big fan of phone calls.
Seems like it follows the format of some old Olay ads.
Ever seen those? "MOM" flipped over is "WOW" with the help of your facial gunk. Very simple, side by side format if I recall. But slightly smarter.
I like it. It stopped me and I wanted to understand it. The question is, where do you go from here?
Hey Copyranter, I think this time a disagree. It's clever.
Well ted, I am unsure. That's why I asked a question.
I think as far as creative goes, it's good. Clever concept. Clean art direction. It concisely conveys a benefit--maybe not a realistic benefit, but cosmetics advertising rarely does.
Of course we creatives all know that what makes a good ad in our eyes is often different from what actually produces sales. If we're talking about results here, I doubt this will have much impact. If we're talking about winning a local awards show, I think we've got a gold here.
What the fuck is that weird thing on the page?
Oh, you say it's a... phone???
In my world, the only place I've seen a phone like that lately is my grandmother's house. And she doesn't use mascara.
This may be to cerebral for the mascara target.
I meant, it's good for festivals. Obiouvsly it wont sell a single extra mascara.
I like this one. I got it right away.
I would like to see the phones moved closer together to look a bit more like eyes. I'm not saying to label the elephant but it did take me a while to make the connection, and that was with copyranter's warm-up.
The use of a telephone in this context I'm not a fan of, either. If you're going to use an old school phone either make it obviously retro or have some sort of excuse, otherwise it looks stupid. I can't plug a telegram into a car commercial just b/c it fits my concept and it's convenient. It's not how people communicate anymore, especially young cosmetics consumers presumably of dating age.
Also - unrelated, but I'll agree with Sheri and say that maybe I'm just biased b/c I HATE talking on the phone.
Right on whatever the commenter said about not wanting the phone to ring. This copy was written by someone who doesn't text. Don't believe girl. will. buy. eye goop. 4 phone ring.
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