Do young people notice ads these days?

July 2018

Ever since television became the traditional media source, adverts predominantly on the platform were made to be highly influential and engaging, probably due to the small slot of broadcast time given within shows. Now, adverts have passed their prime and an attempt to influence a new generation of tech savvy young people has proved difficult, but, some adverts have had the desired effect due to their authenticity and uniqueness.

It’s easily noticeable that the viral adverts (the ones noticed by young people) are those that appear to celebrate diversity, race, size, culture and other factors that were give the cold shoulder throughout history. Adverts that step out of the normal/traditional conventions of advertising and address and present issues in an attempt to normalise them in contemporary society are more appealing to a young audience who may perceive themselves as advocates of change.

For example, in Dove’s ‘Campaign for Real Beauty’, Jack Neff found that Dove “took what could have been seen as a weakness in the beauty category and turned it into a strength, which was redefining beauty so it felt like anyone could ascribe to that definition and see themselves differently.”

In doing this, Dove presented themselves as socially aware and willing to make a change, an admirable trait that should be carried by most companies in order to appeal to a younger, liberal, equality-driven audience.

On the other hand, some adverts that celebrate multiculturalism, diversity, gender and race have failed in reaching the service of customers. For example, Nike’s ‘Nothing Beats a Londoner’ ad presented a celebration of what London represents (multiculturalism, diversity) however, the brands advertising technique deeply serves people in huge global cities e.g London, New York and thus practice the belief that cool originates in the city and not the countryside.

Nike failed to reach out to those outside of city areas which proved as a disadvantage as non-Londoners are 33% more likely than Londoners to say that brands don’t understand what it’s like for people living in Britain today.

Clearly, brands that collaborate with popular TV shows and feature/are created by celebrities are more influencial to young people in the UK. Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty campaign includes models of a variety of skin tones, sizes and those who may have had difficulty in the cosmetic industry regarding foundations that match.

Models like Leomie Anderson, who is featured in the Fenty Beauty campaign, have been vocal about how ill-equipped many makeup artists are for working properly with darker skin. Thus, as proven by Rihanna’s superb advertising techniques, recognizing ethical problems within the industry and addressing them within adverts allows those typically underrepresented to shine.

However, some shows with younger audiences already in tow, fail to sympathise and consider the detrimental effects adverts that encourage the transformation of appearances have on young minds. More recently, many shows that are watched by young people are argued to have a negative effect on them e.g. reality shows such as Love Island is seen to promote unrealistic body preferences/images.

For example, between the shows there are “explicit ads being aimed at young women around breast cosmetic surgery and are playing into a set of pressures around body image that are showing up.” More specifically, the show labels itself as a show based on mutual “love” but it could be argued that the foundations of the “love” represented are from a sexual and/or physical attraction. “A number of Love Island’s contestants have had extensive plastic surgery, and critics have said it is creating “unrealistic” standards for young people”.

My verdict on advertising is balanced. I do believe that brands try to channel that ‘relatable’ feeling within us so that we get talking, but sometimes, if not executed well, it just becomes quite cringe. I also think timing and other

external factors play a big role in what’s being internalised by our culturally aware generation, for example, Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi ad. All in all, I praise the brands that show a personal connection to their work and their view on societal issues, and then use their awareness and understanding in their advertising models as a way to connect with and bring us lot out of the digital world and into the real one.