Week 13 Part A: Online Advertising - Analysis of the Marketplace

The Cat of Many Bottoms. I use my art to annoy people, until they give me money, kind of like what ads do.

 I'm really unbothered by most ads that find their way to me. It seems easy enough to scroll through or no select "don't show ads like this" when its something offensive.

I do regularly find out about new products through Facebook and Instagram and have even made purchases. Here's what determines the efficacy of an ad in my book.

The Effective One's

 My husband and I are profoundly into Egyptology, and collecting fragrances. When this ad for Ankh Sun Amon came up, I couldn't help but feel a thrill rush through me. 

This fragrance is based off a recipe for a parfum, used by Ankhesenamun (neé Ankhesenpaaton), half sister and wife to King Tutankhaten (better known as King Tutankhamun.) The name changes were done to denounce their connection to their heretical father, Akhenaten.

This ad is a perfect example of aligning your product with the specific interests of a party. 

The photo is clean and elegant. It doesn't attempt to beat you over the head with its Egyptian connection, lest it be mistaken for a Luxor advert. 

We ordered a sample size immediately.

I was going to buy my husband this chubby, baby Anubis for our office. It's the perfect blend of cute and historical. Again, this ad shows strong awareness of a users exhibited interests.

While it does tend towards an an anime style, which I always seems a bit tawdry and hypercommercial, I still found it charming.

Just look at the cute little heart on his scale! He's such a good little gatekeeper to the underworld, yes he is.

Unfortunately, this little guy is $99 and about the size of a keychain. I don't usually pay for my geedunk and I'm not looking to start.

Still, it got me to click.

 

 I buy much of my make up from Estee Lauder and will continue to do so.

This ad recognizes that I frequent their site and uses cookies to place this advert on my page.

I love seeing their holiday offers, like this one. Their sample gift packages are a gateway drug into becoming a regular connesuir of their products. 

I bought a refill for my Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Warm Porcelein just the other day, but did so in person, I don't like to wait for mail. 

This picture is beautiful, with rich, bright colours. It definitely entices. Though I may not buy from a click on this specific ad, it keeps Estee Lauder in the forefront of my mind.

This lovely, almost Georgian era colour scheme, and the delicacy of the models blouse immediately caught my eye. Then, I noticed that blush pink glove, strategically cradeling the models face. 

It's glove season, especially if you have designs on traveling outside if CA. Why settle for something dull and drab when you can indulge in luxury and elegance with Handsome Stockholm.

I find this compant interesting, as I have watched their ads change based on what I respond to on social media.

This model is likely the result of my searching for research material, to do a painting collection based in the Gerorgian to Regency era of British history. 

Around Halloween, I saw a very different brand of ad pop up from this company

While lovely, this kind of ad deters me from purchasing from this company. I have no place to wear a glove that ostentatious and the model represents the sort of dark, edgey subculture I've grown weary of.

I am impressed at how many different styles of glove and ad the company offers (I had to search up a few others)

There's nearly something for everyone!

 

I had to search for this company, as they weren't coming up in my feed today. Howevere, I remeber being very taken by their ads, which range from fantasy to film noir style lingerie. I immedately clicked on the site.

I'm in the process of losing weight, which means I am in need of new bras and underwear as things slowly take shape.

Initally, I was buying bulk cotton panties from CVS, to keep costs down. I felt too damaged and disgusting to ever think of getting myself something nice. Besides, there's no loss in tossing a pair of cheap undies out once they get too big for you.

However, my weight loss from here on in will be more moderate, and more focused on toning. I'm now at a point where I want to feel like a woman again. Silly as it may seem, buying a few pieces of luxury lingerie seems to do the trick. 

This was the first picture I saw for their site.

 I don't know if it was on purpose, but I immediately loved it because the girl has hair like mine and is dressed in a soft, romantic slip. 

She's also holding a fox, something my biologist husband won't let me do (he says they're not pets).

I wonder at how much the elusive algorithm knows about me.

Later I saw this retro, flapper style look.

 As a history buff, and lover of feminine beauty, I felt a strong affinity to The Darkest Fox. I have a few pieces on the way to try them out. 

Unsuccesful Ads

 

I have no problem with people using whatever substance they like on themselves for whatever reasons they want. However, I had to wonder why this ad came up on my page.

I'm someone who has struggled with sobreity, and I feel like that might be exactly the reason this ad came up. I've also noticed that anytime I post about "mocktails" or "non-alco drinks" I get an influx of ads for alcohol.

This would make sense if I was posting from a bar, but frequently, I'm not.

My dark conspiracy theory? The algorithm can spot an addict, and knows that eventually, you'll fall off the wagon. They want to make sure they're there to ake a profit when you do.

I'm sure someone will make the arguement that psychedelic therapy helps treat addiction. I have to disagree. I think its baiting the beast, keeping your mind in a state where you still have a chemical substances to regulate your mood.

Plus, this picture doesn't look remotely psycedelic. It looks like something you'd see at a wine mom's paint pouring party.

I don't care for this ad.

I understand why this ad came up on my page. Much of my life right now revolves around the gym and fitness. I've come to accept that a big reason why I put my audio drama shows and my art commisions on hiatus is because I can't really give to them until I recover the damage I did during my 4 year backslide into binge drinking.

However, as a lot of the more effective ads shown on my page, the algorithm recognizes I'm female. That doesn't exclude me from using SARM but Androgen is right in the name- and androgens are mascuinizing hormones.

I have struggled with metabolic syndrome, PCOS and Endometriosis for years. These conditions all have a tendancy to increase testosterone levels in women. I wonder if some of my searches for health services to combat this may have led the algorith to think that believe I had induced my condition via steroids?

I don't care for this ad much either, though feel its important this information gets out there.

Compared To Print Media

For me, the only difference between print media and digital is that I can get instantly make a purchase with a click.

The only print media I really ever read are catalogs like Pyramid Collection, Victorian Trading and Grandin Road or magazines like Vogue, Conde Nest Traveler, and Luxe. 

I'd say I still respond to the same kind of imagry in these sources. Beautiful photography, elegant clothing and lovely models are all things that spark my interest online and off.

I'd say that all magazines are a catalogue in a way. They advertise brands that their readers are likely to be interested in. It would be unusual to see an ad for a squatty potty in Vogue, because that breaks the illusion of beauty and elegance. Magazines are trying to sell a lifestyle, and their ads promise you entry into that lifestyle...if you buy.

I have never really read the newspaper on the regular, save for one semester, where my Econ teacher insisted we all subscribe to The Wall Street Journal. The only section I've really ever been interested in was reading the funny pages with my dad when i was little. 

I still remeber the ads for Kobey's swap meet that would appear in them, disguised to look like a comic strip. However, as of yet, I've never actually attended.  

I feel that we're all advertising in one way or another anyway.