E-Cigs Still Satisfy

Smoking cigarettes is a part of everyday life for many people. With time, people have grown accustomed to the smell of their usual Marlboro or Camel pack of squares, making e-cigarettes relatively new technology. As with most things, with new technology comes new doubts. In the case of e-cigarettes, although long-time cigarette puffers were excited to free themselves from the smoky aroma that followed their every move, they did not want to trade taste for smell, or a lack their of in his case. Recognizing this concern, this Blu Plus e-cig ad, from the February edition of Rolling Stone magazine, does a nice job of relating to their target audience of cigarette smokers, which makes this advertisement quite effective.

The creators of the ad used a variety of visual strategies, which make the ad more appealing, and ultimately, more effective. First off, they purposefully chose to put the girl using their product at eye-level. This makes the audience feel like they can easily relate to the product, since the user depicted is on the same level as them. Secondly, the creators chose to use a blue color scheme, which is intended to calm the audience down. Knowing that the intended purpose of the product is to relax and satisfy the user, the cool colors used in the ad fit perfectly. Lastly, the ad creators did well framing the product in the left-hand corner. The title, the girl in the ad, and the text in the bottom right corner work in cohesion to naturally frame the product that Blu Plus is offering.

The text is really what makes the ad most effective. From reading the headline and quote from Amber, the USP can be clearly identified- Blu Plus is trying to sell their product as something that long-time cigarette users can switch to and still be satisfied. They try to relate to their target audience by depicting an e-cig user who had prior misconceptions about the taste of e-cigarettes. Her quote is then used to confirm that the product still tastes just as good as a regular cigarette, and the only difference is the smell. Overall, the ad tries to appeal to the need to satisfy physiological needs.

Through the use of text, placement, color, and a variety of other strategies, the Blu Plus ad is effective in selling its product. This ad is a good reminder of the importance of advertising in bringing a new product to market. As discussed earlier, many cigarette users were hesitant about switching to electronic cigarettes when they first came out. Had the advertising for these products not addressed those concerns, and instead focused on a different USP, electronic cigarettes might not be as popular as they are today.