Electrolux
A. DeAnne McDowell

revised with second analysis

A. DeAnne McDowell

English 5730

Dr. Nordquist

February 12, 2008

Ad Analysis: Electrolux Icon Series

     This advertisement section was found in the April 2006 edition of House & Garden.  Its target audience is wealthy, stylish professionals who would be interested in finding designing ideas from the most innovative designers.  This elite audience would be impressed by the name Electrolux, because if combines the words electronics and luxury. 

     This ad heavily employs situated ethos, by displaying four Electrolux Icon Design series appliances, and four very well know “Icons” in the designing world.  The word Icon evokes feelings of worship and holiness, which seems to give the appliances and added persona of trustworthiness.  Each team, or individual designer, is making statements about their designing philosophies.  Their uses of words such as “innovation” and “suave technical expression” influence the ad with their connotations of high principles, and are meant to reflect what the consumer would find in the Electrolux Icon Design series of appliances.  By associating themselves with such ethical designers, Electrolux succeeds in placing emphasis on the high quality their appliances offer.  The ad gives Electrolux the persona of excellence and quality.  

     The ad also strives to create a visual allegory of serenity, using beiges and blues to create a sense of peacefulness.  One of the designers also states that his desire is to “create spaces of tranquility… where people can feel relaxed and inspired.”  The connotations of these words and color schemes are soothing, which contrasts the stress of home improvement.  The ad strives to identify with people who desire peace and tranquility, not to mention style. 

     The readers of this ad are to deduce that they should buy these appliances because the Electrolux Company makes their products with integrity, just as the designers who are featured in the ad use integrity when they create their designs. 

A. DeA

original analysis (retyped)


A. DeAnne McDowell

Ad Analysis

The advertisement that I chose was found in the April 2006 edition of House & Garden, which is a magazine that I assume is read by people with above average incomes. The ad initially struck my attention because it is a 6 page special advertisement section. The first page announces Icons of Design, and pictures four designing teams. The ad then speaks of "four icons of design who bring unique inspiration, intelligence and passion towards creating the ideal fusion of form and function", brought to us by Electrolux, which is selling kitchen appliances. This initial page appeals to the ethos because the consumer who reads this magazine probably will recognize these designers, and trust their opinion. I, unfortunately, do not read the magazine often and have no idea who these designers are. The first page also lists four nouns that are positively associated with ethical behavior. The next two pages of the ad focus on logos, quoting these designers personal opinions on what they look for in a design. The logic of this argument is obvious. Why wouldn’t I want to buy a kitchen appliance that they endorse? The fourth and fifth page of the ad is a picture of six couples making a toast with their wine glasses. Two of the women in the foreground have expensive bracelets on, while one man has an expensive watch on. This part appeals to the pathos, because when I look at this picture, I get a mental image of very nice, tasteful, dinner party with a few good friends, which is what I would like my life to be like. I would love to be rich enough to be able to afford the best that money can buy. Above the picture, the ad tells l me that "At my table, I set a place for surprise. I serve opinion and sometimes fact. I simmer good conversation." The last page, along with a fold out on the fifth page, shows the kitchen appliances which will guarantee a successful life for me if I buy them. I am in awe of the decorum used by the advertisers. They are aware that rich people read this magazine, and they do a good job in appealing to the elitist in me, even though I am a poor undergraduate student. I will keep Electrolux in mind if I acquire a lot of money, because Whirlpool, or LG, or Sears appliances will not be good enough for me. I mock this because the ad never talked about the dependability, ease of repair, delivery, affordability, or any other practical point of buying their appliance. They simply focused on the snobbishness of the magazines readers.  


Second analysis, submitted by Eva Glasgow on February 12

Response to DeAnne McDowell’s Ad Analysis 

Electrolux

The total number of pages Electrolux bought for advertising appeals to ethos because their expense implies that the company is successful enough to afford a multi-page, full-color advertisement section in this magazine. Also, because the ad appears in a publication for home improvement, the ad appears less like an ad and more like a feature article, especially since the emphasis is on a selection of designers. 

The appliance company Electrolux has apparently joined forces with the design team Icon. The small text that I cannot read probably explains this joint effort to some degree. Certainly, the emphasis in the ad is on the people behind the products, since several of the pages showcase evidence and testimony from a selection of Icon designers. Electrolux wants to associate human faces with their brand of appliances. In fact, the first page of the ad has the text “Icons of Design” imposed over four different kinds of appliances and the second page mirrors this, except that the visual image is of four sets of designers. The ad implies that they are a company that does not merely manufacture on a mass scale; instead, individual, artistic people create their products with you, the discerning consumer, in mind. This approach invites reader identification with the projected personas of the designers—they know what we want in an appliance. 

The language within the quotes from the designers is important to address, especially since some words are highlighted in blue type. Their quotes are intended to link their personal design philosophies with our perceptions of the products offered by Electrolux.  

The name Electrolux appeals to ethos because it is a combination of the words “electronic” and “luxury.” Therefore, the brand name represents utility and opulence—a paradox. The colors used in the ad are neutral tones and warm blues that are echoed in the appliances of the first page and the designers’ clothing in the second page. There are no distracting, bright, or otherwise distinct colors in this ad. These visual signs impart an impression of calm, comfort, and convenience. The quote from designer Kevin Haley contributes to the idea that these appliances help to create “spaces of tranquility” in the household.