About the Image

 
Meg Asaro
Here, the Martin Agency adds a tasty dose of humanity to their print campaign.  What a face!  Close your eyes and try to get that face out of your mind’s eye.  Pretty difficult, right?  There is something about dogs.  They have made quite an impact on us lately, moving from laying under the table to sitting right at it in American households.  According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more American households have pets than ever before - 68.7 million in 2006 - up 12.4% since 2001.  Over 50% of dog owners consider them family members, celebrating birthdays, buying them clothes, beds, specialty organic foods, taking them on play-dates and even on vacation.  More than 40% of dog owners even permit their dogs to sleep with them in bed.  Overall spending on pets is close to $40 billion, double what it was 10 years ago!  There is even a website called dogster - ala friendster - where dogs can make friends.  It is a roundabout dating service for dog loving humans who understand the importance of dog-human compatibility when finding a new mate.

This deeply rooted relationship we have with dogs is evident here.  One could interchange a child in his place easily but, by using a dog, they are ironically humanizing the Walmart brand.  When you look into his eyes, you see the timeless symbiotic connection between man and dog.  It is about protection - we take care of them, they take care of us - but it is also about unconditional love.  That dog is not shaking off the clothes, even though he wants to.  He is keeping the outfit on for the shot and in the process, demonstrating his love for his master.  Only a dog could emote such a moment so well.  That face could melt even the Grinch’s cold heart.  He, after all, dressed Max in antlers during the holiday season.  But, really, can you blame him?  Happy Holidays everyone!

Karen D’Silva
Just in case you’re the kind of photographer that makes every shot a big production, this year’s Walmart ad reminds us how consumer driven imagery has influenced advertising today. In a time where U-Tube challenges prime time tv watching, there is a need for images that look as though an amateur photographer made them. As we’ve discussed in past articles, spontaneity and humor totally have a place in today’s visual marketplace. And though you might not admit it in public, who hasn’t dressed their furry child in a Halloween costume or say a Santa’s hat?

So when you’re home for the holidays, pull your camera out and have some fun. Sure there’s always a need for beautifully lit Christmas ornaments and twinkling Christmas trees, but don’t forget to think outside of the box. Many of the gifting being done this holiday seems to be on the personalized DIY side. The self made holiday card is just the tip of the iceberg. Walmart is one (rather large) company selling these creative services. Come into our store and make your own card, of course feel free to shop a little while you wait for the cards to be made. They’re no dummies. In fact, think about how the whole consumer imaging industry has expanded. You’ve got digital cameras, camcorders, printers, personal laptops, image software, and personalized photo books all so you can take that extremely cute portrait of ol’ Hank in front of the Christmas tree and share it will your friends and family. In fact, all these products and services will see this holiday season as an opportunity to remind you how they can help you. One guess what kind of imagery they chose to drive home this message? That’s right. Most of these companies will chose an image that looks like one of their customers snapped the picture.

If you think about it, Christmas is a perfect time to use consumer driven imagery in advertising.  The holidays is a time we spend with our loved ones. The placement of a “homemade” image juxtaposed with a company’s logo helps us mentally place their service or product in our home and lives. Next time you’re flipping through the December Martha Stewart, take note of the companies using consumer driven looking images. UPS and Hallmark are two more companies that have chosen this direction for their seasonal  ad. It’s the new way of sharing a sentimental moment with oh, a few million potential customers.

 

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Related Stories:

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Visual case study: McDonald's (August 3, 2007)
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Visual case study: Burton travel bags (June 8, 2007)
Visual case study: Sony Vaio 'like.no.other' campaign (May 4, 2007)
Visual case study: State Farm microsite NowWhat.com (April 3, 2007)
Visual case study: Samsung Black Carbon Ultra Edition mobile phone (March 6, 2007)
Visual case study: Sea Island Resorts (February 6, 2007)
Visual case study: Microsoft Zune campaign (January 4, 2007)
Visual case study: California Closets (December 1, 2006)

Meg Asaro & Karen D’Silva are the Principals of Spark Visual Research. For more information about the authors visit the bios for Meg Asaro, Karen D’Silva, or www.sparkvisualresearch.com. D’Silva and Asaro also publish their own newsletter for professional photographers seeking highly applicable market research presented specifically for use in conceptual planning for commercial photography productions.