Karen D’Silva
What first attracted me to this image was its ability to move. There is a strong cinematic quality that makes the image almost flutter around on the page.  His wind blown hair, the tie barely anchored to the model’s chest… Why does animating this moment add to the image?  Business on the go or commuting is a huge subject needed in today’s marketplace.  Why?  Look around you.  On any given weekday, we multi-task on our way to work, as we pop out to grab a much needed afternoon coffee, and we can’t seem to ignore our Treo even in the middle of a business lunch.  

Let’s take a closer look at what else the images is trying to tell us. Notice the subtle light.  The light source is selectively illuminating the front of his face and the cellular phone in his hands.  The light helps direct the storyline in the image. Without even glancing on the left side of the page, we can conclude this advertisement is for a cellular phone.  Ah, but here is my favorite part.  The model is not looking at the phone.  Instead they (meaning the powers behind this image) decided to instruct the model to look passed the phone. The model, with his strong brow and emotionless expression, appears to be in thought.  Is he mentally digesting the text he just received?  Perhaps he’s thinking about the call he’s about to make?  We can’t help but create a plot for our leading man.  

Without too many props or an elaborate location, the Creative team behind this Samsung ad have created a valuable image. This image stands out from your typical generic businessman on the go.  At Spark, we feel creating a believable internal story is what makes an image authentic.
What makes a successful businessman tick? Understanding these drives will create an emotional authenticity that connects the viewer to the image. They relate to the image and therefore can see themselves in this situation, or at least would like to. 

 
Meg Asaro
What strikes me when I first look at this ad is how much it reminds me of a fashion image.  I mean, that man is pretty darn hot.  He has that look on his face that says, “I’m very serious” which is very common on the pages of fashion magazines. 

The background is also purposely blurry.  It could be an airport, a heliport or a hotel roof.  Regardless, it evokes a feel of business travel which is booming in this global economy.  Besides Celebrity rags, business travel magazines is one other sector that is showing growth.

What age do you think he is?  I would put him in his mid-late 20’s, falling between Generation Y and Generation X.  Technology used to start in the business sector but now, they target youth and skew up.(Can you even think of a teen without a cellphone in their hand?)  What Samsung has done here is combine those two strategies by having a cool young business man globetrotting with his trusty phone by his side.  A phone, by the way, that is targeting business travelers with it’s quadband, 3 megapixel camera and ultra slim (read light) design.

‘The Cool Factor’ can not be underestimated, especially when it comes to technology which is always changing and shifting.  One of the elements of keeping ‘cool’ is to remain practically unattainable.  Hence the tagline, “Imagine a phone so exclusive even you don’t have one.”  By keeping it just out of reach, technology companies stay in the consumer’s brainspace and with Motorola making a few bad steps lately, Samsung is poised to grow. 

There has been much written about Generation Y (new college graduates) entering the workspace and how they differ from their older counterparts in how they communicate, brainstorm and generally work.  We break this down and show you how to apply this information to stock photography in our next issue of Spark*y.  Visit sparkvisualresearch.com and click on the Spark*y tab for more information. 


 
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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.