Food and Drug advertisements

Food and Drug advertisements

             We come across advertisements as we listen to radio, watch television, or visits websites. Businesses invest in advertisements to communicate with target customers and persuade them to seek certain services or buy products.  Advertisements are effective in influencing behaviors and decisions of people thereby achieving its objectives (Tang, 2018).   There are several theories on advertising but most of them states that an effective advert should consider main practices such as repetitive advertising and exposure towards the brand.  In other words, if the advertiser wants the consumers to like the product, then they should continuously expose consumers to adverts.  By doing so, they develop certain feelings towards the product.  Advertisements are so powerful such that consumer takes advert information as the absolute truth (Boyland, Kavanagh-Safran & Halford). Therefore, advertisers should tell the truth about their products to avoid misleading consumers. Unfortunately, there are cases where advertisers mislead customers. For example, in 1977, Nestle misled mothers from developing countries about their infant formulae leading to deaths of many children and spread of HIV (Sasson, 2016).  Moreover, there are cases where companies advertise wrong drugs or contaminated foods.  Many governments have learned from such experiences and developed strict policies on the advertisements of foods and drugs. Consumers have also learned how decode advert messages based on their past experiences, culture and knowledge.  In this paper, I analyze food and drug advertisements to determine how advertisers encode messages of safety and quality in adverts.

One of the  food advertisements which I cam across is about infant milk formula. It was published on You Tube by Cannotionnest in 2011. The  short You Tube clip adverstises Golden Fern Infant Milk Formula Milk Powder.The advert begins by showing cattles grazing as  male voice over  explain various concepots. The voicer over states  that  the Infant formula caused bizzare incident took place in the zero pollution in Insland of New Zealand where the best grade dairy cattle diasspeared mysteriously. As the voice narrtates , diary cattle fly and dissapearsa into the sky them reapper in new green field where they provide milk used for making the Infant Formual. It is made from the best milk. To prove that the product is made from best milk, the clip featues healthy diary cows with large udders grazing in green field.  According to Cattaneo et.al (2015), there are several brands of infant milk formulas and companies strive to provide information to enable customers identify their products. The voice over describes the golden fern infant formula as natural, nutritious and healthy. Therefore, the advertiser placed the advert in the socail context of the customers making it easy to identify with it (Li, Lin & Chiu, 2014).There are also healthy and happly infants playing around to prove that the milk powder  is is indeed a source natural nutrients. This advertisement is meant to win the trust of lactating mothers that the product is safe and of high quality (Kumar & Rauj, 2015). The images of the dairy cows, green grazing fields and healthy infants are encorded to pass information about safety and quality. Consequently, consumers are likely view the infact formula as safey and healthy.

There is a wide range of variables in advertisements help to mediate the response of consumers to advertising content.  They include message, channel, and receiver. These factors help to measure the content and effectiveness of advertisements (Dörner et.al, 2017). Companies design advertising messages to offer information about a product or service which allow customers to decide whether or not to purchase it (Rani, 2014). For example in the advertisement of  the golden infant formula, potentail consumers gets to know about the product such as its quality and benefits to the children. Moreover, the advertising message provides facts about the  the product that distinct it from others. Most advertisements tend to differentiaite the product from that of the competitors through words, images and certain fetaures of the products (Dickinson et.al, 2013). As a result, consumers are able to recall the product and identify the brand. Channel or format factors in advertisement is a range of images, pictures and narrative related attributes that enhances emotional reaction of the consumers and memory for the product (Panda,  Panda & Mishra, 2015). On the other hand, narrative elements in advertisement are vital to the readability of information.  Receivers factors are related to the attributes of the advertisement that make consumers identify the content thereby drawing them into the message (Al Khasawne & Shuhaiber, 2013). For example, in the advert, the voice over starts with the “bizarre incident took place in the zero pollution in Island of New Zealand. This statement is a reciver factor because most Newzealands may be aware of such incidences thereby dearing the viewers into adverts.  Also, the green grazinf fileds and  healthy dairy cattles create a famillier atmposhere thereby influnecing customers’ attitudes towards the advertisements.

There is mediation of science and nature to gain the confidence of consumers regarding the safety and quality of the product.  In 2008, a spread of contaminated low quality food in the markets became a serious concern to consumers. People would not believe in advertisements and even if they were genuine.  Since then consumers take time to understand and decode safety and quality undertones in the advertisements (Shawn, 2017). Companies integrate nature and science in advertisements to mediate messages about safety and quality of food. Infant formula advertisement features a green grazing field and  fat diary cattle to represent nature. The male voice over describes the  infant formual a product made from the best quality milk that makes childern healthy. As the voice narrates and decribes the product, the screen displays  healthy diary cattles, grazing in a green fild and jovial infants .The consumers are therefore able to see the sources of milk and  benefits of the product in the happy and healthy looking infants. Moreover, they get a good impression of the product making the advertisement effective (Lewinski, Fransen & Tan, 2014). There are  neither objects not human beings on the background.  The farm where the diary cattle is rared is an open green field located next to a mountain under a blue sky, there by, signifying rural area that is free from pollution. Therefore, as the screen switches to the finished products, consuners apprcaites its quality.

The second food advertisement that I came across is Sambucol commercial. I retrieved it from YouTube. Sambucol is an immune booster food supplement that is good for children and adults. The advert features a mother and her child in their house. It begins when the women says that she cannot let anything prevent her from taking care of her family.  She adds that using Sambucol help her baby remains strong. A new screen opens where the consumers see the product and a voice over description of its content, use and benefits. The woman picks her baby and explains that she takes Sambucol to keep the body strong. She urges people to take the supplement to stay strong during the winter.  That statement resonates well with mothers because they hate anything that limits their ability to take care of their children.  Healthcare and food supplement manufacturers takes the advantage of parental anxiety about their children’s susceptibility to promote immune boosting products (Yoon & Tinkham, 2015). Mothers need to remain strong to take care of their children. However, they can sometimes develop fatigue due to too much work. Therefore, the food supplement appeals to mothers who would like to remain strong for their children. According to Gong (2018) several advertisements have developed a narrative of protection with a message of risks. When people view such adverts, they view the risks and the protection that the product offers.  The culture and behavior of consumers in the contemporary world are informed by previous and current experiences such as risks (Sturgeon, 2016). This advert also has an underlying message of risk such as low immunity of children. Therefore, it conveys message of protection against weak immunity.  The whole family needs to be healthy and strong   however; children are vulnerable to diseases due to weak immunity. Moreover, winter is too cold and children are susceptible to cold and flu. Therefore, the advertisement recommends the use of Sambucol to boost their immunity.

Another food advertisement that I came across is Kid’s Smart Vita Gummies. The advert features a young woman with two little girls on her sides. She asks the audience whether they have ever heard of the great grummy vitamins that kids loves to take. A new page opens where three packets of Gummies of different colors shakes as the voice over describes them. The lady says that Gummies are packed with healthy nutrition that boosts immunity of children. She adds that they protect children from cold and flu.  The Gummies contains Vitamin C, Zinc, black Elderberry and honey that help boost immunity. At the end we see the two little girls smile an indication that they are healthy and strong due to Smart Vita Gummies. Customers viewing this advertisement learn about the nutritional value and health benefits of the advertised products.  Moreover, they learn about the ingredients that makes its effective. The product is advertised for its protective function. Children have weak immunity and are vulnerable to infections. Therefore, they need protection. The advert has a narrative of protection with hidden message of risk. Even though there is no mention of risk or danger, the fact the lady emphasizes the use of the product for healthy children indicated a hidden risk (Gong, 2018). Moreover, the fact that the children and the woman smiles after eating the gummies indicates the satisfaction with protection that the product offers. The woman plays a role of mother figure and this construct a narrative of risks and effective protection.

There is an upsurge in the numbers of drugs being advertised in the televisions, newspapers, internet and radian. The competition amongst pharmaceutical companies has become stiff and each company aims to get its products to the market.  However, some companies run misleading advertisements to entice customers into buying their drugs (Andia & Chorev, 2017). There are cases where adverts over rate drugs or does not give enough information leading to misuse and associated health risks. To understand drug advertising from the perspective of the consumers, it is important to consider the messenger, the message and recipient. The messenger should be able to decode the message appropriately (Subroto & Samidi, 2018).There is few consumers that have pharmacologic knowledge to understand and evaluate drug advertisements.  Therefore, some advertisements may cause confusion and inaccurate perception of the effectiveness and safety of the drugs. I will analyze how advertisers use science to mediate drug safety and quality besides convey information about health risks and scientific protections. The modern society are risk conscious.  They are exposed to many risks such as food poisoning, pollution, and low quality products.

The first drug advertisement that I came across is for Panadol.  The advert begins with a female voice over saying that it is possible for the viewer to skip the advert but not avoid headache. Therefore when you want pain to go fast, take Panadol because it is absorbed two times faster and leaves the body naturally. There is also man who seems to be feeling headache but alter play with her daughter after headache is gone. The fact that he could not play with her daughter while having headache depicts a risk that people faces in daily lives.  Life is full of risks that pause danger to both adult and children (Gong, 2018). The advert uses both words and images to portray risks that face people as well as the protection that Panadol offer. As the advert begins, the female voice over   makes it clear that we cannot skip headache. That statement indicates risks because people cannot avoid headache. However, people should not let headache affects their daily activities because Panadol offers a quick relive.  They should take Penadol and go on with their activities as usual.  The effectiveness of the painkiller is visible when a dull man suddenly becomes jovial and plays with her daughter.  Therefore, the advert drives a narrative of protection with an undertone message of risk.

The second advertisement is about Voltarola muscle pain reliever. It is a gel that soothes muscles and relives pain. The advert takes place in a house. A voice over of a woman states that her husband was in pain earlier that week and it is amazing to see him back to the normal self.  As she speaks, his husband is featured dancing as the guests stare at him. A new screen opens showing a ma applying the gel on his aching body. Moreover, there is also a scientific demonstration of how the gel relives pain. The viewers can see a slow release of energy and a visual depiction of how the gel takes effects in the body.  It is advertised as a gel that has triple effect that helps relieve pain, reduce inflammation and lead to speedy recovery. Another screen where the man and the wife dance opens then it closes with the image of the product and a voice over. Body pain is one of the risks that people are exposed to in daily activities. The narrative that man was sick earlier in the week but is able to dance in the advertisement indicates the effectiveness of Voltarola muscle pain reliever.

The third drug advertisement is about an anti-depressant known as ABILIFY. The advert is done by cartoons. It features a woman who struggled with depression but has recovered. She narrates how depression nearly ruined her life. However, she consulted a doctor who advised her to use ABILIFY. She followed the instructions and got an amazing result. There is a disclaimer regarding the use of the drug. After her narration, a doctor appears and explains how ABILIFY works. He also gives a lot of precaution regarding the drug.  The doctors caution viewers that ABILIFY is not everyone and should be recommended by medical practitioner to right person.   He urges patients ask doctor if ABILIFY is best for them.  Moreover, he adds that the drug is not approved for children below 18 years and people with dementia because it can increase stroke and death. He also urges people under the medication to call a doctor if their depression worsens or if they experience high favors, confusion, muscle movement problems.  The advert drives a narrative of risks and protection by showing the effects of depression. The fact that women lived a miserable under depression indicates risks while the fact that she heals after taking ABILIFY indicates protection.  As a result, customers see the need to but the drug whenever they feel depressed. The pre-existing experiences and knowledge influences how customers decode advert messages. Most consumers have at one point experienced body ache, headache, and depression or bought fake drugs and poor quality foods. Therefore, they look at aspects of advertisement that assures them of quality, safety and affectivity.

The advertisement of food and drugs are common because companies want to get market for their products.  The aim of advertisement is to inform potential customers about products or services and to influence them to buy them. Therefore, to achieve its objective, advertiser has to encode a message that would customers would decode as expected. For example, advertisements could contain images and narrations that collectively portray the quality and safety of a product. Advertisers use both science and nature to mediate message about quality and safety of products.

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