The Professional Student: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns”Newsprint Advertisement Analysis

This week, WCU graduate students studying innovative leadership and entrepreneurship are diving into newsprint advertisement analyses. If you’ve missed my previous analyses, I’ll post the criteria below.  

The deliverables for the assignment analysis are composed into 5 different sections listed in the following order (Lahm & Lockwood, 2022):

1. Describe the advertisement by product/service, company, brand, etc., and the focus. What was the appeal or technique that was used to evoke an emotional response? Include a link to the ad selected.
2. What were the objectives of the campaign? To sell more? To inform customers about a new product feature? Were the objectives attainable and measurable, or were they time-specific? 
3. Describe the target market that was the focus of the advertisement.
4. What action does the advertisement want the audience to take? If action is taken, how will the audience member benefit from using the product? 
5. Describe the value proposition of the product or service being offered in each advertisement. What are the specific reasons (product features and benefits) that would drive customers to purchase the product or service being sold in each advertisement?

1. “We Can Do It,” 1942

The first newsprint advertisement I want to explore is a popular and well-known one that has resurfaced countless times since it was first produced during World War II. I’m referring to the “We Can Do It! Rosie the Riveter” poster. I’m not sure if this counts as a newsprint advertisement, as it’s a poster, but it is iconic and something I’ve always been attracted to. Here is a link to the famous war-time poster below:

https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669753

The poster, produced by Westinghouse during World War II, was part of a national campaign in the United States. There was a labor shortage in jobs that men traditionally filled due to the war. The campaign aimed to recruit women into the workforce (value proposition) to fill vacant jobs during a time when women were traditionally running households or limited to the types of jobs that were “acceptable.” The jobs that needed to be filled were in the defense industries, civilian service, and the armed forces. These campaigns were very encouraging, especially for women who had never had a job, to join up and contribute their part during the war (Library of Congress, 2024).

The poster depicts Rosie the Riveter all done up with a full face of makeup, wearing what appears to be a mechanic’s or flight uniform, with her hair pulled up in a red polka-dot scarf while flexing her arm muscles. Her face, while glamorous, looks focused and fierce. She looks strong and ready to take the world on. Looking at the poster makes me feel motivated and reminds me that we can all do jobs and take on new tasks, regardless of who traditionally does them. The yellow and blue background makes her pop and stand out. It almost reminds me of Mr. Clean for some reason. Later, tools, lunch boxes, and different war work uniforms were incorporated into revised images. 

The image has continued to resurface over time, representing women’s rights. Rosie the Riveter has been identified as Naomi Parker, who was working in a machine shop at a Naval Air Station in Alameda, California when her photo was snapped by a photographer sent to a photo agency and later became the face of the campaign. She even had heels on with her jumpsuit, working at an industrial machine. Naomi wasn’t officially recognized until 2016 and passed at 96 on January 20, 2018 (Pruit, 2023).

2. “Brad Is Single,” Norwegian Airlines- 2017

The second newsprint advertisement I’ve picked is modern and won a Cleo award in 2017. Norwegian Airlines took advantage of the very public split up of “Brangelina,” Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. In this advertisement, in big white letters on a bright red background, there is an announcement that “Brad is single,” and one-way tickets to fly to Los Angeles start at $169 British pounds, including taxes. I find this to be hilarious, and it makes me laugh. The advertisement can be seen below here: 

https://clios.com/awards/winner/print/norwegian-airline/brad-is-single-21503

The value proposition is a cheap flight to Los Angeles. Go travel, see the stars of Hollywood, and maybe even bump into the freshly single Brad Pitt! I mean, it’s not Las Vegas, but anything can happen, right? 

I could not find specific advertising budgets for Norwegian Airlines, but I did find the 2017 financial data that they released. According to Norwegian Airline Reports (2018), they experienced a net loss of 22.7 million British pounds due to increased fuel prices, wet lease, and passenger care. Total revenue was 2.8 billion British pounds, a 19% increase, with 33 million passengers that chose to fly with them in 2017, an 18% increase.

3. “Late Breakfast,” Burger King- 2024

The third advertisement I’ve chosen is “Late Breakfast” from Burger King. This print advertisement is a 2024 Clio Award winner and depicts two women sitting on a bus stop bench. One is older and dressed conservatively. The other is younger and dressed in a clubbing outfit with heels, sparkly black pants, and a sparkly black spaghetti strap top revealing two tattooed arms. The woman dressed in the clubbing outfit appears to be hungover or still drunk, eating a breakfast sandwich. The older woman looks kind of annoyed and disgusted to be awake so early, or maybe she is annoyed by the drunk/hung-over clubbing woman. There is a Burger King Bag between them both, but only club woman is eating. Below them, it says, “The most important meal of the night. Breakfast Menu. From 6 AM to 10:30 AM.” 

I think it would have been cleverer to have them both eating or even sharing a meal. I get what they’re saying about the most important meal of the night, as the younger woman clearly hasn’t gone to bed due to party time. Maybe the older woman could have been looking at her watch, and above it in a bubble, “6 AM” could have been displayed. 

The value proposition is the breakfast menu and the hours breakfast is served at Burger King. The advertisement doesn’t really make me want to go to Burger King, and it makes me kind of cringe. I would say the target market for this would be folks who like to be out late doing whatever or folks who wake up early and want to grab a bite to eat on the go.

The most recent data I could find regarding money spent on advertising and profits goes up to the year 2022. According to Faria (2024), Burger King spent $497 million dollars in the United States during 2022. According to the Statista Research Department (2024), Burger King made $1.89 billion dollars worldwide. 

 4. “Fight Against Alzheimer’s Association,” 2024 

The fourth advertisement I’ve chosen is about raising awareness about Alzheimer’s disease among people. This advertisement is a 2024 Clio Silver Award winner and has a powerful message.  Here is a link to the advertisement below here:

https://clios.com/awards/winner/print/fight-against-alzheimer-s-association-a-l-m-a-/second-523236

There is a background of all black with a small piece of light shining through against a wall. It could be an alleyway, a street, or someone’s home. There is lots of room for interpretation. In the light is an elderly woman dressed up with a large red handbag looking off into the distance against the wall. In the upper right-hand corner of the ad, it says, “One second, they know where they are. The next, they don’t. Six out of ten Alzheimer’s patients can get lost.” 

This advertisement made me feel sad as I lost my own grandmother to Alzheimer’s, but I am also happy about the fact that it raises awareness regarding the disease. I think it is important to understand and recognize the symptoms of a patient with Alzheimer’s because those folks need help getting to where they belong. I remember one day that my grandmother’s neighbor called my dad and told him she was wandering the streets and didn’t know where her house was. The home she had lived at for over 40 years. We lived hours away but were able to get in contact with folks to help her get home. I imagine one day I could have it, or anyone for that matter, and I hope someone could see that and help me return to where I belong. 

The value proposition of this advertisement is to raise awareness regarding Alzheimer’s and bring attention to the memory loss that so often occurs. 

5. McDonald’s “Big Mac,” 1969

I’ve chosen to analyze an old McDonald’s ad from 1969 that is featured in The Times-Tribute. The advertisement is introducing the new McDonald’s Big Mac, with “100% of the proceeds from sales on Feb. 1^st and 2^nd going to the Korisher fund for Bobby and Bill” at McDonald’s of Scranton. The link for the advertisement can be found below here:

https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/blogs/food_for_thought/big-mac-ad-1969/html_6303489a-d034-5637-bea6-21f60535410c.html

There is a photograph of the new Big Mac being marketed as “A meal disguised as a sandwich.”  I guess a burger is a sandwich, but I’ve never heard anyone refer to it, so I find it interesting that they’re not referring to it as a burger. The description of the Big Mac reads as follows: This is McDonald’s new Big Mac Sandwich. It’s two patties of pure, lean beef. Cheddar-blend melty cheese. Crisp, fresh lettuce. Slices of tangy pickle. And drenched in McDonald’s own special gourmet sauce. All on a club-style sesame seed bun. Now bring us a bigger than average appetite. We’re ready. McDonald’s is your kind of place.

I’m not sure what the definition of lean was in 1969, but I find the advertisement interesting! It’s almost as if the Big Mac is healthy! The “cheddar-blend melty cheese” made me laugh because this must be referring to American cheese, like a Kraft single or something. Marketing the “sandwich” as a meal was smart because it is big enough to be a meal. Honestly, I don’t like Big Macs, but the advertisement is very enticing! 

The value proposition is introducing the new Big Mac, which is “a meal disguised as a sandwich.” The target market would be folks who have a big appetite!  I would guess teenagers and adults, as I don’t know many children who slam Big Macs down. The advertisement is so old that I am unsure of the cost of advertising or how much revenue the advertisement generated. 

References

Archives, T.-T. (2023, May 1). Big Mac AD 1969. Tribune. https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/blogs/food_for_thought/big-mac-ad-1969/html_6303489a-d034-5637-bea6-21f60535410c.html

Burger King – Late breakfast. Clios. (n.d.-a). https://clios.com/awards/winner/print/burger-king/late-breakfast-510515 

Faria, J. (2023, September 6). Burger King: Ad spend in the U.S. 2022. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/306694/ad-spend-burger-king-usa/ 

Fight against alzheimer’s association (A.L.M.A.) – Second. Clios. (n.d.-b). https://clios.com/awards/winner/print/fight-against-alzheimer-s-association-a-l-m-a-/second-523236

Lahm, R., Lockwood, F. (2022). ENT 610 Entrepreneurial Creation. Master of Entrepreneurship Degree Program: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Analysis. https://www.canvas.com

Norwegian airline – Brad is single. Clios. (n.d.-c). https://clios.com/awards/winner/print/norwegian-airline/brad-is-single-21503 

Norwegian reports 2017 full year results influenced by global expansion, fleet renewal and extraordinary costs. Mynewsdesk. (n.d.). https://media.uk.norwegian.com/pressreleases/norwegian-reports-2017-full-year-results-influenced-by-global-expansion-fleet-renewal-and-extraordinary-costs-2417623

Pruit, S. (2023, September 19). Uncovering the secret identity of Rosie the Riveter. History.com. https://www.history.com/news/rosie-the-riveter-inspiration# 

Statista Research Department. (2023, September 18). Burger King’s revenue 2022. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/266462/burger-king-revenue/ 

We can do it! Rosie the Riveter. The Library of Congress. (n.d.). https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669753/