Influence of Ads

In this VT X BTS collaboration ad, it’s no secret they want you to buy the product. After all, all advertisements aim for that same goal. But have you ever stopped to wonder what exactly companies are doing to manipulate you into buying their products?

It’s really simple, once you stop to think about it. Take this ad for example; one of the first things to pop out at you are BTS at the bottom. (Especially if you’re an ARMY!) Celebrity endorsement is something common in ads - used to lure you into buying their product that the celebrity themselves (probably) don’t even use. But it works, almost like subliminal messaging. The companies are trying to say if you buy this product, you’ll be able to be like said celebrity. In this case, they’re saying buying the product will allow you to have flawless skin like BTS. It also helps that fans will want to buy the product, especially since their idols are supporting and promoting it, they would want to as well.

The next thing I want to talk about, is the phrasing. ‘Limited White Edition.’ Emphasis on the LIMITED. This one word gives off one message - it’s not going to be around for sale much longer, so you should buy it while you can, especially if you want it. This can be especially effective if you’re an impulse buyer, who buys before they think. Usage of this word can convince consumers to buy now, think later, because if you think for too long, the product might be gone when you come back, similar to sales that store advertise are for ‘today only’.

Moving onto the colour choice, one that might not be as obvious - the way the black makes the white stand out isn’t just for contrast - with both the packaging and the celebrities in white, not to mention that the product is called ‘White Edition’, it’s sending a clear message - if you use this product, you will be beautiful. (In East Asia, especially Korea, fair (or white) skin is seen as beautiful. This leads to many young girls (Especially) going for skin treatments to make their skin paler) The fact that this is for a foundation base only amplifies this - their foundation will make you appear fair, and therefore beautiful, and you will stand out (much like the product and BTS) among others, who aren’t as pale, and therefore, aren’t as beautiful.

Ads like these try to get you buy their products, by manipulating (for a lack of a better word) you, using everything from cleverly picked celebrity endorsement to colour choice. Sadly, more often than not, everything they advertise isn’t true, and are instead just trying to rack in as much money as they can, by exploiting the things they make you think you need to be ‘better’, especially when it comes to products like makeup. They try to change the way you see the world, how and what you perceive as beautiful, so that you will buy their products, to achieve this twisted version of 'beauty'.