Analysis of Advertising Techniques Used in the Polka Squares Ad by Honey
Honey is an American couponing company, which with the help of an online extension will immediately apply available coupons when shopping online, or alternatively send you an email when there is an available discount. The target audience include people who are looking for discounted prices on expensive items or people looking to save money. So they have placed the ad around someone who is trying to buy clothes online and save money.
A part of Honey’s success is due to their undoubtedly effective advertising, Honey’s ads also include the polka squares ad which I will be analysing. This ad includes stacks of persuasive techniques, including bandwagon, plain folk and the general mood of the ad. The first technique (bandwagon) is used throughout the entire ad, everyone is wearing polka squares apart from the main person in the ad, who is wearing polka dots. This evokes a sense of sorrow for whoever did not know about the latest ‘trend’ when everyone is doing it. It is meant to be relatable so other people understand what it is like to be caught up in that situation, and since they don’t want it to happen to them they will use their product.
The second strategy is plain folk. Middle class people aren’t rich, hence the name. This means that people in this class are willing to save money and you can do that easily thanks to honey. This makes the app more appealing to plain folk because as mentioned, the working class citizens are not rich so they would be eager to save and spend at cheap prices. Another commonly used technique in their ad is general mood. Everyone in the ad is at a party, meaning that everyone is pretty happy mood. This causes the viewer to think that if everyone that’s using honey is happy, then if I use it I will be happy to!
The main person in the ad is wearing a yellow jumpsuit. The colour yellow is associated with happiness, freedom and optimism. This again links back to the point about honey making you happy, happy to use their product, happy to spend. Magical ingredients are also used in this advertisement. As soon as the main person in the ad tries to find polka squares clothing, she finds a cheaper price almost immediately. And after that she finds and even cheaper price when honey sends her an email.
Overall, the polka squares ad is very effective. The ad uses a wide arrange of persuasive techniques, from bandwagon to general mood, to convince at viewer to install their app.
