European Advertising vs. American Advertising

Research Paper ARS 230 The main aspect of advertising is to ‘get more bang for the buck’, to make it aesthetically pleasing to the eye and gain the viewer’s attention. Throughout the years, advertising has varied in many ways from catchy slogans to iconic logos. Some may say there is nothing wrong with a little healthy competition, but what if one area is gaining the benefits slightly different than the others because of their boldness?
American and European advertising are very different culturally as well as aesthetically. There has always been a cultural difference in the style of advertising between America and Europe, whether it is sexual content, trend or originality. A striking boldness seems to be a trending approach in Europe, while classic reason takes a hold of America. Researchers have said that one main difference between American and European advertisements is that European ads use emotional blackmailing while American ads reason for you.
Both European and American advertising benefit in marketing, it is simply just a matter of effectiveness based on the audience. When comparing the two cultures of advertisement, American versus European, it is safe to say that no one approach is better, just simply different. It is compared as emotion versus product. America is focused on selling the product and comparing it to other competitors whereas Europe is more focused on the emotion and beauty of the actual advertisement. “ A trend is at work that has gone much further in the United States than in Europe.

The trend has been manifested in recent decades by a dramatic growth in the number of separate brands and brand variants, a proliferation that has had a deadening effect on American advertising,” (Jones). America is effective because of the number of brands that are produced and compared where Europe is more effective by staying loyal to their brands and elaborating on commercial advertising. Looking at an advertisement in Europe may catch your eye because of the boldness. Europe is well known for using sexual nudity to promote a product, simply because ‘sex sells’.
Approaching advertising in a different light would be emotionally. In America, advertising can be described as hard selling. Hard selling is a campaign or advertisement that is direct, forceful and straight to the point. For example while watching an American seatbelt warning on Youtube, the commercial is simply based on the motto, “Click it or Ticket”, showing average people driving their cars and getting pulled over by officers and receiving a ticket and fine. The commercial is to the point and straight forward, showing almost no emotion.
The approach that American marketing companies have used is effective by saying ‘If you don’t’ wear your seatbelt, then you will be forced by law to pay a fine’. Similarly compared to the American commercial is the European commercial’s motto, “Heaven Can Wait”, is an emotional grasp on losing your life over not wearing your seatbelt. Although the two are trying to deliver the same idea, the European method seems to make a gentler or softer appeal to the viewer by incorporating emotion and reality into the grand scheme.
The emotion, fear, is incorporated into this commercial and motivates the audience to action. We as viewers can see how both American and European advertising is very successful; it is hard not to view one as more effective. Another aspect of advertising that can differentiate the two cultures is the aesthetics of line and color. For instance, the simple crisp lines of the Nike logo, demonstrates an iconic swoosh and flat one dimensional color paired with the logo “Just do it,” that subconsciously stays in your mind and makes you feel like you can be an athlete yourself.
This portrays a basic and simple, yet straight to the point kind of approach. In Europe you can see a trend of color blocking and also an artist like logo. “The American advertisers use more words and headlines, when many European ones use more images and illustrations; they try to find images, which in the best way, without any words, will communicate ideas that stand behind them” (SYL). This can be described as verbal versus visual. There are many ways to compare the two continents when discussing advertising.
Although no one culture is wrong, American advertising seems to feel more effective than European because you simply have more product. American and European advertising are both aesthetically visual and promotionally advertised. Weather the culture or continent, no product or company could be formally published without the beauty of advertisement.
Bibliography University. , John Philip Jones; John Philip Jones Is A Professor At The Newhouse School Of Public Communications, Syracuse. “FORUM; Why European Ads Are More Amusing. ” The New York Times. The New York Times, 07 Oct. 990. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www. nytimes. com/1990/10/07/business/forum-why-european-ads-are-more-amusing. html>. Gonzalez, Mario V. “American vs. EuropeanA Advertising. ” Marketing WebCafA©. WordPress, 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://marketingwebcafe. wordpress. com/2011/02/24/european-vs-american-advertising/>. “Comparison of American and European Advertising. ” Comparison of American and European Advertising Style. SYL, 10 Oct. 2006. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. <http://www. syl. com/bc/comparisonofamericanandeuropeanadvertisingstyle. html>