Multimedia Advertising on the Internet

Companies these days are taking to the internet for their major marketing campaigns as they know how wide-reaching it potentially is. Whereas on television or in the cinemas, advertisements last a maximum of 1 minute usually. On the internet however, there are less restrictions, and it is probably cheaper. For other mass media, companies generally pay to run their adverts for a specified amount of time. For the internet however, once it is uploaded on a major video sharing site like Youtube, it is there for whoever to see whenever they want to. I will take a look at 3 companies, and the ads they have used to market a major product of theirs.

First let's look at Samsung and their brand new Galaxy S4 ad:

 

They use upbeat melodic piano music throughout, and they let the well-crafted graphics and smooth flow of the video from one new feature to the next excite us and stimulate our senses. The music synchronizes well with the animations, pictures and bits of text that inform us about each feature. The colour scheme of the video is very lighthearted, in keeping with everything else. They use many pictures of happy families and couples, and it ends with the tag "Life Companion". Overall, it sells you the phone and manages to tell you all of its key new features in a manner that should leave you smiling and with a dreamy look on your face as you take out your cash or card and hand it to them.

Music ✓✓✓
Pictures / Graphics ✓✓✓
Text ✓  
Short Video showcasing each feature ✓ 

Apple iPhone5 ad:

The iPhone advert is nowhere near as cheery or playful as Samsung's. There is music, but it has a more serious tone, and takes a backseat as the ad uses more "Oomph!" to sell their product. They get the big shots of Apple to tell you about how amazing their product is. They don't just want to excite the audience, they want to make them in awe of the product. There aren't many shots of happy people using the phone, instead they showcase the phone itself a lot. Whereas the Samsung ad was trying to sell more of a lifestyle, this ad is being straightforward and telling you go and get this phone, because it is cool and nothing beats it.

Music ✓
Pictures / Graphics ✓
Sound (Voice) ✓✓ 
Short Video showcasing each feature ✓ 

Sony Xperia TV ad:

This advertisement is much shorter than the previous 2 (as it is made for television), it is basically a montage of slow motion videos of people using Sony products. It does not showcase any features of the Xperia phone, it is taking the angle of "oh look how much fun I'm having using this phone". The graphics they use are intense and vibrant, with striking colours. The music used is from David Bowie, who is a very famous British musician, it is lighthearted and fits the video. Near the end, there is a small voiceover telling you that you can now get all of Sony's awesomeness on a smartphone.  

Music ✓✓✓
Pictures / Graphics ✓✓✓
Sound (Voice) ✓  



All 3 adverts engage the audience's sight, sound and touch. The Samsung and Sony ads make both your ears and eyes feel good, whereas Apple's is more of a salesman's pitch. When I say that they engage our sense of touch, I mean they also want to make you imagine how it feels to have and to use their products, and to make it very personal.


However multimedia is utilized for marketing, one thing is for sure - no matter how good your product is, it will not be successful without good marketing, and indirectly good usage of multimedia.