This Advertisement: A Truly Effective Methodology

Lately, advertisements have grown bolder in their statements, whether it be about sex, food, hair loss, etcetera, advertising teams always seem to find a way to make their ideas seem bold and new. This particular advertisement brought to you by Subway (Eat Fresh) approaches the concept of capturing the audience’s attention with as alarming a hook as they can imagine: sex. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t tend to associate any meal I eat (despite it being a footlong sub in this scenario) with any form of sex or anything of the like. With that in mind, to make the biggest word on the billboard such a peculiar one considering the product being advertised seems strange, especially when you notice the Subway logo at the very bottom. What is their game? What are they trying to accomplish with these unorthodox tactics? However, the line following the giant “SEX!!” which is inevitably what will catch your eye first upon seeing this billboard explains it. It mentions that now it has the audience’s attention, which is of course meant to suggest that they wouldn’t have it otherwise without the “SEX!!”, although that could be understood with the droll beige background they chose for their ad. It also serves to show that Subway is making fun of itself. It knows that SEX!! is a surefire way to catch an audience's eye, and to bring it back to reality by appearing self-aware will not only make the ad more level and funny, but it will also make Subway seem relatable, as now you know that they know how weird this situation is.

This advertisement is funny. I would absolutely argue for its effectiveness, as its main catch is its appeal to mankind’s most primeval instinct: to mate. Sex in itself has become a concept that is only really spoken about among friends or to a therapist or in similar scenarios, so to see such a huge statement out in the open is sure to catch the eye of the commuting consumer. This ad does a good job of making itself memorable, despite its otherwise mundane appearance, predominantly due to the fact that using sexual appeals in such an upfront manner is nothing short of unorthodox in this society. We are used to seeing sexualized food ads with pictures of skinny women and things of the like, yet we almost never see simply text that we are forced to believe is sexual. Because of this specific use of the concept, however, we as an audience are not drawn to the idea of sex being a good or bad thing, nor are we inclined to believe in any roles being set forth in the ad. No, we are just left with the idea that sex is nothing more than a concept, albeit a rare one, of everyday life. Subway managed to share a common theme with its other food-based advertising rivals, but this deviation is certainly what makes it stand out, and ultimately makes it more successful.