Coca Cola v. Benetton

898 Words2 Pages

This essay is an analysis of two advertising posters, one of being a modern piece of media, the other being aimed at the previous generation. I will be reviewing posters from Coca Cola and Benetton, the latter being the modern piece of media in this comparison.

Firstly, I think it is important to highlight the background of the corporations. Coca Cola is a household brand name that is the world's biggest soft drink company. As well as the flagship drink, forms of merchandise such as posters, clocks, stationery and are a another way that the Coca Cola diversifies to increase profits. Coca Cola sells in virtually every country around the world, and is one of the most recognised brands in history. And then there is Benetton. An Italian Company specialising in the clothing sector of the economy. Only a few years ago they expanded into a merger with American store SEARS, which eventually fell through on the account of protests against the controversial Death Row Campaign by Oliviero Toscani. Toscani's vision of advertising did not include any gimmicks such as soft sell; his prime intent was to produce images that would shock anyone who saw them. His image of 'reality-advertising' caused many of his posters to be banned. The multi-racial theme was one of the big talking points, and the fortunes of Benetton increased drastically.

Brand recognition is important for both companies. Coca Cola uses white text on a red background, with the font being classical and the wording being quite bold. Using red symbolises love and loyalty, something that the corporation obviously wants in order for people to buy the product again and again. Benetton for their logo uses a dark green box, with the words 'THE UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON' in white text inside. This is the logo that is invariably placed in all of Toscani's work. The look of the logo is very modern and fashionable to reflect the style of the clothing they sell. Green also represents 'go', which is not unlike a traffic light that indicates that you respond to signals that the poster is showing. In the handcuff poster, the logo is in the top-right corner, and in terms of narrative flow, would be seen second after seeing the handcuffs and the linked hands. In the coca cola poster, it would be seen first because it is a t the top and in the centre.

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