The Newfoundland & Labrador Essays -- Advertising

Travel advertisements are created to inspire. They are constructed to be visually appealing and intriguing, yet they must also maintain a distinct trace of the exotic. The embedded foreignness in travel advertisements spark curiosity, which in turn seeks to enlighten the reader’s sense of adventure. The advertisement coauthored by the Newfoundland & Labrador Department of Tourism (henceforth referred to as â€Å"NL Tourism†) and the Canadian airline WestJet is no exception. What sets this particular advertisement apart, however, are the elements of publication dynamics and design that combine harmoniously to sell an idea. The advertisement was published in travel section of Toronto’s The Globe and Mail, a newspaper that is circulated across Canada. The publication selection hints at the advertisement’s intended audience. It would be fair to deduce that readers of The Globe and Mail are fairly educated since The Globe often features analyses of issues that are of international importance. Readers are also perhaps middle aged, as newspaper is becoming an antiquated medium in society, and they are likely to have decent salaries, for the weekend edition of the newspaper costs $3.88 alone. WestJet and NL Tourism are targeting people with a healthy discretionary income. This is especially true considering The Globe is published in Toronto, which is a popular economic and financial centre of Canada. The advertisement size, a full-colour back page, is also intended to draw attention to the reader and possible onlookers. Finally, the advertisement’s publication date of Saturday, 25 Februa ry 2012, is also strategic. It comes at a time when people may be thinking about summer vacations and journeys to visit home. The sunny, placid overtone fe... ... way ticket, but suggests that perhaps a one way ticket is the only direction the reader needs. The passage in the fine print correlates to the idea of time zones and escape, further inviting the reader to discover the Province. Through tactical publication placement and quality visual aesthetics, the advertisement cultivates appeal. The idea being marketed embodies core concepts of the desire to travel: relaxation, exploration, and the regress to a more simple state of living. These concepts are promoted as what the reader deserves. Venturing to Newfoundland and the Conception Bay sunshine should be the priority of the reader after viewing the advertisement. The description on the uniqueness of place fulfills the impression that Newfoundland and Labrador is unconventional and alluring. In just three short hours from Toronto, the secluded bay awaits your arrival.