Perfection is Important: Evolution of MarineLand Advertisements (Entry 6)

1993 MarineLand advertisement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_BlzQiK4j4 
(Cmmia62, 2012)

2015 MarineLand advertisement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xZ9_cynq-U
(The Justin Poy Agency, 2014)

Since 1993, MarineLand has changed its approach in their advertisements, as the amusement park originally began creating collages of the park to having testimonials. Amusement park advertisements are concerned with selling their audience excitement, fun, and laughter. With these advertisements, MarineLand developed their message by utilizing the emotional appeal technique, which is concerned with arousing the feelings of the audience because this amusement park understands that their viewers want to acknowledge a fulfilling experience.

When observing the 1990’s MarineLand advertisements, I saw some flaws to the collage technique as some of the footage I believe is unacceptable. This 1993 advertisement has shown two children engaging with two different amusement park’s animals without any parental or park attendant supervision (Cmmia62, 2012). These particular scenes oppose clause 10 of the ASC where unsafe practices are shown as these children were left alone with wild animals without any adult supervision in the advertisement . It is not safe to show children alone with wild animals because these children do not know the proper approach to engaging with these animals and that adult supervision is necessary to ensuring their safety. Even though this advertisement does exemplify fun and excitement, but it lacks the demonstration of safety.

After evaluating the 1990’s advertisements, I have found that MarineLand has changed their overall focus and design of their advertisements to therefore not fail in fulfilling the clauses of the ASC. The 2015 MarineLand advertisement has proven to be more effective and appropriate than that of their original advertisements (The Justin Poy Agency, 2014). As the amusement park has accurately promoted a fun and entertaining experience, MarineLand has also demonstrated their understanding of clause 7 that is concerned with testimonials (Advertising Standards Canada, n.d). The 2015 MarineLand advertisement has executed testimonial advertisements properly as this amusement park’s subject has promoted the park’s attractions and content in a positive manner. Most importantly, this MarineLand advertisement has passed clause 12, which is concerned with advertising to children, as the amusement park has promoted a safe and fun environment that will attract children in a positive manner (Advertising Standards Canada, n.d).

To Car Advertisers: Don't Promote Bad Driving Habits Please (Entry 5)

BMW ADVERTISEMENT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz2rAgXjkCA
(BMW, 2014)

Hyundai Sonata 2015 ADVERTISEMENT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tAYSEOczcw
(24HoursofAds, 2014)

Automobile advertisements are a great concern to the ASC in regards to legislating the car’s performance and the depictions of safe driving. The ASC has regulated these advertisements greatly to ensure the safety of Canadian drivers and to limit the number of advertisements in the country. The most notable clauses that determine the appropriateness of these automotive advertisements is clause 10 and 14. 

            The number of injuries, deaths and even just minor car accidents has increased due to unsafe driving therefore the ASC has to focus primarily on safety when analyzing car advertisements. Clause 10 of the ASC strictly focuses on safety as advertisements cannot display or encourage the acts of endangerment (Advertising Standards Canada, n.d). BMW are notorious for showing their line of cars performing at a very high speed in their advertisements, which can influence people, especially young drivers, to drive fast therefore disregarding all types of on-the-road safety procedures (BMW, 2014). Automotive advertisements can also indirectly promote unsafe driving by showing their cars perform unrealistically on the road. Clause 14 of the ASC is also used in analyzing car advertisements to ensure non-realistic driving methods or non-regulated driving procedures can be shown to the public (Advertising Standards Canada, n.d). The Hyundai Sonata advertisement has not follow this clause as Hyundai has featured a little girl driving imitating her father driving at a high speed with her toy steering wheel (24HoursofAds, 2014). With this advertisement, it is unrealistic to feature a parent driving at a high speed with a child while having a child doing an imitation of a driver. ASC’s clauses 10 and 14 are highly necessary to ensure that advertisements do not promote any sort of unsafe driving to the public therefore limiting the number of accidents on the road.       

  I have greatly appreciated the efforts of the ASC to regulating the particular depictions of car performances and the specific driving techniques in automotive advertisements. Numerous advertising agencies have automobile developer clients therefore these agencies need to limit their creative approaches for these clients or else both the agency and client will cause severe harm to the targeted and unintended audience with improper driving depictions.