Bringing in the Old with the New

I recently saw a Rolling Stone advertisement that caught my eye. At first glance I thought it was just the outline of a weird guitar, but at second glance I realized that it is in the shape of a human rib cage and there is a heart on the inside. I then read the caption that said “We are made of rock” and the whole advertisement really came together

The advertisement is also very balanced which makes it look better than a collage of rock bands or just clusters of pictures thrown on a page. This is another reason why I stopped and actually read the ad instead of just glancing and moving on like I do with most other ads. It does not even have super bright colors or anything to really make it pop if you are just flipping through, but the simplicity and balance of it makes you take a second look.

This is one of the better ads I have seen in the past few months because the you first see the guitar shape and maybe catch “Rolling Stone” at the bottom of the page. This seems like a basic thing for Rolling Stone to put on an ad because it is a music magazine. So this being said there is nothing out of the blue at first look.

Then at second glance is really where the context of the ad comes into play. The caption “We are made of rock” describes the magazine perfectly. The company built on reporting on rock’n’roll and the rock-stars involved is how the company has become so popular. Starting in 1967 and building itself into one of the best known music magazines in the world if not the best. This caption really shows the roots of the company even though they have expanded their reach in the time since it was founded.

The heart on the inside of the guitar’s rib cage try to show that the heart of the company is still rock even though more things have come along. The company looks to be still trying to appeal to the older audience who likes rock but have moved on after reporting of new age music has come into the magazine. This new age music and pop culture is usually what drives older generations from magazines. Older generations are more likely to want to keep the classics around, rather than change into a new era. So with this ad the company wants to regain the readers they may have lost when this shift into the new era came along.

Also, it looks like the company is reaching out to the younger audience with the cool graphic. The guitar is a sculpture that is a great piece of art. It is very modern and also gets the point across. But the style of the guitar and ad caught my eye and I have never read a Rolling Stone magazine is my entire life. This ad makes me want to take a look into reading one of their magazines just to see what might be in there.

Overall this ad really hits many great aspects that I look for in an ad. First, it is simple and clean looking. There is not too much going on in the ad and no clutter. Second, it makes you want to take another look besides the first glance. Third, it has a deeper meaning than just an ad with words that do not relate to the picture itself. It shows what the company believes in and what its roots are. Finally, it reaches for more than just one audience. I feel like it reaches both the older and younger generations, as well as, tries to reestablish older readers with the magazine. All in all the ad was effective in catching my eye and I am sure it is the same for other people. Rolling Stone may have to be the next magazine I pick up and read.