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Marketing is the lifeblood of a business. In today’s society, businesses spend millions of dollars in advertisements just to reach their target market and grow their niche. In fact, companies can now maximize their growth potential through different technological platforms, such as social networking sites, where advertisements can also be done. This is relatively a good opportunity compared with the days when they can only use print ads, television, and radio as their medium. Among the many companies that spend a significant amount of money for marketing is Nintendo and Microsoft. Nintendo is a Japanese company that started in the 1980’s. It is popular for its gaming consoles, such as Game Boy (became hit during 1980’s and 1990’s), Nintendo, and Wii (“Company History”). Another hit in the gaming industry is Xbox. Owned by the company Microsoft, Xbox was released in 2001 (Marshall). Since their release dates, Nintendo and Microsoft marketed their products to the best of their ability in order to increase their sales, and this can be observed through the advertisements they have been producing. Specifically, both of them used prints ads and other medium for this purpose. Looking at two of their particular print ads released in the past, I believe that Microsoft did better than Nintendo in persuading their audience to support Xbox. This is because Xbox’s print ad has a greater advantage in terms of its appeal to logos, ethos, and pathos.
First of all, Xbox’s print advertisement is more appealing to logos or logic. This is because the setting is more realistic and more relatable to children. The print ad shows a child, a girl, playing Xbox, together with a playmate who seems to be watching her. The setting shows that the two children are taking turns with the game. The main child is smiling and looking back to an image of a lady who is watching her. Only a part of the lady’s hair, shoulder, and knees can be seen, and she is holding a cup. Even without her full image, it can be assumed that she is the mother who actively supports the child. This scenario looks logical because most parents would just do the same - watch the child as she enjoys her game time. On the other hand, Nintendo’s advertisement of Wii is not as logical as the other but it is somehow idealistic. In this particular ad, a mother, a father, and a child play the Wii together. However, this does not always happen in the real world, which makes the ad less relatable. In addition, the children depicted in the two advertisements are most likely in their middle childhood. At this stage, children tend to be more interested in building social relationships with their peers and they get to explore and be more involved with people outside their families (Eccles 30). This makes Xbox’s ad more appealing to logos when compared to Nintendo’s ad.
Second, Xbox’s print advertisement is more appealing to ethos or credibility. Because the focus of the ad is a child, the main player of the Xbox, it becomes more credible to other children when they see it. On the other hand, Nintendo presents Wii as being played not just by the child but by the parents as well. Again, this may be ideal, but it does not always happen. Because of the busy lives of parents, it is not quite often to see them spend time playing with technological devices. Even if some parents would be interested to play with their children, it is not common for them to be interested in a game that uses technological gadgets. It does happen, but seeing a child playing while the parents watch is more common, and this makes the character in Xbox’s ad more credible.
Lastly, Xbox’s print advertisement is more appealing to pathos or emotions. As seen in the ad, the girl is wearing an innocent smile while playing Xbox. Moreover, she is looking at her mother as if showing how great her play is going. In this particular image, the smile of the child reflects a sense of happiness which signifies that her mother is approving her activity. The emotions that is being reflected in the ad gives the impression that Xbox is something that even mothers would approve of. Of course, parents are not always in favor of buying gaming consoles, especially when it costs around $200. Therefore, the positive emotions in the ad create a strong appeal to the emotions of its target audience. Although Nintendo’s ad shows that the parents also approve of using and purchasing Wii, again, the idealistic setting makes it less relatable. The emotions it brings may be positive, but not as convincing as what the Xbox’s ad presents. Furthermore, focusing on the positive emotion of the child alone seems to create a connection with other children who may see the ad of Xbox.
Overall, the images, the emotions, and the overall setting of the print ad for the Xbox is more appealing to its audience than what Nintendo created for their product, Wii. Xbox’s ad is more logical because it presents a more realistic setting. By using a child as the focus, it also proves to be more credible in the eyes of other children. In addition, the emotions that it presents make it more appealing to its audience because it gives Xbox a positive light from the perspective of the main user, the children, and their parents. Clearly, the print ad produced by Microsoft for Xbox is more appealing than Nintendo’s print ad for Wii. This means that it is more effective in persuading their audience to support their product.
Work Cited
“Company History.” Nintendo. Nintendo, n.d. Web. 21 May 2016.
Marshall, Rick. “The History of the Xbox.” Digital Trends. Digital Trends, 12 May 2013. Web. 21 May 2016.
Eccles, Jacquelynne. “The Development of Children Ages 6 to 14.” The Future of Children 9.2 (1999): 30-44.
