Mother's Day in Advertising
I didn't know until I started doing some research, but Mother's Day is one of the top sales opportunities for salons and spas--we all want to pamper mom because she takes care of everyone else the rest of the year. So it wasn't surprising when I asked our team for ads designed for this holiday that this one turned up. It gets your attention with the bright, feminine colors and uses the same light blue in the logo to highlight the sale price effectively. {C}
This ad for a quilting store stays true to its brand by using muted colors and quaint graphics, except in the call to action about getting mom a gift certificate. The image of the two women is appropriate to the target audience, versus showing a young mother with a baby. Flowers are a big gift at this time of year and this ad does a great job of catching the eye with all of the pink. It basically tells you to get busy and recognize your mother. The headline says, "Need we say more?" and sticks to that statement, providing nothing more than the details needed to purchase. I especially like the scallop-edged circle highlighting the day. Once we all realize the holiday is coming up, the first thing we want to know is the date to figure out how much time before we have to buy a card, gift, etc. I love this ad because of its bright colors. The copy is simple and streamlined and it offers an option to win a prize to take care of mom now and win something for yourself later. Plus, the use of the purple to highlight that the store is open 7 days a week is clever, as Mother's Day is on Sunday. This means, if you're inclined, you can wait until minutes before going to see mom to get her gift! Kids especially like to get their mothers candy, cookies and other treats for Mother's Day . . . because we share! This ad uses a nice image of a happy and appreciative mom and a cute little girl enjoying doing something nice for her mother. It also reinforces the product, showing two different cookie options. Notice that there is no mention of Mother's Day. By simply swapping out the main image, this ad could be used any time of the year. But what is very important--and comes across loud and clear in red--is the headline about same day service. So if you forgot a gift or had to wait until the last minute for some reason, this company has your back! Mother's Day is huge for restaurants because families try to give a break from the kitchen to the person who tends to cook most of the meals. This ad is stands out because of the big, colorful roses taking up so much space. The headline looks like it is on a greeting card--an effective device. And I appreciate that they used reviews as part of the design. If I lived in Connecticut, I'd be leaving this ad lying around my home as a subtle hint for my kids! Two other restaurants share an ad and use flowers to catch attention. Aside from the flowers, you can't miss the giant "MOM". Plus, the use of the white and yellow text contrasts well with the background. Lastly, we have three typical Mother's Day elements in one ad: purple, flowers and a fancy serif typeface. There's more content here but the purple is used well to highlight the critical items like the date, the events and the prices. Now that I've written this blog post, I have to pick up a gift for my mother. Will it be flowers, yummy treats, a spa gift certificate or dinner out? Effective advertising might get me to spring for all four!
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