Blog Post #1

This particular print advertisement was part of Mini's Halloween inspired ad campaign and is very much in line with the Mini brand; Mini ads tend to be minimalistic and bold, relying on few words (more often than not in a playful, lighthearted tone) and a Mini car in front of a black backdrop with a strong, solid-colored border. The Mini is an iconic car so simplicity works in their favor; the car really speaks for itself. However, they still manage to frame the Mini in such a way that it is seen as a fun, playful, youthful product.

In this ad, we see that the black backdrop is still used, but this time it is used in two different ways: one, to keep in line with how Mini has branded themselves, and two, to signify nighttime (which would match the text saying that they "only come out at night"). The wording itself can be seen as a play on the tradition of Halloween, during which trick-or-treating occurs at night.

"Night" can also hint at a certain kind of lifestyle (the late-night partygoers, for one). Mini has aimed their product at a younger demographic, and with the word "night", one could argue that they are seeking a certain kind of youth: those that seek to have fun.

Finally, the image of the car is upside-down, which not only seems a bit jarring at first glance, but is also eye-catching (despite the fact that it is a black car in front of a black backdrop and therefore doesn't seem to "pop" the way other Mini ads might, one rarely sees cars upside-down, so this would still likely make you look twice).

The car being upside-down connotes playfulness and seems to hint that the car has a personality of its own (which might then lead one to believe that if the car has a personality of its own, it is nonconforming and truly one-of-a-kind). A "serious" car would surely be right-side up?

But arguably, the most obvious thing to denote from the car being upside-down and black-colored on a Halloween-themed advertisement would be that the car is a bat. It's almost like the car is playing pretend in much the same way that children play pretend by dressing up as someone else on Halloween.

Mini doesn't go as far as to literally dress the car up as a bat—no fake fur and fangs can be seen here—but it really isn't necessary; one could argue that adding anything extra would actually detract from the car itself. It doesn't take much of a leap to make the connection between the car and a bat with the way the car is presented in the ad. The simplicity of it all almost serves to make the ad playful without being too much. All of these elements work together to present the car as a playful and youthful product while still staying true to Mini's image.