MARTHA STEWART weddings (advertisement analysis)

In Martha Stewart Weddings a majority of the pages are dedicated to advertisement. The predominant products advertised are wedding dresses. The designers that are featured in this DIY issue of Weddings were surprising to me. When I first read the title and saw that it was the “annual DIY issue” I wasn’t expecting to see designers like Amsale, Vera Wang, and Lazaro. “Doing it yourself” makes me think of a bride that is budgeting every aspect of their wedding, including the dress. Purchasing a dress from one of the luxurious designers is not budget friendly. The reason I think these designers chose to advertise in this issue is because they figured that if a bride was going to splurge on any part of their wedding it would be the dress. They are confident that their beautiful designs could sway a bride into buying one of their dresses. However, advertisements for stores and products like Maybelline, Joanne’s, Michaels, and David’s Bridal appeal to the budgeting bride.  The ads that are featured in this magazine are contradictory however they make sense. The more lavish ads are in here to sway the cost conscious bride into buying something out of their price range, while the more humble ads are here to promote the reader to buy their more reasonable product.

One ad that I found interesting was an ad for Beadalon beads. The background is a light lavender color. This color make the focal point of the ad, the “handmade” white pearl, jewelry stand out. The whole atmosphere of this ad is very elegant and “wedding like.” The pearl necklace consists of many strands and is clamped together as a necklace should be. It is lying down and in the center lays a pair of hanging pearl earrings and a pearl bracelet. Below the finished jewelry is what was used to create it; a pair of jewelry plyers, wire, and the pearl beads. To the left of the materials is this saying, “Making your own jewelry is fun, easy, and very gratifying. Save time, money, and express your style by creating your own earring, bracelets and necklaces. Perfect for bridesmaids’’ gifts too!” This is promoting readers to buy the alternative (Beadalon products) instead of purchasing the expensive, already made jewelry. The very first words that you read on this ad are trying to convince the reader to buy Beadalon products. The slogan says, “ walk down the aisle with personalized style.” This is written at the top of the ad in white, lower case letters. However, “personalized” is written in a darker purple and is italicized. This is trying to convince the reader to buy their product by saying that it is better to make your own jewelry instead of buying it because it will add a more personal touch to your wedding.