Thinx Underwear Ad Analysis
Thinx is a company who makes period-proof underwear for women. It aims to provide a solution to blood leakage and smells as well as ensuring the user’s comfort whilst using their product. I was drawn to this ad because it heavily relies on imagery as opposed to words. The ad only uses text for the name of the brand and the website, which are both found near the bottom of the poster. This indicates that the imagery is more the more important, eye-catching element of the ad and the brand name and website becomes the final message people see before moving on with their day.
Research has shown that viewers spend the most time looking at the imagery, which is one thing that this advertisement takes advantage of. Down the center of the ad, there is a line separating two block colors, navy blue, and baby blue. Blue is considered a soothing and calming color which is easy on the eyes and already ingrains the idea of softness and comfort into the viewers’ mind. Combined with the soothing colors are geometric shapes and perfectly straight edges which complements the simple layout of the ad.
The main focuses of the ad, however, are the corresponding images of the dropping egg and a woman slumped in the same way the egg is drooping. The egg itself could represent many things, but placed next to the woman in a similar pose, it represents one’s period. “Eggs” is a more casual word for a woman’s reproductive cells and this ad hints at the menstrual cycle using the casual term through a literal picture of an egg. The way the woman is slouched suggests she’s in pain but she’s also in a very unconventional position which shows that she is still able to move around freely. With the two images combined, it conveys the message even when you (the target viewer) are on your period and it is flowing out or “dropping out” Thinx underwear will catch it and still allow you to move around freely without any leakage or smell.
I thought that this ad was extremely clever and it definitely resonated with me. It was aesthetically pleasing and it discreetly delivered the message of the ad to the target audience through imagery that was funny, witty and compelling. The metaphors that the images represent are what narrows down the target demographic: women. Although there are only two simple images on the ad, so many different interpretations can be read in a matter of seconds because of simple play-on-words, or should I say play-on-images.
Bibliography
Duncan, Sarah. “The Art Exhibition That Is Changing the Way We Talk about Menstruation.” Freddy Name Meaning, 10 July 2018, www.sheknows.com/living/articles/1109575/menstrual-metaphors-turned-into-art-exhibition/.
“For People with Periods.” THINX, THINX, www.shethinx.com/.
Rayner, Keith et al. “Eye Movements When Looking at Print Advertisements: The Goal of the Viewer Matters” Applied cognitive psychology vol. 22,5 (2008): 697-707.
