Home Depot Mango Color Ad

I thought the main goal of this ad was to appeal to viewers through the need to satisfy curiosity and also through the need for aesthetics.

This ad follows the standard template for ads using the need to satisfy curiosity appeal: a simple image, few words, and a small logo in the corner. This draws in the viewer's attention because of the lack of explanation for what they are seeing. A mango randomly shown on a pure white background is not something you would usually see in an ad, so it attracts attention. However, this ad also has a second layer of the appeal: once the reader makes the connection between the mango and the logo, they are still confused. Why would Home Depot be selling mangoes? The further curiosity inspired by this strange mix of brand and ad prompts the viewer to look harder, until they find the tag showing that the mango is a demonstration of color, and is meant to represent one of the many colors Home Depot sells. This serves several purposes. First, by this time, the viewer has spent a lot of time thinking about Home Depot, which helps them think of Home Depot the next time they need supplies. Also, it makes the colors Home Depot has look more realistic. If the viewer, like me, had to search for a few seconds before realizing that there was a paint color involved and it wasn't just a a mango, it is likely that they will think to themselves how realistic Home Depot's paint colors are. Objectively, this doesn't matter at all; whether or not you like a color probably doesn't depend on how closely it matches your favorite fruits. However, it is somewhat impressive that Home Depot was able to make a color close enough to the real thing to fool you, and because of that it sticks in the viewer's mind even more.

This ad also employs the need for aesthetics appeal. The simple, two-color design offers a calming escape from the otherwise cluttered world of ads. The blue-tinted white background is relaxing, and the contrast with the yellow mango makes it stand out prominently. The whole picture offers a gentle, simple theme that appeals to those overwhelmed by the clutter of ads.

I thought this ad was moderately effective, and I liked it somewhat. I think Home Depot was smart to use something common like a mango to demonstrate their color selection, as there are probably colors not as well known in their collection of paints. I also appreciate 'quiet' ads such as these, because all the vague claims of 'the best' offered by many ads get very tiring after a while.