Pamplin Study Abroad

The second flyer that I found is another study abroad program. This one is titled “Pamplin College of Business Invites you to Study Abroad with us.” Reading the title lead me to believe that it was a trip meant specifically for business students, but in big letters on the flyer it also says, “these programs are open to all Virginia Tech students.” This sentence takes up the biggest section on the advertisement, so the creator of the flyer obviously wants every student to know that they have the ability to join the study abroad program. I found this flyer in McBryde, so it makes sense that it is not for Pamplin students alone. The ad is meant to draw attention, being that there are three big pictures of the different places that will be traveled to in this program. Each of the three pictures includes the location, date, and deadline to sign up for the trip. Having beautiful photos of each location on the flyer makes it more desirable, seeming to promise a once in a life time trip, all while increasing students’ knowledge of business. When I first saw this flyer, it was definitely the pictures that caught my eye. I immediately wanted to be on a warm beach in the summer time. Other than the pictures with the dates of the trips and the sentence inviting all students, the only other parts of the flyer are a website, an email, and a phone number. Unlike the other study abroad advertisement, this one does not contain much information, requiring the student to find out more on their own. I think that the perfect amount of information is included on this flyer, because the pictures are enough to make those who are interested in studying abroad want to go home and look it up. It seems as though the author’s intention was to simply make people aware of the program, and to give the students an opportunity to learn more. In my opinion, this advertisement is very effective. Including less words on one page creates more room for the important statements and pictures, causing people to actually stop and look.

Studies in Ghana

One flyer I found is titled “Leadership, Service, and Africana Studies in Ghana,” obviously advertising a study abroad program. This was found in the hall of my dorm, which shows that its intended audience is college students, particularly those who plan to study abroad at some point. This advertisement is meant to draw the attention of people who want to study abroad, especially for leadership, service, or African studies. It is full of information on both sides of the page, so it is meant to be very informative without requiring somebody to go to a meeting in order to get more information. Implicitly, the flyer promises fulfillment, both in oneself and possibly even in a career. Along with announcing leadership and service opportunities, it says “gain critical thinking, intercultural, and career skills.” This could make people who are especially interested in leadership or service careers want to go on this trip to gain more knowledge about possible opportunities. In my opinion, although the author seems to know what she is talking about, this flyer has far too many words on it. Not only is there a lot to look at on the front of the paper, but when you flip it over it is filled with more information. It might work for others, but I personally would not stop to read a flyer that could take a few minutes to get through. I think that it would be much more effective to only include the title of the event, the date of the trip, a little bit more information about what it is about, and then a date for an informational meeting. That way people would be interested, but then be forced to go talk to people to learn more about it. This flyer is organized very carefully with a few different sections, like “eligibility,” “cost,” “contact,” “program description,” and “academics.” If someone were to stop and read the whole flyer, the layout makes it very easy to pick out what is important to look at and what is not. I believe that this text is effective. The title is the biggest part of the paper, so it draws people in right away. If study abroad is something that someone is interested in, then the format makes it easy to get information right off the bat.

Comparing Advertisements

            The first advertisement is for Alpha Kappa Psi. Being that it is a fraternity, I can tell right away that it is intended to be seen by college students, particularly boys. At first glance, I know that it is trying to advertise the fraternity for new members, promising that it will “make a big difference” in return. This flyer is simply making college students aware of the fraternity, rather than having a specific event. Implicitly, the ad could mean a couple of things, such as the idea that being in Alpha Kappa Psi will make a big difference in the world, or even a big difference in oneself. If someone who sees this flyer strives to make a difference in the world, then this statement would directly appeal to them.

            Independent Radio, the second advertisement, is not for a specific group, but for a specific event. The goal of this flyer is to make college students at Virginia Tech want to go to the Independent Radio organizational meeting. By including a location at Virginia Tech, I can tell that it is geared toward Virginia Tech students. With the picture and the wording, I can assume that it is meant to be humorous, which implies to people that the event might be funny, making it a more desirable meeting to attend.

            Each of the two ads are effective in their own way, although when I first saw them, I observed the Independent Radio advertisement for a little bit longer than I did the Alpha Kappa Psi advertisement. The Independent Radio ad drew my attention because I was a little bit confused by the wording at first glance, so I kept reading. It also has an exact date, time, and place, making it much more specific. For advertising a group, the Alpha Kappa Psi flyer does a good job, although I think that it could say a little bit more about the fraternity. Some could argue that including less words on the flyer will make people more interested in finding out more, but letting people know more about the fraternity might be helpful. For advertising an event, the Independent Radio does a great job. It draws attention, includes humor, and has a place and a time of the event.