Friday, July 13, 2012

Advertising on Stuff

Fairfax has given up on quality editorial content, hasn’t it. This vid of Miranda Kerr making an ad for Victoria’s Secret is not a news story in any way, it is an advertisement. So is this piece about an art auction later this month in which the dealer explains that buying paintings, specifically these paintings right here, is a really good investment. In the accompanying video – I wonder who paid for it – the dealer says, “There’s huge opportunities there for buyers.” Well, he would, wouldn’t he. 

The “story” on Stuff is illustrated with the opening still from the video, an arresting image of a woman whose head but not face is covered with bees. Neither painting nor artist is identified. (I can do that: Bee Lady by Joanna Braithwaite was first exhibited in 2002 at Milford Galleries.) I wonder why no one at Fairfax thought that might be useful information for readers. 

Advertorial and product placement is to be expected in suburban giveaways and James Bond films, but it’s not what one expects from one of our major media companies. Oh, wait…

6 comments:

Paul said...

I shall carefully examine the Victoria's Secret piece before giving my opinion.

Paul said...

BRB

Paul said...

Yes, steamy, cotton.

Stephen Stratford said...

Thank you,Paul. Good to have thoughtful, measured, evidence-based comments.

Anonymous said...

And the business sections now seem always to include a daily photo of some young lady who has lost most of her clothes. Connection to story: tenuous, if you're lucky.

Paul said...

Yesterday the Weekend Herald printed a Newsweek story about the psychological effects of Internet, with a large stock photo of a female model sitting at a keyboard (wearing a white singlet, of course) with comically crossed eyes. The photo used about a third of the space of the entire article. The article was serious, the photo trivial But our newspapers seem to think they need to pull in readers with totty.