What’s wrong with this Ad?
This ad appeared on this month’s issue of Fortune Asia.
From the cover of the ad, themediaslut initially thought that the ad was for the recent yellow ribbon campaign that looks to encourage the business sector to employ former inmates. Therefore, the ad space on Fortune Magazine made sense.
But the outside back cover of the ad showed that its’ a prison recuitment ad…
themediaslut finds it weird that a prison recuitment ad should appear on Fortune magazine where the readers are mostly top earning businessmen… Maybe they are looking at this businessmen to look at a 2nd career as prison’s captain. Maybe the ad looks to get these businemen to get their kids interested in a career as prison captains..
themediaslut wonders if the ad would have been better place in magazines like Teenage and Teens to target youngsters to consider such a career?
Coincidentally I was working on a project with Prison Services to do a case study of their branding campaign “Captains of Life” which was started a few years back.
They had done a similar cover ad on Time magazine. And from what I know, they had issues of it sent out to the upstream market of tertiary students whom they are targetting for the job. Their rationale being to tie in a prison officer job as being professional. (Appearing on Time after all) Compared in the past whereby this would never have happened.
No idea why this would be made available to external parties not within their targetted group. Probably due to overproduction? shrugs. After all its stated that this promotional cover ad appears on limited copies of Fortune. Otherwise what you mention does hold true.
http://izreloaded.tripod.com/november2005.htm#prisoncareerad
themediaslut wonders why the Singapore Prison Service would put its career ad on the cover of Fortune Asia magazine. She said, “Maybe they are looking at this businessmen to look at a 2nd career as prison’s captain…” Hmmm, I wonder why too.
this is hilarious! Very interesting thoughts. Sometimes, ads try too hard. NOwadays, media placements also try too hard.
hey mediaslut,
“where the readers are mostly top earning businessmen…”
that’s a general perception of the readership of Fortune. If you really know the local market well enough, the readership of Fortune magainze in tertiary schools is increasing. I believe that diploma holders, undergraduates and graduates are their main target groups.
by the way, as mentioned in the disclaimer, there are limited magazines with the above cover wrap. i am sure that the distributional channels are more controlled. Those loose copies sold at Borders and other shops are not attached with the above cover wrap. At least, that’s what i saw the last time i was there.
one last note, just curious how did u manage to get this particular magazine?
:)
Thanks for your feedback Juan.
You could be right Fortune might be very well read by these diploma holders, undergrates and grads.
Unfortunately, we often judge something by its face value and themediaslut always welcome feedback from the parties mentioned to clear the air.
As for the last question themediaslut would have to say, “At the risk of exposing themediaslut?”