Nikon Hotel Ad

I'm sure almost all of us are familiar with the concept of the haunted old hotel, with the ghosts, who some people claim to have "proof" of on film. Of course, many of these reports turn out to be falsified or disproved by modern science. Yet here, Nikon plays with this idea of the ghost caught on camera while advertising their new Nikon S60, which they claim in small print in the above ad can "detect up to 12 faces".

The first thing that stood out to me was the use of drab colors within this ad. This serves to bring the attention to the somewhat brighter color of the camera and the Nikon logo. This is enhanced by the fact that everything outside the camera is a bit blurred and out of focus, while everything within the range of the photograph being taken is crystal clear and defined. This seems to hint that with Nikon everything becomes much clearer.

This concept of clarity is supported by the use of the phantoms within the photo. As I have said before, claims of ghosts caught on camera have been dismissed by scientists, mainly because the quality of these alleged photographs have been so poor that it would have been hard to discern where the picture was taken, let alone what was in them. This is not the case within this ad. Through the camera, we see quite easily where each of these voyeurs and intruders have taken up residence. Nothing is hidden from us, all is exposed, in a way that real life doesn't normally allow.

This ad seems to use the appeal of wit and humor to attract their audience. It appears to be both funny and creepy the way each of the ghosts are facing the camera, yet the only "real" individual in the photo seems oblivious to them all. This, along with the promotion of the feature of being able to detect multiple faces, reinforces the idea that with Nikon, you will be able to see the world around you better than if you were to go without the camera. It also appeals to the need for curiosity, as we wonder what ghosts have to do with promoting a camera brand.

Overall, I find this ad effective as it does capture the audience's attention long enough to impress upon them Nikon's brand and product. However, it does somewhat inspire a sense of both hilarity and fear as you wonder what else can be hidden from us in this world.