This advertisement is in Value Village, and was made by the company. This is in the form of a poster and is put up in the aisle right under the signs saying what aisle it is. A woman is shown in what can be assumed as thrifted clothing. This was created not to sell an item in particular but more as an advert for the company. This advertisement has strong visual factors that make it stand out.
The features that make this image stand out are the use of colour, the lighting, and the woman’s stance. The colours used in this are very monochromatic and in shades of brown, this has a very autumnal feel. The woman is centered in the frame, the background is blurred and this puts all the emphasis on her. She has the light shining onto her and is slightly to the right side while the writing is on the left this makes it very cohesive. Her body language shows that she is confident and she looks like she was laughing when this was taken, it appears to be very natural and effortless.
This image conveys the impression that looking confident and beautiful can be done in the right clothing. “The only style that matters is yours” is an uplifting statement. In the upper left corner the saying “thrift proud” is shown, this is common on Value Village advertisements. Both these texts reiterate to the consumer that they are doing a good thing by thrift shopping. This image is effective at conveying the message that one should feel good about shopping at Value Village and feel confident in their own personal style choices. I believe that this is an effective advertisement and it does make me feel good.
As mentioned above this was found in Value Village. It is at the start of an aisle and underneath the aisle signs this makes it easy to quickly glance down at and it captures attention. The placement of this advertisement is clever as it is in the women’s section and shows a woman wearing nice clothes which acts as inspiration to others that are shopping. While this is a positive advertisement, Value Village is not a stand out company based on ethical reasonings. Commonly referred to as the Walmart of thrift stores, Value Village is actually a for profit thrift seller but appears as a non-profit in its advertising and marketing. Many people believe that they are doing the right thing by donating and hope that the money is going to a good cause. In an article for Non Profit Quarterly author Kevin Johnson asks, “Is Value Village/Savers the Trump Foundation of second-hand stores, saying one thing but doing another, enriching its owners, deceiving the public, and perverting what it means to be a charity under the law?” This does not shed a very good light on Value Village. This is a company with questionable moral ethics although it is still supported by many people as an affordable alternative to fast fashion.