When "Madison Avenue" Writes... Without Writing

They are selling the idea of an experience through pictures, this type of selling works best for (in my uneducated opinion) well known brands almost everyone knows. Like big banks, credit card companies (diners club, American Express etc.) and Cars, also different kinds of watches like Rolex, Swatch and others. This is also to direct marketing, the advertiser is not trying to get a direct response from the viewer/reader, it is trying to affect the potential consumer when they actually want to buy a new car, open new accounts or get another watch.

Imagine a successful business man reading Forbes and see's an ad for Rolex, it is a nice huge full page picture ad with maybe just one sentence. That picture represents something to the businessman. Luxury, quality and exclusivity, shown in picture format. When he goes out to buy a new watch he is more likely to buy the exclusive, premium priced luxury watch than pick up a random watch at wall mart from an unknown manufacturer.

Thats the difference between a direct marketing ad and a mass advertising ad created only to affect the consumers buying decision later on.

- Felix

*Edit
I personally do not know the above brands and have no clue what they are for. Guess I am not in their target market and a second reason might be because I do not live in the states.

OK I get the dog/swimsuit top ad.

But the street bowling one? I guess it's fashion. Hard to read the branding. Doesn't work for me.

The "bowling pins" are the stacks of a smog-belching oil refinery.