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Issued by Picture Works, Ireland |
Issued by Boomerang, Belgium |
FREECARD STORIES NO.11 - Keith Edmondson
Freecards can be found in clubs, restaurants, bars, cinemas and other locations generally frequented by that group of people defined in social terms as ABC1's (the trendy 18-35 age group). The cards are free to take to the patrons of the establishment. They usually contain discreet advertising slogans but have attractive or ingenious images and are produced on good quality card stock with a postcard back. One of the marketing concepts of freecards is that the cards are so attractive people want to pick them up, save them, show them, or post them, to a friend and say "have you seen this".
This occasional series details some of the interesting snippets associated with freecards.
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We have all done it - sifted through our cards and said it "I've seen that picture before". Discounting the obvious duplication created by the same product being advertised on the cards of different publishers freecards are no different to any other postcards. The same images get used in different product adverts, possibly its the same advertising agency, perhaps its a library image that seemed applicable to the campaign.
How about a middle age couple sat in deckchairs, sunbathing in what appears to be blazing heat. She is wearing a blouse, fastened cardigan and a short coat, he is wearing a brown suit, with waistcoat, pullover (and trainers ?).
Advert No. 1 for Ripples Crisps with the caption "Baywatch without the Ripples" published by Picture Works in Ireland.
Advert No. 2 for Pictionary - the card game. Published by Boomerang Belgium. Caption in French and not something I am going to make an effort at translating.
The images have been reversed on the two cards but just how the same picture came to be used in advertising two entirely different products is a story waiting to be told.
Everybody else on the beach is fully clothed, not a swimming suit to be seen anywhere and amazingly no young children. It looks as though the photograph could have been taken on any beach in Europe in the 1950's but in reality I suspect it is somewhere in Russia and far more recent. Who else would wear more clothes to the beach than they would walking down the street ?
In fairness to both advertisers (and publishers) each of the cards come from a series for the same advertisers in which use has been made of "odd" images to give the cards maximum impact.
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Issued by Picture Works, Ireland |
Issued by Boomerang, Belgium |
If you are interested in freecards why not drop me an e-mail -
kedmo.ticket@zoom.co.ukother freecard pages in this series
