The Ad is a Fraud

Eagle-eye Ronni Bennett unmasked this ad for a wrinkle cream:

Advertising and Elders
… In addition to being repellent for its message, the ad is a fraud. At first glance, it looks like the lighting is harsher in the “before” photo and the “after” photo has been shot in soft focus. Look again and you can see they are the same photograph; the "after" image has been Photoshopped:

It reminded me of this post and my unmasking:

Guess Which Photo Was Retouched

I received this email message today from Amy Dresser: The photo of the older looking woman is the original.

I apologize for the error.  Chuck: Thank you for doing the digging I should have done before publishing the post after reading those blogs.

Ronni and her readers make astute points about advertising – many I’ve written and spoke about in my book, blog, and presentations:

“While we're at it, what about the advertising?! I don't mind that I get targeted for anti-wrinkle cream and various health care devices as much as I mind how bad the ads are: boring and uninventive.” - Mary Jamison

On The Advertising Educational Foundation web site you can read a chapter from my book all about ‘boring and uninventive’ commercials:

Advertising to Baby Boomers (Classroom Resources)

But the greater disservice, I think, is that old people are missing from other kinds of ads and commercials. Do advertisers think we don't buy pet food, cleaning products, breakfast cereal, cell phones, cars, airline tickets? And you'd think elders would be the obvious target for those Dr. Scholl's gel inserts for shoes. – Ronni

Sounds like my book.  An excerpt:

An interview I did two years ago on Ronni’s blog:

On Advertising and Elders