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brand parity means that two competing brands have a product that is very similar, if not the same. In order to get around this, advertisers need to sell more than the product; they need to sell an image. By doing this, advertisers get people to buy not only their product, but also the lifestyle that it represents.
The recent gap advertisements illustrate this concept very well. Check out the latest khakis ads which, according to Gap, "reinvent khakis with action and attitude." The "Khakis Swing" spot was featured as one of Adweek's best spots of April '98. The publication said about the spot, "the energy is electric and it's hard not to watch the dancers swing to the music...Care to dance?" By featuring a bunch of young, good looking, energetic hipsters, Gap is associating their khakis with energy and trendiness. Essentially, Gap is saying "buy khakis and you'll swing too." Pepsi uses a similar tactic with its generation next campaign. The campaign is an updated version of the Pepsi Generation campaign, "one of the most high-powered and effective advertising campaigns in recent television history," (Moog. 15). It targets members of the post-baby boom generation. The ads for Pepsi's pop culture contest feature trendy young party goers clad in vinyl and lepoard print clothing dancing and playing pool. Other ads in the generation next campaign feature celebrities like the Spice Girls. The loud, hip, pleasure-seeking attitude conveyed by the ads tells viewers that by drinking Pepsi, they too can be young and have fun.
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