TOW 14 - Knife Advertisement (WMF)

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Clearly meant for a person with a serious interest in cooking, the ad appeals to chefs who know the importance of a good knife. Playing off of the audience’s assumed knowledge of cutlery, the caption at the bottom is a simple two-sentence phrase without any further explanation. The company, WMF, does not explain the Damasteel blade because it assumes the audience already knows the quality of that blade. In a sense this is an ego boost to those who understand, and it piques interest and curiosity in those who do not. If you know what is special about a Damasteel blade, you feel educated and well informed; if you don’t, you may want to know why this detail is so important. Immediately the simplicity of this ad grabs attention: a single, bright image dead center surrounded by a dull background emphasizes what the company wants you to focus on. Cutting the cutting board was a smart use of hyperbole for the advertisement. While the capability of the knife is clearly over exaggerated, it emphasizes the knife’s quality so much it is almost as if the manufacturer were saying, “Yes. We’re that good.” Going back to the simple caption, the phrase portrays the company as smug and self-confident that their knife is really that remarkable; the advertisement tells the audience not to underestimate the high quality of their product. The simplicity of this advertisement gets the message across and makes it short and to the point; it is this conciseness that makes the ad effective. While the audience can recognize the hyperbole, and some may be offended by it, the confidence of the company is what really sells their product.