Ad by Banana Republic

This ad by Banana Republic was distributed by the Harper’s Bazaar October 2010 issue. You can find the Banana Republic clothing line online or in their stores. This particular ad is free and happy, with a light attitude. The model in the photograph looks happy and carefree; the caption says “Exceed expectations.” This caption can be interpreted in several different ways: exceed the trend setter’s expectations and have your own style, exceed your peer’s expectations by having great style from Banana Republic. The caption under the Banana Republic brand name says “Life at work.” This can also be interpreted in different ways. Some people may think that their life at work is separate than the rest of their life, which should be true for most people. In this case, their “Life at work” can be happy and possess a lightweight attitude as they “exceed expectations.” The clothes and style that Banana Republic provides can help someone to exceed the expectations in their work life by bringing such a positive attitude to the work environment. The words in this ad are small enough that some readers may just pass by the ad not realizing what the caption means to them. The words are not intruding, but when noticed, they play into today’s laid back lifestyle, allowing the reader, hopefully turned consumer, to buy this state of mind and accomplish more than they thought possible. The readers’ eyes are drawn to the model in the picture first because she is jumping in the air and looks happy. Maybe she is the one who is setting the trend for the rest of us to “exceed expectations.”