Five Dollar Iron Advertisement Analysis

John D. Freyer the creator of the project “All my life for sale” was able to paint a picture with his words. The picture painted in the reader’s mind is negative at times and positive at others. Freyer’s emotions show through his words, I can picture a passionately opinionated man in my head when I read through his advertisement named “Five Dollar Iron”. The “Five Dollar Iron” advertisement seems to be targeting story teller type reader. Freyer is not trying to sell the Iron itself with the “Five Dollar Iron” advertisement; he is trying to sell the story behind the five dollar Iron which is designed to target a specific niche of readers. On the other hand EBay sellers, who auctioned similar items, are determinately trying to make a sale, the …show more content…
The picture is of a generic white Westinghouse brand Iron shot from one angle. On the contrary Ebay sellers who auctioned similar pre-owned Irons included the iron’s make and model in the advertisement’s title with lots of pictures. For example the Ebay seller Auntiemx5 impartially described the iron being offered for sale in his advertisement by writing “It is a steam iron with a coated plate. There is a chart on it recommending different settings for a variety of fabrics. The cord has that woven wrap on it and has one spot where it is taped with electrical tape. There is a slight fray in another spot. We plugged it in and it heats up.” by Auntiemx5, Ebay seller. The physical description of the shape and condition of the iron show that the author is trying portray a realistic image in the reader’s mind, targeting a customer that is interested in purchasing a functioning Iron. The Ebay seller used well rendered photos of the Iron from different angles to realistically support the Iron’s description. Freyer’s target audience seems to be individuals who are more interested in being a part of the “All my life for sale” project than the nature and condition of the item they are buying. Freyer’s target customers desire to own an item that is a good conversation piece. The lack of physical description of the iron and the focus on the story of how he got it, why he bought …show more content…
The Ebay seller’s specific materialistic description was very appealing to me. The elaborate multi angled pictures that supported the seller’s description of the Iron were on point. Freyer’s advertisement reflected his political opinions; meanwhile it lacked any description of how the iron looks its current condition and any visual rendering of the item being offered for sale. An online shopper is looking for a detailed objective description of the item for sale, without having to read through political opinions in the seller’s description of the item being