Why Paper Is Eternal - Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press ...

They praised the way magazine ads often invite the reader to participate
in deciding what the content means, a process that Zaltman calls “co-creation.”
Television ads can do the same thing, but the consumers’ comments suggested
that with magazines it was easier to feel like a participant. One person said the
best magazine ads “don’t have an obvious connection between the images and
the story and the product.” Another commented, “I project some of my own
feelings onto the ad; that’s very important because I become more a part of it,
it becomes more than just a piece of paper.” In some interviews, the ads were
described as a respite from a chaotic world. One subject said: “Magazine ads
have a sense of order and peace to them and if you can get a snatching of
serenity there or anywhere, you’d better take it.” In the same vein, the color
the subjects most often selected to express their thoughts and feelings about
magazine ads was blue, representing calm and relaxation. 75
The divergent perceptions of the two categories of advertising were
reflected in the “deep metaphors” Olson Zaltman identified in its report:
Magazines Television
Container Movement
Control Lack Control
Resource Imbalance
Connection Lack Connection
Journey Fight or Flight 76
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