Advertising to the global marketplace poses several unique challenges, as compared to domestic advertising. A global company like Honda, Pepsico, or Unilever has to decide whether to use a standardized advertising campaign globally (simply translating the original ad or making other superficial changes), or adapting their campaign to different markets worldwide. If adaptation, the amount of adaptation needs to be decided. For example, should Honda have a pan-European advertising campaign for a new subcompact? 20 different campaigns for 20 different countries? Maybe a two campaign strategy is best: one for northern Europe and one for Southern.

On top of this, decisions on creative strategy must be made, and this decision will be culturally-bound. A humorous U.S. ad may not work at all in the U.K. or Australia due to differences in sense of humor. Ads that North Americans would find overly suggestive or otherwise offensive might be viewed as just fine in France or Italy. By contrast, an innocent ad campaign showing a couple sharing a bathroom mirror would be unacceptable in Japan or Saudi Arabia. Even cultural differences within a country may need to be considered: French Canadian ads are usually not just dubbed versions of the English Canadian ad, but are created specifically for the French-speaking market.

Your assignment this week is to find at least one print or online ad (two or three would be nice) used in a foreign market, that is very different or unusual compared to typical U.S. advertising. Present clearly why you think it would, or would not, work in the United States market. Comment on the creative strategy used and how it compares to U.S. advertising. Consider cultural similarities or differences in your discussion. Submit the ad(s) along with your writeup.