Wild refillable deodorant is an eco-friendly company based in the UK, although they sell other products the ad I ran into advertised their refillable deodorant products. Johnson Banks controls Wild’s advertisement department where they focus their attention on still-based advertisements that control brand identity and campaigns. The advertisement is seen as an overhead view of a forest, where three enlarged deodorant products are laying.
From the left to the right of the ad, there is a green forest covering the entirety of the image, on the top right and bottom left there are Wild deodorants along with the center of the image. The main subject of the ad is deodorant, it is a green product that matches the background of the trees where a walking trail cuts through. It is set in the daytime and the image is clear with a twist of abstract due to the enlarged products in a natural setting.
The photo appeals to the target audience by implementing nature into their ads, the message is effective in reaching their target audience. The company does this by making its ad clean and personable. The first effect it had on me was common interest, the company aims to protect nature and it makes me believe that by consuming their products I can make a difference. The brand is heavily popular in the UK and ships to Canada and America as well, their presence online is overwhelmingly positive except for a few resources that stated Wild had a misleading ad. The ASA revoked the ad due to misleading consumers into believing that other products would make them itchy and uncomfortable, they could not make this claim because they needed scientific proof to back it up. Other product consumers like The Sun said that their journey with Wild deodorants was incredibly positive and easy, the packaging showed to be sustainable and eco-friendly, the deodorants were easy to manage. Continuing these claims, another writer appreciated their wide variety of choices for coloring and scents. They were durable and you could travel with them and have confidence they would not break, one negative subject touched on was the pricing. Because Wild is a monthly prescription negative reviews wanted pricing to be lower to be more affordable. The last source loved the idea of refillable products as it keeps responsibility for the product and the planet, they continue to come out with more scents that widen their range of buyers and understand the market for eco-friendly products. Not only that, but they also appreciated the chemicals they use to make the deodorants such as essential oils and parabens.
Consumer critique and boycotts are not an issue for this company, the company’s presence online continues to stay positive, and buyers are coming back for their subscriptions every month. Their ingredient list shows natural and unharmful chemicals, so consumers feel confident in what they are buying. Wild has not had a misleading ad since the incident and continues to build sales, their advertising team understands the reasoning behind consumers’ wants and appears to those suggestions. In conclusion, Wild is a sustainable and reliable company that helps protect the planet while also making and distributing ethical products.
Staff, MBman. 2022. “Wild Deodorant for Him Review: Is It Effective as It Claims? – MBman.” MBman. December 21, 2022. https://www.mbman.uk/wild-deodorant-for-him-men-review.
Francis, Kate. 2023. “Wild Cosmetics, Wildly Misleading Ad | Marketinglaw.” Marketinglaw. June 22, 2023. https://marketinglaw.osborneclarke.com/advertising-regulation/wild-cosmetics-wildly-misleading-ad/.
Harrison-West, Emmie, and Isabel Deibe. 2023. “Wild Deodorant Review: Does Wild Deodorant Work, and Is It Worth It?…” The Sun, July 25, 2023. https://www.thesun.co.uk/shopping/product-reviews/15280935/wild-natural-deodorant-review.
Delphine. 2023. “Review for Wild – the World’s First 100% Compostable and Biodegradable Refill Deodorant -.” September 23, 2023. https://www.theenergyhealingmagazine.com/review-product/review-for-wild-the-worlds-first-100-compostable-and-biodegradable-refill-deodorant/.
Kalina Currie
This analysis of the brand Wild and its greenwashing practices regarding refillable deodorant is done reasonably well. One of the main points made was that Wilds deodorant is popular and well-reviewed in the media, except for a few reviews and mishaps. One of their advertisements was misleading and lying about the effects of another brand’s product, as well as complaints about it being on the pricier side for deodorants. Another point touched on was that the chemicals used within this deodorant were unharmful, that the brand is reliable and eco-friendly, and, after their mishaps, it has not released any misleading ads since. The ability to take the ad and use the techniques for analysis we learned to evaluate it and give an opinion on it was successfully done through the ad’s description in the second paragraph. However, I found some parts of this analysis hard to follow or needed to be improved. First, the target audience this product sells to needs to be better explained. The target audience would most likely be anyone conscious of the environment and looking for an alternative to regular deodorants. Along with this, the use of scholarly sources could have been better. From what I saw of the sources, there was only one trustworthy source.