Rosenblatt: This ad is very effective. It grabs your attention and portrays a positive lifestyle image. The ad is clean and is not too wordy. The use of color gives the ad a bit of a nostalgic feel; however, when reproduced in black and white, it does lose some of its effectiveness. Especially since this ad is marketing three communities, the Web site address should stand out more.

Stakem: This ad directly confronts the economic challenges facing seniors as they see their retirement portfolios decreasing, and it offers Erickson Communities as the solution.

Pros include one large, eye-catching and recognizable image. The couple is age appropriate and enjoying themselves. One clear message is given and then expanded upon, rather than repeated multiple times. It addresses the economic concerns of today in a positive way and clearly shows how the product is the perfect solution for these concerns.

The treatment of the title is very effective. Although the title (headline) is a bit wordy, the designer has pulled out the two most important lines creating a quicker read "…it’s not how much money you have … it’s how little you worry about it."

Lots of room to breathe in this ad, allowing you to see everything in it quickly and react to it. You don’t have to "look for a way in" as is often the case when ads become too copy heavy. The ad has a nice personal feel to it with the use of the lifestyle photo and the body copy referring to "Bob and Judy."

The small image of the newsletter in the lower right corner should be identified more clearly. Perhaps some form of arrow directing the eye from "Free Guide to Erickson Living."

Also, the Web address at the bottom seems very small. If Web traffic is important, then I would suggest making that more prominent to provide more communication options to this target market. I would also use a unique URL and create a campaign-related landing page to gauge the campaigns results rather than sending the viewer to the home page of the Web site.

Rosenblatt: There is a good reason why this ad is not effective. It is way too direct. Cool it down, folks. A lifestyle image, in my opinion, would be so much better in this ad. If the "cup" is a key selling point of a TENA product, a photo of a football or baseball player would get the same message across without it being so much in your face.

Stakem: This ad reminds the clients why the product exists by relating it back to memories many men have of an earlier time in their lives. In the targeted age group, the memory is reasonably universal, thus effectively connecting emotionally through the memory.

Product shots are kept relatively small, which is good when the product is "needed" as opposed to "wanted" and is not itself a beautiful object.

The play on the word "protection" is a good way to highlight the advantages of using either the cup or the TENA products. A large image and large text at the top begins the ad with a strong impact. Headline, body and caption copy are all sized appropriately for the target audience.

The overall design of the ad is very clean and open. Easy navigation of all information and good use of color help to pull the eye down to the lower right corner highlighting the product packaging and building brand recognition.

The cons: The same wariness the ad is attempting to address would be compounded in many men who find that memory an unpleasant one. The block of copy is a bit long and there are some lines in it that might make men reading it uncomfortable.

I would rework and shorten the body copy to provide valuable information, playing more on the positive assets of the product. And I would avoid copy that creates uncomfortable visual images -- "…one other thing you’ll notice about our cups -- they don’t runneth over." I don't think the target needs to be reminded of that.

Rosenblatt: Wow! Information overload. This ad would be much more effective if the copy was substantially decreased. Testimonials are good; however, four in one ad is overkill. Visually, it is difficult to focus on anything since your eyes are pulled in so many different directions. Clean it up, and you would have a winner!

Stakem: This ad plays off the frustration of suffering hearing loss and the negative effects it can have in your personal life. By showing client accolades and telling the inventor’s own story behind the product, it attempts to bring authenticity to the pitch by personally connecting the problem (hearing loss) with the solution (TV Ears).

The problem is that the ad has so much copy, and most of it is the same size and weight so the reader cannot visually distinguish between messages. With the over abundance of copy in this ad, they better hope the reader doesn’t also have any vision problems.

Pros: The actual device is pictured by itself and in use. Age-appropriate models in the photo appear to be happy with the results. A coupon offering special savings acts as a call to action and also appeals to the children of the parents with hearing problems. The headline "TV Ears saved our marriage!" is a strong emotional message that will resonate with the target audience.

Cons: This ad is selling a new, cutting-edge technological device, but its graphic look is very old school, lacking the visual impact and style that would have reinforced the high-tech, technical device. The device is barely visible in its "cradle" of text, with no white space around it or the key information points of the ad, making the entire ad a single impenetrable wall. Too much copy makes the reader have to hunt for the one selling point that will get them interested in making a purchase.

What I would change: Less text, more image. The less text appearing in the ad, the more important each piece of that information becomes within the context of the ad. Instead of showing the device twice, use the photo of the couple larger at the top of the page with the headline above their heads, creating more correlation between the two.

Cut out some of the quotations. I would have one or two key testimonial and leave it at that, as they each say similar things. Provide a shortened description of the product and its capabilities and development, giving the page more breathing room (white space) for the quotations, price and contact information. Give the entire ad a more modern and clean design.