"Hello, Bombshell!"

Victoria's Secret has something to say to all women out there, "Hello Bombshell!" The new ad shows Victoria's Secret "bombshell" models working it like the runway just wearing itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie-not-just-yellow-or-poka-dot-b....bras! The secret to their confidence...yes two sizes up. The new miraculous push-up bra instantly increases two cup sizes. Want the attention? Victoria's Secret says get 'em! So, wanna be the bombshell?

Makeup for Men

The era has changed from women being the only ones to wear makeup to now both men and women are wearing cosmetics. Time's magazine reports that men spent about $217 million on male skin care products from $40.9 million in 1997. This is a huge in increase for males to spend on beauty products such as aftershave, eye gels, and wrinkle erasers. One man reported that he felt confident with makeup and could relate to the similar feelings women feel of confidence and self-conscious. Will this last long or will it just fade out?

Article can be found at http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2025576,00.html

The Whole Picture

I found this ad today off of one of my new favorite websites:

I love this, it is beautiful and attention grabbing. In other words, this is an effective ad. I have been flipping through many, many beautiful print ads similar to this one at this website:

http://adsoftheworld.com/

You can sift through different categories of ads from all over the world. I love to look at the categories as wholes first and then individual pictures. It is fascinating to see that from all over the world ads from the same industry use similar tones and graphics to have a certain idea portrayed. Most public interest ads, like this one, have grayer, deeper tones to convey a serious tone about their ads. The confectionary and foods industry uses lighter and brighter tones for their ads to convey happier tones with their products, relating their food and with fun. The office supply industry uses simple color schemes with detailed images or patterns to attract costumers to their products (a personal favorite from this category is for pilot pens: http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/pilot_extrafine_legoman_tattoo_arms). It makes me wonder how these patterns where created, who discovered a certain color scheme or pattern would effect the viewer in a certain way. Why are simple color schemes with lots of detail more effective for selling office supplies as opposed to public interest ideas or food?

Beautiful Colour

I searched for this video after Professor Eddy mentioned it in class Thursday. I was mesmerized by the beautiful colors of the bouncy balls and how they all looked so uniform together. The music in the background is soothing and I immediately am in a trance. The many different angles of shooting the bouncy balls are amazing—I can tell a lot of time and effort behind the creation of this advertisement.

This is a commercial from the same company, Sony Bravia, that Shilpa posted with the clown and paint explosions. I can tell that this company takes pride in their vivid color TVs and chooses to make detailed and colorful commercials that will make people feel good about their TV choice. Can you imagine seeing millions of bouncy balls bouncing down hills in your town?

Interesting Ads

At first, I didn't understand what this ad was for, but after seeing the reading "real big burgers" on the bottom of the ad, I found this ad to be quite funny. It's creative, but I feel like the ad is not doing such a good job promoting its burgers because their logo is not very visible. But, it's a funny ad with no sexual content.

I'm not sure if this ad is for anti smoking or to save the environment, but I feel like it makes a strong statement. I think it's for anti smoking because the picture looks like two lungs. It's nice to see an ad that promotes a good cause.

There's some really creative ads on this site. Everyone should visit it.

Courtesy of http://adsoftheword.com/

America's Obsession with Wedding Diets

When my mom got married centuries ago (haha), she wasn't concerned about dieting or looking super fit. Sure, she is slim to begin with, but her wedding was simple, small, and didn't demand money and time the way many of today's weddings do.

It seems like there is increasing pressure in America (and perhaps in other developed countries) to look super skinny and impossibly impeccable on your wedding day. There are TV shows, such as "Say Yes to the Dress" that are devoted to just finding the perfect wedding dress. Celebrities get even more coverage on tabloids for their wedding diets and exclusive pictures of their wedding day with details on how they fit into their dress. The thing is, most of those celebrities were already thin to begin with, and they want to look even more "perfect". So the rest of us American women, big or small, begin to feel pressure to diet our way to death (I know that's extreme, but it can happen) just to look good on that special day.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel fit and have nice hair on your wedding day. I would like that, and I'm sure many others do. But so much of this issue is emphasized for women and not for men. Do you see tabloids covering how Mike Comrie (recently married Hilary Duff's husband) lost weight for the wedding? No, it was all about Hilary and her diet.

As a society, we are hitting new lows. Apparently, there is a show in the works on E! Television called "Bridalplasty", in which women compete to win a plastic surgery method of their choice for their wedding day. I think I just threw up in my mouth. Who in their right mind would sign up for this??? I ask myself, naively. Oh wait, probably 80% of American women. We are that screwed up in our perceptions of ourselves in America. And it needs to stop.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/celebritology/2010/09/bridalplasty_when_reality_tv_h.html

Dieting products are now barking at us to buy their products as a weight-loss option for weddings. This Slim Fast ad is SO revolting. It emphasizes the woman as overweight and not the man and it adds to the message that we all need to lose weight for our wedding to look "perfect". It's not even a healthy form of dieting either. It seems like the company just threw together a bunch of unhealthy additives and random kitchen essentials (canola oil!?!?) and called it a shake. This ad encourages not only excessive dieting, but an unhealthy form of dieting as well.

My grandma drinks that stuff and I looked at the ingredients (from their own website):

FAT FREE MILK, WATER, SUGAR, COCOA POWDER (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), CANOLA OIL, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, FRUCTOSE, GUM ARABIC, CELLULOSE GEL, HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, MALTODEXTRIN, SOY LECITHIN, CELLULOSE GUM, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CARRAGEENAN, SODIUM BICARBONATE, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, SUCRALOSE AND ACESULFAME POTASSIUM (NONNUTRITIVE SWEETENERS), SODIUM CITRATE, CITRIC ACID. VITAMINS AND MINERALS: MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ASCORBATE, VITAMIN E ACETATE, ZINC GLUCONATE, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, NIACINAMIDE, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, RIBOFLAVIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, FOLIC ACID, CHROMIUM CHLORIDE, BIOTIN, SODIUM MOLYBDATE, POTASSIUM IODIDE, PHYLLOQUINONE (VITAMIN K1), SODIUM SELENITE, CYANOCOBALAMIN (VITAMIN B12) AND CHOLECALCIFEROL (VITAMIN D3). SWEETENED WITH NUTRITIVE SWEETENERS AND NONNUTRITIVE SWEETENERS. CONTAINS MILK AND SOY.The Aware Consum

The only way to end this system? Don't buy the products and don't buy the tabloids. These days, much of our power comes from keeping our wallets IN our bags.

Putting Art in an Ad

Similar to the Walt Whitman commercial, this ad combines art with the selling of the product. I liked this ad at first, because it looked like it was part of a film project. I also looked into the background of this commercial, and it turns out that the explosions of the paint is real, and apparently, environmentally friendly. The cheeky clown cameo also makes this ad more enjoyable to watch, as you find out it is him who is involved with the paint explosions, which reminded me of a circus show, but this time, the clown is performing his craziest but grandest act. For me, it was definitely entertaining to watch. That is until, of course, when the "Sony Brazia TV" logo came at the end, which caused to me to question whether this commercial should still be considered "art".

Nevertheless, it's a creative commercial. I wonder how long it took them to clean up that paint.

Video courtesy of: youtube.com (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GURvHJNmGrc)

What's really in your food? Go to this event and find out!

Sugar, Food and Fair Trade Ethics, Friday, October 29, 12:15-1 p.m., CC 102

Are you concerned about where your food comes from and the conditions under which it is grown? Bring your lunch and join us for a panel discussion about the moral dilemmas inherent in our consumption of sugar and other food staples. Participants can head to the Museum afterwards for a tour of the exhibit "Sugar." Jennifer Walters will moderate a panel discussion with Lisa Armstrong, Al Mosley, Josh Carreiro and Leila Tamari '11. Audience questions are welcome. This event is open to the public and sponsored by the Smith College Museum of Art and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life

Walt Whitman's voice

It's a dark ad--it's using images of post-Katrina New Orleans, and images that make us think of the bank failures, to sell us something.  And generally the message of the ad is something like "we're Americans, we've been through worse and we'll rise about this," which is usually a message that makes me bristle (do we really think there's something particularly American about persevering through adversity?).  But here, I don't mind so much: I love the artistry of this ad, and the idea that that creaky old recording is Whitman's--WALT WHITMAN, the father of American poetry--just takes my breath away.  This is exactly the situation where we have to be careful as consumers, though.  I am at the very center of their target demographic for this ad; it works on me.

There's a good essay by ad critic Seth Stevenson about this ad, arguing that as a centuries-old U.S.-based company, Levi's has a right to use the concept of America in a way that other companies don't:  http://www.slate.com/id/2233597/

Just For Men

Ok so two little girls give their single father a hair dying kit because he'd be a nice catch (for the ladies)? What?! This commercial boggled me and I wonder if anyone chose to buy this product after they saw this. I'm not sure what kid that age would even understand that they want their dad to date or that men are sometimes self-conscious about grey hair. Almost all our commercials have shown the pressures that women face from advertising, but here's one that men face.

What do you think? Is it cute, or just strange?

old advertisement, same message

I received an email from my uncle and it was headed as advertisements we'll never see again. And while these ads/pictures seem old fashioned, the underlying message that degrades women is still current. It's the 21st century and women STILL aren't treated as equals. WHAT GIVES!

Framed

This advertisement for Nikon shocked me not only because of the camera's large viewing screen but mainly due to the two half-naked women seductively posing on the bed. Camera companies are now also bringing more sex-appeal into their advertising which has proved successful for many other companies. Aside from the picture about to be snapped are many other 'framed' faces. I did not realize all the smaller boxes within the picture (much smaller than the boxes on the ladies' faces) until I looked at the curtain and noticed a 'framed' face! This is a clever way to advertise that this Nikon model can detect many faces in a picture versus an older camera model that is not so complex. I wonder what Nikon's alternative advertisement would have been had this one not worked...

What Advertisers do to Sell Food

When I first saw this ad, it was hard to believe that the marketers were trying to sell icecream; but this is an icecream ad. Obviously, this ad is targeted to adults, but I feel like, children would be exposed to these types of advertisements as well. Also, I feel like advertising this way is not right. It would probably offend a lot of people who are religious. There should be limits to what marketers can use on advertising for their products.

Picture from google.

We have come a long way from the sexist ads of old, right? Schick Quattro has the solution to make women happy. All we need is clean vaginas. Today's advertisements are very different from the ads like the "keep her where she belongs.." but still the essence of women exploitation is the same.

Fruit Vending Machines...

There are currently fruit vending machines being sold to school that dispenses bananas, cantaloupe, pineapple and many other fruit/healthy snacks. The cost of a fruit vending machine is over $5,000 dollars while a typical snack vending machine cost $3,000 dollars. The higher cost for snack machines can be explained by an increase in changing the food products and the design on the machine. The machine is designed with two compartments which the top half is kept at 37 degrees for bananas and the bottom half is kept at 57 degrees for other fruit snacks. This sounds like a lot of thinking went into the design of the machine to meet the consumer's needs of wanting to replace the snack machines with more healthier foods. However, the replacement of a fruit machine to a snack machine does not necessary translate to eating healthier because the fruit snacks are priced at $2.50 while a bag of m&ms is 90 cents. More people will decide to buy the junk food because of the cost and their own desire for junk food.

Article from Wall Street Journal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303550904575562480804057778.html?KEYWORDS=The+great+banana+challenge

Gucci Guilty

A couple of nights ago I was watching my favorite TV show and I saw this commercial about the new perfume by Gucci called "guilty pleasure". The commercial on TV was a little bit shorter than this version, but I was surprised again, how something so simple like a perfume is being marketed as "sexy". It is obvious that the couple is having sex. Also, all the posters are very similar, a sexy naked couple. What are the marketers trying to sell? an experience? a feeling? or a perfume?

By www.adsoftheworld.com

SWAGGER WAGON

Toyota's ad is hilarious! The Sienna family raps to us why they love their swagger wagon. It says, "Watch as the Sienna Family drops their hot new single, Swagger Wagon. This goes out to all you minivan families out there who get a Sienna SE for space but fill it with your family's swagger." All the comments below the video were positive. I guess this music video works! (I'm getting addicted to the song myself!)

Oh and if you want to sing along...

[INTRO MOM AND DAD]

Yeah

This one goes out to all you minivan families out there.
Sienna SE...in the house.
Where my mother/fathers at?
Where my kids at?

Where my kids at?
Where my kids at?
Where my kids at?
Where my kids at?
Where my kids at?

No, seriously honeywhere are the kids?
They're right there, see?
Oh, cool beans.

[VERSE DAD]
I roll hard through the streets and the cul-de-sacs,
Proud parent of an honor roll student, Jack.
I got a swing in the front, a tree house in the back,
My #1 Dad mug says, Yeah, Im the Mack.

[VERSE MOM]
I'm the world's best nurse when my kids get sick,
I make a mean gel-mold, I perfected my tricks,
Back when I used to party as a college chick.
Now I'm cruising to their playdates lookin' all slick...

[CHROUS]
In my Swagger Wagon,
Yeah, the Swagger Wagon,
It's the Swagger Wagon,
I got the pride in my ride.
In my Swagger Wagon,
Yeah, the Swagger Wagon,
It's the Swagger Wagon.

[VERSE DAD]

Check it...

I love hangin' with my daughter sippin' tea, keep my pinky up,
All the drawings on my fridge sport an A+.
I'm an awesome parent, (Right!) and it's apparent, (True!)
And in this house there's no mother/father swearin'.

[VERSE MOM]
Straight owning bake sales with my cupcake skills,
I'm better with the money, so I handle the bills,
And I always buy in bulk, ain't afraid of no spills.
Every Mother's Day proves...I'm kind of a big deal.

Daughter: Mommy, I need to go potty.

Bring the beat back, 'cause, yo, I got more to say,
You know I'm always front and center at the school play.
I kiss their boo-boos, clean doggie doo-doos,
Cut the crust off of PB&Js, chill the Yoo-hoos.

[VERSE DAD]

Singin' "Farmer in the Dell" in perfect harmony,
When I'm rollin' with my posse in the HOV.
We rock the SE, not an SUV,
And it's true, if I were you, I'd be jealous of me...

[CHORUS]

[Courtesy of Youtube]

The GQ Glee Issue

I don't know if you've heard yet, but there is a lot of internet controversy on the new GQ issue featuring a few stars from the latest hit show, "Glee". Some account that it's no big deal-how is the sexualization of this cover and photo shoot different from any other magazine or celebrity? However, the Parents Television Council released a statement saying that the spread is "borderline pedophilia". See the link below:

link http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/news/release/2010/1020.asp

I read a lot of comments on blogs and many of them said "what's the big deal?" However, if you think of the context, it is inappropriate. The stars may be in their 20's, but they play high schoolers. Many middle and high schools watch this show, and perhaps younger kids. It is reminiscent of High School Musical, even if the themes are more mature. Dianna Argon, the blonde girl on the cover, wrote in her blog that parents shouldn't be letting this magazine getting into the kids' hands. However, we can't put the blame entirely on the parents. Kids can still access this magazine if they are out shopping with friends or are on the computer in the wee hours of the morning unbeknownst to the parents. It's like saying the media can do whatever they want and the parents have to do everything to take care of their children. Shouldn't there be some moderation of this very suggestive material?

Even if this photo spread isn't much different from the Miley Cyrus's of the world, it still adds to the hugh pile of sexist and degrading depictions of women. The male is fully clothed and receives pleasure from the typically underdressed women crawling all over him. Yes it is a men's magazine. But how many more times are us women going to be depicted inaccurately this way?

Photos courtesy of: dailymail.co.uk, usmagazine.com, ifc.com

Finally!  A positive use for marketing!  The USDA is using marketing to "trick" children into choosing the healthy options when they go to the school cafeteria.  Some of their tricks:

"...hiding chocolate milk behind plain milk, putting the salad bar near checkout, placing fruit in pretty baskets and accepting only cash as payment for desserts."

 This seems like a great idea to me, but maybe even better would be to make sure that all the food served is healthy and appealing.  Northampton's Bridge Street School is taking a step in that direction with "Fresh Wednesdays," when they serve only freshly-made locally-produced food.  Here's a photo of one of their offerings:

Sources:  http://consumerist.com/2010/10/dept-of-agriculture-wants-to-trick-kids-into-eating-better.html and
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?cropsuccess&id=1130409334#!/BSSPTO

"Mystify, Amaze, and Confuse Your Friends!"

Video Credit: Youtube

According to this ad, the “amazing” Fushigi ball can be used by anyone. The spokesman approaches a multitude of people and ultimately draws them all to the “the magic gravity ball.” The ad has so much potential to appeal to a large audience—it is complete with cute little kids, examples of cleverly-named tricks, and a guy who enthusiastically exclaims, “It’s sick it’s so much fun I love it!” However, this commercial seems like a hilarious parody of itself. I enjoy watching the ad for its goofy acting and commentary, and not because I actually want to buy Fushigi.

Gaining Weight Used to be "in"

There was a time when full and curvy figures were celebrated by the media. Products were made to help GAIN weight. Notice how one ad says "If you want to be popular, you can't afford to be skinny". How times have changed.

Today, its all about losing a ridiculous amount of our weight to look "naturally" skinny, in the least amount of time. With the help of drug supplements.

Society's views have really reversed in the past couple of decades. I thought it was interesting to note this because we tend to live by society's morals, and in the case of today, women should be lean and skinny, but when I look at this idea in perspective, who is to decide how thin I have to be? It seems ridiculous to say to myself that if it were the 1950s, its "ok" for me to be full-figured, but its "wrong" today. No matter what era it is, we'll never win. These ads made me realize that sometimes we have to take a daring step back and judge the society we live in, and be careful in whose morals we should choose to abide by.

Photos courtesy of: http://calorielab.com/news/2008/05/07/retro-french-weight-loss-methods/, http://jezebel.com/5399752/if-you-want-to-be-popular-you-cant-afford-to-be-skinny

PETA's Controversial Ad #786,467

Edit: (I don't know why the writing below is underlined-it wouldn't work before)

PETA is known for their very controversial advertising: not much time passes before we hear about another advertising campaign of theirs that ruffles some feathers. This one, released maybe over a year ago, emphasized vegetarian as a weight-loss diet. Instead of simply enforcing the idea of vegetarianism as a way to support animal rights, it stoops low to be like any other diet advertisement. It also represents the typical goal of many Americans: to lose weight for bikini season. But more than this, this ad is just plain offensive to overweight people. Sure, America has an obesity epidemic, but that doesn't mean we should shame people into going on diets. It seems like we have lost a lot of respect for others and this is shown in our degrading and senseless advertising. I read on the Huffington Post that they pulled this ad after lots of outcry. I'm glad.

Photo from: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/.a/6a00d83451c3cb69e20120a4ffb33a970b-pi

"Scandal isn't what it used to be"

While reading The Week, I came across an article that I found particularly interesting. It was about how people who commit major scandals aren’t disappearing under rocks or crawling into like they used to.

The author of this article, Laura Kipnis wrote, “A community ratifies its moral standards by publicly humiliating and shunning social transgressors.” But how can we shun them when they won’t go away? Kipnis later wrote about the New York governor who was the center of a prostitution scandal a few years ago is now a talk-show host on CNN. “With no universal standard of immorality, we no longer put sinners in the stocks.”

This article speaks to just about every single big named company. It’s as if society accepts the social and moral wrong-doings. For example, take Calvin Klein, most known for its questionable ads that feature grossly thin teenagers and advocate sexual promiscuity. Regardless of the product or the brand name, today’s American culture has an unnatural tolerance for tasteless advertisements.

"Will It Blend?"

Will it blend? That's the question the ad asks the consumers and they prove it by blending an ipad... yes that's right, an ipad! This ad by Blendtec has a series of "Will it blend" commercials starting from ipads to iphones. I personally thought this ad was hilarious. Tom Dickson diligently makes ipad/iphone smoothies for us and shows viewers that his blenders are "powerful and professional." After seeing this commercial myself (although it seems stupid), I think I would buy Blendtec's product (if I ever need a blender). People it blends an ipad!

Advertiser vs Consumer Video

This is a video that showcases the relationship between an advertiser and a consumer. I found this video to be funny from the advertiser's response to the consumer's questions of what happened to their love. Are marketers only concerned about their advertisement and accomplishing their financial goals rather than whats in the interest of the consumer? The consumer is portrayed as someone who is needy and wants to be loved back yet the advertiser is cold and only showcases his love through ads. Also, doesn't the video contradicts itself when it displays an ad at the end for www.bringtheloveback.com?

Video courtesy of youtube.

Clarify, please

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDVB4881c2I

This is a commercial that makes me question what I am watching. It's not until the end of the advertisement that I realize I'm watching a commercial for Reebok EasyTone sneakers. Yet again companies are marking a sexy image to keep up with other brands and their marketing. I was a little confused to see a half-naked woman in bed wearing sneakers. This ad also claims that you will get a better butt from buying the sneakers and wearing them on a regular basis. From the looks of the commercial, you could enhance your legs by having sex...maybe having the sneakers on would even be better.

Commercials

This is a Spanish commercial about Alzheimer. I tried to find an English version, but it was impossible. Anyways, This commercial is about a lady who's asking people like if she was their friends: how are you doing? don't you remember me? Since when are you living in Madrid? and how's the family? She asks all these questions to unknown people on the streets and they get freaked out or confused. Before she leaves, she gives them a business card saying " That's how if feels to have Alzheimer"

In this blog we criticize commercials and consumerism. However, sometimes we forget that there are commercials like this one that are so emotional that they change the way people see the world, and they can move people to do good stuff.

Also, I wanted to remark that in Europe there are policies that regulate commercials on TV; as a result, they don't have as many commercials as we do. In fact, they hate so much commercials that even the most watched TV shows could lose their ratings if they show a lot of commercials!

So... if Europeans don't like commercials, they don't get commercials on their TV shows, why do Americans get so many commercials? Do they enjoy them or it's just part of the system?

Does it help Smith?

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/emails/catalog/downloads/FALL_2010.pdf

This is a link to Urban Outfitters fall catalogue. All the photos were taken on the Smith College campus and around Northampton.

so you have to wonder is this photo shoot not only advertising Urban Outfitter' clothes, but also the town of Northampton and our school. I've heard that some people don't like that the photos are shot here on campus, but to me it seems like an advertisement for the school. As long as publicity isn't negative, it probably helps the image of smith. However if a store like Hollister or Abercrombie & Fitch advertised with photos at Smith, I think I would have a different opinion. That's my brand preference I suppose, even though I don't shop at these stores, I find one more appealing.

What do you all think? Do you think these advertisements using Smith's campus help or harm's Smith's image?

Inside Ralph Lauren

Couple weeks ago, we talked about how store environment can be a factor in persuading people to buy the products in the stores. There is this article that was written about the new Ralph Lauren Store in NY. When I saw the first picture, I thought this was some kind of a house. It's amazing how much a person is willing to invest in the store's appearance. I'm guessing customers from high social class want to shop at a store that has a distinct taste. One of the pictures above makes me think how nice it would be to have all the furnitures and products shown in the picture. If a customer has the money, he/she will purchases these products.

Pictures from http://www.vogue.com/vogue-daily/article/ralph-lauren-madison-avenue-store/

When Coke and Violent Video Games Collide

This Coca Cola advertisement features the ever so popular Grand Theft Auto video game. Grand Theft Auto is one of the most violent and graphic video games produced, which portrays violence and stealing in a casual manner (players can steal cars and randomly shoot people on the street). Targeted towards the male population, there have been cases where teenage boys reflected this behavior of violence.

Putting the violent video game aside, the sugary Coca Cola soda is featured as a happy, jolly, "lovable" drink in this commercial, where it, as over exaggeratedly shown as a broadway musical, solves all problems. I think they should at least start including "side effects" in these ads of all the numerous problems caused by the consumption of coke. Even if it is done like those drug ads on TV, with the super sped up voice over which know one ever understands.

Hasbro TV?

This just in from the Consumerist: the toy company Hasbro is starting its own tv station for kids. Programming will include shows that feature Transformers, G.I. Joe, My Little Pony, Pound Puppies, and various Hasbro board games. To be fair, there will also be some non-marketing-related shows, but the idea that we would allow a TOY company to be in charge of our children's entertainment seems like putting a fox in charge of the henhouse.

Here's the Consumerist story: http://consumerist.com/2010/10/should-hasbro-be-allowed-to-own-a-kids-tv-channel.html

Yes, You Can Be Too Thin

This advertising campaign, by The Snack Factory, was released late this summer. Sure, there are no anorexic-looking models, but the phrase, "You can never be too thin" says more than enough. This controversy shows that you don't even need images to convey a message about thinness. The media knows that there is this quest to be super thin so they take advantage of this insecurity and feed us messages about how to be thinner and thinner. What they don't show in fashion and TV shows is that YES, you can be too thin, and you can die.

I'm glad that this guy "defaced" the advertisement to show that yes, it is dangerous to be too thin, and many people are victims of eating disorders. Many people might argue that they are just words, but if you walked by this on your way to school every day in Manhattan, it would get in your brain without you even realizing it.

The vice president of marketing, Perry Abbenante, defends the company in the following statement:

We hope people noticed what isn’t in the ads: No extra thin, scantily clad female models; No mention of dieting programs, points, etc… Our website and facebook page are all about EATING. We talk about pairing our product in different ways for appetizers. We want people to eat. Our health benefits section details how we can be part of a healthy eating regimen. We in no way advocate unhealthy weight loss or want to promote a bad body image.
We appreciate your feedback and apologize if the ad offended people. We are listening to feedback and making some adjustments to the campaign.

Clearly, he doesn't get it. It's still a statement that means more than the words themselves. The product emphasizes its low calorie size (110 per bag). Why don't we just eat an apple with peanut butter instead of some hyper-processed piece of junk?

Source: http://nyctheblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/pretzel-crisps-pretzel-ads-encourage.html

A&F Protest!!

Yesterday I was driven out of a little cafe where I was sitting grading your papers by the incredible stench of another customer's perfume. I went home, logged in, and this story was at the top of my reader: teenagers protesting Abercrombie & Fitch's incessant spraying of their cologne, "Fierce," on their clothes, in their changing rooms, and throughout their stores. I just love it that these folks decided to make a fuss, rather than just leave (like I did, fleeing that cafe).

Here's the story: http://consumerist.com/2010/10/teens-unite-in-protest-of-abercrombie-fitchs-fierce-stench.html
And here's the website for the group that is protesting: http://www.teensturninggreen.org/A&Fstopspraying

The True Power of Dolls

I listened to this episode of This American Life a few years ago. The entire episode was devoted to dolls. What makes this episode so interesting is act I (begins at 4:20), which focuses on the American Girl Place in Chicago. The reporter, Susan Burton, makes the store seem comical before she even walks into it. During her story Susan follows a young girl named Whitney, who is completely influenced by American Girl. I was completely terrified to hear how much these dolls changed her before she even owned a doll and what the store itself was selling.

Audio courtesy of thisamericanlife.com

Hey guys. This is a very funny and cute advertisement about how much kids love Mcdonalds. The serious part is that the ad features a toddler who cant talk yet but recognises the sign of Mcdonalds. This ad may seem a bit extreme but it portrays the sad reality that nowadays kids learn the names of fast food chains before anything else and we never forget things we learn as a kid such as our abc's.

AT&T BlackBerry Torch - Moby Dick Commercial

I saw this commercial a couple of days ago on Abc Family!! and I thought "this is a perfect example of marketing" It is true it is a commercial for a cellphone, but in that case, why Cartoons are involved in the commercial?
They are trying to sell us cellphones through our kids because people in the business know that adults aren't that excited to get new cellphones, adults know there are always going to be better cellphones and better technology. However, children who are watching this family channel might feel attracted when they see cartoons and the cool chat between the person and Captain Ahab... This chat is not random, someone in the business thought, this is a commercials for children, these are the ones who are going to manipulate their parents!

Tattoo for Kids?

I found this this toy of tattoo gun and the idea of using the tattoo gun on another child to be disturbing. The children in this ad for an "easy to use tattoo maker" seem like your average boys that would be playing in the park. The boy with the hat on backwards promotes an image of being bad and to be placing a tattoo on another person seems to be "cool". Both boys are smiling and enjoying the activity when in real life getting a tattoo is painful. The act of getting a tattoo is a mature action and this advertisement tries sell children (specifically boys) that this will make them be older and cooler with the tattoo.

Photo courtesy of Huffington Post

Are we selling a doll or sex? And by the way, what is the target age group for this ad?? Clearly there's something dangerously wrong here if this advertisement is used to attract little girls. The only thing this is marketing is nudity. And seduction. Marketers have gone too far in exposing x-rated subjects to little kids

Pretty Pretty Princess

Pretty Pretty Princess is a game that every girl I know and I were obsessed with throughout elementary school. The ads that followed this one from 1992 triggered my fascination with pretending to be a princess. This ad is quite tame with child marketing methods compared to many children’s ads of today. I think it is important that “Princess Gwendolyn’s” real identity and other tidbits such as time and place were parenthesized because that adds an interesting element of humor to the commercial. More importantly, the parenthesized information and “Princess Gwendolyn’s” animation exemplifies pretending, which is a component of childhood that today, seems to be fading.

Toy Sextion

Today, as I was perusing the aisles of Target with a friend, I came across this disturbing group of dolls:

They are a new line of horror dolls very similar, and may even be, Bratz dolls (I did not look that close at their names). These dolls grossed me out on many levels: their over sexy outfits, large heads, and varying shades of decay skin. Perfect for Halloween right? But what really got my attention was this:

The sole guy (reptile?) doll in the corner looking on at the girl (?) dolls holding his crotch and one of the girl dolls holding his hand there. Really? This is acceptable? Dolls in sexy outfits is pushing it, but a major chain like Target displaying dolls in a way like this? Girls pick dolls like this because they want to be like them. Girls look at their dolls as role models. Adults know this, so how do they find it okay to place dolls on display like this? This is OUTRAGEOUS and DISGUSTING!

(photos taken on my phone, dolls found at Target)

Edit:

I did some quick research on the dolls, they are apart of Mattel's new Monster High line. The website shows profiles of all the girls and the one guy. The profiles show stereotypical high school personalities and story line between the dolls. There is a mean head cheerleader doll, boyfriend doll, new popular girl doll, nerdy-smart doll (who isn't even on display), friendly-hippy doll, diva doll, and girly doll. The story line has the mean cheerleader type trying to destroy the reputation of the other girls, but her plans are foiled because the power of friendship and fashion always prevails in the end. Of course none of these events affect the nerdy-smart girl, who is a Zombie and can only speak in moans. Here is the website: http://www.monsterhigh.com/home?mh

Kids Wear Less and Less

Decades ago, there were more one-piece swimsuits. Today, almost everyone who's female wear bikinis/two-piece swimwears. Even young children and teenagers prefer to buy bikinis instead of the traditional one-piece swimsuits. And, the whole point to wearing these swimwears that are just like undergarments is to look prettier or sexier. Todays children and teenagers feel more pressure to appear sexier in public because that's the kind of image that is encouraged in the society today.
Picture from http://s4.thisnext.com/media/largest_dimension/AD78FE5B.jpg

Praying

I thought this was a pretty intense video. Would people consider it a commercial for Islam or praying or not a commercial at all? In the video the producers suggests that weighing materialism and personal freedom above praying and religion will result in death or some type of religious Karma. This video is targeted at muslim youth who skip out on their prayers. The producers of this commercials want the viewer to participate in prayers, and I think it's a powerful way of doing so. I'm not even religious or Muslim, but after this commercial I wanted to pray. So evidently it was persuasive.

Then vs. Now Barbie Commercial

So the first advertisement is marketing the Ken doll for the first time. Barbie "felt that it would be a special night, and then she met Ken." This suggests that barbie is somehow incomplete without a man. Even though she is a "supermodel teenager."

But just comparing the two adds, the first is just selling clothes and dolls. Thus implying that the child who plays with the dolls should imagine the life the dolls have. However the modern add leaves almost nothing to the imagination and a lot more is being advertised. The whole "dream vacation house" has televisions, a hot tub, a poodle, and a whole house. So Mattel is not only marketing more products, but also limiting the amount of imagination a child can have. The increase of products make it so a child no longer has much to imagine and they don't create their own worlds. Does anyone else miss the days of Imaginary games and just playing outside without toys, or was that just me?

Smell like a Monster

Today's top video under the 'Entertainment' category on youtube was this video:

Remind you of something? Maybe this Old Spice commercial a from few months ago:

While having a furry monster imitating a funny viral commercial is cute, it makes me think is this really acceptable for a children's show? Sesame Street has been known to make pop culture references on their show (ex. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fei0SCasFcQ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dAZ1-nF3VI&feature=player_embedded). Referencing TV shows and popular songs is one thing, but imitating a commercial is different. This could just be innocent parody on a viral video. It could be that Sesame Street is finally recognizing that viral videos are apart of our current pop culture. Then again, the skit plays pretty close to the original commercial. Children will recall the Old Spice and will cause them to tell their parents to buy Old Spice. It is crazy how much advertising is seeping into every corner of children's lives and how acceptable it is. Previously this year Sesame Street didn't air a parody with Katy Perry because it was too sexy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHROHJlU_Ng), but Sesame Street was okay with indirectly advertising Old Spice. I love Sesame Street, but these values are a little inconsistent and makes me question the show's content a little bit.

(video credit youtube)

Just by watching this video, it seems like it's just a documentary on "liquid mountatineering," a newly popular sport about running on water. Watchers have no idea that this was actually a advertising video launched by Hi-Tec. The video itself transfixes audiences because of what the guys are doing, but people aren't aware that by watching this they would think of the water resistant pair of sneakers that made this "water walking" possible.

According to the Hi-Tec website it states,

"Ok we really didn't run on water...." and it continues with "So... is it real or not? After two weeks of worldwide buzz, we have decided to come clean and reveal that Hi-Tec were behind the 'Liquid Mountaineering' viral."

Very sly indeed.

[Courtesy of http://www.hi-tec.com/liquid-mountaineering/ & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe3St1GgoHQ&feature=player_embedded]

A Non-Gendered Ad from the Past

I actually appreciate this old ad from the early 1980s. I was always avid fan of Lego blocks as a kid, and was poked fun for playing with, what was labeled as "boy's toys". But this ad shows an ordinary girl and her creative model, with the headline praising her creation. The girl is wearing casual clothing, nothing fashionable, and her hair is in two simple braids. No make up on either. She's also appears to be playing with regular Legos, not some Girlish-dollhouse-esque pinkish Legos (which the company does sell today).

It's odd how amazed I am to see this ad with a girl, who, for all she needs to be, is a kid. I find this ad to break the "boy's only toys" stereotypes too. Quite the opposite of today, no doubt. Gender enforced toys are still being made and sold, with children receiving mixed messages on how to be a kid.

Photo courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/moose_greebles/3717671129/in/photostream/

Guess who has you Hooked?

Well, GUESS, the clothing line, apparently. I remember reading an issue of Teen Vogue maybe two years ago (come on, who hasn't read that once?) and seeing the below advertisement of this woman with her breasts popping out of her shirt and a seductive facial expression painted in makeup. How could such an objectifying advertisement find its way into the pages of a teen magazine? I thought. Well, now I can see how little marketers care about children's well being. After viewing Consuming Kids, marketing companies' goal is to get children hooked on fashion as young as possible. The kids will become loyal to the company's brand for life if they are exposed to the products earlier and earlier. In this case, Guess tells the reader (for example, the well-meaning parent who wants his or her child to be happy and accepted) that "GUESS kids introduces cutting edge styles that will make your little ones look and feel like the coolest kid on the playground." Naturally, this statement implies that looking good is the key to feeling good. Feeling like the coolest kid might be what children value for the rest of their lives if they continuously depend on wearing labels all of their lives. And interestingly, these children already have the haute-couture, stoned faces characteristic of ads in Vogue. No innocent laughs or smiles.

And as they get older, GUESS has the next stage in life already set out for them: Looking sexy. The image of the girl on the right is bad enough, but the left image of the woman straddling the man's leg (with her rear in the foreground of the image) takes it to an extreme level. Not only does it imply sex to young readers, but it also objectifies the woman by dividing her up into parts: it is not the whole woman that matters anymore, just her butt which is not too small, not too big, and by society's standards, "perfect". And what about the peace sign on the pocket? Does she also care about world peace? Haha. Fat chance.

Pictures from: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b4R3ho4gtQY/Sh8hbg_gfnI/AAAAAAAACRA/NQTPHSm3NuM/s400/Irina_Sheik_%26_Jon_Kortajarena-Guess_SS2009-001.jpg and http://content.guess.com/marciano/Emails/September2010/09.20/091510_KidsLaunchNEW_02.jpg

Very Worldly

I think this advertising for the PSP is aesthetically appealing and full of great detail. The handheld gaming device was solely for playing games but now with more advanced technology the Play Station company has come up with a new PSP including more features. For obvious reasons this campaign is titled "your whole world in your hands." The more I look at the drawn pictures, the more I discover images that I feel connected to. Based on what I know from child marketing, it is important for children to associate with something because then they'll begin nagging mom and dad. With all of the colors and pictures there are many ways that children will find a connection to the PSP. After all, any child who has the 'whole world in their hands' will feel pretty cool but after a while maybe they'll just feel too overwhelmed...

No more happy meal toys?

San Francisco is considering banning toys in kids' meals that don't meet particular nutritional standards. I hate to be a curmudgeon, but I think this is pretty great news.

For the whole story, go to http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=73801

Nokia N8 TV ad - It's not technology, it's what you do with it.

The Nokia ad presents the phone as something with endless possibilities all thanks to technology. The ad flashes through multiple scenes of what technology can do for people whether it is the scene of a guy throwing "paint" onto a screen or a robot made from Nokia phones. The last scene of a hamster powered phone is unexpected because it did not fit into the whole commercial. The last scene brings many controversy of whether Nokia supports animal cruelty. Does the progression of technology come at a cost?

Video courtesy of YouTube

Celebrity Advertising

http://hanaihoney.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/covergirl-queen-latifah.jpg

Product placement plays HUGE role in television shows and movies. We can also see that actresses and actors are used to promote a product of some sort. For Example, Queen Latifah, female movie star, has been used to promote CoverGirl makeup.

Advertisers use a star to make their products seem more glamorous and elite. But honestly I wonder how many people buy products just because an actor or actress wearing/using them?

Do you think you would be more likely to buy a product because a star you enjoy is on the advertisement? Why or why not?

Cash-strapped school puts advertising on letters sent home to parents | ksdk.com | St. Louis, MO

Cash-strapped school puts advertising on letters sent home to parents | ksdk.com | St. Louis, MO

This is just one of myriad ways school districts can sell advertising to generate revenue. Would you vote to allow this? Or would you draw a hard line against ANY kind of advertising?

What's Beauty Without Brains?

Someone sent this to me a few days ago and I thought it was pretty funny. Mercedes is using the ever so common dumb blonde joke to sell their cars. They are practically saying that in order to buy their cars you have to be smart. The blonde is depicting a person who would not buy Mercedes but who is their ideal customer?

Video courtesy of youtube.com (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHX2mvFVQMs&feature=related)

"unstick your style"

Dove's hair product campaign ads were hilarious. Marge Simpson's infamous tower-like blue hair turns into silky smooth hair after using the cream, Wilma Flintstone lets her hair down after using the volumizing mousse, Jane Jetson gets a better hairstyle after using the hairspray, and Velma Dinkley even takes off her nerdy glasses after using the gel! These impossible-to-change hairstyles became natural (and nice) looking hair.

On a bad frizzy hair day, would you use it to become the new you?

annoymous confessions

While trying to think of something to blog about, I thought I'd explore some topics a bit more close to home. A few clicks later and I found myself on Smith's very own blog entitled 'Smith'd.' Browsing around the page I found a link to an annoymous confession board and the topics ranged from 'hottest lesbiansss," "new sex blog," "legal pot" to "where the girls be @" To be at such an academic school, I found this a bit disconcerning. I decided to post about this because I'm curious to see what everyone else thinks of it...

RENT A WIFE

Hey guys I just saw this weird advertisement about renting a wife. I am surprised that people get away with making such advertisements in the West. After all the West is the heart of the feminist movement. Seeing a beautiful women who willingly gives in to being tied down and packed in the box may look funny but also shows a disdain for the feminist movement. Maybe its high time women in the West understood that appearing in nude or scandalous ads does nothing for female rights and independence.

video courtesy of www.youtube.com

Profanity?

Levi's has always been a well-known brand that many people buy for the quality of fabrics and affordable prices. I've never purchased Levi's before but I know they fit well and cater to any body type. Their jeans can be found in almost any store and I think this advertisement is a reflection upon the body types the jeans fit--every body type. The only thing I don't like about this advertisement, though, is the fact that the word "asses" is used in the headline. Profanity does not persuade me to buy any product regardless of how well-known the brand may be. I think this will push more people away from Levi's because of their word choice. In some cases, though, some women may be more attracted to the brand and will buy more of it because they understand the frustration of buying the perfect fitting jeans. I don't think one advertisement will rapidly decrease selling rates but my advice is to be careful of what you put out there!

Photo courtesy of: www.psfk.com