Cool Campaign

I know class it's over...booo.... But I found this link about about a cool advertising campaign in Germany

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2K611l/www.dailydawdle.com/2010/09/10-best-lifes-too-short-for-wrong-job.html

Advent Conspiracy

Since this is the Christmas season and the time to buy, buy, buy I felt as though these videos were appropriate. They were shown to me at my high school last year and it really makes one realize that Christmas is just not about spending money.

More information can be found on their website:

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Product Testing Institute - Models

This ad is super funny and plays on the stereotype of models being "dumb". The company Sony Ericsson is trying to sell their newest phone by releasing multiple versions of this ad but with different groups testers such as elderly, guidos, toddlers, surfers, and glam rockers. However, the researcher remains the same and reacts in a condensing way towards each group. I love how the camera focuses on his expression after each response. I found this ad to be funny and conveyed the message that the product can easily be used even from the less tech savvy groups of people.

The Nicest Vending Machine in the World

Coca Cola has come up with a new marketing technique to further advertise their soda. By giving away free coke and other assorted gifts to us. This video is part of a series of videos, in which Coca Cola goes to various college campuses around the world, most notably the US, the UK and India, and give away free stuff, with the effect of winning the youth's hearts over -- in efforts to gain brand loyalty. I noticed they are making a great effort to target the younger demographic, and they are doing these vending machine schemes in countries where the consumerism is either widely prevalent (like the US) or growing (India).

This marketing technique seems to be having an effect on these students. They're even running up to hug the machine itself! Better be careful the next time some one gives you free stuff - it could be another way of advertising.

Eye-Catching Nylons

This ad is really impressive, especially considering that it is for American Apparel Nylons. The colors of each dancer’s tights make for a simple, but very aesthetically pleasing and thus, effective ad. Although this is two years old, it further proves the present sentiment that more artistic and colorful ads catch our attention more easily. I was instantly drawn to the movement of each dancer’s legs, and how they were each positioned so that the tights’ colors were arranged in rainbows, or in shades from lightest to darkest. The dancers’ synchronized and complex movements were also really distinctive, and almost made me forget that this was an American Apparel ad. I definitely prefer this to their much more racy print ads of today.

The Language of Marketing

At the beginning of this course we read an article about how marketers have us all figured out. Although, it is very sad to think this way, it is relatively true. There is some information about the human brain that marketers use for advertising purposes.  We associate colors with adjectives. For example, the color pink represents feminine ideals, while green symbolizes health, and black symbolizes luxury. As the graph shows (http://9gag.com/gag/54696/) there are other factors that affect consumers like time and brands. However, these resources are mostly visual because it is easier for our brains to assimilate and associate images with a product. Among other factors, time is crucial. Marketers want people to spend as much time as they can in a store, but not enough time to discourage them from returning.

Additionally, this link (http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/5xmPKu/www.stanford.edu/class/linguist34/Unit_07/adj_chart.htm/r:f) shows an informal poll taken by some students that displays the typical words used to advertise specific products. As you can see, the word healthy is used to describe food products, and good-looking is used for cosmetics. I thought it was interesting to see the adjectives marketers use to describe products. It seems to me that many of these adjectives were chosen at random because they are convenient and not because they actually embody these descriptions.

Kitkat

This is an advertisement for kitkat in India. I posted this ad because it shows a new trend in Indian advertisement of using animation. Compared to the Fair & Lovely advertisements which used the most basic technology and stereotypical ideas, this advertisement and others like it show the increasing sophistication of the common indian consumer.

FedEx

I searched Google in hopes of finding some satirical advertisements and managed to find many. My favorite one is for FedEx and has quite a funny headline to draw people to read it. I found myself laughing and recognizing that what FedEx says about them "handling packages" is completely true. Within this truth is another truth that many advertisements address some statements falsely. Here, though, the slogan is as close to the truth as you could ever get. I think the best advertising out there is one that you can laugh at and also understand the satire within it. Nice job FedEx, I will trust you to handle my package!

"Fashion Trends and Tips"

Vogue for UK has some fashion trends for this autumn/winter posted. It's interesting how products that were popular a long time ago is back in fashion again. I'm sure the things that went out of season in the previous summer will come back after some time passes by.
Well, for this winter season,

low heels for shoes
elbow length gloves
colored shoes
and a lot more

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/trends/
Check this site out.

What Now?

As the semester winds down, I've been searching high and low for websites or campaigns that are counter consumer culture. As I'm sure you all can assume, it is a lot harder to find these than it is to find a sexist advertisement in Seventeen.

However, it is more important than ever that we seek out these organizations because it is at the grassroots level where we can make change as consumers and citizens. One website that I particularly like is about-face.org, which focuses on representations of women in advertising. They have a gallery of "winners" and "offenders": ads that are either appropriate or not. I believe they also lead workshops and other awareness campaigns. Another site is mediawatch.com which is a non-profit organization aiming to bring awareness to racist, violent, and sexist advertising. About Face features a laundry list of company addresses in case you are extremely heated about a Calvin Klein ad, for example.

As a class, we know that addressing issues in the media is important. For those not in this class, here are a few more images to shock you. I know I probably come across as a Debby Downer with all of these depressing advertisements-but I myself didn't realize how bad it was until I saw these, and I feel more motivated to make change. I don't know how these ads weren't censored. I considered all of them for my presentation. As you will see, it was really difficult to find an ad to analyze. All of them are full of so many negative messages that NEED to change-Now.

I think the pictures say it all.

Savage Chickens

Perfect satire:

This Ad is ridiculous!

This ad really "got" me. The punch-line (the cracking of the walnut) was just so unexpected! This was pretty much my train of thought: " Morning, shower... finished, that's a little thong, cool modern apartment, unmade bed(!), woah!...naked girl, she has an incredible figure, okay...walnuts?, where is she putting that...she's not...woah! Hahahaha! I can't believe she did that!(the actress looks at the camera and smiles) Haha...she even knows how ridiculous that was!

Of course, this sports club ad sells a "standard" of beauty, a certain body type, a lifestyle... However, it either sells it better or I'm just sold. There definitely is a level of sophistication here that I appreciate.

Heineken - Walk in Fridge

I saw this ad last year on TV, and I thought it was hilarious! I think they show it during the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it in English, but pretty much the woman says this is the living room, and this is the closet. Although this Heineken ad is very funny, it stereotypes women and men; and at the end, it shows Heineken "serving the planet".

First of all, it bothed me that this ad stereotypes women as big consumerist! there are four white women, probably in their thirties; we see that these women are more excited to see the closet than to see the rest of the house! In addition, we see that it's full of clothes even though the closet it's huge! the screamed for around 6 seconds and then we hear men screaming. The ad makes fun of women because women tend to scream and are louder than men. But in this case, men are so excited that they scream louder and longer. Anyways, we see they are screaming because his closet is a huge fridge full Heineken beers, like it was possible to have a closet of full of Heinekens. Again, four white men.

After they scream, we see "Heineken, Serving the planet" Well, I would like to know why they display that last sentence. Are they serving the planet by giving huge closets or free houses? or does it mean that they recycle? or does it mean that they help the planet by providing beer? It doesn't make any sense. What do you guys think about this?

Ripple Effect

This commercial is one of my favorites. I remember how I reacted when I first saw this ad on TV. I was like......"WOW this is like a love story movie. Awww too cute!" Yes. That was my first reaction. I just love the way how the ad starts from the future and rewinds to the present, showing the couple's first encounter at a train station. I guess AT&T was targeting women like me who love to watch Roman Holiday. The commercial implies that if the man wasn't using AT&T, he would have failed! (BYE BYE HOTTIE) But, because he's prepared, he won the heart of the maiden (and their son becomes the President).

Water is Water.

I discovered these Smart Water advertisements in various fashion magazines. I suspect Smart Water is competition for Evian, but either way, the fact that a basic necessity to human life is being branded by companies like Smart Water and Evian is a little bit of a branding overkill. These "Designer water" brands, much like any high profile consumer brand, manage to get celebrities to endorse their water, claiming its "purity" or "workout partner", as seen in the Jennifer Aniston ad. The implication from drinking Smart Water is to get the so-called perfect body that a typical consumer would desire. The sad part is, just as with any other ad, many people buy into these special water beverages.

[MV] Girls Generation (SNSD) & 2PM - Cabi Song (Caribbean Bay CF)

I thought this was an interesting advertisement because basically this is a music video with two of the most famous kpop groups in Korea. This advertisement is supposed to advertise the water park that is in one of amusement parks in Korea, but the name of the place isn't mentioned much throughout the video. But I'm sure it was popular because of this music video which is also an advertisement for that place. The song is really catchy and CABI is short for Caribbean Bay (water park). It's amazing how much impact celebrities have these days.

What if animals looked like today's humans?

I thought these pictures were rather funny and although they do a poor job of marketing the actual product, binoculars, I think they do a great job at targeting something else- obesity. Because it is such a prevalent problem, sometimes people become numb to it, and I think that seeing it on other beings puts things into prospective. You could call it a wake up call.

I just watched this video about how an Australian non-profit got their message out to hundreds of people:

SCOPE (Spastic Children's Society of Victoria) is one of Australia's largest non-profit organizations that provides services for people with disabilities. The video explains how SCOPE went through the process of getting their name and message out to the whole of Australia. This is a great campaign! SCOPE definitely took a creative and effective approach to advertising. The only problem that I have with this campaign is that Rudely Interrupted is being used to promote SCOPE first and then promote the band secondly. The members of the band do not have a much priority as they may think they do. Still this is an amazing feat for both SCOPE and Rudely Interrupted!

Here is the music video for 'Close my Eyes':

(Credit Best Ads on TV, Youtube, and SCOPE)

Sparked by Sara's recent post, I too browsed around on that website and looked at some other billboard changes. Here's one adjustment that I found particularly interesting. I love the fact that such a simple alteration, just one word, and the entire meaning/message of the billboard changes. These people are very clever.

Well, I encountered some trouble uploading the pictures but the original billboard said

"Lawsuits: The American Disease" the billboard was promoting citizens against lawsuit abuse

and then it was changed to read,

"Lawsuits: The American Dream"

Be More Healthy

After reading Sara's post I checked out the billboardliberation website and found this advertisement for McDonald's. The slogan read, before it was changed for the better, "you have 10,000 tastebuds. use them all." Now the billboard has the word "kill" in place for "use" which is both hilarious and true at the same time. Also, in the corner under the golden arch reads "I'm sick of it" instead of "I'm lovin' it." This is a great website and I found myself laughing and completely agreeing with the changes of words or phrases on these billboards. Many people can't see past slogans and believe everything they read--that is all about to change. I hope this will be accepted and viewed as a cultural movement for a better world.

Detourning

Check this out!  the Billboard Liberation Front defaces billboards in clever ways that expose the cultural messages inherent in their advertising.  Above is their latest, which turns "She is a thing of beauty" into "She is a thing."  Nicely done.  Here's their website: http://www.billboardliberation.com/

In these last few weeks of class, if you're able to find things like this--that push back against advertising--please post them.  We need strategies.

The Worst of Consumerism Under One Roof

(Note: Sorry for the weird underlines-it does that after I posted pictures. And sorry for the horrible quality of the photos I took!)

During Thanksgiving break, I had the pleasurable (sarcasm) experience of going to the Providence Place Mall with my brother Sam this past vacation. To be frank, I used to LOVE going to this mall. Delia's was my favorite place for clothes, and hello-Sephora!

This time, it was all about business. I made a spontaneous decision to document storefront ads as well as magazines through the eye of a consumer analyst. People: Take note-this is SO much fun! People might look at you funny, but who cares, right?

I thought I'd share some of the standout ads and headlines I saw.

The ubiquitous Abrocrombie and Fitch storefront. I guess the black shades make it seem like an upscale beach house that only the elite are invited to. And don't forget the bare-chested man with his finger in his mouth. If that isn't selling sex, then I don't know what is.

Here we see cradle-to-grave marketing with Abrocrombie and Fitch for Kids. The puppy was clearly used because it resembles youth and home life....and who can forget the phrase, "I've been good this year" that I am sure we all wrote to Santa when we were little. But look closely at the outfit on the left. A skirt that short for a nine year-old girl? Next to that was a pair of extremely short denim "Daisy Dukes". It is unacceptable what Abrocrombie is getting away with, and even more disconcerting that parents actually buy this stuff.

A little different but still intelligent in its marketing skills is Build a Bear. We have lots of bright colors (yellow is gender-neutral, of course) and bears everywhere. I like the idea of seeing a bear get built and having the chance to customize it, but I feel like this concept is taking advantage of our wallets. Those things are expensive! Of course children will also feel compelled to have every single outfit under the sun, which adds more pressure to the parents.

Here is an advertisement at Claire's. I used to shop at Claire's until I was maybe 11? And yet the extremely thin models look like they are 18. At least there is some diversity. However, young girls will aspire to these accessories-obsessed, vapid models.

The "Hello Bombshell" storefront is appalling. This is one half of the storefront, the other, shown below it, is targeted to a younger age group. Is Victoria's Secret calling us, the consumers, bombshells? How can anyone feel like a "bombshell" when she is looking at a pin-thin but voluptuous model who is Photoshopped to perfection? Victoria's secret used to market to solely adult women, and now the targeted market is getting younger and younger. The marketers know that anything pink, polka-dotted, sweatpant-style, numbered (references high school team athletic wear) is going to lure in young girls. And at the same time, they feature these thin, overtly sexual models as well. How are girls supposed to feel when they are faced with such a dichotomy?

Above is the Apple storefront. As you can see, these are giant sized "books" and common icons such as ABC and an old fashion "television". Apple is clearly targeting the aesthetic, retro but avante-garde intellectual group with this form of advertising. However, it is amazing to see how many young children there were in the store. Surely they aren't interested in reading The Tipping Point, but to Apple, that doesn't matter. They already have youngsters hooked on their products because of their streamlined and colorful design.

Don't forget the Beatles! It's as if they are alive! No wait....they are cardboard cutouts...

Now, onto the magazines and books:

Here is an ad for Self Magazine about the new Tone-Up shoes that are the latest craze. Apparently they "lift your butt and thin your legs", but that just sounds like pseudoscience to me. This ad also objectifies women, because one, it is crude (I immediately saw it as "Love your Ass") and secondly, it's defining women solely by their body parts.

In relation to the ad above, this was an article in the same issue of Self featuring exercise moves using these shoes. As we discussed in our class, here is a perfect example of how editors purposefully feature products that were in advertisements near the article. I wouldn't have noticed this before I took this class, and seeing it now is creepy.

This Guess Seductive perfume ad was featured in TEEN VOGUE. Also, it was in regular Vogue. Here, they are exposing young readers to ads that they will see all throughout adulthood as well. This woman looks 30, not 13. It's also blatently selling sex, beginning with the perfume's name and ending with the nudity and the shades in the background.

This is a Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue Perfume ad, featured on the first page of Vogue. As we discussed, this location is extremely important for the magazine, and therefore, emphasizes the message of Vogue: You are considered beautiful if you are blond, tan, thin, and have your mouth half open. Clearly, there is no diversity or size acceptance in this ad to speak of.

Apparently celebrities all majored in English because they are writing books as fast as they are creating perfumes...Anyways, here we have those famous-for-doing-nothing Kardashian sisters who provide us women with all of their sage advice. I don't think that following their advice is such a great idea....

Point #1: Generating Girl Power, in my opinion, is awesome, but not when the whole chapter is about narcissism and selling your body. I don't think Kim understands what Girl Power means. Or maybe, that concept was created by the media to convince us young women that it indeed is a form of feminism. Not so much.
Point #2: "Spoiled But Not Spoiled Brats"....Have you not seen their show? They are such brats, I've gotta be blunt with this one. And also, since when was being regular spoiled a good thing either?

Apparently Ricky Martin thinks that the whole world is obsessed with him, because he even "wrote" a book (cough, ghost writer) titled, ME. Very original....Though I guess you can't expect much more from a celebrity. I thought this book was an interesting reflection on our society's own narcissism: Through Facebook, Twitter, and on and on....

Overall, this was a fun experience. Fun meaning that I discovered things I would not have noticed before. However, at the same time, it is sad to see how much marketers are selling us beyond the products, and that most average Americans don't realize this. This is where education comes in. Doing this taught me how important it is to have a keen eye on what's before me, but also, to share my findings with other people.

The New Black (Friday)

I just learned about Cyber Monday today, on Cyber Monday. It has taken over every bit of screen space I have today, there is no escaping it. On Youtube there is a huge ad for Target's Cyber Monday deals, sure okay Youtube has just started a trend of large ads that take up more than half the screen on the home page, but look in the right hand corner:

Under "Spotlight Videos" there is a whole section on Cyber Monday! The videos featured are shopping guides for the people who want nothing, everything, and everywhere in between. Maybe there has been a massive increase in shopping guide videos uploaded and Youtube is paying tribute to that, but I highly doubt it. Youtube sells mostly advertising space, it looks like a corporation has bought the 'Spotlight Videos' as advertising space. Another new trend is sending free new products to video gurus to test out and review the products online. The combination of large Cyber Monday advertising space, hidden advertising space, and product placements lead to a shove for more unhealthy consumption.

Christmas, unfortunately, has become a holiday about consumption instead of a holiday about family. I am glad that the hysteria of Black Friday has decreased, and now the popularity of Cyber Monday has increased. Truthfully I would rather hear about the debits that people have gone into for Christmas presents than hear about the people who were trampled to death at Walmart on Black Friday.

Starbursts & The Whistle Song

I remember humming the song in this 2003 Starburst Fruit & Crème commercial incessantly when I was in middle school. I’d also admired how “cool” the trio eating Starbursts acted while they strolled throughout the ad. I love watching the juxtaposition of chaotic events with the whistling song and the relaxed aura of the trio. Even though the events presented are implausible, the craziness makes the ad that much more enjoyable to watch. I think that this commercial exercises some great advertising. The catchiest background music ever, and a message that suggests that Starburst Fruit & Crème will keep people calm and collected during the most extreme circumstances has me sold.

Kinect adventures ad 2010

During my thanksgiving break, I was catching up on some of my tv shows and came across this cool new technology, Kinect, from Xbox. Kinect is technology that uses the player's body as the "control". There are no remote controls like Wii to communicate with the TV, and instead the motions from your body is captured from a sensor. The commercial flashes to multiple players from different backgrounds to convey the message that the game or software is easily comprehendible and accessible. Also, the idea of us being the controller is appealing to people because it allows more power and freedom to the player. I know for myself, I was interested in Xbox Kinect after I had watched the commercial because it took gaming to a whole new level. The idea of not using a remote and being in control caught my attention. Does anyone else feel the same?

It's a Miracle!

Ever wished for not going to work or school, but have no excuses? Tada! Act like you're dead! This dude in the coffin piled up with doritos is all set. His friends envy him because the "dead" friend can eat doritos while watching the super bowl without going to work for a week. But when this "fails," one of the friends yells "It's a Miracle!" So if you guys don't want to do something, I'll help you by 1. placing you in a coffin, 2. pour doritos all over you, and 3. if it fails I'll yell "It's a Miracle." But just thinking of getting buried in doritos is disgusting!

Famous Slogans

"Don't leave home without it." ~American Express
"The power to be your best." ~ Apple Computers
"When you say Budweiser, you've said it all." ~ Budweiser
"Have it your way." ~ Burger King
"It's the real thing." ~ Coca Cola
"They're great!" ~ Kelloggs
"Just do it!" ~ Nike
"Moving forward." ~ Toyota
"The ultimate driving machine." ~ BMW

And there are so many more slogans that we will recognize. It's scary how everybody knows at least some of the slogans out in the world today. These are there to lure consumers in, and the marketers are promoting specific brands and products through slogans that are easy to remember. But, I'm sure that there are so many more slogans that are very familiar to us even if we are not aware of them right now.

Skinnier than Zero?

Following the same concept of the movie "Killing us softly", this commercial shows what the author of the movie tries to explain. When I saw this commercial, the first thing that came to my mind was "that girl is super skinny", well, that's the whole point of the ad, she is skinny because she drinks Sprite Zero. In addition to this, she is wearing sport gear and looks tired and sweaty.What I think marketers want us to believe that in order to be good-looking (skinny) and to feel sexy, we need to exercise and drink Sprite Zero.
As the ad goes on, we see that she takes her shirt off because she has no limits after she started drinking Sprite Zero. Besides for the fact she is extremely skinny, she looks sexy and there is a man who sees her. Again, Advertising is making us guilty that we are not beautiful or perfect for the public. Commercials like that should not be on TV because they put down women. These commercials imply that women are important only if they are beautiful and skinny.
 

BBC Bra

This is a really funny ad about 5 new radio stations of BBC. The boss of the office is really efficient since she saves 32 minutes by not getting dressed. Notice of course the boss is female not male. You wont see male exevcutives get stripped of their dignity.

Animals?

Wrangler, a jeans company, thinks that humans, at the core, are animalistic. They have an advertising campaign dedicated to this concept, complete with a disturbing, and in fact animalistic, portrayal of humans thrashing about violently. The whole idea is way overconceptualized and melodramatic, and I think this company takes themselves way to seriously thinking that this stuff is "art.". Um, I don't think so.

In the ad above, the woman reveals just her bare back and her rear. Only part of her body is shown, but it is safe to assume that she is a corpse, perhaps by murder or drowning. We don't know-and therefore, we create a story. Her death is exaggerated by the dirt on her skin (perhaps "animalistic?")....but it screams more violence to me. It seems like she was manipulated or mangled during her death.

This ad is just sad, plain and simple. When I saw this, I felt defeated. How does our society let this stuff pass by? Do people not see how utterly depressing this photo is? To me, it doesn't scream animal behavior. In the end, it all comes back to violence against women.

Photo from: http://www.adrants.com/images/wranglerad2.png

Baby on the Road

During Thanksgiving break I found myself watching a bit more television than when I'm at Smith and this was the first advertisement I saw. I think this ad is adorable and hilarious from the baby's facial expressions to seeing him cruise down a busy road unscathed (thank God!) in his little walker. I could relate to the song in the ad from my childhood because my mom and I used to sing it together and I connected more to the ad. It took me a while, though, to understand what was going on in the ad because at first I thought the baby traveling was irrelevant to the marketing of the HP printer. Now I realize the baby is traveling from one house to another for the printed image to send wirelessly. Anyways, I think the concept is cute but not many people will understand what is occurring in the ad unless they watch it a couple times, which may benefit the marketing of the printers even more.

Circle K

I became interested in Circle K’s advertising after seeing an ad outside of one of its franchises in Georgia. The ad suggested one should “start their day off right” on Black Friday with a cup of their coffee. I became curious about what makes the convenience store chain’s coffee so special, and researched some ads online. This commercial in particular stood out most to me because of its outlandishness. Circle K is attempting to prove that its coffee is reliable and high quality with the lethargic man trudging into a store, presumably right after getting out of bed. The store’s bold marketing in this commercial has piqued my interest even more and has caused me to wonder how its “premium” coffees became so reputable.

The Aware Consumer's Jackpot?

Black Friday everyone.

A conscientious consumer's most awaited day of the year. Just got even more intense. With stores opening at THREE or FOUR am, early Christmas shopping has evolved into a strategic race.

To me, it seems as if Thanksgiving has turned into an event where people can watch football all day and eat massive quantities of food without feeling guilty about it... Not to mention everyone's gearing up for a full day of blackout sales. No holiday is consumer free.

Happy Thanksgiving and Avoid the Ads!

Despite Thanksgiving being one of the few non-consumerist American holidays, companies and corporations are sure to create and/or tie their names to any one of their products to make it "Thanksgiving Themed". Most notably, of course, would be major food brands, such as the Pilsbury advertisement shown here. But the large department stores, including Marshalls, Dillards, and even Target, send out thousands of catalogues to assure a customer that there are bound to be a list of endless, one-time-of-the-year decorations and products that he or she should be sure to buy before the holiday begins. It's bad enough to have Black Friday, the annual day of major sales for all stores across the country, but is it ever going to be possible to make any religious or cultural holiday consumer-free?

Bathroom Really | New Windows Phone 7 Official Ad

This is the new ad for Windows Phone 7 and just goes to show how much we value our cellphones. The man is playing on his phone as he is in the bathroom and when he drops it into the toilet surprisingly he picks it up with his bare hands! I was disgusted that he would actually pick up his phone with his hands and wipe it off and continue to do what he was doing before. Does it make me want to get a Windows Phone 7? No, because I don't think the commercial was effective enough for me and if I had dropped my phone in the toilet I surely would not pick it up with my bare hands. Did this commercial make you want to get the new Window Phone 7?

Sexist Vintage Ads

When I was looking at old magazines, I found extremely interesting vintage ads because some of them were very sexist. They displayed gender roles generated by the society such as women cook and take care of children while men go to work. Although most of them seem funny and illogical (like the first one), it is sad to realize that women did not have any kind of control in their lives, because they were either controlled by their fathers or their husbands. For instance, the four ads display women that do things to make the man happy instead of men making the women happy. The third ad even shows that men have more power over women by abusing them.

Nowadays, times have changed and women have a more active participation in society. However, gender roles still exist, for example when we see on a Kool-aid commercial a mother instead of a father giving children something to drink or on a food commercial we always see women. Also, the fact that most advertising display sex scenes instead of the product should give us a hint in which women still play a role  in the society. Therefore, has advertising changed? 

So Many Choices

Since because America does have a consumer economy, where people have a variety of choices for one product, there are wide price ranges for the same product as well. This is the same with almost all products but the brand name costs a lot. I have been looking at some of the prices for cosmetics and a consumer can buy one Revlon lipstick for as cheap as $3.99. But an average Chanel lipstick costs around $30. I'm sure that there are some differences to those products but how much difference?

rent a wife

This is a commercial about renting a wife. I suppose men in the West can do this when they get bored with their wives and need they variety. The marketers have a weird sense of humor. I guess this is a step up from viewing possible candidates for dates at the back of the guys magazines.

Guilty Gucci

After watching Killing Us Softly 4, I was first amazed that the video was filmed at UMass Amherst (should've been at Smith!) and secondly amazed that there is other advertising out in the media that I have never been aware of. From the ads that 'eroticize violence' to those that are altered to create a perfect woman, I was dumbfounded. Jean Kilbourne does a fantastic job of pinpointing all the wrong that ads are creating for the world and I think she will have great success with changing the way people view advertising. I could not stop laughing after her mention of a "menage a trois with Ben & Jerry" and I can now see that food is becoming more sexual. Not so funny, though, is this Gucci ad. The male model is idolizing the woman's vagina where her pubic hair is sculpted into a "G." This ad has gone too far and makes me extremely uncomfortable. Why is such a pornographic image okay to use as a marketing tactic?

Check out This Blog!

This blog has a lot of advertising related to hyper sexuality and gender stereotypes, I saw similarities in the ads we have posted and I liked some of the comments written on the advertisements themselves. Here check it out:

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/raim0007/gwss1001/assignment_posts/weekly_assignments/8_adbusting/

Kellogg's Special K: Then and Now

In relation to many of the advertising techniques described by Jib Fowles, I thought that it would be interesting to compare the messages and techniques used in an old advertisement versus a new one. I found this old Special K ad on Youtube, and I could not find the original date, but I'm assuming that it is from the '50s. I also found a more recent Special K ad, so let's take a look at how they are similar and different.

According to Fowles, this ad, in my opinion, features the need for guidance because of the guy on the TV advising the quality and health benefits of Special K. However, maybe it's just because I'm exhausted from seeing the Harry Potter premiere last night, but I don't see much of the others on Fowles's list. The ad is very straight forward, Dennis James emphasizes the importance of protein (I love how he pronounces it pro-te-in!), so perhaps they are pitching this product with science.

This advertisement is so obnoxious. One, the girl is already SO thin. Why does she need some low-fat cereal that is used as a weight-loss food? Even more annoying is the line, "Because we all know, a girl needs variety to look good". It's stated as if it is some universal secret for women that we need options, and we must use all of them, to fit into that size 2 red dress. It is also expected that there is a need for autonomy here-now women have the freedom and choice to make the best diet purchase for them. If someone who actually NEEDS to lose weight wants to diet, whey can't she have REAL food instead, as opposed to this many ingredient-laden, HFCS filled "food"?

I'm noticing a trend in these Special K ads: each one begins with a sad, down-trodden woman, either wearing gray clothes, or a long coat, in a wintery or cold setting. By the end of the ad, once she discovers the joy of this diet, and the instant gratification of wearing a sexy red dress, everything is sunshine and rainbows. It's saying as if you go on this diet, your life will be happier and more cheerful. I also see a need for affiliation here: by the end of the ad, the woman approaches her friends who are complimenting her. Subconsciously, it is seen as getting the attention for your new body. Coinciding, this is the need for attention, to be looked at, and as Fowles says, "an object of fascination." In the end, these feelings are fleeting, and women are left cold and depressed again-only to look for some other futile dieting method.

Of course one of these ads has to have a guy in a gravely voice, as a pint of ice cream, tempting the lonely woman who is desperate for a late-night (and according to magazines, indulgent and forbidden) snack. There are also sexual undertones with the ice cream saying, "You know you want me", and while it's funny and very corny, the message still lingers. The line, "It gets you your chocolatey fix without undoing your day," tells women that if they do have a pint of ice cream, they are going to ruin all of the restrictive eating habits they had earlier....and therefore, feel guilty for the rest of the night. The more we restrict ourselves, the more we want to binge, and society tells us that losing control once in a while is forbidden: we have to keep ourselves in line, all of the time. It's a vicious cycle that is encouraging by the dieting industry. And of course, an average cereal with "chocolate" (not even good quality chocolate) is NOT going to turn off those cravings.

What do you think of these ads? Especially with how they compare to the old-fashioned one? Interesting that these feature women and not men.

News with Consumerism at it's Core & Violation of Privacy

ttp://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/15/travel.holiday.safety/index.html?iref=allsearch

This is from CNN :

"Federal transport authorities are ratcheting up security measures just ahead of the holiday travel season with an awareness campaign intended to make passengers more proactive in their own safety.The "if you see something, say something" campaign is the government's latest effort to bolster transport security, showcasing advertisements in airports, movie theaters, gas stations and local radio stations, according to a Department of Homeland Security statement on Monday."It is important to remember that every individual has a role to play in keeping our country safe and secure," DHS chief Janet Napolitano said in the statement.

...

"The campaign comes amid growing controversy over airport screening measures that some passengers have complained are intrusive.Over the weekend, a 31-year-old man was fined $10,000 after refusing a pat-down at a San Diego, California, airport.

Sikh advocacy groups in the United States are also publicly opposing airport passenger screening measures they say require hand-searches of turbans, despite the use of electronic imaging technology."

ME:

But is this advertising not only violating our right to privacy and civil liberties but also provoking fear? Should they be able to see a naked image of anyone?

Should the TSA be spending money to advertise about being alert in movie theaters?

I think we have gone way too far!

Also

Also who is promoting these machines:

A man who is working for and financially benefitting from this technology.

Introducing the BlackBerry PlayBook

After the release of Apple's IPad, Blackberry creates Playbook. While Apple ads target young people, Blackberry seems to target those in the professional field. The ads tend to be more modern and professional than Apple ads. I like both Apple and Blackberry and use both but I tend to go for Blackberry more due to their theme of being "professional" and business-like (If you get what I mean lol). Sometimes I feel like Apple is just too mainstream and toy-like (?) because I think of a businessman or woman carrying a blackberry rather than an iphone. What do you guys think!?

The Beatles + iTunes

I was reading the NY Times this morning and one of the most popular articles of the day was about the new founded partnership between Apple and The Beatles (Which seems somewhat odd to say, considering only two of the four Beatles are still alive). Apple is now selling a complete Beatles album for around $150 on iTunes. I don't know whether to be happy because the younger generations can "discover" (if they haven't already) and access this great rock 'n roll music, or a little skeptical that Apple is just using one of the greatest bands of history to further increase revenue. Apple also made a minor comparison in one of their promo ads, stating "In 1964, they came to America. Now, they are on iTunes". I don't think you can compare the arrival of a British invasion band of the '60s to the arrival of their 40 year old classic songs on an online store.

Get Real

Image Credit: YouTube

I saw this ad last week in the corner of the YouTube while I re-watched Consuming Kids for my Sociology class. It was unsettling that while I was watching commentaries unfold about child obesity in America due to less at-home cooking and lack of free play, this ad endorsed much of what the documentary opposes. Also, the notion of Easthampton bank paying its customers to shop blatantly feeds into the consumerism of our society. I assumed that with a “Get Real” Checking account, there would be some sort of catch that entailed spending exorbitant amounts of money to be paid to shop. I found that the bank’s website instructs “Get Real” customers to “use [their] debit card for purchases ten times and earn $5” every month. I do not understand why people can’t just learn to save their money, instead of using the ill-willed logic to spend money to get very little back in return.

Porsche commercial

This commercial is Porsche is terrifying how it presents brand loyalty in children. The boy rushes to the auto dealership after catching a glimpse of the car, to get a better look and feel of the car. As he sat inside the car, the music is scary almost as if it was out of a horror film. He was immediately drawn to the car and imagined himself driving it one day. He got out the car with a satisfying grin and that in itself just goes to show it only takes seconds to win a child's loyalty. The voice over in the end states, "it is quite simply, the purest expression of who we are" uses the popular strategy that the featured product is only real or possible product capable of our expression.

baby's need play station

I just saw this weird advertisement about a doll getting excited about playstation 3. Are they actually saying that babies now need play station instead of rattles and soft toys? Since babies cant actually process this information, it seems like they are telling parents to get videos games for their babies.

Made in China

The other day in class one of my professors showed this video:

This is an effective political commercial, I was a little panicked when it ended. Our teacher explained how this commercial is actually bogus seeing as the United States spent a fraction of what the Chinese government spent on economic recovery packages. Still the fact remains that this commercial, like many other political commercials, was so believable and how much it played on fear. Despite being more media educated than most Americans this commercial still worked on playing with my thoughts. So next time, don't instantly accept the facts that are presented in a political commercial, even if the commercial presents ideas similar to your own. Look up the facts and decide for yourself how you feel about an idea. The most important thing about being a media literate person is not to be able to see what a commercial is trying sell, but being about to form your own informed ideas and opinions about what information is being presented.

(video credit: youtube)

Keeping up with the Kardashians....Literally

I think American pop culture, or culture entirely, has hit a new low.

It's all over the internet now-the news that Kim Kardashian is backing a new prepaid Mastercard that is targeted to YOUTH. I'm not a financially savvy person by any means (and I should probably learn to be especially now that I am in college), so I don't know a lot about prepaid credit cards except that the parent can put an amount of money on the card and the child cannot go into debt on these cards with only a fixed amount of money on them. However, it is the fact that marketers chose the Kardashians, particularly Kim, to market this new product.

If anyone who has seen the E Reality Show, "Keeping up with the Kardashians" (who hasn't?!) they see that this family spends most of the 20 minute time slot arguing, spewing obscenities, and acting overly sexual. Kim is known for making a sex tape and shopping. She wears so much make up and is rumored to have plastic surgery done on her face. She is the symbol of American pop culture: crassness, shopping, and degrading sexuality.

The last thing we need is some vapid celebrity being marketed to children and teenagers. Sure, with this card, teens cannot spend thousands of dollars on clothes the way Kim can with her regular credit card. However, as we know marketers use the "cradle to the grave" ploy, these kids may grow up and use regular credit cards the way Kim might.

There are a myriad of other ways to teach youth about financial responsibility. We don't need a trashy celebrity's help to raise our children. Let's do it ourselves!

Photo courtesy of: http://jezebel.com/5684516/awful-kardashian-prepaid-mastercard-targets-innocent-children