Appropriate?

This ad is one of the ones shown by MTV in the past and has been banned. It may just be me personally, but when I saw this ad, at first I did not read the text, I simply focused directly in the image in the background which clearly is a picture of the twin towers in the midst of the 9/11 attack. But back to the ad, I do not see this ad as a smart, appropriate, or even the slightest bit mindful of what people (and our entire country) experienced during this hard time. I can definitely see why this ad was banned. I just think there were so many different ways in which MTV could've spread awareness of HIV and AIDS.

Ready to quit?

First of all the title "Ready to quit?" is an anecdote ... as this is the last posting.

Back to the Ad. We constantly see these kind of ads, they mainly advice us to stop smoking, over drink etc... But do they truly work?
I find this ad funny and compelling. It is a smart way to deliver a message but how efficient can humor be?
Feel free to comment on this.

The Power of Ads

It's interesting how ads evolved throughout the passage of time. Ads were first used for the consumers to identify the source but changed over time to be something much greater. From blogging, I realized how ads play a significant role - oftentimes reflecting societal values and views.

Before I decided to take this class, I always thought that I had a lot of power as a consumer. I mostly ignored ads, and so, I thought that I was the one making the rules.  But I realized that the power of ads wasn't always determined by its power of forcing people what to buy. Instead, the power of ads lies in its role of creating and/or enforcing societal values.

Every day, people see thousands of ads. With so many images, people can be influenced by the picture and the depiction of an ad. For instance, when teenage girls see many fashion models - thin and tall - in a fashion magazine, they may see them as the symbol of female beauty. Also, when people see images of cute, friendly mascots, they might associate the brand with inviting emotions. Overall, ads have significant power in determining societal norms and emotions.

Out of the blog posts, my favorite post would have to be one featuring the Nintendo 3DS. As an avid gamer, I realized how much the company tried to appeal to a broad audience by using famous celebrities. But by doing so, Nintendo alienated its true supporters. I personally don't watch television, but by participating in this blog post project, I realized how companies use questionable tactics in order to make more profits. As a whole, this blog project made me more aware of my role in the consumer culture.

How to get big like Spotify

 

Doesn't this advertisement have such a catchy tune that it makes you want to dance? But this isn't the only reason Spotify has become ever so popular among teens. 

Some great selling points:

1) It' s free!

2) There is no other comparable competitor.

3) Offers free 30 day trial of their paid premium service.

4) It has a high standing in social media outlets like Facebook. (free advertising)

5) Has a strong social aspect with sharing music between friends.

Offering free "teaser" trials have become a popular way to advertise their services with first hand experience that teaser the costumer into wanting the product. Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime also have these teaser trials where they charge you at the end of the trial monthly (making it easy to forget to cancel, and the price small enough not to care). But all these subscriptions add up after a year, is $10 a month ($100 a year) times three really worth it?

Give Thanks

        Looking back on all of the advertisements that have been posted on this blog, I noticed that not many were very positive. Many depict our culture as one that thrives on buying and buying and feeding the monster that is the consumer world. However true this may be, I want to point out that there are exceptions to this common thought. Therefore, I thought it would only be fitting to end my contribution to this blog on a positive note. This time of year, as crazy as it can be with all the shopping and cooking and the family reunions, is also meant to be a time to give thanks for all of the great people we have in our lives. It is meant to be a time to give thanks for all of the great things that have happen this year to us. The holidays are a time to be with those we love, to share and create joyful memories; nothing should be more important than that. This commercial by St. Jude reminds us to treasure the precious moments we share with our loved ones, as not many have the same privilege that we do.

       On a daily basis we take for granted the simplest forms of interactions that we have with those around us. Arguing with our parents because we are always on the phone or the computer or being screamed at for creating a mess in the house. The day to day interactions that we always take for granted are those that we often remember during troubling times. As this commercial stated, many parents whose child is a patient of St. Jude wish they could go through this daily routine. This commercial begs the viewer to reflect on the everyday blessings that he/she may have; for this reason I am always glad to see commercials done by St. Jude. They are the most innocent ones we have on our airways; this itself speaks volumes. The holidays are a time to give, so why not give to a good cause. I am proud to say that my parents are proud patrons for St. Jude. They know that their money is going to go somewhere that is actually needed. I too hope to one day give the St. Jude because it is a good cause. When almost every advertisement that we come across in our daily lives tells us to buy or splurge; it is nice to have one that encourages us to give to those that might not be as fortunate as us. So this holiday season, give thanks.

Political Advertisements: How Far is Too Far?

After our discussion in class about political advertisements, I wanted to see if today's political ads were just as uncalled for and vicious as ads used in previous years.
Considering this was an election year, it was fairly easy to find political advertisements relevant to today's issues. This one however completely shocked me, for it viciously attacks Mitt Romney by implicitly blaming him for a woman's death.
The ad, sponsored by Barack Obama, starts off with a man claiming that  Romney's plans to cut down a power plant directly affected his life. He states that once he lost his job, he could no longer afford health insurance. Because of this, he states that his wife hid the fact that she was seriously ill. It wasn't until the man himself saw that his wife was sick that he brought her to the hospital. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with stage four cancer and died twenty-two days after her diagnosis. Overall, the ad implicitly states that if Romney had not closed down the power plant, then this man would have been able to provide proper health care during the early stages of his wife's cancer. If this happened, he possibly could have saved her life.
I'm not saying this is a bad ad because it attacks Mitt Romney; I am personally not a fan of his and did not vote for him in this election for various reasons. Yet, I still think this ad crosses the morality line. Yes, it was horrible that Romney closed the power plant down. Still, stating that he caused someone's death, especially when it was done indirectly, gives the ad's audience a false impression of Romney. I know Romney is not a good candidate for President, but he is definitely not a murderer.
This ad specifically relates back to the flower girl ad presented in class Thursday. It attacks our need to nurture and protect. When I first saw this ad, I initially felt sorry for the man for losing his wife. After a second look, I realized that this ad is exaggerated and dramatized. Because of this, many are left stunned and angry at Romney for allowing this to occur. In reality, Romney probably didn't know this resulted until he saw the advertisement. Presidential candidates have much more to do than focus on individual accounts of loss. All in all, this ad pushes the envelope and I believe it could have carried the same message in a less extreme manner.

Pens for "Her"

I meant to post this a while ago, when I mentioned it in class, but it slipped my mind.  Here it is: Bic has produced a line of ballpoint pens specifically for women!!  I know that I, for one, have often found pens too masculine for my delicate fingers.

Seriously.

The comments on the Amazon page give me hope for humanity, though.  People are very very funny, and there's some great satire here.