Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Radio Commercial for iPod Restroom Dock

A Tune for Every Situation
Each person is a separate scene thinking to themselves.

Woman: [sighs and has a nervous breakdown]  Oh no, not again...

Man : [wonders] I hope no one can hear me...

Woman: [ Fumbling through drawers and cabinets] They are definitely going to hear me..

 Man: Hmm, what's this?

[sound of someone pushing a button]


Both: [sighing in relief] Now that's better...

VO: No matter what the situation is..
[music starts playing : Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love, then Salt N Peppa - Push It]

VO [playing over the song]: You can always count on the iPod Restroom Dock to make your time... a little less awkward.

[Music fades out and the sound of flushing toilet then a running faucet fades in]

VO: The iPod Dock, a tune for every situation.
 




Nostalgia Marketing and Advertising

For my final essay, I've decided to write about the topic of nostalgia advertising and how it impacts the way people feel and think. Today, many us feel that being vintage is "new"-- new meaning cool and the latest trend. With fashion that we thought was outdated turning its way back around to our time period, everything from the past is slowly creeping its way to 2012. Everyday, there are new creations and inventions, and it is very hectic to keep up with the latest technology. For many us, we feel that life is now on the fast track. Because of the technological glory we are now encountering, what we want even more now is to take a step back and enjoy what we had before-- to enjoy the simpler times of childhood. Everything now is so complicated, and what we yearn for most is to reach back to the past. With this in mind, nostalgic marketing and advertising plays a very effective role in our lives because they know what makes us vulnerable-- our personal side. By being able to promote products and ideas of what we thought was not obtainable again in the future, it brightens up our day knowing that it is still in reach. :)

Creativity in Ads

During this particular week, our class had discussed about how various ads used creative techniques and images to carry out their message. Some have meanings to them, while some are just very interesting to look at and makes no connection to the product whatsoever. Here are several examples of creative ads that I have found very unique:






This Lego ad is very simple and straightforward. It clearly shows a simple Lego piece put together very easily, but its shadow shows us a dinosaur. You can tell that what Lego is trying to tell to its consumers is that with Lego, you can create the simplest thing and have a big imagination. No words or texts are needed, but the images are very well used.












In this ad, Post-It has taken on a whole new level by creating a much larger version of their product (post-it notes) and displaying it out as a billboard. This idea and concept of advertising quickly captures the attention of their targeted audience, and at the same time, is a piece of art that people just like to look at while stopping by.







I'm not quite sure where this ad came from, but the way it was created seemed very interesting to me. The slogan is "Hoy me siento optimista", which translates to "Today I feel optimistic". The way that this ad is created brings a smile to our face with its bright colors and how the text is created by confetti. All of this leads to the idea of optimism which truly does make us feel that way when we look at this ad.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

The New Vintage

Nostalgia marketing can be quite the risk if not done properly. Most of our memories are based upon something very significant that we have experienced or acknowledged, whether for the better or for the worse. As we grow older, we rely more on our memories to reflect back on a time of happiness and joy, in other words, "looking back on the good old days." For instance, Christmas is a major holiday that many people around the world celebrate with their loved ones. It's a time when children are seen racing to the Christmas tree just to open their presents first; a time when young ones leave out milk and cookies for Old Saint Nick. In this case, most of our childhood is remembered wrapped around a joyous and spiritual occasion. By the time we reach our early 20's or so on, these activities that were once such a common act around Christmas begins to slowly fade away from our lives. Childhood is no longer there, and what we yearn for is to get back the good times that we had during our youth.  From this transformation, the idea of nostalgia marketing becomes a great way to advertise to their audience by promoting the idea of what we seek-- "good memories". As stated in an article from The Branding Strategy, "As we age our nostalgic yearnings grow, making us more receptive to advertisers and marketers use of what researchers call 'a longing for positive memories from the past.' "  The positive effects that nostalgia marketing can have on its consumers is by making us feel that what was once there, or in the past, can still be obtained-- it's still in our reach and we don't have to just remember about it. It essentially effects us emotionally, letting us feel as though we're young again or that we are in a particular time period of that positive memory. Coca Cola plays as an excellent example in this approach because of its connection with Christmas/Santa Claus. The Coca Cola brand has been such a widespread in promoting its relationship with Santa Claus that society has begin to believe that the idea of "Santa Claus" has originated from Coca Cola. Not only does the brand have a close connection to the holiday, but the way it is advertised to its consumers with a "vintage-feel" and how Santa Claus is surrounded by toys next to the Christmas tree (childhood) makes us feel at home again-- just like how we remember it. This marketing is usually more effective around special occasions or major holidays because like I mentioned previously, it's a memory that is most significant that sticks to our brains much easier. 

But on the other hand, nostalgia marketing can also be a negative effect. Like how we remember our best times, we also hold onto our worst. Not everyone can relate the same way with a product or event in the past, and by nostalgically advertising, it could bring back negative thoughts and feelings for a certain number of people, making them disconnect with the product. It's not only the negative memory, but according to the BRW article on nostalgia marketing, "companies striving for the positive associations of nostalgia need to make sure they deliver on the promise of the nostalgia itself." In other words, you can look vintage, but it doesn't always mean you are legit. I could not think of a product/company that was unsuccessful, but a company that IS still successful is In N Out Burgers. It's a privately owned chain of burger joints set in California that has kept running since 1948 by Harry Snyder. It's such a simple concept with a diner-look on the inside of the fast food joint. In N Out has a very simple menu: Burgers, Shakes, and Fries. Nothing else. The only differences in burgers are how many patties you want in your burger. Additionally, they keep it simple with their ingredients inside a classic burger, nothing too fancy so that everyone can easily enjoy without asking "what's this?".  For the shakes, there are only simple flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, or Neapolitan. In my opinion, I feel that it is better for them to not expand their menus and just keep it as simple because their concept is to just serve the best classic, American burger. If other varieties were to be placed on the menu, it would take away the essence of the original product. Their classic style has a distinct taste that nothing else can beat, and it is cheap! 

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Harley Davidson

Overall I believe that the Harley Davidson brand and organization resulted in a very positive community. They try to reach out to their audience by not changing their purpose/idea too much, not straying away from what they're known for, which are for their Harley Davidson bikes. Their rugged, tough persona of a biker remains consistent within their brand, and with that in mind, not only does that keep their loyal fans, but attract other consumers to their market as well -- those who are interested to live free and wild. But with such a distinct concept and idea of what Harley Davidson known for, even if you're not into Harleys in particular, or motorcycles in general, you probably know and respect the brand. And there are many people out there who love the brand with body, heart and soul. It makes those who don't own a bike want one, and those who already have one want another one. For Harley Davidson, by creating the Posse Ride, it builds a stronger bond for those that are already a fan of the brand, to get together and just basically, ride and live freely. It's such a simple idea that represents what their whole brand is about and, I thought that this concept was a great way to keep their loyal customers interested as well as attract new ones. While this is a great idea of riding together, I feel like Harley Davidson shouldn't get too involved with this concept because it creates more difficulty for customers and having to keep up with these guidelines of how to become a loyal fan can be hectic. The Posse Ride should allow customers to feel like they're living to do this, not doing this to live. In addition, other ways for Harley to further enhance their brand is by holding conventions, displaying numerous varieties of motorcycles or Harleys by the consumers. This way, it creates another strong community event that can grasp more consumers along the way.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Consumer Behavior


In a business and marketing sense, I do believe that it was the better strategy to to have Coca Cola position itself as the "low-calorie" beverage towards Americans rather than the "diet drink" like those in Europe, but it could have been planned better so that it didn't feel so offensive to other cultures. What's so different about Coke Zero and Diet Coke? Honestly, not that much. According to this article on
differencebetween.net:

"Coke Zero has 0.5 kilocalories per 100ml while Diet Coke contains 1 calorie. It’s been believed that men are more reluctant to buy diet coke because the word ‘diet’ associated with women. Therefore, to market the product ‘Coke Zero’ been produced to associate masculinity. "

 In America, masculinity plays a very important and vital role to represent one's strength, power, and independence. The image that many Americans portray as being a true "man" is maintaining a strong and large physique, showing few to no emotions, and basically playing a dominant role. Words like "diet" represent femininity in the American culture. On the other hand, Europeans happen to portray a softer image compared to the "American standard". In this article I found from the American Men's Studies Association, it explains how Americans come across or see the European culture as more feminine, and those that do not fit the image of manhood fall into the category of being either European or gay.

With all this in mind, though both concepts of a "low calorie" and a "diet" beverage are pretty much the same, however, the name can play a crucial role to how it markets to its audience due to the difference in each one's pop culture.


I don't believe that the idea of the "fake blog" to promote Coke Zero was COMPLETELY unethical because it was just a faster and more efficient way of surveying customers, basically. Yes, this blog did stir up some negative comments, but Coca Cola did achieve its main objective to globally get its "Coke Zero" name across to its audience. Coca Cola probably already knew what was to happen when these blogs were launched, but knowing that they could afford to deal with what's to happen so that they could promote their new product showed that this idea/ purpose was indeed ridiculous, but their goal was reached. In the end, consumers still purchased Coke Zero products with no hesitation, and the name is now globally known. It's all about getting your name out there, and it's like that for everybody (not just products). Even people nowadays would do practically anything just so that they are recognized throughout the world.

Aside from the Coke Zero product, another unsuccessful product would be the Ayds Diet Candy, trying to promote a "healthy" diet for consumers. Though this was created long before the disease of Aids were a major issue or known, it was still unsuccessful in that it was trying to promote the idea of not eating properly and exercising, and instead, just eating this candy diet product. Soon when the disease finally hit and became a great concern by the 1980s, the company was forced to to change its name due to sales drop to about 50% from the publicity of AIDS. Even though the name was changed, the product was soon dropped out from the market.



Tuesday, October 9, 2012

3-D Movies...Really?


When it comes to enjoying your free time, many people would want to hang out and watch a movie. Now a days, the price of movie tickets are drastically increasing, what once was $6.25 in 2005, is now $11.00 in 2012, just to see a general movie. Before, 3-D movies used to be so popular due to how uncommon it was. And when a 3-D movie came out at that time, it really was "3D". Images popping out right at you, feeling as though you could almost grab it. Let's just say, it was well worth the price.

Today, it's not worth it anymore to see a so-called "3D Movie". Nothing directly pops out right at you! It looks as if it were just the general film on a slightly bigger screen that your paying $3- $5 more for. It's NOW that every movie is in 3D, and it's considered a typical thing in film. We need to end this madness of 3D movies, when really, it's not even THAT much of a difference to consider it 3D. We need to put at end to remakes of older films being turned into 3D. For instance:
Step Up 3D. Seriously?
Titanic in 3D. Really now? It should be kept as a classic film.

We need to avoid this:














And bring back THIS:




Bring back the original nature of 3D, where silly cartoons pop right at you, making you feel like you have to dip, duck, dive, and dodge.
 
BRING BACK WHAT USED TO BE A GREAT 3D FILM.



Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Stereotypes: Racism

The role of stereotypes have definitely changed throughout the years as our society has become more accepting and "equal". Pop culture has evolved into a very accepting scene, where it didn't matter what the color of your skin was or where you came from. Many advertisers even try to promote the idea of unity and the freedom to express yourself. Today, we see more television shows and movies that consists a variety of races; however, though many people share the same screen, most of the time it is still a white dominated situation. While the media tries to prove to its audience that they are culturally diverse, it still lacks improvement on portraying equality, rather than making white individuals the dominant character. That is why entertainment today is still categorized or separated by our race. As stated in the NY Times article Broadcasting a World of Whiteness, "Television is nowhere near diverse enough — not in its actors, its writers or its show runners. The problems identified by critics of “Girls” are systemic, traceable to network executives who greenlight shows and shoot down plenty of others. It’s at that level that diversity stands or falls."

Have you ever watched any film or show and noticed that, though they claim to be culturally diverse, there is always at least ONE of every race and more of a white dominance? Popular shows today like Hart of Dixie, Glee, The Vampire Diaries, and Grey's Anatomy all have a variety of characters on the show, but it's still a white dominant show, or at least the whites will be the higher or main characters. Even back in the day, cartoons like Rugrats, Hey Arnold, and Recess depict a white dominance. Not that I'm hating on these shows, because they are a few my favorite shows, but I'm just saying.




It's really funny how we say we are united, but at the same time, we are separated.  For instance, channels such as BET (Black Entertainment Television), you don't see shows such as Friends or Seinfeld on there, that's just crazy. So when it comes to TV shows like My Wife and Kids or any of the Tyler Perry films, they are technically considered "black comedy" or "black entertainment". But what IS "black humor"? What's the difference between their humor and the humor you see on Friends? Isn't comedy JUST comedy, for the joy of laughter? Or dramas JUST dramas? Other than the color of our skins, it doesn't really make that much of a difference. It's clearly just the fact that our own kind would like to see more of ourselves in the public eye, and therefore created separate channels strictly showing MAINLY one race. I feel that even over time, there will not be that much of shift in changing who we see more in entertainment, and that there will always be these separate channels.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Gender Roles in Advertising



When it comes to advertising, what many people do not recognize are how gender roles are portrayed or illustrated throughout the ad. Many of us see it and move on with our lives, never stopping to think why it is the way that it is. Before, society has portrayed the men as the dominant role in generally anything, having the women to either be the support or undermining them. Today, that role has changed, however, many advertisers still rely on dominant male roles to get their message across to their audience. Take for instance, cleaning products. When we see generally any cleaning product in the media, majority of the time it consists of a woman using that product around the household. The idea that a woman's role should be to care for the house, husband, and children are still portrayed in today's society through these commercials. Sure, there are commercials where men are hosting or advertising the product, such as Oxy Clean, but the targeted audience usually would be the women. Before, these traditions would be highly portrayed through many households, but in modern society, gender roles have changed to the point where women are successful enough to take care of themselves and become as equal as the men. So why still target women as these cleaning maids? Why can't the men be the ones enjoying the cleaning routines rather than doing it for the women? As the audience, our minds are so used to the fact that women are meant to care have become so distinct that it will never completely fade away, that we may be equal, but we're always slightly beneath the role of men.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

It's a Sign



 Whether it is comedic, bold, or daring, these signs are what captures our attention and sticks in our brains to make us, sooner or later, purchase these products. Signs should be simple and easy to communicate with its audience, and the quicker that the consumer can understand the concept of a sign, the more prone they will be in buying that product. For me, I've always taken the most interest in comedic campaigns because whatever makes me laugh will stick to my mind much longer. The images displayed above are advertisements of a window cleaner and hot sauce.

In the first advertisement, it conveys a very simple message showing the audience that this particular window cleaner works so well that it will look like a person can levitate, when she is really just lying down a very clean and clear box. The advertisement also does not display any texts because the product is so powerful, there are no need for words and it can simply just be shown to convince their audience.

In the second advertisement, it shows us various images of a hand dryer with a picture of a man blowing down to make it look like he is blowing onto their hands. When something is very spicy, we tend to blow and breathe out of our mouths to cool ourselves down from the heat.  Hand dryers are supposed to produce a strong enough force of wind to dry your hands quickly, and in this case, the ad for the hot sauce states that their product is so spicy that the person in the picture will breathe so heavily that it can dry your hands instantly. Very clever and very funny. :-)

With very few to no words, these advertisements were able to easily illustrate their point across to its audience in a very effective way. It's not always the funny campaigns that make us buy an item, but it is surely entertaining. Signs are what stays in our minds and acknowledge the product, making us question whether to buy it or not. It is a very powerful tool in our society because it is what we see everyday and wherever we go-- magazines, clothes, benches, vehicles, on the road, and even in the sky. Signs are the main source to communicate with the public in a quick and efficient manner. Even though listening to reviews is the reassurance and key point to what makes us purchase the product, signs are what starts the chain. Someone else must have seen the advertisement somewhere and bought the product, and from that review, it gives us an idea if the product was a phony or it really works. 

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Generic Products. Yes or No?

To further elaborate on my previous point, here's a quick video on the taste test between generic products and brands. Most products are very similar to one another, but when it comes down to money issues, many customers prefer to purchase the generic products because, in the end, they all taste pretty much the same. Think about all the money one could possibly save if he/she decides to buy only generic products! While there are times that generic items can seem a bit suspicious, it doesn't hurt to just try it out. You really have nothing to lose-- if anything, you're saving money. But of course, this case mainly applies to groceries and anything that you can simply replace with just a few dollars. When it comes to technology, people become much more hesitant and highly prefer brand names over generic products since they are dealing with several hundred dollars out of their pockets. An $800 laptop cannot be easily replaced as fast as a bag of pretzels in this case. In my opinion, when it comes to technology, I trust brand names much more but that doesn't mean I want to pay full price for it. I'm always on the lookout, comparing prices, and finding out ways that could get me a reliable product and save some Benjamins at the same time. Point is, generic products could be a great path to saving in the long run, but only if you shop wisely, otherwise you could be losing money. :-)

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Brands

What is a brand, or what does it mean to be branded?
Why are people so into names and the names that are trending even though that product might not be useful? why waste your money on that when you can spend it on something else. You may think that the products and brands that you buy will make you become noticed, but in reality, that does not make a major difference as a whole because EVERYONE around you is trying to be the same. You try to make yourself stand out from the rest by purchasing these certain looks and brands for yourself, but you're really only making yourself blend in with everyone else. In my opinion, I don't really go for the name, but quality because it's the quality that lasts and make us stay committed to that product the longest. It's not that I'm hating on brands, but it's just makes me wonder what all the hype is all over these regular products with a cool name?