We all know what goes on during Black Friday, all-nighters, shopping, long lines, angry customers and a few injuries here and there. Personally I have never been shopping on black Friday because of the disturbing, sometimes horrific stories I hear and I’m sure that there are some people who feel the same.
Every year on the days leading up to Black Friday different stores begin airing commercial getting people ready for the special deals and savings available on Black Friday. Some of the commercial ads that air poke fun at all of the chaos that comes along with Black Friday shopping.
Every year Target begins airing their chain of “the crazy woman” commercial ads starring a “crazy” woman who’s anxious for the great items she will buy on sale during Black Friday. These commercials bring the fun and joy back to the holidays and holiday shopping. While people are thinking about the huge head ache that awaits them with holiday shopping they will be reminded of the great deals that await them; people will have the opportunity to get their holiday shopping done for about half the price. A 42 inch flat screen TV for $200, how can you beat that?
These Target ads are funny to watch and they remind shoppers that Black Friday can be chaotic, but there’s still beauty in the experience and the Target commercials bring this to life.
Have you ever been flipping through a magazine and you come across an ad with a female model that makes you ask yourself this question: Is she a real woman or is that a mannequin? Sometimes female models look so perfect that it only seems that their perfection was created rather than natural. Seldom do advertisers use mannequins as models in print ads, but there is a lot of retouching, but why? If we all accept that no one is perfect why does advertising continue to create perfect images when we live in an imperfect world? I also noticed that the question of real .vs. mannequin is one that is more so an issue for women than men.
In general, women become objects of men’s sexual desire; advertising focuses on the female body. Women are placed in awkward positions to “show off the product”, but the exaggerated position the model gives more attention to her body than to the product. The world of modeling has set the standard for the ways female models pose, so the images we see aren’t new.
The question I ask is why can’t we be real? Models aren’t the only people buying the product; there are normal people, with normal jobs who buy Gucci clothing and Michael Kors perfume so why can’t the models be real people doing real activities with the product. People who buy Gucci aren’t usually at parties striking ridiculous poses or laying across couches with every inch of their hair in place lacking any emotion or expression in their faces. The absence of expression in a woman’s face takes away the realness and lifelines of the woman, which is how a mannequin looks.
The next time you’re flipping through a magazine and you come across an ad with a female model ask yourself, real or fake, woman or mannequin.
Men don’t like the idea of girls becoming women. Our fathers want us to be their “little girls” forever, our brothers, younger and older, feel like they have to protect us from the world for forever and our boyfriends and husbands eventually take the place of our fathers and brothers. Imagine growing up in a world where you are constantly growing and maturing, but all of the men around you continue to treat you like you’re still 5 years old. Now imagine that women receive the same treatment from advertising; this should all be easy to imagine since it occurs on a daily.
In advertisements women, in their adult bodies, are often shown in situations or partaking in child-like activities. For example:
This is a perfume ad for Miss Daisy perfume. Nice ad, but the first thing I noticed was the bow in Natalie Portman’s hair. While studying this ad I realized that the bow was probably put in her hair to repeat the design of the perfume bottle, but I still have an issue with the ad. Portman is made to seem sweet and innocent like a young girl and the bow is just the icing on the cake.
Here’s another example:
This ad for Harajuku Lovers perfume is another great example of women being portrayed as little girls in advertisements. The make-up, the hair style the perfume being in a doll shaped bottle all point to this theme of women being seen as little girls. This ad is probably a reflection of the Harajuku culture, but the perfume is sold in the United States as well and a lot of people don’t know about that culture or their style.
These are only two examples, but I could go on for days! We need to show our women in another light and women need to step into that light and stop allowing such images to continue.
Is this a brilliant ad campaign or what? The vibrant colors, the reversed type, and the white IPod with the infamous white headphones are striking and immediately demands attention from the audience. Each ad from this campaign is a little different, but still presents the same theme. When this ad campaign started I was drawn to it immediately. These ads were everywhere and when people saw them they automatically knew that it was an ad for Apple IPods.
One thing that I think makes this a stellar ad campaign is the presence of the brand’s identity. IPods and IPhones are associated with the white headphones that come with them, so without mentioning IPod or Apple anywhere on the ad viewers would know what the product is and which brand it came from just by seeing the white headphones. The neon colors that serve as the background for each ad represent the different colors of the IPOD nano and the black figure strips the identity from the “person” showing that IPods are for everyone. (Even though it’s almost impossible to target everyone they’re doing it!)
Knowing the U.S. has an increasingly high obesity rate, I think it’s create that each ad from this campaign shows movement, whether it’s dance, martial arts or simply walking. It seems that the campaign is encouraging people to not only buy the product, but get more active. Most people listen to music when they’re being active anyways so I think that was brilliant.
These ads are simple, yet striking and fun. Apple 100, everyone else 0!
While doing some research on the Levi brand I came across a few ads that were filled with sexual references, which doesn’t surprise me. What did surprise me was the how far some of the ads went with their sexual references. The sex sells technique in this commercial, much like others was too much.
Just because it’s done backwards, in slow motion doesn’t mean it’s not sex. Levis have some of the raciest ads that I’ve seen and take the “sex sells strategy” to a whole new level.
This Levis twisted commercial is a sexual encounter rewound. The models in the commercial and their positions are very sexual and take the focus away from the product. Our focus is more focused on trying to understand the commercial and what’s going on in it than on the actual product, which we only see for about 10seconds.
It seems to me that if a brand focuses so much on sex to sell a product instead of just letting the product speak for itself, that they don’t have much faith in their product. People will want to buy Levi products because of the quality and appearance not because people who wear them have sex and that’s what I get from this ad.
Another failed attempt on my quest to find ads that don’t use the sex sells strategy to sell their product.
Never Forgotten. Forever Grateful. September 11, 2001 will be a day that we remember for the rest of our lives; it changed our lives forever. In a matter of seconds people lost loved one, monumental buildings were destroyed and New York became a place once associated with historical beauty and incredible fashion now known as the place where tragedy occurred. Those planes that crashed into the Twin Towers took the lives of many innocent people inside those building, claimed the lives of many soldiers who fought the war on terrorists to protect their country and loved ones now having to deal with life without the people they loved.
9/11 was a tragic day that we will never forget; we’ve lost so many people because of it. My little cousin and I were talking when he mentioned that on 9/11 a State Farm commercial aired before the first NFL game of the season and it was a tribute to the state of New York and in remembrance of 9/11 and all those we lost. I expected the typical tribute with 9/11 victims or loved ones of victims telling their story and how they have since moved on; those commercials never get old because 9/11 affected us all. When I walked over to the computer and saw that the commercial I expected to see was not there instead there was this masterpiece:
This commercial is epic and I LOVE it! The emotion this commercial creates is remarkable. This commercial could bring a tear to the eye of the toughest man with the highest testosterone level. This commercial is so beautiful because it shows the beauty that still exists in New York years later. With this commercial New York reclaims what New York stands for; they don’t want people to forget the tragedy of 9/11, but people still need to remember all of the beauty that still exists there.
The children singing the chorus of Alicia Keys and Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” and walking through the streets of New York gives me a sense of empowerment and an effort to “take back the city”. Here is the chorus:
[Chorus: Alicia Keys] New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York,
New York
I must admit that whenever I thought about New York I would automatically associate 9/11 with it and after watching this commercial I think my mind will take a different path; now I will think about this commercial and what it means. On 9/11/2001 New York was a place filled sadness facing tragedy and we are still putting our lives back together after that day. In order for us to continue moving forward we have to take our lives back from that day and making commercials like this is a good way to help. We will never forget the day, but always be grateful that we are still here and have developed an amount of strength to help us get through such a devastating time in history.
A lot of my posts have dealt with the presence of sex and sexual images in advertising to sell a particular product and yet here we are again with another. I know this is a popular strategy because it grabs the audience’s attention, but I still feel think it’s over used and there needs to be a new way to connect with our audience.
I found this Dorito ad from the 2011 Super Bowl and the concept was, in my opinion terrible. The name of the ad is Boys Night In, which makes sense because it’s a Super Bowl ad during the Super Bow when guys are together being macho and eating junk food; I thought that was excellent and a nice start up to the ad. One of the guys enters with a bag of Doritos and is trying to get his friend’s attention and heremains unsuccessful until he eats a Dorito and a sexy woman appears and begins to make out with him. Wanting a little “girl action” of his own the friend, who was previously too busy playing a video game to give his friend a seconf look, takes the bag of Doritos and ate oneand got the same result. The third friend takes the whole bag and pour it in his mouth which ends up creating an orgy. Hmmmm…. Here is where my problem lies.
I think the commercial would have totally still worked if the girls weren’t used, but just the sound of his friend crunching on a Dorito and the presense of the bag stole the guy’s attention away from the game. If the girls were completely necessary for the ad maybe they could have just appeared and not start making out with random guys because they are eating Doritos.
This ad caught my attention because I felt like it was so over the top. The sexual references in this commercial actually took away from the product, in my opinion. Instead of showing the power of Doritos to capture ones attention it shows the power of sexy women to grab male attention, which we have all accepted as true for decades.
Why are tampon ads so ridiculous? I wish I knew. Like any other product there are different brands of tampons competing for profit. Commercial ads for tampons argue that one’s better than the other, one is more absorbent, others are more comfortable and so forth.
Commercial ads typically refer to a woman’s time of the month as her “monthly curse”, “mother nature’s unwanted gift”, “an unwanted visitor” and other phrases to express how much women dread this particular time. During a woman’s menstrual cycle or "time of the month" she is said to be moody, vulnerable and on edge; a common theme present in tampon ads is the relationship between a woman’s “unwanted visitor” and her emotions. Most commercial ads have a similar story line, a woman plans on enjoying a particular event until "Mother Nature" comes and delivers her “monthly gift”. Although the woman may seem upset at first the commercial is supposed to show that with the right “protection”, even "Mother Nature" can’t ruin a woman's fun.
I came across this UbyKotex commercial ad that approached tampon products in a different. This commercial was poking fun at the typical tampon ad and the recurring themes and misconceptions about a woman’s time of the month. I didn’t understand the purpose of the commercial until I watched the entire thing and then I picked up on the sarcasm present in the ad.
This ad caught my attention because it went against typical concepts for tampon ads and actually poked fun at them, but still managed to convey a message and sell a product. One of the reasons I think this commercial and its sarcasm worked is because it addresses many of the issues that I’m sure many people have with tampon ads. For example, there’s almost always a demonstration in the commercial that uses a blue liquid as a representation of the actual menstrual flow. I understand that it may be difficult to use the actual substance in the demonstration, but a blue watery liquid doesn’t do justice to the actual substance, so consumer don’t see the full affect. This ad shows consumers how ridiculous tampon ads are and then just showed their product and allows consumer to make their own decisions. Now consumers won't be fooled by other tampon ads and will choose the product that suitsd them best
One of the major issues with advertising is the audience’s ability to decode a message properly. People may assume that with all the research done before the advertising process even begins that the message behind the ad will be clear, but sometimes that’s not the case. There have been a lot of ads over the years that had to be pulled because the audience got the wrong message from the ad and were outraged; companies never mean to have a negative message in an ad, but sometimes the possibility flies right over their heads. The question is, is this an acceptable excuse?
I came across a few ads that had to be pulled because audiences decoded the message incorrectly and were upset at the message they thought the company was sending. One of those ads was the 2007 ad for the new look of Apple desktop computer. At first glance, I actually thought the ad was a good ad, but after reading the text my opinion changed immediately. The ad says: “The new Mac. You can never be too thin. Or too powerful”. The ad was trying to expressto the viewers that the new look forApple desktops is very thin and fun, but instead it seems like the ad is encouraging weight loss and saying that weight and power go together “hand in hand”.
Of course this ad made people angry, especially organizations like National Organization for Women (Now) that deal with body images issues a lot. The ad was eventually pulled and Apple released a statement apologizing and explaining that the message was not intended to be about body image/weight, but was this enough?
It’s true that we all make mistake in our professional careers at time, but when is it not acceptable. Personally I think that companies like Apple make too much money to make mistakes like this. The fact that Apple is not the only company to have made mistakes like this is startling. We need to do better!
When I think of a public service announcement (PSA) I think of those calling attention to impoverished countries or people suffering from HIV/AIDS and asking for our “friendly donations”. When I went to my Communications Research course last week Thursday and was told that we were going to watch a PSA, by Women’s Aids organization, on domestic violence I imagined that it would look somewhat similar to the PSAs I’ve seen in the past, boy was I wrong.
When the PSA about domestic violence began it looked like a clip taken from a movie. The clip was centered around what was supposed to be a “regular working woman” who comes home to an apartment that looks like the setting of a home invasion or kidnapping scene. A man emerges and I thought it was an intruder, but it turned out to be the woman’s upset boyfriend who proceeds to slap and punch her in the face until she falls to the ground and then kicks her.
At the end of the clip a screen pops up and it says: “2 women die from domestic violence every week. Help save lives. Donate $2 a month”. If I wasn’t confused before I was definitely confused now. How will donating $2 a month stop domestic violence? I understand that there are shelters and different programs to help women dealing with domestic violence and the money will go to that in some form or another, but I don’t think this was the correct platform to express a need for donations. Now I was questioning the reason behind this Women’s Aid PSA. I thought the purpose of the PSA was to bring about awareness on the issue. I know that public service announcements ask for donations all the time, but I don’t think this one got the point across to the audience so when donations are asked for at the end it seems out of place.
When I think of a PSA I think of real people, dealing with real issues and needing help; this PSA was a skit, so it lacked the realness of other PSAs that would make people want to help or donate money.
And the sex continues. In a previous post of mine I touched upon the use of sex and sexual images in advertising to sell different products. This technique has been by advertiser for years and I really think it’s time for something new.
The major issue I have with the use of sexual images in advertising is that it’s a technique that’s used to much and often times the product is barely visible; the sex takes center stage while the product, which is the purpose for the advertisement, is an afterthought. Sometimes it seems like the use of sexual images in an ad could actually turn some consumer away from the ad/product and that’s the exact opposite of what the ad is supposed to do.
I came across this Nike ad in a magazine I was reading and it made me stop because I didn’t know what in the world the ad was advertising. After reading the “I have THUNDER thighs” explanation provided in the article I was still left wondering what was being advertised. Everything about the ad encourages me to believe that the ad is advertising strong and athletic, women’s thighs. Can this be true? Nike advertises shoes, athletic wear and now body parts. This cannot be true?
Some of you may be reading this thinking, is this girl crazy because the ad is clearly advertising women’s athletic shorts. I acknowledge that the shorts are in some way the overall product being advertised, but why name the ad “I have THUNDER thighs” and play on the entire notion of thighs if that’s not the product. This is a perfect example of the sexual image becoming the main focus of an advertisement and the actual product being an afterthought.
So I ask that the next time you see an advertisement you ask yourself what they are trying to sell you. A lifetstyle? An image? Sex? Or a product?
Following a discussion in my adpr1400 course last week I can’t seem to get the images we are shown in commercial ads for the Humane Society out of my head. During the discussion my colleagues and I began to wonder if we have actually ever seen a commercial ad for the Humane Society encouraging viewers to come and adopt a pet or were we all drawing on images that we could recall from advertisements encouraging people to donate money to help save abused/mistreated animals. This topic is very interesting to me because the only ads I can recall seeing are those that try to guilt viewers into donating money to help save mistreated animals.
As someone who doesn’t own a pet or have the desire to, I was unaware that people could actually go to the Humane Society and choose an animal to “adopt”. Some may find my confession surprising but put yourself in my shoes. If you are someone who doesn’t see pet ownership as something you would be interested in for a variety of reasons, one being your dislike/fear of animals, your knowledge on the subject will be limited compared to those who see pet ownership as a necessity. Those who are less informed about ways to go about pet ownership receive their information mainly from different forms of advertising.
The first Humane Society commercial is the one that we typically see aired on television. The commercial is designed to evoke a sense of guilt in viewers and encourage them to donate money to help take care of abused/injured animals. Images of physically and emotionally abused animals flash throughout the entire commercial with a slow melody playing in the background which does create a sad mood.
The second commercial takes a different spin on the Humane Society outlook and what it has to offer. This commercial shows a lot of fun and happy animals; there is some comedy added to the commercial as well because some of the animals in the video are “talking” about how they would be wonderful pets for their potential owners. This commercial is the one that we need to see, but why don’t we see it.
I think the lack of positive images and information about how to go about ADOPTING pets from the Humane Society shows viewers one aspect of what it has to offer; viewers see the Humane Society as a place that shelters helpless animals and needs donations to keep business afloat. This image might encourage some animal lovers to go adopt a pet or get involved while it may deter others from doing the same thing by affirming their preconceived notion. Contrary to preconceived notions help by many people interested in buyinga new pet, all of the pets from the Humane Society don’t have physical defects or suffer from abuse, potential owners will receive information that tells them all about the pet they are interested in (shot records, background, etc.)
There needs to be more actual commercial ads for the Humane Society as a place where one can pick up a loving pet to serve as an addition to their families and not just those that make viewers feel guilty.
This commercial was released earlier this year and I have hated it ever since the first time I saw it. The entire concept of this commercial disturbed me because I think the portrayal of women in the commercial is stereotypical; the fact that the mud seemed to be a representation of strong-minded, opinionated women today was very disturbing. The “mud” was making valid points as to why the wet Swiffer are better than other regular wet mops, but because the “mud” was making her points using a condescending tone that listeners would be turned off. The “mud’s” tone of voice also makes her valid points go unnoticed. Personally, whenever the commercial aired I kind of just tuned the woman playing the mud out and just watched the commercial because her voice was annoying; my hearing automatically shut off because I had made up my mind that nothing of importance would come from a woman acting so “stuck up”. Although this commercial was probably intended for female audiences I think it represents women in a negative light. I think the “mud” was a symbol for the gold-digger type of woman who wanted the best things in life and she wouldn’t dare waste her time on anything but the best, and as soon as she sees something she wants she goes after it. This commercial also shows the lack of importance that we place on women in society. I think this commercial sent an unintended message that women were only good for cleaning, nagging and being gold diggers.
Another issue I have with this commercial is that I think it’s about time that we see a commercial for household cleaning that’s geared towards men instead of aiming all household related ads to women.
At first glance what do these ads seem to be advertising? When I first came across these ads I thought perfume or some new grocery store was being advertised. There was an article that went along with these ads, which helped me determine that these ads were actually for an Italian clothing line, Sisley. The Sisley campaign is set in Laundromats and grocery store, described in the article, Sisley Fall/ Winter 2010/2011 Ad Campaigns,as the normal hangout spots for “urban junkies and normal people”. After I discovered that the ad was actually an advertisement for a clothing, I then asked myself why have a grocery store setting and why were the models in overly sexual positions.
While looking at these ads the famous line “sex sells” popped into my head and I began to wonder why. Why is it that advertising uses sex or the idea of sex as a tool to sell a variety of products? I then asked myself is advertising really trying to sell a product or a lifestyle. I would argue that advertising is actually trying to sell a product by promoting a certain lifestyle. For example, in the first photograph the model’s clothes are barely visible, but this is supposed to be an ad for the clothing line. Instead of focusing on the clothes, the photograph uses the model’s sex appeal to draw audiences in and keep them interested. This ad implies that the Sisley line makes women feel more sexy and will make them desirable to others.
The ad that has the girl lying on the floor in the grocery store surrounded by cucumbers disturbs me the most. When someone first looks at this ad, their attention will first be focused on the setting and the fact that the model is holding the cucumber in a sexual manner; only after funneling through all of the sex appeal in the ad will audiences focus their attention on the actual product being advertised.
I think the sexual presence in ads actually takes away from the product. There will be some people who actually embrace the sexuality expressed throughout ads, but there will also be others who agree with me, that using sex to sell a product actually make one develop ill feelings about that product. It’s time for advertisers to find a new strategy for selling products rather than repeating the ever popular “sex sells” concept because it’s over done and we need outgrow that kind of thinking.
It’s all about lights, camera, action with Express. Express, an American retailer, reminds me of life in the fast lane, equipped with runways and nights on the town. This brand allows everyday consumers to express themselves through fashion. I would describe this brand’s personality similar to how I would describe my own: fun, energetic, edgy and sophisticated. The style and coloring of the merchandise makes me think of a fun night out with friends dancing and just enjoying life; I love going out with my friends and getting a little wild, but in the back of my mind I know that the decisions I make now can impact my future; I’m still very classy and sophisticated when out having fun.
Express is different from its competitors because the merchandise is of high quality, fashionable and affordable. Other retailers don’t possess all 3 qualities. Some brands may produce fashionable merchandise but costs consumers an arm and a leg or the merchandise is affordable but of poor quality. I’m different from others because I am a well-rounded individual. I’m serious, yet playful and stern yet flexible. I think too many people feel like the only way to the top is to be cruel and step over everyone else to get to the top, that’s not me. I want success, but I don’t want to get there by hurting my loved ones and making others suffer.
One reason I am most like this brand is because I take pride in my “product”.The Express brand delivers high quality clothing at an affordable price; although some items may seem a bit pricey the merchandise is worth the every penny. It’s clear that Express brand is delivered with pride from the high quality of the merchandise down to the shiny floors in each store. My product, on the hand, is myself. After finishing college we will have to go into the real world and try to “sell” ourselves to different companies and organizations we wish to work for. I take pride in everything I do; I am proud to have my name attached to every project/assignment I finish. I take pride in the way I carry myself, both physically and emotionally, inside and outside of Marquette University. Pride makes me push myself.
Another reason the Express brand represents me best is because I love fashion. Express sells edgy, high-fashion clothes at a price I can afford.
Although the majority of the Express line is inspired by high fashion, nightlife, there is also a selection of business casual attire and not only is this similar to my own wardrobe, but it also describes me as a person. I love to party and have fun like any other college student, but I also know that working hard is even more important; I understand there is a time to have fun and a time to get work done and meet deadlines. The Express brand is over the top fun, yet reserved and responsible just like me!
