"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said."- Peter Drucker
Friday, April 23, 2010
A Powerful Commercial from Sussex Safer Roads Partnership
WOW!.. is all I have to say about this emotionally powerful commercial from the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership. No wonder it was among the top on the viral charts.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wearing Black Makes You More Aggressive
- "Black is the color of authority and power. Black outfits can also be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof or evil." (Source http://www.infoplease.com/spot/colors1.html)
What does this all mean for advertising?
Color psychology plays a big role in decisions concerning the design of an advertisement, or even a brand logo. Color psychology may determine why one color may be better suited than another for an advertising campaign based on the feelings and emotions that it evokes in the consumer.
Color psychology plays a big role in decisions concerning the design of an advertisement, or even a brand logo. Color psychology may determine why one color may be better suited than another for an advertising campaign based on the feelings and emotions that it evokes in the consumer.
It all has to do with the emotion, feeling, and subliminal connotation that we, as humans, attach to certain hues. For example, whereas a color like blue is generally known to evoke a sense of relaxation and calming in humans, a color like red does the opposite by getting us worked up.
Become a Character from Your Favorite TV Show/Movie!
Applications which allow the viewer to become a character in their favorite TV show or movie, simultaneously create a greater connection between the product and its audience. It is a fun marketing tool, targeted mostly to younger audiences.
Here are some websites which let you create your own character based on your favorite TV show/movie..
MAD Men
MAD Men
"Mad Men Yourself"
MTV's Jersey Shore
"Jerzify Yourself"
"Jersey Shore Yourself"
Avatar
"Avatarize Yourself"
South Park
"SP Studio"
Brand Obsessed- Chanel Cupcakes
Brand Obsessed..
The consumer is so attached to the brand's image that she incorporates it in her daily life and extends it to aspects well beyond those intended to uphold the the brand name.
Chanel and Burberry cupcakes anyone? I doubt Chanel will be opening up a bakery anytime soon.. but I bet these creations taste (psychologically) 10X better than any ordinary unmarked cupcake ;)
Chanel and Burberry cupcakes anyone? I doubt Chanel will be opening up a bakery anytime soon.. but I bet these creations taste (psychologically) 10X better than any ordinary unmarked cupcake ;)
Old Navy: Dehumanization of Humans, Humanization of Mannequins
- who can master the "art of standing"
- who will be the best at "wearing clothes"
- who can hold a big "plastic smile" the longest
- "get in touch with your plastic side"
- "never give up your dreams of being fake"
This commercial, which dehumanizes humans as wanting to be the perfect mannequins, encourages people (especially young girls) to be "fake" in order to be pretty by placing emphasis on "perfection". Furthermore, it literally removes an element of human spirit which was prevalent in Old Navy ads before, and turns humans into objects and palettes for the clothing.
Personally, I think this ad is not only creepy but also sends out the wrong message to young girls. Old Navy, enough with the creepy mannequins. Bring back some life to your brand!
Personally, I think this ad is not only creepy but also sends out the wrong message to young girls. Old Navy, enough with the creepy mannequins. Bring back some life to your brand!
Doggie Dentures
A really funny advertisement from Pedigree. How can you not love it!? Enjoy!
Aside from the apparent humor, I like the approach of this commercial because it gets the viewer's attention right away by introducing a ridiculously funny product- Doggie Dentures. It quickly grabs the viewer's attention only to dismiss the fake product and reintroduce the actual product- Dentastix, while the viewer is still engaged and amused.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Kotex U Beaver
Absolutely hilarious "Kotex U" commercials for its Australian advertising campaign. Surprised I hadn't seen these ads sooner because they've been around since 2008.
And, YES the beaver represents exactly what you think.
A little different than your average tampon commercial, isn't it?
A little different than your average tampon commercial, isn't it?
"The Last Ad Agency On Earth"
The Last Advertising Agency On Earth from FITC on Vimeo.
Personally, I'm going to have to disagree. Advertising is here to stay. As long as businesses want to stay ahead of their competition, you bet they will invest whatever money they need in order to make people pick their product over another.
Seth Godin, & annoying pop-up ads
"Selling to people who actually want to hear from you is more effective than interrupting strangers who don't."- Seth Godin
I can attest to this because I absolutely HATE pop-up advertisements on the internet. They do nothing for me, but rather annoy me and make me mad. There is nothing that can annoy me more than a screen full of endless pop-ups that spring up out of nowhere and interrupt me while I'm focused and working on something. My instinct is to just get rid of them as soon as I can, which leaves no time for me to pay attention to what they are actually offering.
Bottom-line, funding for pop-up advertisements on the internet is a waste of money because they are quite simply unwelcome and irritating.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Baby Toupee!
People will buy anything.
One of these could be yours for $21.99 ...
.. PLUS the price of resentment your kid will have towards you later in life.
The Fun Theory?
"Fun" changes behavior? It sure does, as you can see in this viral video.
Making something more enjoyable can obviously make someone want to do it more. Simple enough, right?
The Jersey Shore is going global!
MTV is set to air its 'Jersey Shore' in 30 countries overseas. Building on its overwhelming success here in the states, MTV is eager to extend its audience, and profits, by introducing the show to foreign countries- among them being in Europe, South America, and Asia.
The question for the show's marketers is, of course, how they will be able to translate the unique American "guido" lifestyle to people in countries who are not the least bit familiar with such a thing. This should be interesting.
Are people going to boycott the images, or will these foreign countries gain a following of self-made guidos?
I entertain myself with the idea of voice-overs for the show or hilarious misinterpreted translations .
The funniest quote from the NY Times article:
"What MTV was trying to translate, really, is a way of life — what the Situation and the other characters call “G.T.L.,” or “gym, tan, laundry,” or as it will be known in Latin America, “gimnasio, bronceado, lavanderÃa.”Well doesn't it then become GBL instead of GTL? This is probably one of many, in a string of meanings, to be lost in translation from the Jersey Shore show overseas..
“Keep in mind that you cannot control your own future. Your destiny is not in your hands; it is in the hands of the irrational consumer and society. The changes in their needs, desires, and demands will tell you where you must go. All this means that managers must themselves feel the pulse of change on a daily, continuous basis…. They should have intense curiosity, observe events, analyze trends, seek the clues of change, and translate those clues into opportunities.”- Michael J. Kami
The tampon commercial revolution?
A groundbreaking campaign for feminine products challenges the typical approach to commercials of this kind. Filmed as a parody of typical tampon advertisements, "Kotex U" brand feminine care products sends out a message of genuineness and realness which attempts to appeal to REAL women in REAL situations.
I see this campaign as being a precedent for other feminine care brands to, perhaps, change their approach in appealing and connecting more to their consumer.
Could this be the end of the "women-in-white-pants-doing-yoga" tampon ads? Who does yoga in white pants during their period anyways?
The new, hilarious, and very unorthodox tampon commercials below ->
Click Here to go to the New York Times article
Ad clutter calls for a change in advertising strategies
Ad clutter is changing the course of traditional advertising. It is getting more and more difficult to get noticed from all the clutter of ads out there.
It is more important than ever to BE DIFFERENT and to think out of the box so that your company can actually get noticed from the rest.
Black Barbie Doll cheaper than White Barbie Doll.
Controversy arises over the clearance mark on a black Barbie Doll which was sold for half the price of its white counterpart, standing side-by-side on a Walmart shelf.
The justification for this seems completely legitimate to me, and is a basic part of inventory management in retailing-- marking down a lower sales item from its original price in order to increase sales.
People caught up on the topic of race will try to point out anything as being racist, but the fact of the matter is that race had nothing to do with the marking down of the price of the black Barbie doll. It so happens that it just had lower sales, so it had to go on clearance like any other item in a similar situation.
Perhaps Walmart should have been more conscious of the controversy that this would cause and should have opted for a different way to increase sales for the item. Maybe they should have just marked down both the black and white Ballerina Barbie, instead of just the one.
Although I do not think that Walmart was being discriminatory nor racist in the marking down of the black Barbie, they were clearly being irresponsible by not looking ahead to the controversy that this action would cause.
Click Here for the Article
Advertising in subway cars
I've come to realize how incredibly effective subway car advertising is. I take the subway everyday to school. Perhaps the only thing that keeps an awkward subway ride somewhat comfortable is being able to read the advertisements on the train, instead of having to stare at a stranger directly in front of you. Everyone checks out the ads on the subway, whether it's a 2 minute ride or a 30 min. ride, you will almost definitely look around you in the car.
Whereas overrated ads at Times Square get lost in clutter and you're lucky if you remember just one, subway trains serve as a perfect location for the advertiser to address you directly and almost personally- wherein you are almost sitting down for him, listening to what he has to say and giving him your time to present you with this information. It's a tragedy that bigger companies have not realized this incredible potential because for the most part, it is the smaller ventures- like the "Learn English Lessons" and lawyer offices- that are most common in subway car advertisement. Although, I am beginning to see larger companies like Armani Exchange, Google, and major liquor companies take advantage of the opportunity.
Most effective are the all-out decorated subway cars that are fully designed inside as well as outside to carry the product information. These are hard to miss. Still, I recall seeing a subway car painted blue with a bunch of flowers on it, and while yes it was very noticeable, the name of the brand was lost in it and I found myself questioning what was actually being advertised. Wasted attempt.
So what is my point?
Take advantage of subway car advertising, and don't let the brand message get lost in the ad design.
Your designer bag is carrying you.
Although rather old news to us now, these Marc Jacobs ads seem to remind us of the overwhelming power and influence of commodities over the actual consumer.
The bag seems to be carrying a dismembered or even dead body, shown with disfigured legs hanging out of the bag. This was a pretty controversial ad when it emerged, but it shows us metaphorically that the commodities themselves are consuming the actual consumer.
Similarly, the ad below displays the consumer within the bag and illustrates a sense of power of the product over the consumer. Brands are creating our identities. We are becoming the thing that is being carried rather than carrying the bag. Brands are carrying us.
The bag seems to be carrying a dismembered or even dead body, shown with disfigured legs hanging out of the bag. This was a pretty controversial ad when it emerged, but it shows us metaphorically that the commodities themselves are consuming the actual consumer.
Similarly, the ad below displays the consumer within the bag and illustrates a sense of power of the product over the consumer. Brands are creating our identities. We are becoming the thing that is being carried rather than carrying the bag. Brands are carrying us.
Born into consumer culture..
-Juliet B. Schor, "Born To Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture"
The truth is that we are all born into a consumer culture. What better representation of this is there than the picture above.
To be like an Olympic athlete, eat McDonald's!
Watching the Olympics, I have noticed a series of ridiculous McDonald's ads which play on kid's hopes to be like the athletes that they are routing for.
The line goes like this:"You don't have to be an Olympic athlete to eat like one."
It is supplemented with images of famous athletes eating McDonald's; and in a similar commercial, a little girls' hockey team goes to McDonald's to "eat like the Olympic hockey team."
Really? The closest thing that will get you to becoming an Olympic athlete is by eating McDonald's? I doubt Olympic athletes even eat McDonald's at all! Shame on you, McDonald's, for preying on hopeful young athletes and trying to ruin their dreams by getting them to eat McDonald's and get them fat! That might be a little harsh, but these ads really annoy me.
Nevertheless, they seem to be rather effective especially for young children watching, who don't know about the adverse health effects of eating McDonald's.
(first published on my other blog on February 28, 2010)
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