After much thought about what I wanted to blog about this week I figured I would write about something that a few people in our class seem to have strong opinions on: sex appeal in advertising and how that affects women in particular. Considering that we just covered this topic I’m sure that many of us are more sensitive to the commercials we see and what message appeal they utilize.
The Axe commercials have created a lot of hype recently, it seems that the company is able to quickly turn out new scents and products and advertise them in creative/interesting ways. There is a new ad on TV about the chocolate-scented Axe spray, depicting a man that has turned into a human size piece of chocolate and women want to literally take a bite out of him, even lick his face. This is only one example of the commercials created by Axe that clearly uses sex appeal to gain viewers attention. Obviously, this commercial is not targeted to young females but to young men anywhere from their early teens to mid-thirties. I’ve listened to a couple of my peers talk about how they think that this kind of commercial portrays women in a negative way, as if we are only meant to sexy. I tend to go back and forth on my opinion whether I believe this kind of ad campaign is in bad taste or not. Would I feel differently if I worked for a company that produced ads like that or would I want to work for them in the first place? I know many males my age that use Axe and I personally think that the body spray and wash smells great, however, there may be a way of advertising the product in a classier style. Additionally, there was a commercial that we watched in class that was advertising a beer that had been placed on the lower part of a woman’s back, moving back and forth, and multiple hands where reaching for the beer from the back and front of the woman. Again, this ad wasn’t targeted for young women and there is no doubt in my mind that it was effective for male viewers. I’ve been paying more attentions to the ads I see and I don’t see many that portray men in an outright negative manner. I hear frequently about commercials getting pulled from the air due to inappropriate material, whether it is for language, sex, etc. It makes me wonder how the commercials above are much different except for the fact that maybe they do it in a more subtle way. Sex appeal is one of the four core message appeals and seems to be an effective way of reaching targeted market segments, but where do we draw the line? Is there justification in offending one particular gender solely because a company is able to increase sales? This also ties in with the topic concerning ethics in advertising.
My purpose for choosing this topic was to see how many women are actually offended by advertisements like this and if so, do you think it perpetuates the idea that females are only good for one thing. On the contrary, I know girls that have no feelings towards the subject at all, and find the commercials funny. I don’t think there is one right way to feel about it but just a matter of opinion. It will be interesting to see as years go on if we start to pull away from such sexual ads or if they only get more provocative. It would be nice to hear some people’s opinions if this topic has any sort of significance to you.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
RCS 362-Message Appeal
There are four types of message appeals that advertisements tend to fall into. These are humor, appeals to fear, appeals to guilt, and sex appeal. The main goal of each of these message appeals are to enhance MOA, standing for motivation, opportunity, and ability. Advertisements play on all four of these in the hope to motivate audiences to take action. Now that I have become aware of this topic, as I turn on the TV or look through books and magazines I am able to pick out which advertisements are using which type of message appeal. Even though an ad uses message appeals does not guarantee that it will be effective.
I chose two advertisements that worked for me and two that didn't, meaning they effected either the way I felt about something or motivated me to want to change or adopt a certain action or they didn't effect me at all. The ads that worked for me were the commercial that we watched in class about miscarriages caused by smoking and the commercials about the importance of alarm systems in one's home. The first commercial addresses how many miscarriages will happen this year due to smoking cigarettes and really hits home for many women, many of whom see themselves becoming mothers one day. I never really thought that the anti-smoking advertisements were ever really effective because many that already smoke understand the dangers of smoking and choose to still do it. However, when you bring the idea of harming another person, much less an unborn child, peoples views begin to change. I know that if I was a pregnant mother that was still smoking and watched that commercial it would certainly appeal to guilt in the most extreme form, causing me to really think twice about what I was doing. I know we are all familiar with the commercials depicting someone breaking into a home, a symbol of safely and comfort for most of us. The commercial is advertising a home alarm system, however, I think it is especially effective because it plays on our sense of fear. I know that one of my biggest fears is a stranger breaking into my home and every time I see that commercial I think about installing an alarm system which would better equip me with a peace of mind.
Two advertisements that didn't seem to work for me were, of course, the Axe commercials and a paper ad that is in our textbook on page 285. Axe is somewhat of a new concept for most of us, coming about in just the past couple of years. Since then it seems that the company comes out with a new scent almost monthly and a taste less commercial to accompany it. The commercial about the new chocolate scent depicts a man literally turning into a piece of chocolate and every where he goes women are taking a bite out of him, whether it be his arm, butt or even licking his face. Obviously the message here is that if you wear this cologne, women will flock to you, however, I personally believe it is in bad taste and does not have any sex appeal. I don't wear cologne so I would clearly not be apart of the target audience for this commercial but I know that I wouldn't want my boyfriend or even guy friends to wear it. (Who wants to smell like chocolate anyway?) The ad that I saw in our textbook was promoting Brita water filters. The picture illustrates old, rusty pipes that water runs through and at the bottom of it we read, "Only Brita has a 2-stage filter. So even if there's sediment in your pipes, it won't get in you." My apartment was built in the 1930's so you would think this would be something that I would be interested in, but the reality is that it's not. Maybe it just isn't something that I care enough about and maybe I would feel differently if I had a family with kids that were drinking this water. Clearly this was meant to appeal to fear but in laymen's terms, it simply didn't do the trick.
I chose two advertisements that worked for me and two that didn't, meaning they effected either the way I felt about something or motivated me to want to change or adopt a certain action or they didn't effect me at all. The ads that worked for me were the commercial that we watched in class about miscarriages caused by smoking and the commercials about the importance of alarm systems in one's home. The first commercial addresses how many miscarriages will happen this year due to smoking cigarettes and really hits home for many women, many of whom see themselves becoming mothers one day. I never really thought that the anti-smoking advertisements were ever really effective because many that already smoke understand the dangers of smoking and choose to still do it. However, when you bring the idea of harming another person, much less an unborn child, peoples views begin to change. I know that if I was a pregnant mother that was still smoking and watched that commercial it would certainly appeal to guilt in the most extreme form, causing me to really think twice about what I was doing. I know we are all familiar with the commercials depicting someone breaking into a home, a symbol of safely and comfort for most of us. The commercial is advertising a home alarm system, however, I think it is especially effective because it plays on our sense of fear. I know that one of my biggest fears is a stranger breaking into my home and every time I see that commercial I think about installing an alarm system which would better equip me with a peace of mind.
Two advertisements that didn't seem to work for me were, of course, the Axe commercials and a paper ad that is in our textbook on page 285. Axe is somewhat of a new concept for most of us, coming about in just the past couple of years. Since then it seems that the company comes out with a new scent almost monthly and a taste less commercial to accompany it. The commercial about the new chocolate scent depicts a man literally turning into a piece of chocolate and every where he goes women are taking a bite out of him, whether it be his arm, butt or even licking his face. Obviously the message here is that if you wear this cologne, women will flock to you, however, I personally believe it is in bad taste and does not have any sex appeal. I don't wear cologne so I would clearly not be apart of the target audience for this commercial but I know that I wouldn't want my boyfriend or even guy friends to wear it. (Who wants to smell like chocolate anyway?) The ad that I saw in our textbook was promoting Brita water filters. The picture illustrates old, rusty pipes that water runs through and at the bottom of it we read, "Only Brita has a 2-stage filter. So even if there's sediment in your pipes, it won't get in you." My apartment was built in the 1930's so you would think this would be something that I would be interested in, but the reality is that it's not. Maybe it just isn't something that I care enough about and maybe I would feel differently if I had a family with kids that were drinking this water. Clearly this was meant to appeal to fear but in laymen's terms, it simply didn't do the trick.
Friday, October 31, 2008
CRS 231-Sweatshops
The issue of sweatshops is one that can be very controversial. Some believe that sweatshops in foreign countries that may practice inhuman working conditions at least provide the children and adults working there a livelihood. It is upsetting that people, especially children, are subjected to this kind of work, however, the big question is what else would these kids be doing if they weren’t working in a sweatshop? Would they be sold as sex slaves, or would their family be literally starving to death? This is the reality of children, men and women that live in countries that are homes to these sweatshops. It is hard for me to say if I am either pro-sweatshops or anti-sweatshops because although I believe that these places of work should no longer be allowed to remain running, I worry what would happen to the workers if we took away there only opportunity to feed their family, even if it may not be but just rice. Also, another question to consider is if there are enough people that really care about this problem to make a significant difference? Are Americans really willing to give up paying their extra low discount prices just so people they have no affiliation with won’t be subjected to such awful working conditions? One thing that I know I can take a definite stance on is that I find no valid reason for there to still be sweatshops in the United States and people to simply look over them only because it seems to be getting the job done for very little money and extremely quick .
The definition of sweatshops, as stated in our textbook is, “a company that violates labor, safety, and health, and/or worker compensation laws, or that has work environments that are unsafe, inhuman, or abusive without providing opportunities for workers to organize or negotiate better terms of work.” One example that I found online was about teenage girls in Honduras sewing clothes for Kathie Lee Gifford’s clothing line which is sold in Wal-Mart stores around the country. The girl’s ages ranged from 13 to 15 and usually worked from early morning to night, missing any opportunity to attend night school (National Labor Committee, www.nlcnet.org). When I heard about this incident I felt angry and sad for these girls, and it certainly altered my opinion of Kathy Lee Gifford regardless of whether or not she was aware of what was going on. I remember when I was 13 to 15; I was attending school and mostly hanging out with friends. If these teenage girls had an opportunity for a better life by finishing grammar school and they missed out because they were forced to work longer hours to accommodate rush orders for the Wal-Mart sold brand, then I find it absolutely ridiculous, no questions asked. However, a more of a positive note regarding this situation is that this was one of the cases of unsafe and abusive treatment of people that brought attention back to sweatshops, a topic usually forgotten by too many. Today, in class, someone asked is there anything we can do about this? I would have to say to that question that maybe there is nothing that as an individual we could do that would make a direct difference to sweatshops in these countries or even our own, however, we can make a conscious effort to remember the lesson here: to hold yourself and other people accountable for actions they take in all aspects of your life, if it be at school or work. The “don’t ask, don’t tell” philosophy shouldn’t be something that we adopt in life simply because it may be a little easier.
The definition of sweatshops, as stated in our textbook is, “a company that violates labor, safety, and health, and/or worker compensation laws, or that has work environments that are unsafe, inhuman, or abusive without providing opportunities for workers to organize or negotiate better terms of work.” One example that I found online was about teenage girls in Honduras sewing clothes for Kathie Lee Gifford’s clothing line which is sold in Wal-Mart stores around the country. The girl’s ages ranged from 13 to 15 and usually worked from early morning to night, missing any opportunity to attend night school (National Labor Committee, www.nlcnet.org). When I heard about this incident I felt angry and sad for these girls, and it certainly altered my opinion of Kathy Lee Gifford regardless of whether or not she was aware of what was going on. I remember when I was 13 to 15; I was attending school and mostly hanging out with friends. If these teenage girls had an opportunity for a better life by finishing grammar school and they missed out because they were forced to work longer hours to accommodate rush orders for the Wal-Mart sold brand, then I find it absolutely ridiculous, no questions asked. However, a more of a positive note regarding this situation is that this was one of the cases of unsafe and abusive treatment of people that brought attention back to sweatshops, a topic usually forgotten by too many. Today, in class, someone asked is there anything we can do about this? I would have to say to that question that maybe there is nothing that as an individual we could do that would make a direct difference to sweatshops in these countries or even our own, however, we can make a conscious effort to remember the lesson here: to hold yourself and other people accountable for actions they take in all aspects of your life, if it be at school or work. The “don’t ask, don’t tell” philosophy shouldn’t be something that we adopt in life simply because it may be a little easier.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
RCS 362-HP TouchSmart PC
I know everyone has seen the new HP TouchSmart PC commercial. The general public is almost numb to advertisements for computers or laptops but this one is different, this is the first time we are seeing a touch screen computer. It is no surprise that HP created one, considering that many of our cells phones and iPods are touch screen as well. This is currently my favorite ad on television and I have gone through the creative brief to find out what elements this commercial really has that makes it so like able.
The primary audience for this commercial is hard to determine due to the fact that it is advertising to a fairly wide target market. I would say that the audience for this commercial is men and women that are in their 20’s or 30’s and are young professionals. These are the kinds of people that always want to try the new restaurant or bar in their community and are interested in up and coming technological advances. One think that should be avoided when talking to this audience is giving too much information about how the computer works or what features it has, much of the audience already knows this and it would do nothing but bore them throughout the commercial. The reason why this advertisement works so well is because it is loud, catchy, and exciting which is what much of the audience is looking for, you could go even as far as saying that many of the people in the target market are thrill seekers. The objective of this campaign is to get the name out their, which has worked well considering I have heard a lot of buzz around this new touch screen personal computer. HP achieved this buzz simply by playing the "Do you want to touch?" chant throughout the commercial, not only is the song extremely relevant but it sticks in your mind, which is exactly what it is intended to do. Another objective is to show the audience how easy it is to use this computer, which is why the commercial shows someone maneuvering the PC with grace and ease. The message that HP is really trying to get across here is simplified in the ending quote, “Touch the future.” I think that was a great statement to leave the audience with because many of these people are curious about what’s coming next or planning for the future, so this quote makes this ad very relevant for them. This commercial definitely appeals to peoples emotions, however, the price for the PC is shown in the commercial at the very end and I think that gives a more rational reasons for people to “act” or buy this computer because they are able to see that it is fairly affordable for how technology advanced it is and how fun and exciting it is.
The primary audience for this commercial is hard to determine due to the fact that it is advertising to a fairly wide target market. I would say that the audience for this commercial is men and women that are in their 20’s or 30’s and are young professionals. These are the kinds of people that always want to try the new restaurant or bar in their community and are interested in up and coming technological advances. One think that should be avoided when talking to this audience is giving too much information about how the computer works or what features it has, much of the audience already knows this and it would do nothing but bore them throughout the commercial. The reason why this advertisement works so well is because it is loud, catchy, and exciting which is what much of the audience is looking for, you could go even as far as saying that many of the people in the target market are thrill seekers. The objective of this campaign is to get the name out their, which has worked well considering I have heard a lot of buzz around this new touch screen personal computer. HP achieved this buzz simply by playing the "Do you want to touch?" chant throughout the commercial, not only is the song extremely relevant but it sticks in your mind, which is exactly what it is intended to do. Another objective is to show the audience how easy it is to use this computer, which is why the commercial shows someone maneuvering the PC with grace and ease. The message that HP is really trying to get across here is simplified in the ending quote, “Touch the future.” I think that was a great statement to leave the audience with because many of these people are curious about what’s coming next or planning for the future, so this quote makes this ad very relevant for them. This commercial definitely appeals to peoples emotions, however, the price for the PC is shown in the commercial at the very end and I think that gives a more rational reasons for people to “act” or buy this computer because they are able to see that it is fairly affordable for how technology advanced it is and how fun and exciting it is.
Friday, October 24, 2008
CRS 231-Fashion: Art or Usability?
Many people have always seen high fashion as more of an art form then actual clothing that is wearable. When looking at the designer’s collections from New York, Paris, and Milan, we see clothing that one couldn’t imagine wearing on an everyday basis. For example, how many people are we going to see wearing a transparent dress on the street? My guess is not very many at all. However, when comparing the fashion weeks in these three cities, Milan takes the credit for designing clothing not to be worn, but more to be recognized as art. Although the clothing we saw at New York fashion week may not all be extremely wearable, it certainly possess more usability for the fashion conscious person.
When I think of art, I think of beautiful and complex paintings, structures, or drawings that are meant to be admired by the human eye. Milan fashion week was remarkably similar to how one would feel when stepping into an art museum. In the beginning of the Milan fashion week video on Style.com, Tim Blanks comments that this kind of fashion fell “somewhere between technology and transparency.” The clothing that we saw in Milan was nothing less than complex and I felt it had much more emotion and meaning behind it than the fashion we witnessed in New York and Paris. I believe that it is important for apparel to provoke a certain feeling from the viewer or wearer, giving the clothing a “soul,” as if it were an entity that was live in its own form. Many of the pieces we saw in Milan were airy and soft but, to counter act that, the shoes were undeniably geometric and structured. I thought that we really got to see the amount of craft a designer has in the outcome of the shoes they created. One “fashionista” on the Style.com video stated that buyers and designers are really questioning, “How high can you go? (regarding the heels)” and much like art, the sky’s the limit.
Milan really stood apart from New York and Paris simply because the designers really captured the essence of what true high fashion is about, art. New York, especially, displayed amazing clothing that people here in American might connect with more because it is more wearable and possesses usability. For example, Vera Wang and Calvin Klein both created a line that many women can look at and say “I could see myself wearing that.” I personally enjoyed watching and analyzing Milan fashion week the most due to the fact that it really pushed the envelope, was extremely edgy, but was still ground down here on earth at the same time.
When I think of art, I think of beautiful and complex paintings, structures, or drawings that are meant to be admired by the human eye. Milan fashion week was remarkably similar to how one would feel when stepping into an art museum. In the beginning of the Milan fashion week video on Style.com, Tim Blanks comments that this kind of fashion fell “somewhere between technology and transparency.” The clothing that we saw in Milan was nothing less than complex and I felt it had much more emotion and meaning behind it than the fashion we witnessed in New York and Paris. I believe that it is important for apparel to provoke a certain feeling from the viewer or wearer, giving the clothing a “soul,” as if it were an entity that was live in its own form. Many of the pieces we saw in Milan were airy and soft but, to counter act that, the shoes were undeniably geometric and structured. I thought that we really got to see the amount of craft a designer has in the outcome of the shoes they created. One “fashionista” on the Style.com video stated that buyers and designers are really questioning, “How high can you go? (regarding the heels)” and much like art, the sky’s the limit.
Milan really stood apart from New York and Paris simply because the designers really captured the essence of what true high fashion is about, art. New York, especially, displayed amazing clothing that people here in American might connect with more because it is more wearable and possesses usability. For example, Vera Wang and Calvin Klein both created a line that many women can look at and say “I could see myself wearing that.” I personally enjoyed watching and analyzing Milan fashion week the most due to the fact that it really pushed the envelope, was extremely edgy, but was still ground down here on earth at the same time.
Friday, October 3, 2008
RCS 362-Outdoor Advertising
Everyday we are bombarded with outdoor advertising, on the way to work, school, out to dinner, etc. The most common form that I come in contact with are billboard advertisements, some more effective than others. Food billboards seem to be pretty effective on me, they always make me hungry even if I don't necessarily like what is being advertised.
The most clever outdoor advertisement that I have seen recently is the one that we studied in class, the law firm that posted on it's billboard, "Life's short, Get a divorce." Obviously the ad wasn't meant to be taken literally, nevertheless, there probably were a lot of people that found it to be offensive. However, I believe this particular law firm was banking on people getting upset over the ad because it then stick's out in one's mind, it certainly is not forgettable. It also got people talking, circulating the name of this law firm. In my opinion, it was a pretty smart (and funny) way of grasping people's attention.
There is a new Rush that opened up on Battleground recently. The Rush is a well-known chain gym. Almost everyone knows about the gym due to the bright colors they use outside their gyms. Every time I drive by one, I cannot miss it because it is that bright, it sticks out amongst the surrounding stores. If the flashy appearance isn't enough advertisement itself, the newly opened gym distributed coasters to close by restaurants and bars. I recently went to Ham's at Battleground to grab a drink with a friend. When the bartender brought me my drink, he set it on the bright colored coaster, advertising the new Rush. The bartender even said we could take them home with us, I'm not sure if he was instructed to tell us that or not. Although this might not necessarily be an "outdoors" ad, it is definitely different from the traditional billboard or TV advertisement. I thought it was a pretty creative idea, however, I already belong to a gym.
The most clever outdoor advertisement that I have seen recently is the one that we studied in class, the law firm that posted on it's billboard, "Life's short, Get a divorce." Obviously the ad wasn't meant to be taken literally, nevertheless, there probably were a lot of people that found it to be offensive. However, I believe this particular law firm was banking on people getting upset over the ad because it then stick's out in one's mind, it certainly is not forgettable. It also got people talking, circulating the name of this law firm. In my opinion, it was a pretty smart (and funny) way of grasping people's attention.
There is a new Rush that opened up on Battleground recently. The Rush is a well-known chain gym. Almost everyone knows about the gym due to the bright colors they use outside their gyms. Every time I drive by one, I cannot miss it because it is that bright, it sticks out amongst the surrounding stores. If the flashy appearance isn't enough advertisement itself, the newly opened gym distributed coasters to close by restaurants and bars. I recently went to Ham's at Battleground to grab a drink with a friend. When the bartender brought me my drink, he set it on the bright colored coaster, advertising the new Rush. The bartender even said we could take them home with us, I'm not sure if he was instructed to tell us that or not. Although this might not necessarily be an "outdoors" ad, it is definitely different from the traditional billboard or TV advertisement. I thought it was a pretty creative idea, however, I already belong to a gym.
CRS 231-Inspirations for my dream dress
I have never been good at drawing or sketching, hence the reason why I went with the retailing side of the CARS program. I have, however, been pretty imaginative. I created a dress in my mind a couple years ago and deemed it my dream dress. It has not changed since I thought of it years ago (I believe it was around prom time), which means to me that it is really something special.
Every woman dreams of attending a sort of event that where they could wear such a dress that would make them look and feel more beautiful. I don't think that I have any specific inspiration for this dress, it seems to be a combination of things in the fashion world that inspire me and also styles that would be flattering on my body. My personal favorite color to wear is black, needless to say the dress is black. I have always thought that it looks best on blondes, really off-setting the hair color. The dress is cut out in the back, revealing a large portion of it, dipping all the way down to my lower back. I did this for two reasons, one being that an open back has always been a sexy, yet classy, way to show skin, and secondly because I like the look of my back. The top of the dress wraps around my dress, opposite of how a halter top would, embellished with intricate beading. This would draw the eye to the top of the dress, drawing closer attention to my shoulders and neck, another part of a woman's body that has always been more feminine and sexy. From there down, the dress is simple, flowing black chiffon all the way to the floor. I recognize that this kind of dress would be not only difficult to make but also difficult to wear, especially considering the cut out back. The sides of the dress would have to be taped down to the sides of me, to ensure that no one could see inside the dress.
I have recently been trying on bridesmaids dresses for my sister's wedding and I found a dress that is similar to the dress I have created in my mind. It is made out of the same material and has the open back that I love so much. It was almost as if I was wearing the dress I had imagined for so long. Perhaps, by trying on more dresses over the next couple months, I will become inspired to change my dream dress, or maybe even create a new one.
Every woman dreams of attending a sort of event that where they could wear such a dress that would make them look and feel more beautiful. I don't think that I have any specific inspiration for this dress, it seems to be a combination of things in the fashion world that inspire me and also styles that would be flattering on my body. My personal favorite color to wear is black, needless to say the dress is black. I have always thought that it looks best on blondes, really off-setting the hair color. The dress is cut out in the back, revealing a large portion of it, dipping all the way down to my lower back. I did this for two reasons, one being that an open back has always been a sexy, yet classy, way to show skin, and secondly because I like the look of my back. The top of the dress wraps around my dress, opposite of how a halter top would, embellished with intricate beading. This would draw the eye to the top of the dress, drawing closer attention to my shoulders and neck, another part of a woman's body that has always been more feminine and sexy. From there down, the dress is simple, flowing black chiffon all the way to the floor. I recognize that this kind of dress would be not only difficult to make but also difficult to wear, especially considering the cut out back. The sides of the dress would have to be taped down to the sides of me, to ensure that no one could see inside the dress.
I have recently been trying on bridesmaids dresses for my sister's wedding and I found a dress that is similar to the dress I have created in my mind. It is made out of the same material and has the open back that I love so much. It was almost as if I was wearing the dress I had imagined for so long. Perhaps, by trying on more dresses over the next couple months, I will become inspired to change my dream dress, or maybe even create a new one.
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