Month: October 2010

Taking advantage of an already large audience, The Beat uses Halloween trick or treating to create an advertising gimmick.

The Beat 94.5, for those who won’t know, is probably Vancouver’s most popular radio station, which plays mainstream hit music.

The contest “Trick or Treat with The Beat” is simple. At each house, (presumably within Vancouver), a trick or treater may ask “Is this the beat house?” If they are correct, they win $1000.

This is incredibly clever, as listeners of The Beat can exert very little effort for a chance to win cash, while advertising to many strangers. Most houses will probably have people who may ask what the question is supposed to mean, if they were not aware of the contest. If several people happen to ask the same house, it may reinforce how popular and therefore enjoyable The Beat is. At the same time, more parents may be encouraged to take their kids trick or treating.

http://thebeat.com/post/13413

I’ve seen this ad on TV several times now, and finally found it!

This ad is great not only because it’s funny, but because I actually want to try their fake product! Although $99.99 is a bit steep, I’d still want to try it. I’ve always wondered how much easier life would be if I could conveniently blend all my food.

Now this one is a bit ridiculous, but at the same time, when I watch the advertisement, I kind of think it would be cool to have seat pants. If it’s lightweight, it could be really useful, such as when I’m lining up to buy textbooks at the beginning of each term! The only downside would be that you have to walk around with it dangling off your behind.

What I really enjoy about a lot of commercials these days is the suspense they can build, or the unpredictability. Many commercials focus less on the product and product information, but instead try to entertain. This may be due to the fact that most people already understand what the products are, or because these days there’s little incentive to sit through commercials when any television show is available on the internet.

Commercials with great music, random cute animals, or abstract silhouette dancing are great! I actually watch them.

Two more of the milk infomercials are The Wallet Walker and The Support Hat, for those interested.

.
.
I think that Dove’s campaign is incredibly effective in that it can reach their target market by sympathizing with the feeling many women have; that they are not as attractive as many models or celebrities. At a time when technology allows us to greatly augment physical appearances in pictures and movies, many people are beginning to realize the extent that advertisements change appearances of their models through artificial means, and Dove takes advantage of this backlash.

Dove decreases the efficacy of advertisements by their competitors while creating a unique statement in the marketing world that resonates with their audience. Their ad became viral and thus also self-advertised.

While I applaud the creativity and intelligence of those who create the ad, I don’t necessarily agree with the message that our perception if beauty is distorted. I also don’t agree that it’s a bad thing to enhance the features and aesthetics of models. Models have been doing this for years through make up, lighting and angles. I have yet to see a Dove ad using people who truly demonstrate “all shapes and sizes.” Aren’t they then still “distorting” our perception of beauty? How will the women who can’t even compete with their “lowered standards” feel?

This does not truly display “real beauty.”

Their message is great, but also idealistic. In a way, I feel the campaign is just a marketing strategy and nothing more. The truth is just that beauty will always be valued in the marketing industry, regardless of how artificial. Will a model our society judges to be ugly be able to sell as well as one that’s beautiful? In my eyes, all Dove’s campaign only extends itself to “slightly more shapes and sizes.” Beauty does not come in all shapes and sizes. That’s just how it is. Perceptions of beauty can definitely differ among different people, but no matter how these perceptions change or evolve, someone will always end up on top, and someone on bottom.

I have no solution for the multitudes of diseases, disorders and depression cases that come from women or men feeling unattractive, but telling them that everyone is beautiful isn’t the answer.

Two of many Pepsi ads with similar messages:

I hate commercials that attempt to explicitly undermine competitors. Why can’t Pepsi just advertise the merits of their own product? Or at least have a creative way of increasing brand awareness.

On the basis of their commercials, I’d pick Coke every time. At least Swiffer shows how it’s better in their ads. Pepsi expects us to drink their product because they subjectively display Cokes supposed inferiority. I’d much rather watch computer animated polar bears, and other fun things like that.

I just have no respect for the Pepsi company. Then again, I don’t really enjoy either Coke or Pepsi.

Are there ethics in marketing? Does Coke accept the abuse because it’s free advertising? Or can anyone bash any product they want?

So clever.

So cool.

So neat.

.. And that’s genius.

If not for their great advertisements and delicious food I’d stop going to McDonalds. Who wouldn’t want to eat at a restaurant advertised by such smart, smart people?