Media Blog #10: Beardvertising.

So apparently there's this new thing called "Beardvertising", where you get paid $5 a day to put a little clip in your facial hair that has an advertisement on it. What.

It's kind of a cool idea, but I still feel very skeptical about it. So far it seems pretty legit, but at the same time I may or may not trust a guy who wears it. The website linked clearly uses wit and humor as an ad technique, as proven by it's old timey photos of guys with beards, and arrows pointing to facial hairs saying "your ad goes here". The target market is obviously men 20-40. And I'm kinda mad because I would like to get paid $5 a day, but I don't have a beard. Or at least not a real one.

This ad could also technically appeal to serial killers, but could you imagine. Getting stabbed to death. The searing pain in your abdomen as you lay in a dark alley way. Your fingers going cold, and you begin to feel very sleepy. Your clothes feel wet, and as you're choking on your tears and mucus you look up to a set of slimy yellow teeth peering out from behind thin wet lips like small worms. He grins and you shiver, as his wiry beard moves frigidly with his body movements. As you search for a last glimmer of hope, your mouth tastes metallic. As your eyes flutter with what might be your last glimpses of the world, you see it. "Mini Polar Swirls". You release one last gasp of breath and realize "damn that would hit the spot right about now."

Media Blog #9: We Like Short Shorts.

Okayokayokay. I don't like this form of advertising and I'm going to tell you why.

Yes it's pretty unique, or at least I've never seen anything like it. But it's literally using people as advertisements. Companies do stuff like this all the time, from putting their logo on your cup, to simply selling status on a shirt, but this time SCIENCE HAS GONE TOO FAR. literally using skin as a way to advertise. I get bothered with companies putting their logos on cups, because I walk around sipping a delicious smoothie feeling like I just paid somebody to advertise for them.

Alright so those are my personal problems with this, but there are some other flaws in it as well.

1) What if it's really hot? I'm about 85% sure that those bars with words on them are made out of metal, when you sit down on them it would burn your legs. Ouch. No.
2) Your legs would have to be angled perfectly in order to get all of the words on them, and it's possible to get more than one if you sit in the wrong area. Would you like it if your thighs said "SHO SHO ON SUP" or "ORT ORTS SALE ERETTE". No.

It's very apparent that the target market is women 18-25, based on the models used. But how are the girls supposed to see them if it's on the back of their legs?

It seems like it would be more aimed then towards young men, but they don't need short shorts.
It could also work for elderly women who sit on park benches feeding birds, but that is just another demographic that I do not want to see in short shorts.

Media Blog #8: So long Siri!

I recently saw this ad on TV, and I thought it made some interesting points.

First off, it's Microsoft parodying their rival, Apple. I think it shows how Apple commercials have become so commonplace in our society that they can be parodied easily to sell a different product. This ad uses wit and humor (because it is a parody after all), as well as simple solutions because it demonstrates the Windows 8 tablet as being able to do more than the iPad with ease.

Personally  I think the best part is the ending where Siri suggests to the hand model that he play chopsticks poorly.

Microsoft also gets revenge for the whole "I'm a Mac" and "I'm a PC" thing that Apple used to do in comparison of both products. Although I might personally prefer those to this one because they had more sass.

Media Blog #7: Colgate

Okay, first I want you to look at these images closely, and then we'll get started.

Okay.

So did you notice anything odd about these pictures? If not, look at them again one more time. If still no (or even a yes but you just want me to get onto the point), there's more to these pictures than just guys with food stuck in their teeth.

In the first photo, you will notice that the woman's hand has more than 5 fingers. In the second, there is a mysterious hand on the man's shoulder. In the third, the man is missing an ear.

The entire focus of this campaign is to illustrate that a mouth without care is more noticeable than any other flaws you might have. It's true that a smile can say a lot about what kind of person you are, but this might be going over the top. But if you really think about it, that's what advertising does. It takes the tiniest things (imperfections, and desires, etc.) and blows them up out of proportion so more attention will be drawn to them, and they can sell their product easier. It's oddly similar to a straw-man fallacy in a way.

Anyways, the target market for this ad is most likely males 30-50 years old, who are in the upper-middle class to upper class income. I base these off of the appearances of the men in the ads. If you'll notice more than just the missing/additional appendages, all of the men are wearing collared shirts, nice ones too.

A pretty convincing campaign, if I do say so myself.

Media Blog #6: iPillow

 Alright, so I've heard of the iPillow before, but this is the first time I've actually ever seen an advertisement for it. Basic note on what it does: the speakers are in the pillow so you don't have to have any more pesky ear buds if you want to listen to music before you get to sleep.

These ads are pretty cool, depicting typical music/concert actions such as waving a lighter, or glow sticks. Interestingly enough, they play off of crucial stereotypes.

 First, we have the typical lighter guy, there's nothing really special about what he's doing, but then we get the rocker guy. He's in a run-down apartment (with chipped paint). He's got a lot of tattoos, and a poster labeled "Rock City." And his hands are in the typical rock gesture. Next there's the techno/rave girl, waving glow sticks in her sleep. Like who doesn't do that? She's got a lot of colorful bracelets, and a lot of heavy eye make up.

These characteristics depicted are all very cool and edgy, and they all insinuate that by purchasing iPillow, you too will have a concert every time you rest your little head.

However, the one thing that surprises me is that they used depictions of party-goers. When I usually think of listening to music before bed, I don't want something loud and thumpy that will keep me up. What I think they should have done is have a guy in a suit and a fedora  playing the sax, or trumpet laying down in bed, with a black and white filter. Or maybe Mozart, with a conductors baton. But not Beethoven, no that would be counter productive.

Media Blog #5: Welcome to Facebook, You Are Now an Advertiser.

Screen cap from my own facebook, please do not friend me.

Some of you out there may have noticed that a couple weeks ago, Facebook added a new update to their website that allows you to update everything from your mood to what you are eating.

At first I thought "Wow! This is really nifty!" and then I began to realize what it really was. Cheap advertising. By updating your mood you may not be doing any harm, but if you update any of the others you've become an advertiser. It's the ultimate way of getting people to spread to people what's hip, or even just simply anything that they're doing.

The update buttons are practically advertisements themselves, if you notice how under drinking and eating, the list contains very generic things like: coffee, tea, hot chocolate. No specific brands. However, under watching, reading, and listening to specific shows, books and musical artists are mentioned. I'm just curious as to whether or not anybody payed to have their names go under those titles. I would suppose it would be worth it because after that point they'll have the general populous advertising for them, for free. With every status update, you too can spread the word of advertising! Wow!

Media Blog #4: Psy's "Gentleman" Is Just a Terrible "Gangam Style" Rehash

We all remember last September when Gangnam Style by Psy first got really popular. The song was fun, and the music video was outrageous and hilarious. Good times, good times. But Psy's fame meant there would be an inevitable attempt at him trying to prolong his 15 minutes. "Gentleman" is that attempt. Psy's "Gentleman" has been out for a couple weeks now, but I'm just now getting around to seeing it. Let me just put this out here: I hate it. Please re-read title for more details.

Don't get me wrong, Psy sounds like he could actually be a nice person based off his Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) that he did sometime last year. But this song is just awful. I loved Gangnam Style, although it did get overplayed, it was still a good song and I felt that it featured light humor, and the dance was simple enough to catch on like wild fire. In Gentleman, Psy tries to take almost every aspect from Gangnam Style and amp it up, but it just doesn't turn out right.

Exhibit A: Same people from the Gangnam Style video such as Yellow Suit Man
Exhibit B: Another attempt to make a snazzy dance craze. It pretty much just looks like hugging yourself and swaying side to side. This one won't catch on as well.
Exhibit C: The whole "sexy lady" thing isn't even funny anymore, it's just gross. I mean, rubbing oil all over girls, trying to take of their bathing tops, lotsa booty shots. Come on. Really?
Exhibit D: Even the lyrics this time are worse.
Exhibit E: Psy's just being a huge jerk the whole time. Maybe that's supposed to be funny, but personally I think it's just awful.

There's way more to the video that I hate, but I doubt that any of it is going to keep people from making it a hit. *Sigh*. See what I did there? B-because sigh souds like psy? ... Nevermind, I'll leave.

Media Blog #3: Oh Axe, You Clever Dog

So the other day I was scrolling down my tumblr dash when I came upon this brilliant little advertisement done by Axe.

The ads were placed next to emergency exit signs in Belgium. As in most places, emergency exit signs feature stick figures running for their lives to reach the exit. But in this case, it features a stick figure running away from a hoard of girls. Axe took advantage of the running man to illustrate its message: that Axe products make you irresistible to the ladies.

This ad mostly features the needs for attention and autonomy because it focuses on the desires to be noticed, to be singled out, and to be wanted. The ad is simple and to the point, and because the only text featured is the logo in the bottom right corner, it mostly relies on its wit and humor.

So this ad is brilliant, but there's just one thing that I cannot get over: the fact that the female stick figures have curves. I mean look at that. Not even women's restroom signs have buts or busts like that, all they get are kilts to distinguish it from the men's restrooms. Although I think this aspect of the ad is hilarious, it does play an important part in defining the ad's effectiveness because it says "Not only will women love you, but HOT women will love you." Also, the second woman looks like she's about to do a cartwheel.

*slow claps* Well done Axe, well done.

What do you think of Axe's emergency exit signs? Let me know in the comments below!