Where Does Advertising Go From Here?

This is something that is asked frequently and probably has been asked since the beggining of advertising. It seems that advertising has evolved from a business of communication to communities. With the invention of social networks like mysapce, face book, twitter, and online shopping sites like ebay and amazon, advertisers had to find a new way to reach consumers. Especially since so many people now choose to watch their TV shows online instead of on actual TV and get their music from iTunes instead of turning on the radio. Just yesterday I was on face book and saw a JCrew ad, which I found very out of place. Tod's the luxury shoe and purse maker made a short film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Dennis Hopper that they put on their website. The film's story revolved around a bag. BMW did the same type of thing a few years ago. My prediction is that companies will decide to join rather than beat technological advancement. I foresee more and more companies starting face book and twitter accounts to keep up. This will probably turn out to benefit them because it is free marketing and it makes brands more human. The future shall tell.

DDB Canada for BC Milk

This is an ad from DDB Vancouver that I found and thought was funny. It's a bit of a surprise at the end when you realize it is an ad for milk, but that's why I like it. I wonder if an ad like this would do well in the U.S. It made me wonder how the different humors of different countries affects advertising.

Mac vs. PC

Mac has done something rare in the business of branding. It has established itself as the cool computer (now mp3 player, phone, etc), and its position there is comfortably safe. Macs are the choice among students. artists, advertisers, and hipsters alike. Apple has totally capitalized on aesthetics. Everything from sleek packaging and the airiness of the physical stores to the way their software is displayed is beautiful. There is something subliminally alluring about their products. One look around my marketing classroom verifies their mastery of product positioning. Almost as competitive as their clients, the ad agencies that represent Apple and Microsoft, TBWA/Chiat/Day and Crispin Porter and Bogusky, respectively have been artfully battling it out via advertising (most memorably, TV spots).
Everyone is familiar with the “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ads that apple runs constantly. In response to those, Crispin created their “Real PC” ads. These ads are an effort to introduce the diverse world of real PC users as well as “humanize” their very famous founder. One spot opens with the image of the lone “PC guy” from the Mac ads. He is followed by a series of famous artists, doctors, and philanthropists of the like of Eva Longoria and Deepak Chopra. I do like the recent PC ads talking back to Mac, but part of me feels like it indulges in the stigma that PCs aren’t as cool as Macs. So while it is a good ad and it does make PC seem a little more relaxed, like they can take a joke (and make one back), they are still kinda giving in. I can’t decide if this ploy is genius, because they are after all being open- and isn’t it best to embrace your flaws when it comes to advertising and not deny them? Or is this Crispin idea a little defeatist? Everyone loves a good rivalry, so I think these ads made a lot of people smile when they saw them, but it kind of seems like Microsoft is trying to beat Apple at their own game, which I’m just not sure is going to happen.

Fountain of Youth

Reader's Digest just conducted a poll around the world. The question: Would you want to live forever? Here are the results of who said "Yes." 43% of Australians. 72% of Brazilians. 42% of Canadians. 45% Chinese. 49% of French. 40% of Germans. 67% Indians. 48% Italian. 62% Malaysians. 59% Netherlanders. 63% Philippines. 36% Russians. 39 % Singapore. 61% Spanish. 51% Turkish. 41 % British. 40% Americans.
Death is seen as being the opposite of life, but death actually defines life. Knowing that death is inevitable makes humans make the most of life. In our culture, death, while something we all know about and think about often, is something we don't talk about. The reason for this is that it's supposed to spare feelings, but in fact it's just brushing them under the rug, not making them go away. The majority of societies don't think death is a bad thing- exhibit A: statistics above. If you could live forever what's the significance in every new day? You probably wouldn't see the point in going to Paris tomorrow if you have forever to do it. Death makes life more adventurous. This is why people find exhilaration in sky-diving and swimming with sharks; there is a heightened probability it could kill them.

TV Makes You Feel Less Lonely

A new study by the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology reports that watching TV provides people with the illusion that their social needs are being met. I had a teacher who told us that when she was going through a very difficult time in her life all she wanted to do, and the only thing that made her feel better, was to watch TV. I know I for one can support this newfound research. I love to go to the movies and one reason (by no means the main one) is that it is an escape, a brief vacation from your life. It can be healthy in a therapeutic sense, but when it becomes your source of companionship, as it being reported by the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, it has become a problem. This same teacher has made a pact with herself that she can only watch one hour of TV per day now. She sets a timer and when it buzzes, that's it. Even though she has been out of that hole for years, she says it is too easy to let herself fall to illusions such as this. Apparently, researchers concluded that viewer's fictional bond with TV characters can ease their need to connect with others.

This is precisely the kind of thing I love to find to show other people. Check out some odd festivals from around the world. The photos show a baby jumping competition in Spain where men have been dressing up as the devil for 400 years to celebrate Corpus Christi. The second image shows the cheese rolling festival in Gloucestershire, UK. Next is the Monkey Buffet Festival in Thailand where over 600 monkeys are invited to feast on sausage, ice cream, and other delicacies as a sign of the village's gratitude for their inhabitance. The photo of the man carrying his wife is for the Wife Carrying World Competition in Finland where men compete in a relay and the winner receives their wife's weight in beer. What a weird world we live in.

It's interesting how the recession is affecting the goal of commercials recently. In addition to these Hyundai and Target spots there are many more out there. The main focus of these commercials is to draw attention to how they benefit you during the economic recession. Hyundai and Saturn are now offering the opportunity for customers to return their vehicles if they lose their jobs with no harm done to their credit. Not to say that these ads are not of good quality, but it seems that ads in general are putting appeals to innovation and lifestyle lower on the list of priorities and putting economic thriftiness at the forefront for the time being. Target brilliantly mastered the appeals of creativity, lifestyle, and economic thriftiness in this ad- sans scare tactics, thank goodness. They used "new day" as a euphemism for economic recession to make the ad positive. It is not trying to scare us into changing our ways according to the time, rather it is offering optimistic, fun, and rational alternatives to the old conventions.

Shuella

My Dad saw this ad in the New York Times Easter Sunday edition and loved it. He first, wanted to show it to me so I could somehow use it for one of my advertising classes and secondly, wanted to buy me and my sisters each a pair of the product. The product, Shuella, are galoshes that are more like umbrellas for your feet. You slip them over your shoes and are free to walk the streets carefree as to whether the damp weather is going to ruin your heels (or flats, Shuellas work on both). They come with a pouch and drying cloth so you can fold them up and pack them away neatly when you have arrived at your destination. I too love the photo of the artfully suspended umbrellas and figured if a product like this could get this much attention from a 55 year old man, it must be good. Plus, I have read that small indulgences like this, along with lipstick and mascara have soared in sales this year because it is a purchase that makes women feel good with while feeling minimal guilt because they are not extravagant.

Silence- Why Are People So Uncomfortable With It?

Why are people so uncomfortable with silence? It's funny because it seems that it's the people you are the closest with, the ones you have the most to talk about with, who are the ones you can be comfortably silent with. It's so common for people to babble on about things of no thought-process, of no significance to them, because they feel some pressure to fill the silence. I just read Ionesco's La Cantatrice Chauve in French. It deals with the futility of a lot of modern conversation. The play was written in 1950 and while its dialogue is absurd in an exaggerated way, the idea still applies today.

As a lover of the arts, and especially as an ad major, I feel strongly that art organizations play a vital role in making a community thrive. Indyculturematters.org is a site that draws attention to how cultural organizations contribute to the economy and quality of life of Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Consortium of Arts is made up of 38 of Indiana's largest arts and cultural organizations. Those organizations spend nearly $50 million with businesses in Indiana each year. Overall, the arts generate $468 million in economic activity each year in the city of Indianapolis. This is inspiring and very relevant right now seeing as local efforts such as these may be the way to re-strengthen our economy. Check out these pictures of locals rallying for arts in downtown Indianapolis.

Just think this is cool. This map shows our population density per square mile. What the copy says is that the U.S is the largest developed country that is still growing at a healthy rate. In 37 years, 100 million will join the American family, half of which will either be immigrants or children of immigrants. On a somewhat similar note, check out New York City's population dispersion by day, then by night. Weird.

A Little Follow Up...

To the previous fashion post of a few days ago. Though 5th Avenue hasn't been hit quite as hard as Wall St., New Yorkers who have walked down 8th Ave. in the last week wouldn't know so. Signs and buttons rally people to "Save Fashion" and apprise them of a pop-up shop coming to the area for one month to sell designer clothing for at least 50% off. The idea is that designers can sell overstock to help them profit (= designer benefit) and open their lines to a wider audience (= puchaser benefit).
A group of designers met with the Council of Fashion Designers of America to protest this action. These, and many other designers, are being hurt by retailers' markdowns. Another group went to Washington last week to push an anti-piracy bill to stop the copying of their designs. It really is unlawful the way mass merchants from to Steve Madden to French Connection to Forever 21 knock off their ideas. Fashion designers create one of a kind works of art that should (through legal enforcement) remain theirs and only theirs. Interesting how the economic downturn is seeping through every facet of culture. There may be light at the end of the tunnel though. Designer Cynthia Rowley has been lobbying in Washington for teaching fashion as a part of home ec in schools nationwide. Her thought is that by stimulating interest in the minds of Americans, clothing production will return with a bang to the US with factories and mills, thus increasing job opportunities.

Art or Advertising?

Before he became famous for his art, Andy Warhol worked in advertising. The more controversial stance regarding this age old question is that advertising can be art. The thing that separates art and advertising is that advertising can be evaluated in two ways: 1. Whether it is creative/original and 2. whether it fulfills the purpose of marketing the brand? There is no question that many ads I have studied are works of art. In these three above photos can you tell which are meant to advertise and which are not? I am reluctant to say because I think they can be art as well as advertisements. For those of you who must know..The top photo is of a chalk drawing by renowned British street artist Julian Beever, and there is no marketing ploy behind this work. The second photo is of one of dozens of neon bicycles placed around Manhattan. They are part of a guerilla marketing technique that DKNY launched to promote their new stores. The bottom picture is of a sculpture of a woman made out of 20,000 peaches. This sculpture also serves as an advertisement for Ella brand skincare. The sign in front of the sculpture reads, "Skincare that is good enough to eat." The Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art have both featured advertisements in exhibitions. So how can we say advertisements can not be art?

Miss California

I’m probably beating a dead horse by discussing this issue because by now most of you have probably seen this video clip a dozen times. Believe it or not, this instant in the Miss USA pageant last week is a snapshot in our history, for it shows where we stand right now concerning civil rights. Miss California, who ended up with the runner-up title, was asked her stance on same sex marriage by the very outspoken and very out of the closet Perez Hilton. As you can see in the video, Miss California answered that she believed that marriage should be between a man and a woman, but that she thinks it is great that Americans can choose either same sex marriage or “opposite marriage.” Hmm. Miss California told Matt Lauer that she knew the moment she uttered her answer that she was forsaking the crown. She is certain that voicing her conservative opinion is the reason, but she does not regret a word because she “spoke from her heart.” Many say she did not receive the title of Miss USA because she was inarticulate when she spoke; she referred to marriage between a man and woman as opposite marriage (bizarre choice of words) and she said that American citizens can choose- which is not true, with the exception of 4 states.
I am from the school of thought that this day in age we should all be more tolerant of gay marriage, but this incident begs a few questions.
Should Miss California have been punished for answering honestly? In a pageant that is infamous for cliché answers such as “world peace,” shouldn’t she be able to speak her opinion and be respected for her integrity? What does it say about these competitions that grant women scholarships as well as amazing opportunities to travel and volunteer if they are punished for their honest answers?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnbBImSKPY0

TARGET

We live in a commodity culture. Our identities are in large part constructed by the consumer products we allow to shape our lives. Another thing we are is a capitalist culture. That said, brands compete for our identity- seeking attention. Target has done a superb job of positioning itself as a cheap-chic brand. Something about Target makes it ok to be cheap. You see trendsters scouring the same isles as minivan driving mothers. Even though they are constantly compared with Walmart, they really have created their own niche as a thrify yet cool brand. Target has done an excellent job of pairing with talented luxury designers. Their success in this niche outlet may be a question of which came first, the chicken or the egg? Did their niche establishment enable them to partner with Issac Mizrahi, Mossimo, and Thomas O'Brien or are these partnerships the reason for their success? In addition to their exclusive collaboration with these designers, the brand has also featured Sarah Jessica Parker favorite Alexander McQueen, Thakoon, Zac Posen, and most recently, organic cult brand Lutz and Patmos. Michael Graves, luxury appliance designer, who has designed upwards of 200 home appliances for Target, says that "Good design should be accessible to all." This mantra has become the unofficial maxim of the retailer, providing reasonably priced yet quality food (Archer Farms), clothing, kitchen appliances (Graves), home décor (Rachel Ashwell), makeup (Sonia Kashuk), and even maternity (Liz Lange) and baby neccessities (Dwell Baby) to all. Target has perfected one-stop shopping. I can go in and pick up groceries, a birthday gift, makeup, an outfit, a book, and new towels in minutes. On top of that, you get a great experience. Something about Target's warm glow and iconic and decidedly hip red bullseye make for a soothing and enjoyable shopping outing. This experience and their excellence at packaging and store layout make customers feel as if they are getting their money's worth. No other store has yet to excel in this way, which makes Target a true genius and gem.

Recessional Consuming, a Faux Pas?

Amidst all the discourse surrounding the economic recession, I wonder if consuming is going to become a major faux pas, like buying a second Hummer during global warming. The last few issues of fashion magazines Vogue and Bazaar have featured articles focused on how to buy smart in tried times likes these. Not to discredit these editorials for the features have merit; a Trench coat and little black dress are rational wardrobe staples. But, I for one have not noticed much change in spending where it is least necessary, and most repulsive, which is at high- end retailers like Neiman Marcus. I went to the store the other day to find it packed with shoppers. Net-a-porter, a high-end online shopping site now even offers the option of delivering orders to their New York customers in conspicuous, label-less brown bags. The idea behind this alternative is that it allows Manhattanite fashionistas to quench their shopping craving guilt-free from the judging glances of their doormen. The afore mentioned fashion publications have also reflected that overindulging in luxury purchases at this time is in fact "tacky." Even if you have enough money at your dispensation to buy whatever you desire, it seems suitable that the recent hurdles in our economy should teach us to consume in a more conscientious manner, so as not to facilitate another economic calamity.

Penny Harvest

It is an inevitable truth that pennies are becoming less valuable. I know I for one don't think twice about dropping them in my key bowl, indifferent as to whether or not I'll ever see them again. Penny Harvest is an effort that takes a seemingly unfortunate truth- that inflation has progressed at such a rate that pennies are nearly invaluable- and making it something not only positive, but humane. Through Penny Harvest children collect idle pennies and turn them into grants for community organizations: homeless shelters, animal rescue organizations, senior centers to name a few. In the years since it's establishment, Penny Harvest has raised nearly $7 million in grants. It gives children the chance to devote their time and energy to a worthy cause and see the direct benefits of their hard work and teaches them the importance of philanthropy. It's great to see community efforts that take something negative about our world and instead of accepting it as an unfortunate inevitability, make it into something positive for the environment. Check out the Penny Harvest field at Rockefeller Center in NYC. These 100 million pennies were all collected by students in NYC for Penny Harvest and will be used in whatever way in which the kids decide, to help their communities.

On the (57) Mark

I love this old ad for Heinz! Check out this article which brings up a really interesting point. The familiar glass Heinz Ketchup bottle is an icon that can still be found in restaurants and households across the world, despite the many variations now made-Have you checked out the ketchup section in the grocery store aisle lately? It takes me five minutes to choose from the 10 different shapes and sizes of containers. This article makes the point that Heinz has managed to shatter the marketing rules of good design because, while it does preserve the ketchup, it does not succeed it making the contents easily extractable. The reason people keep using the glass bottle though is because they love it. NYTimes says it better than I do...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/fashion/13iht-design13.html

He's got "Flow"

Meet Henrique Prince. He is a self-taught violinist who, along with his band, the Ebony Hillbillies, bring their sound to the hundreds of thousands that pass through the Times Square Subway station. I learned about "Flow" recently, the energizing thing that gets inside you to where you lose track of everything outside you and are completely focused on the one thing that inspires you. This guy epitomizes flow.

http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/nyregion/1-in-8-million/index.html