Gender Neutral Playhouse

The commercial shown in class about pink flowery playhouse was awful. It was stereotypical and radiated a message that girls should all stay in the kitchen, at home, and be housewives. To change this stereotypical playhouse ad, we decided to make the playhouse neutral by making it white with a gray roof and grass paintings instead of flowers. We wanted the two characters to be a girl and a boy. They would both be in the kitchen cooking together. After, they would go to their closet which would be filled with neutral masks and capes. They would dress up and play around in the living room. After, they would pretend to be on tv because in the living room, there will hollow TV where the kids could pretend they are news casters on television. Then at the end, they will wave good bye.

The future of advertising

For the future of advertising, I see more creativity with social media. Using social media to effectively advertise and campaign is a pretty recent concept. It's fairly new and has a lot more time to grow. Not only does it benefit brands but it also benefits consumers because consumers see these ads instantly. For example, a commercial on the television would have to run for months to reach a large amount of people. But when it comes to social media, everyone is using it because it's big right now. Ads can be posted on the sides and reach billions of people while they are going through their Facebook newsfeed. Not everyone watches television and even if they do, they can only watch one channel at a time. But by being on the internet and visiting social media websites, there is a better chance for an ad to reach you. Companies are starting to expand their network through social media websites. For example, when signing up for anything, like to be registered in a hit online game, they give you an option to sync accounts like Facebook so you can share this information with everyone you know and more.



Also, advertising through social media reaches more people because from anywhere in the world, if you have a smart phone or computer with wifi, you can access online and become instantly connected with the other side of the world. For example, I like to watch videos on youtube. A lot of the videos I watch are beauty related and one of the youtubers I watch is from the UK. By watching her, I have discovered a lot of new beauty product brands and clothing websites (UK based of course). I have even went online to these websites and purchased products from the UK.

Jeep Commercial

Our Jeep commercial is targeted at retirees who play golf, take care of their grandchildren, and focus on quality and durability. For our commercial, we decided to focus on the grandparent-grandchildren theme.The scene opens up with a couple who are grandparents. They are driving a Jeep with their grandchildren in the back seats. Music is playing at a medium volume but the grandparents can't hear their grand kids yelling at each other so it emphasizes that the Jeep is large. Also, they can not hear the engine revving either so it shows that the car is quiet and runs smoothly.

We also show the different features of the car, like the front display. It's easy to use so the older generation does not have to learn to be technologically advanced.There's also a GPS system and mini TVs in the back to keep their grandchildren occupied and happy. We also show the large trunk where the grandchildren's bikes are set and there is still a lot more room shown.

Harley Davidson Questions

1. Do you believe brand communities like Harley-Davidson result in greater involvement with the brand?
I do believe that brand communities like Harley- Davidson result in a greater involvement with the brand because I helps the consumer learn more about Harley-Davidson and get to know the brand more personally than a person who just knew the brand name. The brand becomes an identifier and people who support the brand will identify themselves with other supporters of Harley-Davidson.

2. What elements of the Posse Ride do you believe enhance the meaning of the brand for the riders?
It is a way for riders to bond and share their enjoyment involving Harleys. I think it also makes these riders feel like that are involved in someway and that they mean something to a certain group. They identify themselves with Harley and it makes them feel connected with others that support the brand. The part where riders share there stories involving their Harleys enhances the meaning of the brand because it becomes a part of the consumers memories and stories. So in a way, the brand will live on as consumers recall these stories involving their Harley. For example, a grandfather telling his grandson about the time he met the grandmother while on a posse ride on his Harley.

3. Should Harley-Davidson get more involved in the ride or would that dilute the ride's meaning to the participants?
I definitely think Harley-Davidson should be more involved in the ride because that way, riders will know and feel appreciated for supporting the brand. People respond well to recognition for doing something.

4.In addition to experiences such as the Posse Ride, what other ways could Harley increase involvement in the brand?
I think Harley-Davidson should make some type of reward system. For example, A man who has had his Harley for over fifteen years and has continued to support the brand should get some type of certificate. Another way Harley-Davidson could increase involvement in the brand is to get there consumers to share their stories and pictures of their journey with their Harley. For example, the grandfather who met his wife on a posse ride could document his life from when he first had his Harley, to when he met his wife on a posse ride, to when they took their second honeymoon on his Harley.

Toblerone Campaign

For our Toblerone Crunchy Salted Almond campaign, we decided to use three media outlets: Facebook, YouTube, and pintrest. We wanted to hold a contest throughout the holidays where the winner would receive an all expenses paid trip to new york for new years. The contest would start on Black friday and end on Christmas. On Christmas day, the winners will be announced.

How to Enter: Post something creative on pintrest incorporating Toblerone Salted almond. For example, a picture and recipe for Toblerone Salter almond cupcakes. Posts that are re-pinned the most will win.

Post a picture on Facebook of the coolest places you've traveled with your Toblerone Salted almond bar. For example, a picture of you and your Toblerone bar at the top of the Twin Peaks in SF. Pictures with the most likes will win.

Post a short 15 second video on YouTube saying "Happy Holidays from ______ and Toblerone!" (with a Salter Almond toblerone bar displayed somewhere). For example, the Smith family posts a video in matching christmas sweaters in their decorated living room. They are all holding a Salted Almond Toblerone bar saying, "Happy Holidays from the Smith family and Toblerone!" Videos with the most thumbs ups will win.
We might feature there video in a commercial of ours as well.

We will also make our Salted Almond Toblerone bars distinct by making the packaging metallic gold and silver. On the sides, since its triangle shaped, we will picture christmas trees or ribbons to make the Toblerone bar look like a wrapped package ready to give as a gift.

Toilet paper Ipod dock

Our group decided to make a campaign for the toilet paper roll Ipod dock. This product shall be targeted towards busy mothers who would want to purchase it as a house warming gift. For our campaign, we made a commercial and a radio ad.

Radio Ad

SFX: Faucet dripping in the background
         Rolls toilet paper
         More background noises of a lawn mower, birds, and car engines becoming louder.

Man: I can't relax, this noise is annoying.
I wish there was a solution for this.
Oh! Let's see if Mom's gift works.
(Sounds of footsteps walking over to the cupboard and opening a box)
This toilet paper roll Ipod dock should do the trick!
(places on dock, soothing music plays and loud outside noises disappear)
Aww... what a relief.

Narrator: Now introducing a toilet roll Ipod docking station. The answer to all your bathroom needs, the Ipod that lets you roll with it. 

Commercial
Scene 1: A hand turning on the faucet for the bath tub.
Angle: Close up, front angle.
Audio:Faucet turning, water running.

Scene 2: A hand lighting a row of candles.
Angle: tilted to the right point towards the left at a slight angle.
Audio: Striking a match.

Scene 3: Plugs Ipod onto toilet paper roll dock.
Angle: straight towards the ipod dock and hand putting it on the dock.
Audio: Putting ipod into the dock, sound of ipod when the hand scrolls through to choose a song, and soothing music playing once its plugged in.

Scene 4: She dropps her white robe to the floor.
Angle: point straight toward the bottom half of her knees (from behind), showing the robe drop to the floor.
Audio: Robe hitting the floor and soothing music playing.

Scene 5: Girl is holding a glass of wine with her eyes closed, completely relaxed.
Angle: Side/Aerial view.

Scene 6:  Relaxing.
Angle: Straight on.
Audio: Narrator saying "Relax the pod"

interrupting my entertainment!

I think interruptive advertising is one of the most annoying ways of advertising ever invented. Growing up, when watching television, I would mute commercials, constantly flip through channels to find something else to watch, or even  leave the room once a commercial came on. Nowadays, I find myself passively absorbing every commercial that interrupts what I am watching. I find it weird now that I critique every commercial that comes on and watch it as entertainment. For example, sometimes I will just stay on the channel I am watching just so I can watch the corny, underdeveloped commercials to laugh about them. I never realized how interesting commercials were until I finally watched Super Bowl commercials. I remember hearing people make such a big deal out of them and I just wondered why so many people paid attention to these commercials. Some commercials aren't visually appealing but the words they say, like a song or slogan, is so catchy, you have to remember it. One of the commercials I really remember is this Baskin Robbins commercial below. The visuals of it aren't appealing to me but that "song" is so catchy! It makes me want to dance.

I find it quite annoying when I am watching a new episode of one of my favorite shows and then it gets super interesting then all of a sudden, COMMERCIAL BREAK. Ever since I started college, I have been watching my shows online. Its more convenient because I don't have a TV where I live and my schedule is pretty crazy. It's easy for me to just go online and watch a show when I am free. Also, there aren't any commercials (depending what website you watch it on). If I were to watch it on Hulu, there would be commercials. Sometimes they have an offer where if you decide to watch a commercial they are featuring or answer a short survey, you can continue your show without any interruptive ads. All in all, commercial breaks are becoming more acceptable. Although they are annoying at times, most people have learned to enjoy the quirky new commercials being shown on TV.

Innovative advertising

Ads are seen anywhere and everywhere. But usually, they aren't really noticed. Advertising strategies have to creatively evolve in order to catch hold of their audiences. Often times, I do not notice ads or take the time to read them because they don't automatically pull me in. Here are a couple ads that stood out to me that I  have found. These are probably some that would catch my attention if I were to walk by.

I like this one because it looks like the truck is empty and that there is an actual man just chilling on the hammock. Plus, I love kit kats!

I thought this one was cool because it reminded me of the ads shown in class at bus stops. 

This one I thought was pretty awesome because it looks like there's a man inside the gas pumping box. This is something I would probably walk by and be like "WHAT?" and goes up to it to try to see if there really is a man there.

I thought this was a good idea to advertise the Quiksilver brand. A lot of people who surf wear this brand. It's really eye-catching and I think it's cool that the bench is the Quiksilver brand surfboard.

Nostalgia market

Nostalgia is used a lot in advertising. It is a way for advertisers to bring back memories of the past, in their consumers.It tries to generate positive thoughts and memories for consumers to think back to. For example, when I was younger, my mom used to make me hamburger helper for dinner all the time. Recently, I have seen commercials advertising the hamburger helper. In their commercials, the mother would cook her family hamburger helper for dinner. I would see the little girl at the dinner table, in the commercial, and it would bring back memories from when I was a little one.

It also helps build trust between the brand and their consumers. Consumers will realize how long the brand has been around and trust that the brand has evolved and is doing something right. Nostalgia won't work for all cases and all products though. In some cases, it may bring back memories some consumers aren't fond of because they had a bad experience with the product or involving the product. Another disadvantage is that some consumers may not be able to relate to these nostalgic ads. There are definitely some products and brands that nostalgia won't work for because it may remind consumers of technology has evolved and been made simpler. For example, if it was used to relaunch a product like the old giant cell phones people used to carry, it wouldn't be very effective. Cell phones have been made to be smaller and more functional. Like really, would you wanna be lugging this around?

Failed product

Have you ever heard of "WOW" chips? Probably not because this product failed miserably. What made these chips special was that they were fried in an oil called olestra. This was an oil that our bodies could not absorb and would leave these chips fat free. I think the reason these chips failed was because they were weirdly advertised. Everyone had heard about the olestra oil that was used and it caused fear in people that it would have unwanted side effects. There were warning labels on all the bags of chips letting consumers know that the oil used might cause some side effects. It reminded me of the warning label on packs of cigarettes which would cause much alarm if found on products for consumption.

Bringing back the type writer

For our group, our target audience was retirees who travel, have grandchildren, and play golf. We decided on three media channels: commercial, a billboard, and radio ad.

The commercial-- it will be a black and white commercial based in the 50's. There will be a little kid in his room writing on his type writer about his day and latest adventures. He will have flashbacks of playing catch with his father, riding bikes with his friends, helping his mother prepare dinner, and other fond memories of a nice childhood. At the end of the commercial, it will say " Remember how simple life was?"

The billboard-- One billboard will have a picture of a typewriter with paper in it and the title on the page will say "My Autobiography" no hidden tricks or squiggly red lines telling you the word is spelt wrong.

Another billboard will have a picture of a type writer and say "Made for the OGs"

Radio Ad-- You will hear the sound of someone typing on a type writer and with background noise of children playing and bird chirping. At the end, the narrator who will have a charming smooth voice say "Now that's the sound of simplicity."

In the day of a new mother

Monica is woken up by her husband who tells her that the baby is crying. She gets up and picks up baby Johnny. Johnny cries for ten more minutes and then throws up on her shirt. She's too busy with baby Johnny to make her husband breakfast so he grabs a bagel and kisses her goodbye. She takes her shirt off and throws it into the washer. Finally, baby Johnny settles down and she puts him back in the crib. She goes into the bathroom and grabs a tube of Crest toothpaste to put some on her toothbrush to brush her teeth. She takes off her puke covered shirt and puts it in the washer. Monica hops into the shower where she uses Dove soap and Tresemme Shampoo and conditioner. She gets out of the shower and puts on yoga pants and a t-shirt that she purchased from Target. Monica then goes into the kitchen makes herself a bowl of milk,captain crunch cereal, and a banana. She goes into the living room after and reads a couple parenting books (since she's a new mother). It is lunch time now so she makes herself a ceasar salad and a turkey sandwich. The sandwich contained Kraft cheddar cheese, vegetables purchased from Foodmaxx, and oven roasted turkey breast from Oscar Meyer. After a couple hours of relaxing silence, baby Johnny wakes up and starts crying. She changes his diaper using Hampers diapers and up&up baby powder and wipes that she purchased from Target. After that, she brings baby Johnny into the living room with her and puts him in a baby rocker that was given to her, purchased from Babies R' Us. She plays with him for two hours. Baby Johnny reaches for the little toys hanging and then falls back asleep within half an hour later. Monica takes out the frozen steaks from Organic Ranchers to let thaw because her husband is coming home for dinner soon. Her husband comes home and she has dinner ready. They eat and then go to the living room to watch Wheel of Fortune.

Geenpeace USA

(Above is an ad for Greenpeace. It's a pretty "in your face" ad. In the bottom right it says, "Not only a tree is being cut down.")

The organization I decided to talk about was Greenpeace USA. Greenpeace focuses on environmental issues. They look for environmental crimes being committed, find out who is responsible, and then educate communities that are being affected on solutions that can fix these issues. They have rallies and debates where they discuss issues that are threatening our environment and what we can do to help aid these issues. Some large issues that Greenpeace is concerned about is global warming and what effects wildlife and sea life. To promote their cause, they also use social media. They have a blog where people can go to to learn more about the problems at hand. They also promote their cause through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and many more social networking websites. This greatly benefits them because people can easily share their website with everyone by clicking a simple "share" button. I think this is a wonderful way to get their word out there and get people to care about their cause because it is reaching everyone worldwide.

Gender stereotypes.

Advertising today is not the same as it used to be. Gender stereotyping was quite obvious in ads of the past. Nowadays, it it still being used but somewhat subtle. It's not often that I come across an ad and it is completely stereotyping like the example shown in class. For example, this was one of the ads shown in class;

This is a vintage ad that is very demeaning towards women. It shows that the woman is treated like a child and also advocates domestic abuse. 

Now this ad below is quite a recent ad, I would say. It is one of those ads that would raise quite a lot of controversy. I know I said a lot of the ads show stereotypes in the more subtle way but this is one of the examples that is similar to the ads of the past. All the men are standing around her while a shirtless man is holding her down. This is showing men as the power figure and women as weak and helpless people. This is also trying to portray the woman as an object for men to take advantage of. 

Now this ad below kind of challenges the subduing stereotype in women.  Unlike some of the ads shown in class, the women is shown as being higher than the man. The man also has his eyes closed. To me it's saying, if the woman wears this perfume, she will have men praising her. In this ad, the man is the one caressing her instead of the woman caressing him. It's not as stereotypical as the other ads.

I definitely do not think it is okay to laugh at these stereotypes. Hiding behind the irony is just encouraging this behavior and that isn't okay. As long as we encourage this behavior, it will continue to exist and that is stepping away from what we all yearn for: equality.

Stereotyping Workshop: Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging

I have watched this movie over ten times and I am in love with it! It is a movie about a girl and the problems she faces as a teenager dealing with boys ("sex gods"), friendships, family issues, and classmates. This movie is quite gender diverse but not really racially diverse. Most of the characters in this movie are Euro-Anglo. The only character that is more noticed and is a different face is one of the the main character's friend and a part of her posse; she is middle eastern. I am not sure why this is. It might be because this is a British film and Britain's population is not as ethnically diverse as the United States.

I believe that ethnic diversity and gender diversity is very important in the media because this makes people feel included. If a child was watching a movie and notices why he/she does not look like any of the people featured in the movie, he/she might question how our society is like. It also familiarizes people with different races. People like the media to portray average looking people.  

There isn't any racial stereotyping in this movie because it is not a racially diverse movie. There is a scene in this movie where the girls are anonymously rating each other on their looks and they kind of pick on the little middle eastern girl. I might be looking in to it too much though. Anyway, there are some gender stereotypes in this movie. For example, the main character is competing against a girl named Lindsay for a boy they consider a "sex god". Lindsay is tall, skinny, and pretty. The main character, Georgia, loses confidence in her self in getting her "sex god" because she says she isn't pretty and skinny like Lindsay. It makes it seem like that is the definition of a pretty girl. It is kind of how the media portrays beauty in women.  Another example of this stereotype happens in the beginning of the movie where Georgia attends a costume party. She comes in dressed as a stuffed olive hoping to see her friends dressed as hors d'oevres but they are all dressed in cute/sexy-like costumes. Georgia asks why her friends didn't go through with the plan and her best friend says, "but boys don't like girls for funniness..." The media tries to show that image is everything. Girls have to dress sexy for guys to be interested. Basically, the stereotype is of how a beautiful woman should look and dress. In the end, the movie does express that being yourself is better than trying to be something you are not.

Overall, stereotyping is still a huge problem in our society today. The media should use its powers to help break these stereotypes and show us a new point of view.

Racial Stereotyping

I don't think it is right to racial stereotype in the use of advertisements. It just keeps the belief of these stereotypes alive in our society and that is not fair. For example, I have never really seen an asian peson in an ad before. Even when there is an asian person in an ad or commercial, they are shown to be the "typical asian" that people think of. Asian people depicted in commercials (even movies and shows) almost always have a strong accent and have extremely slanted eyes. Advertisements reach a large amount of the public and I think advertisement agencies should use their power to help people break away from these steretypical ideas about different races.

Racism is not a thing of the past and still exists in advertisements. For example, I looked up basketball ads and all that popped up were African American men holding basketballs. It is rare to see an ad for a brand with basketball gear with any other race.

Another example of a racial stereotypical ad is the one below. The ad reads " Improve Your English." Just be looking at this ad, I can tell that it is geared more toward immigrants in the U. S. It is very stereotypical of this ad to put a picture of a middle eastern woman in a shawl with a bindi on her forehead.



This one is very stereotypical too! Below is an ad for night bowling. I find it very racist and unappealing. I could tell that the people who made this ad "tried" not to be racist by painting a caucasian girl black (hence, the blue eyes). But this ad still comes across as racist.


I find that advertisers have an ethical responsiblity to help spread the word and teach people how not to be racial stereotypical. It was a huge problem in the past and still is in the present.

Signs and Semiotics

During the last class, we learned about sign/signifier/signified and semiotics. One rule for a sign is that a sign does not mean anything unless we assign a meaning to it. For example, everyone--most people-- stop a light when it turns red and goes when it turns green. It is because we have assigned that meaning to those lights, otherwise, green and red would just be colorful lights. The "signifier" would be the light turning green and the "signified" would be that the green light means go.

Semiotics it what people use to evaluate an advertisement. It helps people understand the ad better. My first example is this commercial for the California Lottery.

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This commercial denotes a lady named "Lady Luck". It shows her walking past a few people and good things happen. When she walked by the lady reading a book in the dark, the lights started working and turned on. When she walked by the guy who threw a gutter ball, the ball came out of the gutter and knocked down all the pins. Then at the end, she slapped the guy who was scratching a California black scratcher and he won big money. What the ad is connoting is that if a person buys a California black scratcher, "lady luck" will come their way. When I say lady luck, I am metaphorically speaking.



This billboard, as you can tell, is for Pepsi.It denotes people smiling and doing things with other people like sing karaoke and skateboard. These people look like they are having a good time. It connotes the feeling of happiness and spontaneity. The billboard reads "live for now" meaning live in the moment. Pepsi is basically saying "carpe diem", life is too short, so live in the moment with Pepsi.

This is an ad for women who drink alcohol. The picture denotes a wrinkly faced lady. Her make up and hair is messy. What is connotes is that if a women decides to drink as much alcohol as a man, her features may change, making her look like a man (meaning ugly). This ad is kind of disturbing to me because it makes it seem like women are not allowed to do what men do. I honestly do not believe if a woman "drinks as much as a man", she will start having manly features. I'm sure premature aging will occur, as in men too. Below is a list of problems a woman can develop from drinking alcohol, but men can develop health problems as well. This ad seems kind of biased to me.

What Makes a Brand?

Some people may think a logo is a brand when in fact a logo is just a small part to help identify a product. A brand is everything else that makes the product desirable. The brand sells an experience which is desirable to consumers. A brand is the "something else that comes with it". For example, Harley Davidson not only sells motorcyles, but the freedom and lifestyle that comes with it. A brand plays a large factor in making a consumer feel the need to support the certain product that is within the brand. Branding matters because it helps make the product unique. It is what makes a consumer choose one over the other (of the same product). For example, say a person goes to a store to purchase ranch. People will most likely choose Hidden Valley Ranch over an off-brand like Safeway. It is because Hidden Valley has made a name for themselves, a brand that makes them unique from other companies that sell ranch.

All great brands:

• In it for the long haul
• Can be anything
• Knows itself well
• Invents or reinvents an entire category
• Taps into emotions
• Has a story that is never completely told
• Is consistent in its design
• Is relevant

If a company can make their brand unique to themselves, that is what great branding is. For example, every time I go shopping, I will only go to certain places to get my clothes. It is because they way they brand their merchandise, it makes me, as a consumer, believe that those clothes are what I should be wearing. Those are the clothes that fit my style and set me apart from others. It is branding like this that makes people choose spending a little extra money at one particular place rather than another place that has the same item for a cheaper price.  

Dietmar Dahmen

I found our guest speaker, Dietmar Dahmen, informative and entertaining. I wasn't sure what to expect when I came to class. I thought there would be another boring, monotone guest speaker, like I have encountered in many of my classes. I was able to relate to the information he presented because it was about the present, my generation. The facts he reported really caught my attention. For example, it took a long time for people to accept television, thirteen years, but it only took people four years to take to internet.Technology has really changed how the world works. A girl mentioned in class, when Dahman was lecturing about apps, that people don't go on the internet to find directions anymore, they just use their GPS app on their phone. I rely on my phone's GPS a whole lot. I use the GPS on my phone to guide me everywhere, especially because I am not from San Jose. Sometimes I think of different scenarios where my phone dies. For example, like how would be stranded somewhere with a flat tire and no one would be able to find me because I have no phone to contact anyone. Another thing he said that stuck out to me was how everything gets old fast because people are constantly updating. That is very true and it sucks that it is true. Overall, he gave me a lot of insightful information to help me navigate through 2013 and more years, as our society advances, to come.

advertisements: excites, disgusts, thoughts?

When I think of advertising, I think of all the annoying commercials and ads being thrown my way at every turn. For my philosophy class in high school, we watched a movie called "The Truman Show", and my teacher pointed out how the actors had to incorporate advertisements into the show itself since it was an on going "real-life" story. That is when I realized, advertising is pretty cool. Sometimes people do not even realize they are being sucked into an advertisement. After that day, I started to notice advertisements in everything; for example, a bag of Doritos being eaten by a main character in a movie, that is some sly advertising. I also find it very interesting that people make so much money off of advertisements. A big chunk of profits made are due to the fact that companies advertise themselves well. So now, when I see a commercial or the same ads posted at every street corner, it doesn't annoy me as much anymore.