Last Post :( My Reflection

Through media blogs, I have learned more than I ever thought I would. At first, I didn’t realize the impact that media blogs would have on my understanding and comprehension of the media. However, as time went on, I found myself identifying advertisements and commercials that carried specific ad techniques. Now as I reflect on it, I can see how much I have learned just by paying attention to the advertisements that are constantly vying for my attention.

            The amount of media that I see does not affect my life. It creates an outline that I feel I must fit into if I want to fit in with the rest of my peers. Media creates the trends and I follow them because I want to be accepted into our society. This is the idea of mooks and midriffs. Media has become so prominent in our society that we no longer control it. Being aware of this fact has completely changed my view of the media. What I know now is that I must be aware of how the media is trying to affect me. This class has made me literate and fluent in the world of the media. Now that I understand what it is doing, I am able to control it instead of it controlling me. By being literate in media, I am no longer fooled by an advertisement’s ploy to get me to do a certain thing or act a certain way. I can tell now when an advertisement is trying to fool the customer, and I can now avoid that.

Advertisements and commercials today hold nothing back. They will hit you will all that they can to get into your head and stay there. Since the beginning of the semester, my media habits have changed completely. In the past, I would fall for all of the commercials that would try to draw me in, especially the ones using the Need to Satisfy Curiosity or the Need to Nurture. However, I now recognize when these commercials focus on emotional appeals and not only on their product. This allows me to ignore the emotional impact they have on me. While I still love watching commercials with cute puppies, I no longer associate these commercials with using a product. This allows for me to make decisions based on logical and rational facts instead of using a product because I see a picture of a cute puppy. Overall, I am just better at recognizing a commercial’s sad attempt to draw people in. While it still might work on others, it certainly won’t work on me!

I think that it is very important to have media literacy. In today’s society, media can override anything. It is the most powerful “machine” in our world. With the media, you can either make or destroy a person, an idea, or an entire nation. The select few who control the media control everything else. With media literacy, one can decipher what the media tells you to think and what you actually think. Having media literacy will create a society filled with strong people, men and women alike, who are no longer classified as mooks and midriffs. By taking this class, I am able to understand topics with much more complexity than how the topic is presented to me by the media. I understand that the media has a bias about every topic, and unless I filter that (using my media literacy) I might not know the entire story.

An educated consumer has to be media literate and know both sides of a story. If one is not an educated consumer, they might make a poor decision with bad after-effects. For example, they might buy a product because of the emotional appeals in the commercial instead of the actual use of the product. This is a very poor purchasing habit because there might be a better product that the consumer doesn’t know about. Another important idea about being an educated consumer is the idea that if you are not an educated consumer (of media) you might make poor decisions when deciding on leaders. As we saw in the film “Miss Representation,” women are often treated differently than men in political fields. This is very bad because women account for 50% of the population, and that is not represented politically. Being media literate would allow for people to see that this is not fair and that men and women should be treated alike in political fields.

From doing these media logs, I was finally able to understand the impact that media has on my life and the ways in which our society conforms to the media’s ideas. These logs helped me understand how all advertisements use different techniques in order to gain attention from the consumer. This is very important because it made me an educated consumer. I am now able to understand how an advertisement is trying to appeal to me and how I can avoid being sucked into their trap. These logs have changed my media consumptions habits, and for that, I am so grateful.

            While I believe that I am media literate, I think it is also important to recognize that I still pay attention to certain commercials and will always be influenced by the media. However, I feel that, now, the influence of the media on me is so much weaker than ever before. I do not let the media shape my entire life anymore. To me, this is very important. The media has such a large amount of power and is such a big part of society today. If we don’t learn how to float, we will drown- it’s inevitable. Media literacy allows people to make educated and informed decisions about how media will affect them, which is very important. For this reason, I think that more classes, such as critical thinking, should be offered to make students literate in the world of media. If we do not educate students about the media now, the effect that it has on every life will never change. If we really want the world to be a better place, people must be media literate, which would allow them to understand the media, which holds so a major impact on their life. I am so glad to have taken Critical Thinking because now I finally understand the complex world of the media.

#16- Don't Smoke!

                Wow… that’s intense. I’ve been seeing these advertisements and commercials around pretty often lately. They are created to discourage people from smoking cigarettes. They are very effective on me, and I think the same goes for other people.

            Now, I’ve never in my entire life considered smoking. I have been educated on the very harmful and dangerous effects that smoking can have on a person’s long-term health. However, I imagine that for some people, this can be a very eye-opening ad. Many people know that it is bad for you, but some don’t know just how bad, and addicting, it can be. They think that they will just be able to do it a little bit and nothing will happen, but that’s just not true.

            One way that this ad is effective is by showing the picture of the woman who is a former smoker. Her hair and most of her face look like any other person’s. However, parts of her mouth as disfigured and she has a hole in the base of her throat. These are some of the effects of smoking on one’s health. By showing a normal woman, who looks very average aside from the effects of smoking, the advertisers are showing the viewer that this can happen to anyone. This uses the Plain Folks Ad technique. You can see a picture of a son or grandson in the background and nothing about it looks abnormal.

At the bottom of the picture, it lists her name, Terrie, and her age, 52. By telling her name, the advertisers established a personal connection between the viewer and this woman. She is not just any woman. She is a woman named Terrie who has a family. She could be any smoker. Also, they show her age. She is only 52, which is very young to start having major health problems. Her age shows how harmful the effects of smoking can be even for people who are very old.

This advertisement also uses the Need to Satisfy Curiosity. When people see the woman and the text, they are not exactly sure what the advertisement is for. You must focus on the entire picture and on the text at the top to understand what the ad is about. This is very important because many people would just ignore an ad about the harmful long-term effects of smoking on one’s body.

Now we will get to the focus of the ad. At the very top of the page, there is a little black box with text inside that reads “A tip from a former smoker.” This establishes common ground between the woman and the viewer, who is potentially a smoker. The focus of the advertisement is the large, white text in the middle of the page. It reads “Record your voice for your loved ones while you still can.” (Smoking can cause irreversible damage which results in a tool necessary to speak and an altered voice.) This woman is telling the viewer that smoking is very bad and that there are things that she can’t do now, like speak to her family with her real voice, that she could do before the smoking caused damage. Also, she says “…for your loved ones….” This brings it to the family level. She is not just another woman. She has a family that she can’t communicate with the way she would like.

This ad demonstrates the harmful effects of smoking. It is a very good advertisement and it supports a good message. Overall, I think that this advertisement is very effective.

#15- Victoria's Secret Hate.. whoops, I meant Love... Your Body campaign

            After watching the documentary “Miss Representation”, I immediately thought of the Victoria’s Secret “Love your body” campaign.

The idea of this campaign can be interpreted in so many different ways. One way is to say that Victoria’s Secret wants you to love your body just the way it is. However, when you look at the models on the ad, this just doesn’t seem like a realistic goal. The models placed in this ad are tall and really scarily skinny. Their bodies have been photo-shopped and airbrushed to “perfection.”

Another way to interpret this ad, which is more realistic to the picture they have, is by saying that when you look like the models you will love your body, and that you can look like the models by buying Victoria’s Secret products. This isn’t true. You can’t look like an airbrushed and photo-shopped model just by wearing a certain product.

This ad severely objectifies women. This can be seen in the smaller black text. It reads “Meet our newest bodies.” Not “meet our newest angels,” (Victoria’s Secret models are called angels) or something similar. No. They had to call these women “bodies.” By calling them bodies, they are treated as something unimportant and replaceable. They are not strong or independent women. They are used only for their looks, and when they don’t look the right way, they will be thrown out and new “bodies” will be found. This is terrible. Women are not just some object that you can throw out when they get to old.

This ad is also very guilty of treating women as sexual objects. This problem has much of the same logic found in the above argument. Look at how these women are dressed. They were wearing close to nothing and their bodies are extremely retouched before they are allowed on the ad. If one were to compare the before retouching and after retouching, the differences would be drastic. These women are not realistic and they shouldn’t be treating as something that is only for looking at. These women have thoughts and feelings just as much as anyone else and this advertisement treats them as if they are just to be looked at.

Despite all of my objections to this advertisement, it is effective. This advertisement would make any woman in the world feel insecure about their bodies, which just creates an endless cycle of objectification, sexual and otherwise. These women want to believe that the product will make them look like the women in the ad, but that just isn’t true. No one can look like the women who are artificially created. However, the women are still willing to try and will use Victoria’s Secret products to try and obtain the society constructed view of beauty.

#14- We want it all!

This ad is pretty simple for a modern ad. It isn’t a super busy ad, and it doesn’t have a prominent color scheme. The one thing it does have, though, is size.

Everything in this advertisement is huge. There isn’t much in this advertisement, but size makes up for it. The page looks nearly filled with the large-sized pictures of makeup and the oversized text. However, it grabs your attention. Everything about this ad is yelling “Look at me!!” Honestly, it’s working. When I flipped through a magazine, this ad caught my eye because I instantly knew what the product was. I didn’t have to search for a small picture or  dig through the text for important information. Everything was right there.

The first thing that the viewer sees in the product. It catches their attention and makes them think “Ooooh, makeup!” The next thing that see is the text at the top of the page. It read “blush, bronze, shimmer… why not have it all?” This, of course, is also in huge font. It stands out and catches the viewer’s eye. It made me think “I want it all! How do I get it all?” This intrigued me, so I took another second to look at the ad. This is exactly was the company wants! They want to keep people’s attention for long enough to sell their product. The next thing that caught my eye was the strip at the bottom, which reads “Professional makeup starting at just $1.” This is the line that is most important for the viewer to read. The company wants the viewer to acknowledge the super low prices, that way, they will go to the store and buy them.

Overall, I think that this ad is only semi-effective. I believe that this ad does a wonderful job at catching and holding the viewer’s attention. It also sells the product. However, the brand name of the product is actually difficult to find. I actually had to work to find the logo or name! This seems like poor advertising because I would just go to the store and buy random makeup, not knowing whether or not is was the correct one. If the company had put their logo in a more visible and memorable place, I believe that this ad would have been much more effective.

#13- Tough, but Gentle

     This ad seems very effective to me. Not only does it have a color scheme, but it has a theme that catches and keeps your attention while maintaining focus on the product. Also, there is not so much going on that it is overwhelming. It is a perfect balance.

     The purpose of this ad is to sell an acne medication/ facewash that is gentle on the skin but tough on acne. In order to convey this message, they have the product in the center of the page. It is being held by two hands; One has light pink and mint green jewelry on while the other is wearing black, silver, and gold jewelry.

     The bottom hand is supposed to seem welcoming, soft and gentle. It conveys the idea that this product will make your skin feel good. To the right of this hand, there is text saying “Gentle on skin.” Just underneath, it says “soothing formula with aloe and avocado.” Aloe tends to be a very soothing thing, and avocado also seems like something that would be smooth and creamy. Both of these items seem very gentle and nice.

     The hand on top is supposed to seem tough and menacing. The black jewelry and dark nail polish give off the impression of someone who wouldn’t be afraid to scare someone else. This helps to convey the message “Tough on acne. Maximum strength acne medication.” By making this part of the advertisement seem tough, the ad is showing that this product isn’t messing around when it comes to getting rid of acne.

     This idea of having two sides to the facewash is very appealing to me. It makes the facewash seem better than others because you are getting two great things- having a good acne medication while not having to use a harsh product- instead of just some other facewash that doesn’t have both.

     This ad also uses a color scheme to help sell their product. The colors green and silver are used almost solely in this ad. The text and jewelry mimic the bottles colors. Instead of making the colors seem less important, however, it makes the bottles stand out even more!

     In this advertisement, I like how a product is being sold, instead of a person or an idea. By centering the product, the focus remains on the product even when the viewer is looking elsewhere in the photo. Also, the contrasting between the tough and the gentle keeps the viewer’s attention. Lastly, there is a very small amount of text in this advertisement. I like this because the viewers get the necessary information without being bombarded with facts, figures, and other information. Overall, I really like this advertisement and thought that it was very effective.

#12- Vidal Sassoon Pro Series

Hell-ooo hair.

I don’t think that this ad is very effective. Aside from the color scheme, it really just doesn’t have a lot going for it. While it is difficult to sell hair coloring, this advertisement seems to do an ever poorer job than usual at doing it. The ad’s color scheme is red and white. The background color changes at a stripe, angled diagonally through the page. At the top center, dominting the page, is a woman’s headshot. She has dark red hair. In the middle of the page is text, and on the bottom and top right corner is more text. However, these words are less prominent.

The color scheme in this ad is very prominent; the use of the colors red and white make the ad stand apart from other advertisements. Red is a very bright color that attracts attention. Also, this particular ad is trying to sell red hair dye. Recently, dying your hair a dark red color is very popular. In this ad, they use the color red both in the background and on the model (who has dyed red hair). By using the color red, Vidal Sassoon is sticking with popular trends and making their ad stand out.

Another important piece of this ad is the text found in the center. It says “Starts Vibrant. Stays Vibrant.” This line is not only made to be catchy, but also informative. It is basically saying that their hair dye will be bright and shiny, and will stay that way for a long time. Long lasting is a very important quality in a good hair dye, because when a person has faded red hair, it doesn’t look awesome. Just above this line are the words “Salon genius. Affordable for all.” I think that this ad could have done a better job at broadcasting this line. For many people, getting your hair colored at a salon is just too expensive. Box dyes are the solution. However, it often doesn’t come out as nicely. If this advertisement had put more of an emphasis on this line, the ad would be a lot more effective. People are always looking for a cheaper solution to their problems, but only if the cheaper alternative is still good quality.

Overall, I didn’t think that this ad was very effective. Despite the color scheme, this ad did nothing to hold your attention. It was uninteresting and just like every other boring ad I’ve ever seen in my life. This is an ad that wouldn’t have caught my attention if I hadn’t been looking for it.

#11- First Class Beats

     This ad is very simple, yet effective. This ad has a lot to do with being superior and grabbing attention, from the words to the color scheme. This simple ad definitely grabs attention- let's see how.

     This advertisement was also found in a metro station. It was relatively large, and very prominent in its surroundings. The background is all black, with bright, silver headphones sitting in the center. The headphones dominate most of the picture, except for the text. The white text catches the viewers eye because it is white on a black background. Plain, right?

     Wrong! The silver headphones in front of the black background completely eliminate the plain air of the ad. They are very large, so they take up most of the space. Also, they are centered which makes the d seem like there is more to it. However, there are no bright colors or crazy scenes that catch your attention. It's just the headphones and the text, which also stands out.

     The colors in this advertisement are used very effectively. The black background sets the ad apart from other ads and makes it very noticeable. Then, the silver headphones draw attention the the product without being overwhelming. In many ads, bright colors are overused in order to be noticed. This ad, however, is very relaxed. It is basically saying "I know that you will notice me, so I'm not going to work hard for your attention." This satisfies the need for attention. It also satisfies the need for prominence because of the silver. The color silver seems classier than many other colors that might not shine as brightly. Overall, the coloring and the picture is very effective.

     Another important piece of this ad is the text. It is placed in the bottom left hand corner of the ad, but it stands out as if it were dead center. The words are in a white, bold font, which makes them easily noticeable on the black background. The text reads "The sounds of first class." This also fulfills the need for prominence because first class is associated with wealth and importance. When your headphones sounds like first class, how could you be anything but the same? Right above this is the company logo and the product's name. However, Beats by Dre has become pretty well known already, and their ad is familiar to many people. Therefore, their brand and logo does not have to be large or in your face. Also, the product has the initial on the headphones, which created brand recognition. This is a very useful advertising technique because now, whenever someone wears the headphones, Beats by Dre gets free advertising!

     As a whole, this ad is very effective. Although it is incredibly simple, it is effective. It catches the viewer's attention and sells the product. It is not overwhelming, and it is a breath of fresh air from many other ads that scream "buy me!!" at you all day long. If I were more interested in buying quality headphones, I would definitely look into buying these.

#10- Real estate failure.

 

     I found this ad in a metro station. Personally, I don't think it's very effective. Some parts of it are intriguing, but overall, it just doesn't convince me to use the product.

     This ad is mostly white with a large phone in the middle of the page. The phone is a smartphone, of course. The screen on the phone is showing the real estate app, I'm assuming, but I can't exactly tell. The background is an off-white color with print in the top center. The largest print is at the top in gray. Underneath that is smaller print in black. The last piece if text is their logo and slogan.

     The picture is not very effective. You don't really understand what they're selling until you read the text. That's fine, but the text doesn't stand out enough to be noticed. Mostly, it just blends in. The ad almost seems to be selling a smartphone and not advertising a real estate agency. The middle of the ad is filled with the picture and the view of the screen goes unnoticed. Unless the viewer really focuses on the ad, they have no idea what it is selling.

     The color in this ad is horrid. It's off-white with gray and black text, which doesn't stand out at all. The picture of the black smartphone is the only thing that stands out, and the blue of the app is supposed to grab your attention. However, the blue part is so small that it has no significance. This is just another ad that doesn't catch your attention and will never be recognized. If not for the large size of the ad, I would never have noticed it. Besides, I was looking for ads! I actually saw another ad and thought that I should take some pictures of ads for my media blogs. The coloring is practically useless.

     The text, on the other hand, is very clever. However, it goes unnoticed because of the picture of the smartphone and the coloring. The largest words on the very top say "The shortest route from search to sold." I think that this is very clever. The use of alliteration makes the phrase stick in your head. This would be useful if people saw the phrase, but many people won't because the gray just blends into the background. Underneath that, the advertisement says "All the latest real estate listings- delivered in real time- straight to your screen." This helps clarify the giant phone, but not many people will read that. This sentence seems good enough. I mean, it's not super interesting, but instant notifications about real estate seems like a good idea for people who are searching for a new house. The last piece of text before the picture is their logo and slogan. They are printed very small, and the viewer wouldn't notice them unless they were specifically looking. That's not something to brag about.

     Overall, I just disliked this ad. It was ineffective and boring. There was no piece of this advertisement that caught a viewer's attention, let alone held it. This company would be better off if they spiced up their ads and made sure to make their logo and product major components in their ads.

#9- Sprint... I am unlimited.

     This advertisement is for Sprint and for Apple. With this ad, they are selling several products with one picture. They are selling a Sprint's service through the form of an iPhone 5, which seems like a good idea, but is it, actually?

     The background color for this ad is yellow. It not only stands out and catches your eye, but it is also their brand color. Then in the center of the picture is an iPhone 5. It is very large compared to everything else in the ad. It is standard, but very shiny (it looks brand new and probably is). It even has the original apps on the front page, without any additions. It shows the front side of the phone, and the back side of the phone is just behind it. It gives the effect of an invisible mirror. This picture gives off the impression that switching to Sprint will automatically mean that you will own a shiny, new iPhone 5.

     In the bottle center of the page, directly beneath the iPhone 5, is the Apple logo next to the words iPhone 5. In the top right-hand corner of the page is the Sprint logo. It seems that Apple has gotten more publicity from this ad than Sprint. Their picture is front and center and their logo is larger. Sprint still gets a lot of publicity. However, it is less obvious. Theirs is found in the background color and the words on the page.

     The words start out as if the viewer is having a conversation with the iPhone. It says "I don't look up answers. I get an education." Frankly, this does not make one bit of sense to me. I don't understand if the phone is supposed to be educated or if they are saying that the viewer is. Either way, it don't really care if my phone looks up answers for me. That's kind of what I want it to do. Underneath that, in the biggest letters on the page, " I am unlimited." Actually, this seems like a good advertising technique. Something that is unlimited seems desirable. Further down, in much smaller print, the ad says "only Sprint offers Truly Unlimited date for your IPhone 5." It then talks about all of the stuff you can get unlimited "with no metering, no throttling, and no overages ?" No overages? Isn't that kind of what unlimited means, not being able to go over? Also, what is metering or throttling? I have no idea! However, they say that there isn't any, which makes it seem like a good thing. They would brag about not having something if it wasn't bad.

     Overall, I think that this ad was an effective combination of Sprint and Apple. It promoted both companies very well. It caught the attention of the reader without being too overwhelming. Also, the font sizes encouraged the viewer to read the important or impressive parts, without having to read the smaller print that is less interesting.

#8- Taylor Swift, walk on (in your Keds)

Honestly, I love Taylor Swift. Anyone that I’ve ever talked to would tell you that I love Taylor Swift. But, don’t worry, this post isn’t going to be about how amazing I think she is, it’s going to be about her ad. She is now in alliance with Keds, the shoe company. This ad Is interesting, to say the very least

I love Taylor Swift. But, I don’t love her ad. Something about it seems very staged. Yes, I understand that there are photo shoots and that pictures in advertisements don’t just come out in real time. However, it’s just so unrealistic. For most sneaker advertisements, I like seeing ads where people are running around and having a good time! People don’t buy sneakers so that they can have the fanciest shoes on the block! They want a nice looking shoe that is comfortable and inexpensive. Having a scene that looks so staged and fake doesn’t do a sneaker advertisement justice.

Next, let’s look at the color scheme in this advertisement. Or lack thereof. There is honestly no pattern to the colors in this. That is not a bad thing, except for the fact that they are not selling the shoe, they are selling Taylor Swift. They have her in a yellow sweater and white pants that contrast with the background, making her stand out. However, the shoes are orange and the seats are red. You can barely see them! They are not central in the picture, or even near it. They are resting in a bottom corner, just hoping to go unnoticed. Not the best place for the thing you’re trying to sell, Keds.

The words on the page read “Go Ahead, Get Your Hopes Up.” I assume they mean that if they wear Keds sneakers that they will become and talented and wonderful as Taylor Swift. If that were true, I would buy and pair and never take them off. However, it’s just not realistic. Still, I like the message that it’s sending. It’s saying “Hey, hope for the best and work your hardest! Maybe it will turn out great for you, just like it did for Taylor Swift!” Yeah! Maybe, I can get a contract with Keds, too. I mean, I wouldn’t argue.

Now, while I love Taylor Swift, I just didn’t like this advertisement. Keds are fine shoes, but the ad just didn’t do anything for me. It seemed… boring. And really normal for an ad. If it hadn’t had Taylor Swift, I wouldn’t have looked at it at all. Then again, maybe that’s what Keds wants? They want me to aspire to be like Taylor Swift and are trying to get me to buy their product by association. Still, I just don’t think I’m going to go buy some Keds because of this ad. Sorry, Taylor.

#7- Olay Fresh Effects... 400% Better?

This advertisement immediately catches the viewer’s eye. All of the colors are bright and fun. Everything about this advertisement screams happiness energy. Let’s start” in black. It is in their normal logo format, which is fine. Right underneath it are the words “fresh effects.” This is the name of the specific product. The interesting thing about it though, is that it is in green lettering and very curly, jumpy, cursive. I think that this is very good on the advertiser’s part. This format will be sure to not only make me notice it, but also make me remember it. It is interesting, and it is different.

Next, you move down to the actual product. It is being used by a young woman, who is smiling (of course), and it has animated swirls and bubbles coming off of it. This gives it an unreal sort of feeling. This could be interpreted as either good or bad. On the one hand, you could see it as a dream product that will work magic. On the other hand, you could interpret it as fake. However, I think it’s safe to assume that most people will interpret it as the first.

Moving down even further, you start to see the words. What you first see is “New {Va-va-Vivid!} Vibrating cleansing brush!” By just reading the words, you can sense the energy coming out of the ad. The colors, font, and punctuation all put emphasis on this exciting new product. Underneath that are words highlighted in white. They read” Sparkling fresh skin for a vava voom clean.” Now, I’m not exactly sure what they mean by “vava voom.” I would understand it more if it was the name of the product, but it isn’t. However, who doesn’t want sparkling fresh skin?

The only part of this advertisement that really bothers me is the line underneath all of the other text. It says “{that’s 400% better}.” First of all, what does that even mean? Do they mean it as a statement, like a continuation of the line before? “… for a vava voom clean that 400% better.” Or, do they mean for it to be separate? “That’s 400% better (insert other brand or product that it is 400% better than).” They need to clarify that! Also, how can something be 400% better than something else? That statistic seems a little bit off to me… right? If it really is 400% better, then what is going so crazily wrong with everyone else’s product or their previous products?

Despite that statistic, I thought that the ad was very effective. The advertisers did a very good job at creating an ad that catches the eye and holds it, and convincing the viewer that their ad is upbeat and “hip.” This convinces the viewer to buy the product because they believe that the product will make them energetic and fun.

#6- Rimmel ScandalEyes

“Look at me!!!”

That’s the only thing playing through my head while I look at this advertisement. That’s what they want though, right? This ad plays on a teenage girl’s desire to be admired and looked at, otherwise known as the “need for attention.” This technique works for the advertisement.

            The first thing you see in this ad is Kate Moss, a famous model. She has blonde hair with nice curls and her make-up is done perfectly. Your eyes are then immediately drawn to the color pink. Pink is the color of the mascara tube and the words on the left. They catch your eye and hold it until you feel like you’ve seen everything. At the bottom of the ad is a white strip that says the brand name and slogan. This really catches the viewer’s eye because it contrasts with the dark colors surrounding it.

            Now, let’s look at the words on the left of the advertisement. I don’t think that they are very effective for the advertisement. First of all, there is a lot of them. No one wants to read a whole bunch of information in an advertisement- it just won’t hold their attention for that long. Secondly, they are all in one space. If they were more spread out among the ad, there would be a greater chance of getting read, but they aren’t. Lastly, they are very small. There is some emphasis on small phrases, such as “Steal the Shadow” and “Scandal eyes Show off Mascara.” Other than that, the text is mostly ignored.

            Overall, I think that this advertisement isn’t very effective. Your attention is drawn to the mascara tube and the words “steal the show,” but the advertisement doesn’t convince you to buy the product at all. 

#5- Eco-Friendly Hair? Only if it shines!

As I sat, patiently waiting to get my hair cut, I decided to flip through a magazine. This is an ad I found. As I looked closer, I thought “who wouldn’t want hair like that? I surely do.”

Everything about this ad stands out. The first thing that caught my attention was all of the bright colors. The first think you see is a bright green color that’s contrasts with the sky blue background and the bright blonde hair that the model has. It really grabs your eye. Next, you notice the words. On the top right, it says “Pure health weightless shine.” That sounds pretty good to me! Only, I’m not exactly sure what they mean. However, that doesn’t matter very much once the notice the model’s hair. It looks incredible! It’s voluminous, shiny, and not a single hair is out of place. Once you see how awesome, her hair is, it doesn’t matter if all of the words aren’t understood. If my hair looked like that, I wouldn’t care at all!

The next thing that caught my eye was the little splash of red at the bottom. It stands out because it’s the only red thing in the entire picture. I assume the red is there to draw your attention to the words that are right next door (It worked!). It says “Pure Clean.” While I still don’t know what that means, I kept on reading.

It states that it has 92% Biodegradable Formulas with Acerola berry antioxidant, no heavy silicones, and no dulling residues. Let’s start with the 92% Biodegradable formula. That sounds really good! While it isn’t 100%, it’s still better than a whole lot of other shampoos. Plus, when I use it, I can feel eco-friendly! Next is the Acerola berry antioxidant. I have no idea what that is. Not one clue. However, it sounds natural, and natural is good, right? Then, we move on to no heavy silicones. I also don’t know what that means. Isn’t silicon the stuff they use for plastic surgery? Also, what’s the difference between a heavy silicone and a normal silicone? Is there a light silicone? Don’t ask me! Then there’s no dulling residue. Of course there’s no dulling residue! Would her hair be that shiny if there was?

Lastly, I saw the globe towards the bottom of the page. Underneath the globe, it reads “The strength to shine.” Umm… okay? Thanks, Garnier! I don’t see how this fits in with the rest of the advertisement. Yes, the model’s hair is very shiny after using Garnier Fructis Pure Clean shampoo. However, that isn’t really strength, is it? It’s more… shopping choices? So I don’t really see how that works.

Overall, I thought that this ad was very effective. It not only caught the viewers attention, but also drew them in far enough to keep reading. I probably won’t buy this shampoo, but not for lack of reason. I just tend to stick to the cheap brand. However, if I were very concerned about the shininess of my hair, I would definitely look into buying this shampoo.

(5-5-13)

#4- More is Better.... Are you sure?

AT&T has recently discovered something brilliant. Something that will go down in history as the most famous discovery of all time… or, the most incorrect one. Their new advertisements have been campaigning that “More is Better.” Now, I’m pretty sure that’s not true. Okay, let’s face it, it’s completely not true! There are so many situations in which more is definitely NOT better. What are you thinking about AT&T?!

Now let’s get to this advertisement. At the top, in gray, are the words “What’s more?” Underneath them, there are two check boxes, “More” and “Less.” Of course, the box labeled “more” is checked. I don’t exactly understand that part. It seems to me as if they’re asking which box is labeled “more.” Maybe they are! Who knows? Certainly, not me.

In the middle of the picture is a map of the United States behind the words “AT&T. the nation’s largest 4G network.” I honestly could not tell you if that’s true or not. I don’t even know what 4G means! All I know is that “4G” is in orange instead of blue, so that it stands out, and it has a little flame coming off of it. This is meant to draw your attention, and it works. However, I’m not clear about what it’s drawing my attention to. While I don’t know what 4G actually means, I've heard it used before. Whenever people say it, it sounds really good. Almost as if it’s something to be admired or looked at.

In the bottom center of the page, the advertisement says “It’s not complicated. More is better.” That statement actually offends me.  First of all, never say “It’s not complicated” in an advertisement. It is complicated! Besides, even if it wasn't complicated, maybe I didn't understand. Saying that makes them sound very belittling and derogatory, which I’m not okay with. Whenever I read those words, I think of a really smart person making fun of another person for not being as smart. Anyways, not cool! Secondly, more isn't always better. So, shame on you AT&T! You made your reader feel stupid when you were the one who was wrong.

Another thing that is “wrong” about their advertisement is their use of colors. Nearly the entire page is gray! It doesn't draw the reader’s attention to the picture at all. It is mostly gray with some words in blue and orange. However, those words don’t take up enough of the page to make it stand out. It’s really sad looking. I saw it only because I was looking for advertisements. If I had just been flipping through a magazine, it wouldn't have stood out at all! Cheer up, AT&T! Bring some color into your advertisements!

There are also weasel words used in this advertisement. The most obvious ones are “More” and “Better.” What does AT&T even mean? What do they have more of? Why does having more of whatever they have make it better? Even if I weren’t trying to analyze this ad, I would be so annoyed at AT&T for not being specific. Tell me information about what you have! I would understand if it were some other product, maybe one that is impossible to give information about on paper. But AT&T is not one of those products! They can tell the viewer SOME kind of information, right? Instead of just “More is Better.” Yeah, okay, thanks AT&T. More is Better. Good to know, I’ll put that into by bank of knowledge. Now, tell me something about YOUR product that have more than another brand. And tell me why that much more makes it so much better!

Overall, I really disliked this ad. I thought that it was worthless in catching the viewers attention and in convincing the reader to use them as a carrier. I guess this ad just doesn't do it for me.

(5-5-13)

#3- Aww, Budweiser... that's just too sweet!

Every time I see this commercial, my eyes start to tear up. Now, I know I’m not supposed to cry at a Budweiser beer commercial, but how can you not? You get to see the life of a baby foal and the emotional connection he has with his trainer! While none of that is true, and the trainer is most likely just another actor, it’s touching. On top of that, you have the song “Landslide”, performed by Fleetwood Mac, going in the background. The lyrics to that song, even without the video, are enough to make some people cry.

“Well, I've been afraid of changing 

'Cause I, I built my life around you 
But time makes you bolder 
Children get older 
I'm getting older too 

So, take my love, take it down 
Oh climb a mountain and turn around 
If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills 
Well the landslide will bring you down”

Touching, right? Budweiser was very smart in creating this commercial. It reminds me of the SPCA commercials. You know, with the sad-looking animals and the dramatic music playing? This appeals to people’s need to nurture. Watching the small foal growing up really touches your maternal instincts and makes to feel an emotional connection to it and its trainer.

            This commercial also uses the advertising technique of patriotism. This is the suggestion that using this product will show a love of one’s country. In the commercial, the setting is on a ranch in what seems to be the lower Midwest or the South. The trainer is a man wearing boots, jeans, and a baseball cap. He is used to represent a modern-day cowboy. He looks trustworthy, caring, and very hardworking. These are traits that people in America want to be associated with, as well. By their choice of setting and actors, Budweiser has created a scene that appears to be a stereotypical ranch in the United States. By using this to sell their product, they are associating Budweiser beer with what American people want themselves and their country to be like. They begin to believe that Budweiser is how you achieve that.

            I think that this commercial was very effective for Budweiser. Not only did they achieve an emotional connection with the viewer, but they also got the viewer to remember the commercial for a long time. The first time I saw this commercial was during the Super Bowl, and every time I see a Budweiser product, I immediately think of the commercial. Any commercial that can do that, is doing something right.

(5-5-13)

#2- Unretouched Make Up Ad

It is very commonly known that ads have a lot of editing done before they are published. This is especially true for cosmetics ads. That is why this ad stands out so much. It is a cosmetics ad but it claims to not have done any retouching. This ad features a young adult woman taking a picture of herself. At the top are the words “Make up for ever,” right next to the makeup’s brand and line. At the bottom right-hand corner, the ad says “You’re looking at the first unretouched makeup ad.” The model, of course, has very well done hair and makeup, and looks like she’s very confident in her appearance.

            By having the model pose with a camera, taking a picture of herself, the ad creates an everyday feel. Under everyday circumstances, people want good photos without having to edit and retouch them. By having the camera in the picture, the advertisement is trying to show the viewer that they will look like this in their photos, too. Basically, it is saying that when the viewer takes a photo of themselves, they can look just like the model. This is very effective because they are saying that the makeup will help you look beautiful, just like the model. Plus, the model does not have editing and retouching, so reaching the level of beauty that she has in her photos with the makeup on seems more attainable for an everyday girl who doesn’t have access to retouching technology. Also, by noting that the ad isn’t retouched, the viewer assumes that their makeup could look like that. It is true that I could, but that makeup was done by a professional. Most people can’t do makeup that well and it would not look that good anyways, despite the fact that the ad wasn’t retouched.

            The less convincing parts of this ad are found once you dig deeper into what the ad is saying. They claim to be “the first unretouched makeup ad.” However, there is no way of proving that they are. This claim could be completely false and no one would know unless they dug deeper. There could be tons of makeup advertisements without retouching. Another fault in their advertisement is that the average person does not know what they mean by retouching. This is very good for the purpose of their ad, but it could be misleading to the viewer. I, as a viewer, assumed that retouching is editing of photos after they are taken to make them look better. However, I am not positive that is what they mean when they say retouching. It could be something completely different, but they want the viewer to assume it means no editing. Also, even if my assumption is partially right, there are so many ways to get around it and still improve the photo. Retouching could just be one form of editing, and they are using a different form. By doing this, they would trick the reader into believing that no editing was done, when in reality, a lot of editing could have been done.

            Overall, I thought that this was a good advertisement. Although there is some vagueness, it does a very good job at drawing the attention of the viewer and making them believe that they could look just as good as the model. It also seemed very effective in emphasizing the fact that it was an everyday type of scene instead of a high class photo shoot. I think that is was an effective advertisement.

(4-28-13)

#1 - Lebron James Nike ad

Nike commercials and ads are mostly similar in every way. They have slight variations on the sport, the motto, and the famous athlete. However, they usually say about the same thing. In this advertisement, Nike features Lebron James, just as he is about to score a point. His face looks fierce and dedicated to the sport he loves. In the background, in a smaller font, you can see the words “You will notice. You will scream. Because you want it to happen.” What they assume you want to happen is Lebron James scoring a point in this game. To the right, in larger font, there are the words “WILL TO WIN.” In all capital letters, just to the right of this is Nike’s iconic symbol, an extended check mark.

                In this advertisement, the layout is very well done. They have Lebron James in midair, about to score a point. He looks incredibly determined, and as if this point will win a major game. Behind him are the stands in the arena. They are very dark, but you can tell there are a lot of people in them. This puts the focus on only Lebron James and his achievements.  By only focusing on Lebron James’s achievements, and having him in a Nike ad, the viewer assumes that Nike is the reason that Lebron James succeeded. They also may assume that if they use Nike products, they will achieve as well.

                Overall, I think that this ad is effective on the surface level but not on any sort of deeper level. They viewer of the ad wants to assume that by using Nike products, they will achieve, just like Lebron James. They also want to believe that using Nike products helped Lebron James and will therefore help them. However, if they were to think about those statements for more than 30 seconds, they would realize that Nike has nothing to do with Lebron James’s success. Yes, Lebron James is very successful and he uses Nike products. However, he is not successful because Nike sponsors him. Nike sponsors him because he is successful. If the viewer thought about this ad for more than just a flash through their mind, they would realize that the ad is trying to flip the conclusion and the support for their argument. Instead of saying that Nike sponsors Lebron James because he is successful on the basketball court, they are trying to make the viewer believe that Lebron James is successful on the basketball court because Nike sponsors him.

(4-28-13)