I don't care. I like rice.

Stereotyping.
Advertisements sometimes use stereotyping to target a certain audience or to show how a certain culture presents itself. They also use stereotyping to try to get a certain message out to their audience. For example, the Doritos commercial we watched in class, they use Doritos to get the idea that Mexicans are always fun to have at some type of party or gathering to their viewers. I don't think that this commercial was offensive. They were simply aaykng that Mexicans are fun to be around. 

I think that it is alright for advertisements to stereotype as long as it doesn't offend the viewer or the targeted audience and just for good fun and laughs. I would also like to think that racism is a thing of the past. The Tommy Hillfiger advertisement we viewed in class has mainly white people and about 2 or 3 black people. I don't think they were being racist. Maybe they just had a couple black models available. Nothing's wrong with that. 

The company we talked about, Benetton,  had very risky advertisements from presidents kissing and black and white babies hugging to real human organs and interracial couples. I'm not sure what kind of messages they were trying to convey to their viewers. Maybe they were trying to say that their clothing company were unique and different from other companies. 

I'm Filipino, considered Asian (I guess), and I don't really get offended with Asian stereotyping. People always make rice jokes when joking or talking about Asians  and I don't care. It's true because most Asians eat rice all the time. It's more like people stating facts rather than making jokes. It's cool. It's whatever. 

Scarecrows, Peppers, and Amenities

Mini Cooper (Print)

Denotation

There is a new Mini Cooper model called the Paceman out on the street at night. There are people outside a bar, hanging out, and seem to be having a good time.  The street light illuminates the car to show that it is the main focus. Fast moving cars are driving down the other side of the street.

Connotation

The company is trying to advertise their newer and faster model of the Mini Cooper line called the Paceman.  Their new model is described to have good handling, all-wheel drive, and is fast and never slows down.  When they say "Hold on to your turtlenecks", I think they are referring to the old beatniks who are chill and hangout and wear turtleneck sweaters. Their target audience are like beatniks, who go out at night, go to bars and lounges, and drive "cool" cars like Mini Coopers.

Chipotle (TV)

Denotation

The animated commercial tells a morbid story about a scarecrow that works in a food producing factory. It shows all the assembly lines and machines making the artificially enhanced food products being made in the factory. After the scarecrow gets off his job, he walks around the city finding other factories injecting chickens and cows with enhancements and realizes that what is happening is not right and not healthy. The scarecrow then goes home and makes tacos from foods freshly grown from his garden at home and sells them to the city people.

Connotation

Chipotle is trying to show that their all their food and products are natural and fresh.  They do not serve food that has any type of artificial enhancements in their food like other competing food companies. The scarecrow is a good character that is used because he represents the garden and it's fresh food that grows in it. While crows usually try eat all the food in a crop or garden, ironically, there is a mechanical crow that flies around and follows the scarecrow around while showing him all the factories in the city and all the twisted things that are happening in them.  Chipotle wants to let their customers know that all their food is made fresh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtnas5ScSE

Apartments (Outdoor)

Denotation

There are pictures of their apartment complexes, some of the living room and kitchen layouts, and their clubhouse with air hockey tables. 

Connotation

They are communicating to their customers that they have many amenities. There a lot of things for their residents to do to keep them busy. The company is telling their customers that they deserve to have fun and enjoy their amenities that they offer. 

Funny But True

I was in my Art History class and we were talking about a new media artist named Marshall McLuhan. We were going over some quotes of his and I took a pic of this:

"All advertising advertises advertising."

I thought this was an interesting quote. It's funny but it also makes sense. I think it means advertising sells itself. It's about the way advertising sells itself and presents itself that makes it interesting. 

Advertising the Ages, Selling the Sixties

I am not too familiar with the show Mad Men, but I hear from friends that it's a really good show.  Now that I know it's about an advertising agency, I will definitely start watching it on Netflix and try to catch up on the seasons.  From what I heard, Mad Men successfully does a good representation on how the advertising industry in the '60s were.

From what I've seen from the film in class and reading and watching Curtis' blog, it seems that advertising has changed a lot.  In the '60's, the advertising industry was new to everyone and was just starting to kick in, so I feel like ad agencies were trying to fit anything they can, from gaudy costumes to lame catch phrases, in their advertisements to get their product or service out to the public.  60's ads were so showy and almost a joke.  Most advertisements now are very neatly done and organized I feel. As I talked about in my last post, the Coca-Cola advertisement is perfect example of what kind of ad attracts me.  Simple and clean and straight to the point is what I like. Another example that I find attractive are Apple advertisements for their phones, tablets, and computers. The white background, black text, and fun music that Apple advertisements have are very compelling and exciting to watch.

People are always looking for something new and exciting to bring into their lives, therefore ad agencies are always trying to think of something new and something different to try to connect with their audience. Simple designs are definitely the new and hip thing these days.

If you want to be different you are always running away from the others who are also trying to be different - and thus become like you. So you are continually searching for something newly different, something Hip.

  - Adam Curtis

Nothing Beats the Coca-Cola Sharing Can

Adverting agencies are outside firms that specialize in the creation, production, and/or placement of the communications message. They may also provide other services to facilitate the marketing and promotions process.  Ad agencies are very competitive in trying to work with many companies to advertise them and their messages.

As I was researching some top ad agencies in the country, I stumbled upon 3 big ones: Ogilvy & Mather, BBDO, and McCann Erickson.  The 3 ad agencies stood out to me the most because their advertisements were attractive, nicely executed, and found a way to make a connection with their audience.  BBDO has worked with big-name companies such as Skittles, HP, Smart Car, Pepsico, GE, M&M's. One ad that I've seen on TV a couple times and found amusing was for M&M's. It was about the red M&M being in a relationship with one of the actresses from Glee and singing her a love song saying he'd do anything for her love.  It was funny because the Glee girl loved the M&M so much that she was always trying to eat her M&M boyfriend. McCann Erickson is one of the top leading international advertising agencies in the advertising industry.  McCann had an ad called "The Detailers".  It promoted an olive oil company called Olivari Olive Oil with a glass blowing artist named David Patchen.  It was interesting to see the glass blowing process and how is artwork comes to life.  Although these were companies had interesting advertisements, the most eye-catching and attractive ad was Ogilvy & Mather's ad for Coca-Cola's Sharing Can. Here is a link to the ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72fRuE8vmo0

Coca-Cola wanted to connect with their customers and make them able to share their happiness with others.  They were able to do this by creating a Coca-Cola can that, when twisted and pulled apart, split into 2 mini cans. I really like the look and feel of the ad because of the text and graphics that they created and the use of the simple red and white colors that Coca-Cola are known for.  The whole ad was just light and airy and entertaining and watching people share and enjoy cans of Coca-Cola was nice.  Also, I am an Industrial Design major so noticing the design and functionality of the Sharing Can was very cool to see.  The way Coca-Cola promoted their way of sharing happiness with people through their newly designed can made it inspiring to watch, enjoyable, and make me want to buy their Sharing Can just to share with someone.