Ethics in Advertising/Flat Earth Advertising/Outdoor Advertising/Creative Brief/Message Appeals/Superbowl Advertising

Targeting certain crowds with advertisment is an understandable approach to selling a product. Sometimes though ad agencies take it a little too far by targeting kids who obviously arent going out to buy the product themselves putting alot of pressure on parents to purchase the products. Ad agencies also have to be weary about advertising products without offending anyone. People are going to be offended by certain ads but if the agencies are getting their point across to their specific target market, then they are doing their job.
One thing I have noticed that I feel is effective is the differences in ads depending on the channel or magazine for example Women's magazines such as Elle and Glamour will show ads targeted specifically to women. I personally enjoy an absolut Vodka ad that would definitely offend some men, but it does a very effective job of targeting women alcohol drinkers. The ad shows a woman and a man in their living room. They are holding hands and seem to be the normal newly wed couple until you realize that the woman is holding a martini with a smile and the man appears to be around 8 months pregnant and he is frowning. Even though this may be offensive to some, it definitely makes every woman who drinks socially want to go out and buy a bottle. Ad agencies do a good job of placing their ads to target a certain market.
As far as targeting kids, I think sometimes ad agencies go a little far knowing that the parents are going to be the ones effected by the whining and crying of their needy children. I am the oldest of 5 children and so I know first hand what its like for them to sit in front of the tv and constantly talk about what they want. The thing is though kids are going to get toys at the store, they are going to get presents at Christmas so if an ad agency knows this then why not make it their toy the kids are going to want. By placing these commercials on children's tv stations the companies are embedding these products into the kids minds so next time they are at Target with their parents they will know the brand by the commercial. Yes, they may be a little young to be target consumers but thats the job of the ad agencies. I don't disagree with what they do, it's their job.

Flat Earth Advertising
This positioning strategy doesn't make me want to go and purchase Flat Earth Chips. I have actually had these chips and thought they were absolutely delicious, but this commercial or there flying pig mascot did nothing for me. First of all, if I had a pig snorting at me to try and get me to eat health chips I would have to look in the mirror. I mean if a pig is calling me fat than I probably shouldn't eat at all. I feel like the brand should focus more on the health benefits and taste in a more positive and less random way. Health snacks are all the rage with the obesity in this country and everyones sudden urge to be healthy. By involving a pig though (even if it is to represent the saying when pigs fly), is almost poking fun and I feel like people are going to be less eager to try these chips. If they were to target a young college age woman, they would have to make the product seem like something that was worth the small amount of money we have to spend on snack food. They should focus more on the serving of vegetables per serving because often in college we eat what we have money for not necessarily what is healthy. So if we knew that by eating this healthy chip (because who doesn't love chips) we would also be getting a serving of vegetables, we would be alot more likely to buy them. I didn't feel like they focused enough on the health as much as they did on the flying pig.
The website however did a little bit better of a job describing the when pigs fly motto which I understand more now to mean that when pigs fly there will be a good tasting yet nutritious chip. The website setup is informative and does more to explain the health benefits but the commercial and the pig definitely threw me off.

Outdoor Advertising
People go about advertising their products in many different ways. It is interesting to see how creative people become when trying to sell a product to a customer who will possibly only glance at their ad for 2 seconds on the way to work. On a day to day basis I see many ads that catch my attention. I can remember a specific billboard from my hometown that I will probably never forget because it was oddly in the same place for around 4-5 years. It was for a plumbing company and on the billboard was a picture of the bottom half of a baby in a huge diaper. The baby's diaper was huge and the sign read "We'll fix any leak (Well almost any)". This ad will stick out in my mind forever and I can imagine that that was the goal when designing it. Another form of outdoor advertising that I have recently witnessed are these ridiculous looking trucks that have no purpose but to drive around town and display ads. The truck looks like it would carry a full load but instead the back is completely flat and rotates every few seconds to reveal new ads. With gas prices the way they are I can't imagine this will last but just the thought of this truck driving around all day long to show ads that may or not be caught by other drivers shows the determination of companies to get their product bought. I found a very odd but effective ad for a pasta company. The picture shows a normal looking boat in a harbor. The boat is tied to the dock with a large rope that appears to be coming out of the side of the boat. Printed around the rope is a man's face. It looks as if the rope is entering his mouth in a way that spaghetti would. Under the man's face are the words "So good you can't let go". (Google outdoor advertising and mondo pasta..it's hilarious!) I found this ad so effective and hilarious that I now want to try Mondo pasta. By catching the attention of people in creative ways like I have mentioned, companies are making a name for themselves and getting people to try their products.

Creative Brief:
My current favorite ad is the Burger King chicken sandwich ad. The creative brief that I believe this commercial follows is as follows..
The Background: Burger King is a fast food chain that has made its name by specializing in burgers. Since they now want to specialize in the chicken sandwich also, they have to consider a few things. People are going to have to be willing to try it. Many people who eat at Burger King are strictly burger eaters so they need to create an effective commercial that will be able to get their customers and the non-burger eaters to try their new chicken sandwich.
The Audience: This commercial should be mainly targeted towards the male population since they consume the most amount of Burger King burgers.
Objectives: This commercial should achieve the goal of making the viewer want to try the new chicken sandwich. Burger King should consider what metaphor they can use to make these men do this. By positioning this commercial on commonly watched channels, Burger King is sure to catch the attention of their wide target audience.
Message: This commercial must communicate that this sandwich is worth not eating a burger for. The main purpose of this commercial is to get people just to try it.
Medium: This message can be displayed in a commercial by showing a man who pulls into a sketchy hotel. He looks out the window to make sure no one sees him entering the room. So far it looks like he is hiding something, possibly meeting a woman at the hotel. He locks the door and gets out his Burger King chicken sandwich and sits on the opposite side of the bed to assure no one can see him through the window. He starts to enjoy his juicy chicken sandwich when there is a loud, scary knock on the door. The music makes this part more intense. The door falls to the ground and an angry female cow stands there and is huffing at the man. By mocking a typical cheating scenario, Burger King shows that this chicken sandwich will give you that thrill of something new. This sandwich will be worth cheating on beef!
By showing a scenario that involves men trying something new (even if they don't want anyone to know), Burger King is encouraging every burger eater to branch out and discover what they have been missing!

Message Appeals
Messages I like
1. Axe shower gel
Axe does a very good job of understanding its target market and effectively using message appeals to motivate these people to try their products. By knowing that young men are very interested in sex Axe convinces their target market that by using this product they will attract women. In one commercial there is a foggy shower that shows the outline of a woman's backside and two mens hands. By making men think that by using Axe, they can get girls in their shower, they are going to increase consumers motivation to buy.
2. Orbit Gum
Orbit Gum uses humor effectively to market its breath freshening gum. A certain commercial shows the guys from jackass on a beach with their mouths full of sand and crabs crawling around. The Orbit lady then comes to the rescue and states "Dirty mouth? Clean it up with Orbit". Not only is this a catchy phrase that can now be identified with Orbit gum, but the humor behind his dirty sandy mouth makes the strength of this gum seem unbeatable.
Messages I don't like
1. Sprint Instinct
I own this phone and absolutely love it but this commercial does the phone no justice. It acts as though it is making fun of a chic flick. A group of girls talk to their friend about her boyfriend and their problems. Come to find out it is the phone that they are referring to and not a boyfriend. "Your wanting too much out of this relationship.. text, picture messaging, internet.. you just dont find them like that anymore." Its honestly not funny and does nothing to enhance the motivation of the consumer to go buy one.
2. Western Whopper (Burger King)
Im not a big fan of burger king anyways but this commercial just makes me realize why..
They are marketing a wester burger so they show a wide variety of different people eating the burger with these awful fake mustaches on. They are singing to a western tune and it just makes no sense. First of all, there isnt a wide variety of people who will eat this burger. They show a woman tanning outside eating a western whopper. Obviously there arent many woman who lay in a bikini and eat burgers. This just doesnt make sense and the annoying plastic Burger King man doesnt add to the credibility. This doesnt enhance my motivation or tap into specific emotions.
Go Obama!

Superbowl Advertising
Superbowl Sunday is an important day for many advertisers. In recent years, total costs have amounted to some 2.6 million dollars for a 30 second clip. This may seem crazy but the ads are expected to reach some 90 million people. Every year these numbers are rising but the advertising agencies have to spend alot of time and thought to make their money worth their 30 second time slot. By making their ad memorable usually by using humor, companies are able to capture the attention of their viewers. One commercial that will always stick out in my mind because of its effectiveness and perfect amount of humor was a Budweiser commercial. Since millions of beer drinkers are tuning in on Superbowl Sunday it is obvious why there are so many beer commercials. Budweiser has been able to use this 30 second time slot to create a brand image even to those who don't drink it. For instance there is one commercial with a couple at an outdoor party. The woman who is petite and very pretty asks the man to hold her beer while she uses the porta john. He gets so excited about his date and his beer that when she hands him the beer and steps in the porta john he begins to do some kind of victory dance. Being a heavier man, his large butt knocks the porta john with the girl inside down a hill. This is hilarious in a perfect way and has stuck out in my mind ever since i saw it for the first time. Another amazingly hilarious commercial that was one the top 10 for effectiveness was the Bud light magic fridge commercial. A man fills his fridge with beer and his friend wonders if he isnt worried that all of his friends will drink it all. He shows the friend that he has installed a revolving wall so that the wall revolves leaving a table and chair where the fridge was. Little do they know, the fridge revolves into another apt where some very excited men praise the fridge and grab as much beer as they can when the wall revolves as if it is magical. Yet again, fun and memorable just like beer drinkers like it. The important thing to remember is the amount of people watching the commercials. Under armour came out with an ad that was very negatively responded to causing its shares to drop by a large amount. The commercial cost them 5 million dollars and alot of business. It is very important to put alot of thought into making an effective commercial due to the cost and the number of people watching.. Superbowl advertising is risky business!

Positive PR Campaign for Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen
It is easy for these high profile twins to get a bad wrap when every thing they smoke, eat (or don't eat) , and drink is seen on the front page of the tabloids. To develop a positive PR campaign, it is important to consider the negative things that people see when they hear the name Olsen. There are many ways to change their image including the publishing of their new book telling the truth behind the rumors. While some of the information they share is negative information it draws fans to a more personal level with them because they feel like they can relate with them. Grabbing the support of their fans and keeping it is important because when things go wrong, they will still have those fans. Going green is also a big celebrity issue and by displaying their efforts to go green, the twins would gain more respect from the large crowd who disagree with their choices. After rumors of having an eating disorder, Mary Kate Olsen needs to display healthy eating in public. Instead of carrying around a large Starbucks cup all of the time she should carry a Smart Water bottle or maybe be dressed in workout clothes showing everyone who reads the tabloids that she is trying to get healthy. A little sun would also help the twins who often looked washed out and unhealthy. By involving themselves in beneficial organizations and taking time to care about the wellbeing of others will help them gain respect from their fans as well as a better since of wellbeing for themselves. By taking more time out to work on their clothing line and any other projects they may have going, they will be giving the people something to praise instead of something for people to talk bad about. They need to focus on taking the attention away from their negative past and onto the present of their healthy lifestyles. They are very hardworkding girls who deserve everything they have earned but by displaying a bigger effort to take care of themselves they will gain more respect. Lately I feel like they are getting their act together but smart decisions in their public relations can make all of the difference. So by eating right (especially when people are watching), exercising, dressing a little less messy and more like succesful young women, and displaying efforts to help with going green and other beneficial efforts they can easily change their negative image. By learning to carry themselves with a constant postive light that says "I don't care what you think of me, I know who I am", they will be able to take negative attention away from them now and forever.

Product Placement
I chose to do the product placement used specifically in the movies. Many brands are directly shown in movies and by placing them strategically throughout, brands are gaining publicity and viewers remember them specifically. Even computerized movies like the new Pixar movie- Wall-e product placement is used. For example in the movie, Wall-e collects items out of boredom. He collects an Apple Ipod, a Playmate cooler, and a Rubik's cube; all well-known brands of items. Another recent movie with alot of product placement is Baby Mama. In the story a non-pregnant woman tries to make herself look pregnant by eating like 50 Tastykakes, a popular northern dessert cake. The label on the wrappers are very clearly seen in the specific scene. This movie also uses alot of other food brands because one of the main women works for a health food store so alot of well known health food brands are shown throughout the movie also. It is easy for brands to pop up in mall scenes as well as New York City based movies that display all of the well known Times Square advertising which is very popular in many movies and product placement strategies. Home Alone was listed as one of the top 100 product placement films. There is a very memorable scene at dinner time where the family is eating pizza and Kevin complains about having to sleep with his cousin Fuller, who is known to pee in the bed, who is seen drinking alot of Pepsi. There is also a very strategically placed brand in the movie runaway bride when Julia Roberts is running away from her wedding she hops in a Fed Ex truck that is waiting on her. This is a good example of effective product placement because it shows her relying on Fed Ex when she needs to get somewhere in a hurry making people think they can rely on Fed Ex when in need of fast shipping, service, etc.

Kashi's Brand Identity

I decided to analyze Kashi and their brand identity. I chose them because they seem to have taken health food to the next level by making it available to everyday people who don't have the time or money to spend driving to the whole food store. When I see the Kashi label I know that I am eating naturally healthy food that can help me lead a healthy lifestyle. By offering fitness plans on their website as well as tips to overall happiness and various tasty, healthy recipes they are targeting consumers and their need to be happy and healthy. Kashi to me and the people I have talked to stands for a well balanced lifestyle. Kashi claims to choose only the best tasting and most beneficial ingredients to make healthy eating easy for people who don't have time to plan a wholesome meal or snack ahead of time. The green logo symbolizes Kashi's natural products as well as there efforts to support the environment and what it has to offer. Unlike my reaction to most health foods, the Kashi logo also represents good tasting food that will satisfy my hunger yet keep me healthy. Not only does Kashi offer a wide variety of good foods and snacks, but they also support the going green movement by offering helpful tips on their website to preserve the environment. Kashi has a brand of heart healthy foods that offer facts about heart disease and what you can do to prevent it. Kashi employs everyday people who travel the world to find the best tasting ingredients because most people today choose taste over health when it comes to food. By offering healthy tips, good tasting foods and recipes, and support groups and wellness programs Kashi has started a health-food revolution and I am definitely a follower!