It's the Holiday Season?

When browsing through, The Atlantic, this past weekend, I came upon an article regarding the fact that Christmas advertising comes earlier and earlier each year. I sarcastically thought to myself, "Wow, what a shock", and began to reflect on how each year it seems as though Christmas music begins playing "too soon", considering it tends to even start weeks prior to Thanksgiving.

In regard to marketing and consumerism, it is crucial for businesses to be ahead of their consumers demand, specifically in preparing for holiday shopping. It is never too early to get shoppers into the "holiday spirit" because it gives fervent shoppers time to mentally prepare for the heavy shopping season ahead. This time of year is often business' most successful, therefore it is vital that they do their best in promoting and advertising their products and the sooner the better. It does not go unnoticed that stores begin avidly decorating their window displays and exhibiting their large signs no later than Black Friday, but it is not a rare finding that one will find bits and pieces of snowflakes and mistletoe dressing the stores even as early as September. Although it may seem to be an annoying, burdensome ploy to certain buyers, according to a Bain & Company poll, two-thirds of those surveyed had none to few negative feelings about the early advertising, and one-third even reported that it lifted their spirits.

This evidence is proof that the marketers and advertisers strategies are effective. Regardless of whether or not it is, "too early", for holiday shopping, many consumers buy into it and are blinded by the joy and warmness that comes with the territory of getting in the holiday spirit. If companies are readily prepared in advance for the busiest shopping season of the year, then they will only benefit. It is now less likely that when the end of the season approaches, they will be out of stock of high demand products. Therefore, the marketers may be on to something, for Christmas in September may be seen as pushing the limits, but as long as the shoppers are merry by Christmas morning, so will the companies.

Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/09/christmas-ads-already-actually-most-people-dont-seem-to-mind/380835/

What is Normal, Gap?

Gap produces sophisticated pieces that are always in season. I associate the brand with elegance and simplicity. They rarely use celebrities to endorse their clothes because they don't need to. Basic pieces from Gap such as t-shirts and jeans may be an investment, but they can last for years.

I was confused by their most recent commercial when it played on Hulu. Everything is set in black and white. The commercial starts with a girl stepping out of a BMW. She is wearing a short, boxy t-shirt and skinny jeans. As the music starts, the girl dances past a boy playing golf. Then, the following slogan pops up:

"let your actions speak louder than your clothes"

At first, I did not pay too much attention because I thought the commercial was a trailer for a horror movie (black and white theme, older music, crickets...not the most common setting for a commercial). When I watched it again, I was confused as to what the company was trying to promote. Perhaps the girl is trying to flirt with the guy. But he is not responsive. Also, the campaign is "Dress Normal". Is the company trying to redefine normal as skinny and attractive actors? I'm a firm believer that there is no definition of "normal" as everyone has his/her/their own perks.

Then, I Googled the commercial and read that the point of this campaign was to emphasize that everyone's definition of normal is different. The company wants to promote individual styles. I never would have picked that out from the commercial.

#SpotTheSpice

This month the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back for it's 11th season at Starbucks. For many this unique drink marks the return to fall. Starbucks has had great success with the Pumpkin Spice Latte and this year they offered a sneak preview of the limited edition product. Starbucks held an online scavenger hunt via twitter, and called the challenge #SpotTheSpice. Customers had the opportunity to unlock secret passwords in order to get the special drink a week earlier than its official release. The Pumpkin Spice Latte has remained as the all time best-selling beverage that Starbucks has to offer. 

The #SpotTheSpice challenge demonstrates the brilliance behind marketing and how naive consumers can be. What Starbucks does so well is they take a product that sold well and they made it seasonal. By making it seasonal it enhances the "want" factor of a product, because people won't always have access to it. Then they made the product accessible through an online scavenger hunt that was trending in minutes on twitter, which not only marketed the Pumpkin Spice Latte but also the Starbucks brand itself.

Get in. Get happy.

For super bowl every year advertisment agencies try to come up with the biggest commercial ever. They go for funny and happy commercials, but also for controversial ones which also have a big impact. These ads are talked about in the news and on blogs online. Some companies might even try to get this kind of attention, because it helps to keep the commercial in the talk of the people and therefor also helps selling the product. Because who talks about a product also might buy the product. 

This is a super bowl ad from 2013 which is considered to be controversial, because it uses a racial aspect as its commercial. In the ad a white man from Minnesota speaks with a jamaican accent and seems to be really happy. Everybody else around him is either frustrated or annoyed by something happening in the office. The man from Minnesota tries to help everyone with a good advice and in the takes his boss on a trip with his volkswagen car. Before the boss enters the car he is not in a good mood, but when he returns from the trip he also has a jamaican accent and is happy. 

This volkswagen ad went viral right after it was shown for the first time during the super bowl break. Why? Because people believe that this ad is racial incorrect. The ad is supposed to make fun of people from jamaica. News reporter on the today show said that it would only show that black people could be happy. 

But is it really makeing fun of the jamaican people? Jamaica is the homecountry for many different ethnics. People from Asia, Middle East and other minorities also speak with the same accent as the people with black skin color. Making this ad about being political incorrect because of black racism would not be fair because of that fact. 

And is it not true that many Jamaican people are in fact happy? I believe this is also a good commercial for Jamaica itself. People who saw this commercial will think of Jamaica as a happy country. They might even thnk they want to go there on vacation. This ad seems to be a positive thing for the volkswagen company and the country of Jamaica. The Tourism Minister McNeill said "I think this is a very creative commercial which truly taps into the tremendous appeal that brand Jamaica and its hospitable people have globally." 

I agree with the people saying that it is a funny commercial. Volkswagen shows a positive image of a country and does not make a negative comment on a race in particular. The car owner is just a white man with an jamaican accent and it is funny to watch. I also think it is ridiculous to say that this commercial should be stopped, because the jamaican people even say that this ad is funny and a positive picture. 

So get in. Get happy. And everybody should stop talking about this commercial. Volkswagen wanted to score a funny commercial for the special event of the super bowl ad and that is all. So everybody have a laugh about the white man in the commercial trying to speak with a jamaican accent. 

(source:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/racist-super-bowl-ad-jamaica-volkswagen-commercial_n_2583710.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjVtGbFUKNA)

"Share a Coke With..."

The most recent ad campaign used by the mega corporation Coca-Cola, is simple. It starts with the tag “share a coke with.” Then written on the bottle is either a generic word, like family or friends. Or, most popular, a name.  The bottles are printed randomly with hundreds of different names, and although you might not think simply changing the wrapper would cause an increase in sales, it has. People like seeing their names on things, it makes something super generic, like a bottle of coke, seem personal. Now, people can be seen scouring bins full of coke bottles looking for their name. Coke turned buying their product into a fun surprise, and because of that, they are seeing a 2% increase in sales.

            The named bottle campaign was only even meant to be temporary in the US. So, soon the bottles will return to the way they were before. Just another incentive to stock up on bottles with your name now.


http://consumerist.com/2014/09/26/coke-reverses-10-years-of-sagging-sales-by-slapping-names-on-bottles/

Artistry or Trickery: Omega Watch Comercial.

Over the summer my father and I would sit down and watch The Cosmos series together and every episode it seemed that this commercial would come on.

However instead of muting it or changing the channel like we usually did during commercial breaks, we both would become quiet and simply watch.

Whether it's the combination of the gentle music and intricate artwork or the fact that it came on during a show that already plays on the beauty of the universe, the images are certainly absorbing to say the least. The Omega commercial uses hardly more than 20 words but still manages to convey feeling of artistry. This artistry just so happens to be functioning like the inner workings of a watch.

The Omega brand found an interesting way to market their product almost as if it wasn't an advertisement at all, but rather just a piece of art. The reminder at the end however did ensure one thing: with out fail my father would always look up watches and Omega watches just the same. He used to be a quasi watch connoisseur and commented on the fact that not only was he surprised by the ad but that Omega's watches were considerably more expensive then they were back in the 80s.

Omega once being a mid level watch is now one of the leading luxury watch company's and advertising as such. Omega's ad certainly seems like it is trying to position itself as a higher end watch with this Ad. Not only is it a surreptitious effort but one that highlights the elaborate and luxurious image that they are trying to sell. By playing off the intricacies of a watch and it's mesmerizing aspects they draw you into the idea that their watches are as beautiful and intricate as the commercial is.

One thing is certain, it did the job. My father would always consider buying a new watch after watching the Omega ad. Whether he needed it or not didn't matter because his interest was peaked and he had Omega on his mind.


http://www.forbes.com/sites/arieladams/2013/01/10/wrist-watch-brands-models-of-high-value/

Can CASH Watch Keep You From Impulsive Consumption?

Have you ever just found some stuff and was like: “When did I buy it? This is so expensive and I don’t even need it. I just wish someone could tell me to stop purchasing…”

The good news is, there is a new device called the CASH Smartwatch. It’s aimed toward young women and tells you when you are spending too much money. Once you set up your monthly allowance, you can tap the price tag into the interface every time you make a purchase without the need to use boring spreadsheets. It also has notifications when you go over budget or are nearly that point.

While I find it really helpful to keep track of payments and personal expenses, I question whether it truly keeps you from impulsive consumption (as it claims). In a world where consumerism is so rooted in the history and nowadays marketers and advertiser are making every effort to stimulate you to purchase, is a tiny watch going to solve the problem? For example, take a 20-year-old city girl who enjoys shopping a lot. She might keep in mind to reduce her budget and care about what the watch tells her. But more likely, she will get tired of it. What if she lies to herself that she deserves to spend more this month? What if she intentionally plans not to track down the price? What if she just throws it away? 

Personality, consumer psychology and social trends will not change overnight. In the end, she is going to waste the watch that costs her another $139.

SunBrite: Slimmer, Brighter, and More Waterproof

I was looking through the USA Today website and came across an article about an outdoor, waterproof television. I was intrigued about how it was set up, so naturally I clicked the link. I was brought to an article that described a slim, bright, and waterproof outdoor television. The new 2014 model is thinner and more lightweight than a previous model (date not specified). The SunBrite employees are continually doing tests on the tv to make it more durable and functionable. They are throwing and kicking things at the screen, making sure that it can eventually withstand anything that comes its way. Although the prices range from $1,495 to $7,695 depending on the size of the screen, SunBrite assures that its television will be worth the purchase because it is "weather, temperature, and insect proof," and can therefore stay outdoors all year long.
I feel that this is television is only going to cause more "social-awkwardness" in society. Barbecues and outdoor events at houses will no longer be focused on doing outdoor activities, such as volleyball or frisbee. People will once again be glued to a certain-inch screen watching an irrelevant show or movie, rather than promoting good socializing skills and actually communicating with those around them. This world has become too focused on advancing technology that people have lost touch with one another while in an environment where communicating one-on-one is essential.

Carl’s Jr., Hamburgers or Sex?

Yesterday, while browsing Youtube to find ideas for my paper, I came across Carl’s Jr.’s advertisement video about its newest product “Mile High Bacon Thickburger”. Never before have I tried any burger from this brand. Yet, now I wonder if I’ll ever walk into any of its stores after watching that commercial video.

The advertisement opens in an airplane with a lady, wearing very tight black jumpshorts, leaning to seduce her boyfriend “wanna join the mile high club?” (To have sex in a plane). When he refuses, she sulks and immediately leans to the left, sexually asks a strange passenger the same question. He, of course, agrees and it turns out that what she has been offering is not sex, but a new product from Carl’s Jr.: Mile High Bacon Thickburger.

Throughout the whole video, what stands out is not the hamburger, which supposedly the company’s target, but all the sexual images. Firstly, take a look at the clothes of the lady. A very tight black jumpshorts to expose her long and thin legs and to compliment her sexy body. Not all, the deep-cut neck is the most remarkable feature as it allows her boobs to be directed to our eyes. And to maximize sexual effects of her clothes, all she has done during a 40-second advertisement is grinding her body against her boyfriend, slowly leaning back and forth showing off her boobs, gazing sexually, licking her finger and creating sexual sounds. It is just visually disgusting and degrading women!

Secondly, I wonder if Carl’s Jr. thinks it is funny to use the phrase “join the mile high club” to introduce its food. The very thought of having sex with a stranger in an airplane’s bathroom nauseates me! Does the company really want to attach its food, its image with that cheap sexual movement? Sexual advertisement is not sexy. People want delicious hamburgers, to satisfy their hunger. This commercial only makes potential customers think of sexually transmitted diseases as a hamburger.

As long as Carl’s Jr. insists on attaching its image with overly sexualized and sexist advertising, I refuse to buy its products. I want to buy food, not sex!

"Stop one. Stop them all"

A picture is worth a thousand words, and World Wildlife (WWF) demonstrates this adage in their newest 2014 campaign "Stop One. Stop Them All". 

This campaign makes use of explanatory photograph and pyramid analogy to highlight the illegal trade of Shark fin, Rhino horn and Tiger skin. While we all understand that dangers and implications of poaching, we tend to forget that poachers are not poaching for fun, they are doing it for money and to supply to the unending demands that are coming from the exclusively wealthy. The pyramid analogy that is being used demonstrates that everyone in the chain is responsible, whether you are the poacher, distributor or consumer. By removing one person, the whole pyramid will collapse.

I think that this form of advertising is very effective. It is not only visually stimulating, it also stirs up thoughts about poaching and endangered species and how there are many individuals who are involved in this process. While this campaign serves to alarm the society about the involvement and danger of poaching, I can't help but worry about the future of those in the bottom of the pyramid. If the consumers stop consuming these goods, they still have all the money in the world to lavish themselves in luxury goods. But those individuals who are out in the field poaching will lose their source of income and are left to look for other hard jobs to support themselves and their families.

Hoeing for Halloween

 Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
"High ho, indeed!"

Aladdin
"Be warned: there is a very real possibility that every man you meet will ask if he can take you on a magic carpet ride."

Yes, you read the title of my post correctly. Hoeing for halloween is apparently an on going theme every October 31st, especially for women. As I surfed through the Cosmopolitan online magazine as I often do on my free time, I came across the article titled "10 Disney Movies as 'Sexy' Halloween Costumes." Now, I don't know about you guys but reading both the name Disney and sexy just do not sound quite right in the same sentence. I mean, what can possibly be sexy about seeing a grown woman dressed as characters that you often watch with your younger siblings, cousins, or nephews or nieces? 

Now, the real fun began when I read the descriptions and puns that Cosmopolitan related with the different costumes, I provided two examples above so you guys can better understand my perspective. These puns are offensive for women and very sexualized for men and even though the costumes are created for an adult audience, the fact of the matter is that the foundation of these ideas come from children story books and or movies.

I don't have anything against dressing sexy for halloween, lets face it, it is the one holiday that girls can dress like whores and not be judged for it, well not entirely, well maybe but just not to your face. It is a holiday to have fun and pretend to be someone completely outside of your comfort zones. But seriously can we leave the Disney characters to children, last time I checked being a pedophile is not sexy any day of the year. 

Buy a purse, prevent a bruise

The caption on the top left corner says: What 1 in 4 women will be wearing this fall.

The bottom text describes the cause that the Purple Purse Foundation supports.

There's nothing pretty about it. 1 in 4 women will be impacted by domestic violence in her lifetime. Yet there's an even darker side. 98% of these women are trapped because of the financial control abusers have over them. It's a secret prison no one's talking about, until now.

I stumbled upon this ad while flipping through the Lucky Magazine. This is actually the second time that I've come across this Purple Purse campaign. The first time was on a Yahoo! news article that talked about how Kerry Washington is the ambassador for this foundation.

When I first saw the purse in the magazine, my thought was that the purple/green blotch on the corner was a nebula. I wondered why space images were the new trend because the purse is kind of ugly and I would never personally buy it.
Even after seeing the description, how buying this purse would "go to a good cause", I was still not drawn to the purse. This marketing campaign made no sense to me. Having wealthy socialite women wear these "purple bags" have no correlation to the situation at hand. They just throw money at an organization yet the details as to what happens to the money is not explicitly stated. Does any of this money actually benefit the women trapped in domestic abuse? I want to see the statistical and survey evidence.

Purple Purse, an Allstate Foundation

Leather Eyeliner?

Ladies, while you have all been stressing over your first papers due and other school work taking over your social lives you may have forgotten about Milan fashion week. It's the week long awaited for by the most prestigious fashion designers, the lucky famous few that secure front row seats, fashion bloggers from every social media platform, and the typical fashion-obsessed girls, myself included. Fashion week is crucial to a fashion designer's career; if the line they show at fashion week isn't absolute perfection half of the world will hear about it by the next morning after the collection's flaws are picked apart by fashion bloggers.

 

In the case of Fendi's 2015 spring collection released last week, fashion bloggers and members of the runway audience started praising it through social media postings only moments after it ended. It wasn't just Fendi's clothing that they were raging about, though, it was the cut up strips of leather that served as eyeliner for the Fendi' models who strutted down the runway. As seen on model Cara Delevingne, the leather eyeliner is much bolder than the standard kohl or liquid eyeliner typically used. Her bold baby blue eyeliner perfectly matches the blue accents in her patterned dress and adds an added dimension to the whole presentation of the outfit. For some, Fendi releases pieces that can only ever look normal on a model walking down a runway, but for others Fendi is selling pieces that are going to be that bold statement piece that many women look for to add to their outfits. Fendi knows its audience and uses its unique runway looks to appeal to their tastes and sell to them.

 

 Although the leather eyeliner intrigued me, I wonder about how far people in the fashion industry are willing to go to be seen as different from those producing similar work to them. The leather eyeliner Fendi used on its models is not practical for the everyday makeup wearer, but for a runway show it proved to be a stand out piece to each model's outfit; I'd even consider it an accessory. This 'accessory' isn't sold by Fendi, the average person couldn't even be able to replicate the look very easily, but somehow this added touch of unique makeup is able to sell what Fendi is actually advertising, its clothing. 

Pictures from The Fashion Spot: http://www.thefashionspot.com/beauty/469293-leather-eyeliner-at-fendi-spring-2015/

The Newest Toy Story

When one thinks of a toy store, they often imagine bright-eyed children and dragged behind parents, bustling in and out of the wide aisles, looking up and down the towering shelves in search of the newest, sought-after toy that has been promoted all around them. From Nickelodeon and Disney Channel commercials, to online flashing advertisements, the child cannot escape the desire and temptation that consumes him/her.

In today's consumer culture, it can sometimes be hard to distinguish who is being targeted in regard to whether it is the children or their parents. Two well-known toy stores, Toys R Us and FAO Schwarz Toys, seem to have different perspectives as to who their intended consumer is. Toys R Us, aimed toward the children, and F.A.O Schwarz Toys, geared toward the adult audience, both have different perspectives, which is evident through their websites alone. In the attached links, it is clear that Toys R Us'  youthful, inviting, mesmerizing website is kid-friendly; portraying happy, smiling children dressed in their Halloween costumes, today's "Hottest Toys" made available for browsing, and the options on the left side of the screen offering the specific viewing of "Girls' Toys" and "Boys' Toys". On the other hand, when on the website for F.A.O Schwartz Toys, my immediate impression is that it is organized, structured, and almost too sophisticated for a toy company. "The Best Brands!", is presented boldly with the accompaniment of the classic wooden toy piano and the stuffed animal dog, presented for the parents appeal and approval.

Now let's be honest. Children could care less about, "The Best Brands!" and the free shipping. What they want to see are the newest, up-to-date toys, the other children playing with them, and the Halloween-themed decor dressing the website. What the parents, also known as, "the money spenders", are interested in is the best toys for their children, how much they cost, and who is the company behind the product. It is no secret that the two toy companies are economically diverse; Toys R Us geared toward the lower and middle-class and F.A.O. Schwartz Toys aimed at the middle-upper class. Therefore shopping at each of the stores is getting two different experiences; one more childlike and the other as being more business-like and mature. With the holiday season a few short months away, it makes one wonder about the analytical approaches it takes to bring in the consumer, whether or not it is the child, or the adult.

Toys R Us: http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2255956

F.A.O. Schwartz Toys: http://www.fao.com/home/index.jsp?searchdef=2194048&affcode=184788&k_clickid=68c232f3-1be6-3928-1aa2-000010f084d1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=FAO_Brand_*General_Exact&utm_term=fao%20schwarz&002=2194048&006=18453879203&007=Search&008=&009=e&012=fao%20schwarz&021=30937692994&025=c&026=

TOMS: Hurting or Helping the Less Fortunate?

My essay is basically describing how TOMS has been hurting countries that need more help than others. While the idea for the shoe (and coffee and sunglasses) company may seem good to some, it is  not for others in that others see that the items being sold are too expensive and not "quality." Also, the products being given to people in the third-world countries are not made of the same material, and are of a much lesser value than the items TOMS is putting on the market. I also described how, by selling these produce in developed countries, TOMS is also taking away jobs that could be done by people in the under-privileged countries, thus helping their economy and income levels.

The Aerie Real Campaign

                                                  

Aerie is a retail lingerie sister store of American Eagle Outfitters. American Eagle is an American clothing store. The Aerie Real Spring 2014 campaign revolved around the concept of embracing the "real" beauty of the everyday woman. Through their various ads they emphasize the non-usage of the image manipulation program Photoshop, as a way of justifying the realness of the women within the ad. My essay raises various issues that the Aerie campaign addresses and ignores such as unrealistic beauty standards. In my essay, I analyze the women that were used for the ads and their presentations for the average young woman.

Shaving for Profit

My essay is about the history and social importance of razors. Specifically, I talk about how the idea of shaving is a social construction that runs the razor companies. There are also ideas of cleanliness vs laziness and culture vs misogyny.

-Nancy Cai

The Evolution of Soccer Cleats

The culture of soccer cleats has greatly changed over the years. Today, there are thousands of styles and colors, and newly developed technology that improves playing. Soccer cleat consumers are an easy target to marketers because they believe that they need to have the best made, most stylish, and usually the most expensive cleats to portray how good they are at soccer. In the soccer world it’s all about the brand, meaning that the cleats you wear distinguish what kind of player you are. The two predominant brands in soccer are Adidas and Nike. Adidas is the force responsible for revolutionizing soccer cleats. The first modern soccer cleats were created and designed by Adolf Dassler, an employee of Adidas, in the 1950s. Both Adidas and Nike have managed to evolve the soccer cleat from a heavy generic shoe to a lightweight shoe that incorporates even the most recent technology.

 

Marketers of big companies, such as Nike and Adidas, use arch rivals like Messi who plays for FC Barcelona and Ronaldo who plays for Real Madrid as competition for selling their products. Also, the fact that Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo are arguably the two best players in the world right now, makes the products being advertised by them extremely popular amongst consumers.  

    

In our consumer culture today, people are satisfied with buying an item such as soccer cleats, based on how pretty they are or how the world will view them wearing the cleats. Many argue that it’s not the shoe that makes the player, but it’s the player that makes the shoe. However, consumers of soccer cleats are obsessed with the stereotypes associated with buying and eventually wearing them.