Media Blog 13. iPhone Photos

This commercial may focus on the iPhone's ability to take photos and capture memories, but I think it says less than it needs to because everyone knows about the iPhone. They're everywhere; this ad only shows its ability to take pictures because Apple knows that everyone already knows about the features of an iPhone.

This ad is targeting teenagers because it shows features like Instagram, which is used mainly by teens. Apple knows that teens want the ability to take pictures of everything and share stuff with their friends. It is such a widely used and known product that all Apple has to do is show a few clips of people taking pictures and sharing them.

A lot of colors are shown in this advertisement, mostly because it flashes from so many different scenes. The different scenes and colors are appealing because they show fun experiences, such as two friends jumping on a bed and laughing. It shows the many possibilities where an iPhone can help you, from capturing a wild concert to a simply taking pictures of your food.

I think that this targets the need for affiliation because many of the scenes they show are people with their friends. They have scenes of people at concerts, skateboarding, hiking, and friends taking pictures of themselves. It's as if to say that people will become closer to their friends if they can connect with them using an iPhone.

The music is really soft and bubbly. It makes it seem like a happy time for all the people in the commercial. The scenes switch to the beat of the music. There aren't any words or lyrics, drawing attention to what's happening in the scenes and making it all seem really happy and calm.

Media Blog 12. Santa's Secret

Oh, the holiday season; a perfect time for family bonding time and, of course, advertising. Samsung took advantage of the holidays by releasing this commercial for the Samsung Galaxy Gear. In it, Santa shows a crowd of elves all the features of the Galaxy Gear, which is basically a mix of a watch and a phone.

At first, the target audience seemed to be little kids who were amazed with the ideas of Santa Claus and elves, but I figured it couldn't be that because little kids don't need and probably wouldn't buy Galaxy Gears. Instead, I think the ad is targeting teenagers who want the next big thing. It makes Santa seem a little bit like a joke and more like an advertiser, appealing to teens who no longer regard Santa the way little kids do.

At the end of the commercial, it says, "The next big thing is here." This uses the technique avant garde. Sicne is says that the product is the next big thing, it makes it seem like no one really knows about it yet, and people who do have one will be cool. It makes it seem like people who own this product are one step ahead of others and are trend-setters.

The scene really popped out with the excessive use of Christmas colors like red, green, and white. This made it seem like it was a really happy time. It was all set in a dark place, making the colors and lights pop out more against the black background. The Christmasy colors do pop out against the black, but it's the blue that pops out against the Christmas colors. The blue is from the Galaxy Gear, drawing attention from its bright blue color and making the audience focus on it.

The music is really loud and lively. This adds a sort of fun, party feel to it. Even though it may be a party between Santa and his elves, it still makes the Galaxy Gear seem cool.

I think this ad is effective because it lists all the features of the Samsung Galaxy Gear but also makes it seem cool. The commercial itself seems lively and fun and grabs viewers' attention.

Media Blog 11. Cheerios

I think this commercial is really cute, and it makes me sad that there's been a lot of controversy on it because of the interracial couple in it. First of all, the people they are using is an interracial family, which would appeal to people who would be happy seeing an interracial family on TV. It kind of backfired on them though, because people didn't like this commercial because of that.

One thing I noticed was the setting. It seems to take place in an average, middle-class person's home, but everything in the first scene is brown and green except for the kid's colorful outfit and the bright Cheerios box. This makes the girl and the cereal pop out.

Also, there isn't much music present until a little bit at the end. The sound is mostly just the actors talking. The little girl has a high, childish voice, which is really adorable and might appeal to parents. The music at the end is really upbeat and fun.

At the end of the ad, the word "Love" pops up against a screen the yellow color of the Cheerios box. The font of the word is the same as the font for Cheerios. Also, there are Cheerios bouncing all over the screen, which associates the cereal with love and family.

The mother tells her daughter that Cheerios is good for your heart with whole-grain oats that can remove cholesterol. This slips in a fact about Cheerios, saying that not only does it bring the family together and taste good, it's also healthy.

Overall, I think this ad is appealing to me, but many people don't agree because of the interracial family. I think that's really stupid because the commercial seems really cute to me.

Media Blog 10. Extra's Origami Ad

I think this commercial is so adorable. It definitely targets parents and associates Extra gum with connecting with their kids. Parents want to be involved in their kids lives, and this ad makes it seem like chewing Extra gum will help them do that. It shows the father looking at his daughter and being there for her when she grows up. He experiences a lot of important moments in her life, whether she's sad or happy, and each time, there is gum. This uses repetition; each time an event happens, Extra gum is there to make the girl feel better.

One thing that I noticed was that the music was really happy, laid-back, and inspirational. The scenes and movements all lined up with the beat of the song. This makes the music affect the actions in the video and the way the viewer's see the ad, but it's not so loud that it overpowers the message of the commercial.

This ad appeals to parents' need to nurture. When the daughter is crying and going through other important events in her life, the dad is always there to help her and make her happy. This associates Extra with good parenting and the ability to brighten someone's day.

There are only a few words spoken in the ad. At the end, a gentle voice says, "Sometimes, the little things last the longest. Give extra, get extra." This is saying that little things in life can sometimes be the best, but it's also because Extra may seem like a small stick of chewing gum, but it can lead to bigger things. In this case, the thing that lasts the longest is the father's relationship with his daughter.

Overall, I think this ad is effective. It's really cute and has a little bit of a plot that might capture attention. Even though I'm not a parent, I thought it was really interesting and appealing.

Media Blog 9. Coca Cola vs. Pepsi

This Halloween ad began as a Pepsi advertisement. It said, "We wish you a scary Halloween!" with a can of Pepsi disguised as a Coca Cola can. The image on the left is Coca Cola's unofficially released comeback: it's the same image, but it says "Everybody wants to be a hero."

I think both of these ads were clever. The picture is focused on the can, and the bold red and blue colors make it stand out against the gray and green of the background. This draws attention to the two very well-known can designs, and it might want viewers to pay more attention to the ad. Since Pepsi and Coca Cola are major competitors, both of the can designs in the same picture might interest people.

The two images use different tactics and ideas from the companies. Instead of focusing on the quality of their products, Pepsi and Coke are attacking each other. Pepsi's version of the ad is saying that Halloween would be scary if Pepsis looked like Cokes, since Pepsi is better. Coca Cola's version says that Pepsi isn't as good as Coke but is trying to be. It might take a few seconds for viewers to understand what each company is trying to say, giving the ad just enough time to affect people.

Overall, I think both versions of the ad are really interesting, and it was funny seeing how Coca Cola responded to the original ad.

Media Blog 8. M&M's Keyboard Ad

This ad shows rows of M&M's with the letters/words of keyboards printed on them. The first thing I noticed was, of course, the M&M's. How can you not? They're a splash of color placed on a boring gray background. The dullness of the background makes the M&M's stand out more, especially since there's a bit of a white glow around the chocolates.

The bottom reads, "Communication just got sweeter. Personalise your M&M's at mymms.nl." The point is that, since you can personalize what goes on your M&M's, you could make a keyboard-like M&M's display if you wanted to.

I'm not exactly sure what M&M's is trying to establish with this ad. The whole image itself is so simple, it could appeal to anyone. M&M's has become so well-known that someone could look at the picture and immediately go "Ooh, M&M's." I don't think that they're focusing much on the personalization as much as how they're trying to get their name across.

Media Blog 7. The Extremely Remote Control Car

I also found this ad in the "Family Fun" magazine. It advertises the OnStar RemoteLink and Chevrolet Impala and says, "So you're a bit tied up, thanks to two very ambitious children and you think, wait, did I lock my Impala? And normally, you'd just sit and stew about it. But you live in a time when an app lets you control your car from nearly anywhere in your world, and you realize just how amazing modern technology really is. All because you drive a Chevrolet Impala connected by OnStar." This makes it seem like it will make people worry less and ad security in their lives.

Honestly, if I were someone flipping through this magazine, I would see that chunk of words and go "ugh." I don't really concentrate or care about ads if I'm looking through a magazine, especially if there's a lot of small-printed words in there.

However, the many colors and photos in the picture can draw attention. Also, the phrase "The extremely remote control car" is a play on words and tells people that it's a secure and reliable option. Since this is in a Family Fun magazine, it would be very appealing to parents who want to make sure they're safe. I think this ad would be effective on a certain audience, but to me, it isn't that important or attention-grabbing.

Media Blog 6. Quality Time with Rice Krispies

I found this picture in a "Family Fun" magazine that was sent to us. This ad for Rice Krispies shows a mother and her kids having fun while making Rice Krispies Treats. It says, "Spend some quality time with your little helpers.You'll have a ball creating Rice Krispies Tree Trimmer Treats." One thing that really struck me was that the picture was in black and white except for the Rice Krispies, which are in color. This really draws attention to the product, but since it doesn't take up a majority of the picture, it doesn't obviously scream about the Rice Krispies.

The black-and-white picture of the family makes it seem very old fashioned and might remind people of home and their family. This associates the product with family bonding and spending fun time with the kids. Since I found this ad in a parenting magazine, it would appeal to parents as a way for their children to have fun and a way for the parents to spend time with their kids.

The slogan "Childhood is calling" might also let adults remember their childhood and want their kids to have a Rice Krispies experience. Overall, I think it's a pretty effective ad and draws attention to the product without flashing it in viewer's faces.

Media Blog 5. Nike Elite Series

The first things that catch my eye are the gold Nike swooshes. Nike has made a pretty big name for itself, and many people want stuff that has the logo on it. The fact that there's three on there just makes it seem even cooler, and they're gold, which draws more attention to it and makes it seem better.

One of the main focuses is the phrase "Light like air. Stronger than steel." Of course, the shoes aren't actually as light as air or stronger than steel, but those exaggerations make it seem even better. The word "like" proves as a weasel word because it makes it seem much lighter than it actually is. I think another reason that phrase is used is because everyone knows it's not actually light as air and stronger than steel. The sneakers could be only a little bit light and not very strong, but because the comparisons are obviously exaggerated, people believe that it really is very light and strong.

The word "EPIC" in bold letters at the bottom make this ad seem even cooler. It's cool enough that there's three gold swooshes on the ad, but it's also epic! Also, the name "Nike Elite Series" makes it seem really special. Even though it's just a name, the word "elite" makes it sound better and more unique than it might actually be.

I can't say that I totally agree with the way this ad is presented, but I think it would be pretty effective in reeling in customers.

Media Blog 4. Turn off the Lights

I think this image is really clever. The first image is the poster in light, and the second is the glow in the dark image visible when the lights are turned off.

One thing that struck me was the use of the words "global warming" rather than "climate change." Climate change sounds much more nicer to me than "global warming," so I think the fact that they didn't use it makes it feel a little more hard-hitting. This could be a good thing or bad thing, depending on the viewers. Maybe the term is used to make it impact viewers more.

I also think that once viewers understand what the image is trying to say, it seems better. The image is saying that turning off the lights and conserving electricity can help the earth. Since someone viewing the picture would have to spend time reading it, turning off the lights, and then looking at it again, I'd say that helps enough because then the viewer would be looking at it for a long time. If many people saw this and realized what it meant, it would increase awareness.

Overall, I think this image is really creative and interesting. It would help increase awareness of global warming while keeping it interesting.

Media Blog 3. Febreze: Breathe Happy

Finally, a way to make my room seem cleaner. Febreze has a lot of these kind of blind smell tests, some where the people are blindfolded and walk into dirty rooms that have been sprayed with Febreze, and I think they're pretty effective.

One thing I think that makes this ad seem more convincing is the use of the words, "real people." At first, I wondered what they meant by that; what other kind of people are there? The commercial cleared it up a little bit when they wrote "real people, not actors." That made it a little easier to understand, but I still think that the term "real people" is a bit vague.

I think that this ad is more interesting than other air freshener ads could be. If this just listed a bunch of facts about Febreze, I would have completely ignored it. The fact that it makes it seem like a small Febreze clip can make old fast food and dirty hockey clothes smell like a "man fresh out of the shower" makes it seem like the product is really effective. Of course, this isn't a fact, but it could make people want to buy it and find out for themselves.

Media Blog 2. The Sex Dollar Burger

We've all heard of Carl's Jr.'s infamous "six dollar burger," but their newest addition might be even hotter than that: the Katherine Webb!

Yesterday, I almost lost the lunch I was having at my cousin's house when I saw this commercial for Carl's Jr.'s new buffalo blue cheese burger starring the model, Katherine Webb.

I've seen my share of Carl's Jr. commercials and cannot stress how much they disgust me. This is probably the cleanest one I've seen since the others range from Paris Hilton washing a car in a bikini and stilettos with a burger to Kate Upton attacking a southwest patty melt at a drive-in movie by herself. Even with a wild guess, you could probably figure out that this commercial was aired in the middle of a football game. Who does this ad target? You could guess sports-hungry men who love fast food and models, and chances are you'd be right.

Let's not dance around this; it's obvious that the ad isn't really centered on the burger.This ad makes a very subtle connection between "hot" women and fast food, as if to say, "If you listen closely, you can hear the sound of all the half-naked women in the world flocking to every man buying burgers from Carl's Jr." This ad starts off showing Katherine Webb off, which draws men's attention to the ad. When that huge, juicy burger makes an appearance, it makes the ad twice as appealing. But wait, sauce has suddenly dripped onto Katherine Webb's jersey! What can she possibly do to save herself from the embarrassment since there's no napkins an arm's length away from her? Take it off!

The commercial does, however, say some things about the actual burger to advertise it. It states that the burger is 100% black angus beef, which makes it sound like really good, quality meat (let's ignore the comment that the announcer makes after that). At the end, the announcer says, "It's the ultimate game day fantasy." This seems like a subtle way to say that the sandwich can make your fantasy come true; burgers and models and football, oh my! The ad also tries to draw more focus on the restaurant chain by flashing the Carl's Jr. logo everywhere. First, it appears on the bag that she pulls the sandwich out of. Then, it makes a reappearance when she suddenly pulls out a drink.

Does anyone else think it's getting really hot in here? Is that the hot sauce on the burger, or is it just the exploitation of women in here?

Media Blog 1. It's Hump Day!

It's not Wednesday today, but that doesn't stop me from thinking about this little 30-second nugget of happiness:

What I love about this ad is the pure simplicity of it. Okay, maybe a camel walking around an office isn't everyone's idea of simple, but the light humor of the entire commercial really takes away from that strict insurance feel of it when they announce the Geico part at the end.

"Insurance." Boo. Hiss. The word just seems so uptight. Personally, when I think of the word "insurance," I think of men sitting upright in suits and ties and, of course, bills. It doesn't exactly have a fun feel to it, but this ad does give it a more lighthearted feel because it has a pun in it. Puns! Jokes! Insurance! Fun! Wait, did something get mixed up in there? Also, the music at the end of the commercial really takes off the seriousness of a topic like insurance. It makes it seem like Geico is a quality insurance company.

It seems like a use of the ethos and pathos appeals are being used, but they're not very clear. I feel like ethos would be used when the two guys with guitars say that people save hundreds of dollars. They establish facts and therefore seem more credible, but it seems a bit vague to me. Also, when the slogan is announced at the end: "15 minutes could save you 15% or more," the use of "could" would be considered a weasel word. How do we know they're not trying to say "15 minutes could save you 15% or more, but it could also leave you completely bankrupt and end up wasting all of your time." Pathos also comes in when one man says that people who switch to Geico would be "happier than a camel on Wednesday." This ad is saying that Geico can make you happy. People want to be happy, right?

While I do like this ad, I can't help but wonder how this helps convince anyone to switch to Geico. Maybe it could be an advertisement for some sort of technology that could give camels a sense of humor, but if I were to cut off the end, I would have never guessed that this would be a Geico advertisement. I understand where they are coming from, though; a light-hearted approach seems to be popular with insurance commercials. I've seen plenty of Progressive commercials that aim for the same type of humor. Overall, I'm pretty amused by the ad, but if I were searching for a good insurance company, the only thing this commercial would have me rushing to the phone for was to find out where I could purchase a camel.