#10 Consumer Behavior

During last week's class we looked at two images and analyzed them in a group. One of them was an ad for Airfrance, showing a new suite. The other was an ad for Stella Artois, a famous beer company. I will be looking at some of the consumer behavior for this ad. 

The picture of the ad is here

Right away our group analyzed the target audience. The ad is probably meant for men, probably around 30-50 years of age. This is due to the very alluring picture of the woman leaning back in the seat, wearing a fancy dress. They are most likely businessmen who are looking for a new way to travel around the world. We also discussed the possibility of the ad being suitable for women as well, seeing as how the woman shown is not really too over-sexualized in any way and other visual indicators.

We thought that the target's job would be in business, with some kind of high position high in the work chain. The high cost of traveling around the world in first class plane ride would definitely exclude many people from choosing this airline, but those that can afford it would enjoy it very much. We thought about what ethnicities the target audience might be, but everyone just kind of pictured the stereotypical rich, Caucasian business man traveling alone. All ethnicities travel in first class when they can afford it. 

Seeing as how this is an AirFrance ad, the person traveling is obviously going to and from somewhere in Europe. There might be various destinations that would attract their attention, such as bigger cities like London, Paris, or Berlin. Busy cities, with an air of exoticness and lots of interesting places to visit for tourism as well as  business to be conducted. 

The target audience probably owns a fairly high priced car, such as a BMW or Mercedes. A luxury sedan would definitely fit the tastes of someone looking to fly to Europe in first class. 

We looked at some of their food and drink tastes as well. They would probably prefer to eat at more expensive restaurants, probably three or four stars. We also thought about what kinds of alcohol they would consume. I pictured a traveling wealthy businessman to drink scotch, whiskey, or vodka. They would probably not drink cheaper beers, IPAs, or martinis. 

#9 Political Manifesto/Political campaign

My group decided to do a campaign on preventing sharks from being killed for their fins. Shark finning is a practice that is extremely harmful to the ecosystem of the ocean. Tens of millions of sharks are killed each year for their fins, which are sliced off while the shark is alive. The shark is then dumped back into the ocean and left to die an extremely painful death. Most of the shark fins are used in Asia to create shark fin soup, a delicacy there. Our campaign would raise public awareness of this issue to have more people lobby against shark finning and to make the practice illegal in the entire world.
We created various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get interest from everyone who has an account that can view the tweets and Facebook posts. I also came up with a slogan for our campaign: "Sharks are friends, not food." This play on the popular Finding Nemo phrase is so that people can easily recognize the reference, and to see the irony in the phrase; the sharks in the movie use this phrase except its 'fish are friends, not food'. In this case it is us humans who are eating the sharks that say our campaign slogan instead.
A few examples of the work our campaign has created to raise awareness

This is our campaign's facebook page. We created it so that people can easily view discussions about our movement.

Here is the instagram account that we are using.

An example of some tweets that we are doing in support of our cause.

This picture of a friendly shark is our campaigns logo. Our cute shark friend does not yet have a name.

And finally here is the poster that I created to really nail the point home.

With all of these unique and memorable posters, pictures, and slogans, we are hopeful that our environmental campaign can gain support among people across the world so we can stop shark finning. Sharks are very misunderstood creatures and are essential to our world. We have to protect them.

#8: Consumer behavior in light of product that launched successfully or failed

In this post I will talk about a product launched that was received very well by consumers. In March of 2013, Taco Bell launched a new kind of taco called the Nacho Cheese Dorito/Cool Ranch Dorito Locos Tacos. These were produced in partnership between Taco Bell and Frito Lay, the parent company of Doritos, for a new taco shell that incorporated Doritos flavors. There was a lot of advertising done for the new product. Taco Bell took to social media to promote the launch as well as videos, using the hashtag #CoolRanchDLT on Twitter to draw social media attention from potential consumers.
An interesting tactic that Taco Bell also used was that the company reached out to people who expressed interest in trying out the taco, and invited them to go to local establishments that had nothing to do with food, such as barber shops or flower stores. The people then had to use a secret code phrase and if done correctly, would receive the new Dorito Taco. If the phrase was said incorrectly, they received a product that was actually from the place, like a haircut from the barber shop/flowers from the flower shop. All of this was captured live and used for television ads and internet. Facebook and Instagram was also utilized to spread the world.
The result of this was an extremely high level of consumer interest as everyone wanted to try this new kind of taco. The public received the two new tacos extremely well, as Taco Bell has now sold over 600 million of the two types since. It was a commercial success.

Environmental Campaign using Digital Technology

An environmental campaign that I found interesting was done by a company that we all know, Apple. Last year, they released a video that talked about their desire to help the environment by releasing more products made with environmentally friendly materials and using greener energy. The CEO himself took the time to voice the video, which really speaks about Apple's goals towards being a better company for the sake of the planet. I was really impressed by their commitment and goals. Their data center is soon to be running on all renewable energy, which is no small feat. The facilities in Nevada are all predominately powered by solar energy. They are also building a 134 acre field that will house another solar energy array, which will boost renewable energy even more. Overall I am very impressed by their commitment to renewable and clean energy. Being one of the biggest companies in the world, they have access to more tools then most, which is one thing that I feel is being overlooked. While much of this could be for a healthy public image in a time where global warming and the use of fossil fuels is becoming a big crisis, I think that they do care.

Television show in terms of racial diversity

The show that I will be talking about is House MD. In the show, the main character is played by a white male. The cast of the show is predominately white and male, with only two white female characters that have important roles and only one black male. There are no Asian or Latino main characters. The show does not really reflect racial and gender diversity. The show is set in a  hospital environment where there are many diverse departments and all sorts of medicine being practiced, but the show's creator chose to have  the main characters all be played by white males. Diversity in media is important because we live in a diverse country. America is made up of all sorts of different ethnicities that have come together from all countries. Our shows and media should be representative of that rich culture. However, this is not the case as close to all shows and movies are always starring white men. We need to have more women and different ethnicities in our shows.

There are racial and gender stereotypes present in the show. The token black person, whose name is Foreman, used to be a car thief and has knowledge of criminal activities. Although he turned a new leaf and became a doctor, the show decided to portray his history in a very negative light. The two women are also victims of stereotypes. They are shown as the typical overly caring, thoughtful, warm people that are there to keep the "crazy men" in check. Although the two women are extremely smart and talented in medicine, there is still the obvious stereotyping involved.

Racist stereotyping in advertising

“Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong.” 
― Muhammad Ali

I do not think it is ever okay to racially stereotype people for advertising purposes. In our country's history, all ethnicities have faced hardships and struggle as a result of biased thoughts and racism. To say that we are completely free of these harmful thoughts however would be a lie. Even today people still automatically judge people based on their skin color and therefore have a predetermined notion about them. Racism in advertising is very rampant in advertising even today, as ads require people to think of others in a certain way in order for them to think that the product being advertised is helpful and beneficial in some way. Even if the ad is doing so with humor, like the Mountain Dew ad being shown in class, there are still groups that are deeply affected by this. When other ethnic groups see this ad, they might automatically think of black people as criminals when of course in reality criminals come from all backgrounds.

“No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgments are wrong. Only racists make them” 
― Elie Wiesel

I believe that advertisers do have a responsibility to create ads that are not harmful to ethnic groups. If people really worked hard and wanted to, they could make ads that are free of these messages. I feel that people are just taking the easy way out in stereotyping people in order to send a message about a product. We need more forward thinkers to take over the industry so that racism and stereotypes in advertising can finally end.

“...racist thought and action says far more about the person they come from than the person they are directed at.” 
― Chris Crutcher, Whale Talk

3 ad semiotic analysis

Outdoor ad

Denotation:
-Apple computer ad
-Advertising the Ipad mini
-shows the hand holding the ipad mini



Connotation:
-only words are the trademark brand and product name, relies on simplicity that we have come to know Apple for
-Using the word 'mini' and nothing else also implies that that the product really is the center of attention and how it fits so easily into your hand




Print ad

Denotation
-Shows a usual Burger King meal combo of burger, sandwich, fries
-very clean white background
-catchphrase in the bottom left, logo and motto on right

-Connotation
-The design shows how the food are also travel items (suitcase, bag, luggage) that you can easily take on the go
-This implies that Burger King can go anywhere you need, its the food that's super convenient for you as well


TV ad

This is an ad for Clash of Clans

Denotation
-Shows Liam Neeson playing the game while he is waiting in line for a snack
-Demonstrates how you can attack other players who attack you
-Interupts his rant about the revenge attack with a comical break where the cashier hands Liam his scone

Connotation
-The advertisers used Liam Neeson because of his role in movies like Taken in order to make the ad seem more serious when he lost his fortress to the other player
-Because of his role in Taken as a vengeful killer, it tells us that we should be scared if we attack other players, but thats the point of the game
-The comic relief shows that this mobile phone game can really be played anywhere, anytime.

Post #3: Favorite Super Bowl Ad

My favorite Super Bowl ad was the Like a Girl ad by Always, a producer of feminine products. The ad campaign had been going since last year, and ever since seeing it I have been really impressed by how accurate it is. The ad talks about how the confidence of girls changes drastically during their adolescent years. Why is it that a 10 year old girl is fearless and charges when asked to run fast or fight, but an older girl fights differently? The answer really does lie in many deep rooted issues in society that have always been considered the norm, but only because no one really came forward to challenge old fashioned traditions and values that are now rapidly becoming obsolete. The ad is extremely effective by appealing to our hearts, showing the cute young girls that are also so determined to show off how strong and fearless they are. The commercial calls for men to really start to rethink these old fashioned views of women besides advertising the products made by the company. The brand story is one of identity and feminism and equality that should be known by everyone in this day and age. Empowering young girls to be confident is very important.
I think that the Super Bowl is very important as an advertising medium. As one of the most viewed events on television, any ad being shown will be seen by millions of people and thought about for days to come after the game ends. An event  like this with so much prestige and reputation definitely impacts how people react to the ads being shown during breaks. There's a reason why companies pay millions of dollars just for a 30 second short during the game. The ads definitely work.

Post #2: Favorite Advertisement agency and why

I had to go look around on the internet for a bit before I came up with an answer. Before today, I honestly did not really know the names of any ad agencies before the list was talked about during class. It did not really occur to me to think about the names of the people and the company behind the ad for Coca Cola or a Ford Truck. All I really think about is the product and how it affects me and the people around me. Now of course, I know now to also consider the work that has been put into the ad: all the research, money, people, time, location, and so much more. We are subjected to so many different advertisements by many companies trying to sell their product, and those ads were made by even more ad agencies. After browsing around on the internet for some well known ones. I came across the Droga5 website. I had not heard of the company before, but after viewing some of their videos I can see why the professor also really likes them and their work. The videos are designed very well and draw me in using many different techniques depending on whatever product they are selling. For example, the Diet Coke commercial with Taylor Swift appealed to my sense of home and love for cute things with the heavy emphasis on cute cats, cute/warm happy music in the comfort of her home. It was fairly quick, clean, and interested me in the product. The video can be viewed at

http://droga5.com/work/kittens/

Another ad that I really liked was the video for the Motorola 360 watch. From the instant the woman started to play the piano I was drawn in because of my own piano background. I could see right away from the first second that they were trying to link the watch and the piano together. Both could be seen as being utilized by people of higher standing, class or wealth. Then there is the moment where it uses humor with the Tinder notification sent by the man trying to impress her with a not so classy picture. The catchphase, "A watch for our times", seeks to make it seem like a good purchase for people young and old regardless. The video can be viewed at

http://droga5.com/work/watch-times/

Post #1: Short intro to advertising

I'm interested in advertising because it is related to the field that I am majoring in, Graphic Design. The class was suggested to me as one that would fulfill major requirements and also help me get a bit of insight into a field that I may be involved with later on. The two subjects are closely related. I might find myself creating vector drawings or making posters and other graphics for a company that wants to put my work into their ad. Who knows, I may even end up working at an advertising company in the future. If that were to happen, I'd like it to be a small one that's located around the Bay Area. It would be interesting to see how a team puts my work to use. I dislike how relentless some companies are with gathering information about you so that they may create more specific ads that target you when the product they are selling is one that I have no interest in at all. However, this is to be expected with technology advancing more and more every day. My favorite all time ad is one of the Apple advertisements for their new Ipod Nanos a few years ago. It's clean, and bold with lots of crisp color and neatness, yet you understand what they are doing with the paint dripping down.