Winding down the Semester, We're Halfway There! ^__^

 

A small compilation of the ads I deconstructed :)

Yay! Finals are finally over! :) eh...now the anxiety to see my final grades are kicking in....This semester just flew by! Ah, I feel like we just started sophomore year, but we're done with half of it already! I used to think critical thinking was just a class where you think critically early in the morning, when your brain was still half asleep, but that wasn't the case. I learned all sorts of things from the habits of a critical thinker to the different types of fallacies to the needs and techniques within ads. Towards the end of this course, I enjoyed the media analysis. Maybe it's because media is everywhere around me and it affects the lives of everyone in this "digital nation" (haha remember that?) 

To be honest, I didn't know the Media Blog assignment was over last week. I actually planned out ads and commercials that I wanted to analyze in the future. I might just continue this blog whenever I have time, it's fun seeing the different needs and techniques used to sell a product.

I consume media everyday, every hour, EVERY MINUTE. Well, maybe not every minute, but fairly often. I have a bad habit of having the TV on while doing homework because I just don't like working in silence. Once in awhile when I start paying attention to what's on, I come across a variety of commercials. Funny ones, depressing ones, scary ones, you name it. 

Media has impacted pretty much everyone's life. (unless you live under a rock, haha just kidding) All the documentaries that were shown in Critical Thinking, showed the "behind-the-scenes" of media. In the most recent film, Miss Representation, I came to realize all the truths of women in media. Most women in media are critiqued about their appearance. Like the "Who Wore it Better?" kind of news. I remember in that documentary, the statistic where Nancy Pelosi served in the House of Representatives a certain number of times and some other male representative was in the House of Rep. less than she, but he had like 5 magazine covers.Another thing I found super interesting was the fact that the clothing in Disney movies are just as bad as R-rated movies, but because they're targeted to younger children, everything just seems to be an innocent fairy tale.

In Merchants of Cool, it was scary to see how companies learn the latest trends. Narrow-casting was just fascinatingly creepy to learn. A few days later, I observed the ads that were in the margins of websites I visited and wow they were on products that I was looking at over the weekend! Same thing happened to my mom. I had to borrow her computer and she was on Amazon.com looking for a charger for her phone. I closed the page and when I went to look something up on Youtube, the exact same ad for the charger my mom was looking for popped up! I was like “OMG, that’s narrow-casting!!!”. 

After all these posts about media and the techniques/needs that are used, I learned that the most popular needs was the need for affiliation and the need for attention. This especially appeals to women because they stereotypically are really conscious of their appearance. As for techniques, the most common ones were either wit and humor or possible gestalt. (Some of the commercials I’ve watched have nothing to do with the product that’s being sold…) 

It's been a fun semester and thank you for teaching us about media, Mr. Starace! I feel like this will be the funnest class I'll ever have this year. Hopefully, I can continue deconstructing media in my free time. I will forever remember your comment, from the beginning of this assignment, about the awkward combo of Gmail and Blogspot. LOL that was hilarious! I shall always remember the different components of media and I feel more cautious about products I buy now.

Oh and I found the website for cat bounce! Haha, I'll never forget that either :P Need to release some stress, by seeing cats bouncing around on a screen? Go here!---->http://cat-bounce.com/

As Gently As a Feather (Olay)

 

The next few posts that I'll post were ads that were chosen by my cousin while she was here over break. I told her to mark ads that appealed to her and then I would ask her why it caught her eye. She didn't even know this was an ad for facial hair removal until she read the words. My cousin doesn't have any facial hair issues, but colors appealed to her.

For this ad, my cousin said the model was pretty and the colors used were complementing. So definitely the color scheme was successful; the soft pastel-y pinks and yellows appeal to women, specifically "girlier" women . Considering my cousin loves the color pink and yellow, this ad is like perfect for her. 

On to the words and phrases used in this ad. "Remove even coarse, stubborn facial hair as gently as a feather." The words coarse and stubborn, make women feel assured because this product is capable of removing those annoying little hairs. The simile of "as gently as a feather" shows how gentle this product is to skin. I guess that's why the model is holding a feather near her lip, to show the gentleness of this facial hair remover. The word "gently" gives the women the thought that this product is sensitive to their skin. 

For sure the need for attention is part of this ad. Women are conscious of their appearances, at least most of the time they are...Facial hair isn't quite the most appealing to men making women feel "ugly". This product will help remove that annoying fuzz and make women happy about their look. As for the technique, I believe it's simple solutions. To be honest, I kinda lost my techniques sheet and I don't quite remember all of them...If you have them, feel free to tell me what you think the techniques are. This product minimizes irritation and it effectively removes facial hair.

I would say this ad isn't effective because there's too much that's said about this product. I think most women prefer simpler ads because they're easy to read and it's easier to browse through them. The phrase that would probably sell this product would be "as gently as a feather". 

(I've seriously been posting wayyy too much about cosmetics...have any ideas what I should analyze next? Thanks!)

Revenge is Sweet.... >:)

 

Haha, just kidding. This post has nothing to do with revenge at all! I saw an ad for Neutrogena's Tone Repai Moisturizer and thought it would be cool to analyze it.

This isn't the most interesting ad, but the quote was humorous. The first thing I saw was "Don't get mad at dark spots. Get even." This shows ambiguity because it could mean: get revenge on dark spots, a more joking manner, or what the product will actually do, even out skin tone. 

The color scheme matches the objective for this product. The spots on the left represent the dark spots on skin and then the background on the left shows how the product evens out the spots into a clean, white background. I assume the point of having a white backdrop is to show the cleanness and pureness this product. However, on the product itself, it says "night", which I would associate with dark colors. 

Although this isn't really makeup, I would still say this is the need for attention. Without using bright, bold colors to bring out their facial features, this product will help women have a more even skin tone. Dark spots aren't really appealing, so this product will help reduce them over the time of a week. 

The technique that's used is Magic Ingredients because Neutrogena states that their product has the "fastest retinol formula available, boosted with Vitamin C". What does that even mean? How do we know that this formula is the fastest available? Also, the one phrase that I think is vague is "clinically proven to reduce". It's apparently "proven" that this product works, but there's no actual proof that it was proven. There's no star-thingy (*) to show that it was really tested. Other than that, this moisturizer can reduce dark spots, but there is no guarantee for that, which I would say is a vague word. This product won't fully get rid of dark spots, just reduce them.

Lastly, the ad says "You're 7 days away from younger looking skin". This makes Neutrogena sound so confident that their product will definitely work. They automatically assume that you'll buy this product after seeing this ad. And then it says "younger looking" skin. It will just look younger, but it will still be the spotty, not-young skin.

I would say this ad wasn't effective because it didn't catch the consumer's attention. The plain color scheme seems like every other page in the magazine. The only thing I really liked about this ad is the quote that I saw about getting even. Other than that, it was not interesting.

Sugarpova! Ooh Lala ;)

Whew, it's finally Friday! It's been a super busy school week and finals are coming up! *gasp* On to the purpose of this blog, I found this ad/sign while strolling through the Universal CityWalk (over winter break in LA). It was advertising for, world-famous tennis player, Maria Sharapova's line of candy.

For me, I'm a huge fan of tennis and anything that regards it, I get really excited. Originally, I just thought that this ad was a regular ad with a pretty girl on it, until I saw the name of the product, "Sugarpova". Just the name made me giggle.

The product has a very creative name, "Sugarpova". It's a hybrid of sugary candy and the sponsor, Sharapova. It's a good way to combine both the actual product and the celeb that created it. In the Sugarpova series, there are 12 different types of candy with different themes. I would say the most popular from the series is the "sporty" theme. The candies are lemon-lime gumballs shaped as tennis balls! I checked on It's Sugar's website and it said these sporty candies were back in stock, so definitely it's a hit. To be honest, all the candies that are from this line are just ordinary gummies, but the different shapes make them different from the regular worms and bears. They have those too, but they also have gummy lips, handbags, shoes, spiders, hearts, and shoes.

In all of the ads that I found on Google, the colors were bright and fun. The background of each were from the actual logo on the candies. I wonder how the advertisers found this color scheme. I guess they wanted an energetic and young feel, since Sharapova is still quite young herself. The designs of the ads were also quirky and eye-catching. The logo colors and designs for sure made a statement to the products.


 In a sense, I think the need that can fit in with this ad would be the need for achievement. Sharapova has been #1 in the world of women's tennis. Assuming people know that, consumers would want have achievements by eating this product. I also believe physiological needs can be part of this ad because it is advertising for food, just not healthy food...Maybe after an intense workout, you feel like have sugar. You see this ad and immediately want some! A technique that is used is Testimonial. Sharapova is in her own ad, showing her urge for you to buy her new line. Hearing from other people, as well as my own opinion, Sharapova is one of the prettiest athletes! The different themes for the products also show the stereotype of women being "sassy", "flirty", and "chic".

One last thing I would like to say is about the choice of words the packages use. For the sporty gumballs, the front says "The Taste of Victory". This again goes with the need for achievement. Eating this product will give allow you to have a feel of what victory tastes like. That's fairly vague...what does victory taste like? Haha, isn't there an expression that victory's sweet? or is that revenge...? If I'm right, then this product totally goes with that saying! Another thing, on the back of the package, it says"...Serve yourself some lemon-lime gumballs and chew them up on the court. Winning sure is sweet." Serve could mean two things: literally, serve like you would in tennis, or serve as in serve these treats to guests, which shows the ambiguity of this word. Then, chew them up on court. To be honest, it's not recommended to chew things while playing tennis because you move a lot. You could accidentally swallow the gum and choke, bite your tongue, or like spit the gum onto the court by accident. So yeah, I just wanted to state that.

In my opinion, I say these ads were very effective. The bright colors and fun designs made me feel energized and excited to buy this product, which I eventually did...It was like $6, but the tennis ball gumballs were just too cute! Sharapova did a great job selling her line of candy.

"Smart" BB Cream? L'OREAL

Flipping through the magazine Allure I saw this ad for L'OREAL's new BB Cream. The ad caught my eye because of the different color scheme it had compared to the other ads in the magazine. The black background contrasts with the color of the BB cream which is a much lighter color. The neon blue semicircle also contrasted greatly.

According to L'OREAL, this new product "beautifies in 1 second" and "improves skin in 1 week". The whole point of BB cream is to cover blemishes, so the beautifying part is accurate...Improving skin isn't actually proven though by dermatologists or anything, so that's a bit deceiving. These phrases have positive connotations because it sounds like all blemishes will disappear within a week. It also states the instant benefits and future benefits from using this product. The word "instant" has a positive connotation because as I said earlier, it gives the feeling of immediate results.

This ad is also quite vague. From the very beginning, L'OREAL is introducing "Smart BB Cream". What makes it smart? Is there some special ingredient that makes it "smart"? Under that, they say "Youth Code". Does that mean using this product will make you look forever young? What exactly is the code to youth? Is there such thing? I would think this product is targeted to 40 year old women because that's the age where women begin to feel conscious about their age. Another thing that's vague would be the word "perfects", under the instant benefits. Nothing's perfect right? The word "perfect" is another positive connotation, making women feel better about their skin. I would say a more "truthful" word to put in rather than perfects would be improves. It also has a positive meaning and seems more fitting.

The technique that is used is Simple Solutions. Using this product will instantly make you look younger and beautiful. Women want a product to make sure they look young and wrinkle-free, this BB cream will do just that. The need for attention is present in this ad. This product will make you stand out from other women because you'll look younger than everyone else.

I would say this ad was effective because it catches your eye with the different color scheme it uses. Usually ads have a white background with bright colors, but this one contrasts from the others. The many positive connotations used in this ad help promote this product. It sounds so beneficial to use this BB Cream, the list of immediate and future benefits are convincing.

Supercharge Your Skin! (Estee Lauder)

 

As usual, I was flipping through Allure and I saw this ad for Estee Lauder's wrinkle lifting serum. Most of the women in my family like Estee Lauder (I have no idea why...), so I thought it would be good to analyze one of their ads.

The use of the color purple is prominent everywhere in this ad. The background is mostly lavender with some white, which compliments the product (in a purple bottle). The brand Estee Lauder is at the bottom with the darkest shade of lavender on the ad. This makes the consumer remember the brand because it's "highlighted" with the contrasting color. 

Now to dissect the words and phrases used to hook the customer. First line: "Now, Supercharge Your Skin." The word "supercharge" definitely has a positive connotation. It sounds like my skin will become rejuvenated and lifted. Then "New. Perfectionist [CP+R]", what does that mean? For sure the word "perfectionist" will have an effect on women, who want to look flawless and "perfect". Following that, "first wrinkle lifting serum...with breakthrough CPR-75 Technology." The second part of this phrase uses the technique of Magic Ingredients. Apparently, this "CPR-75 Technology" is a breakthrough, which only Estee Lauder has discovered. Then, "...this exclusive technology is proven to double skin's natural collagen-building power." Now biology is involved in selling this new product. It's true that collagen helps make skin wrinkle-free and smooth, so by saying this serum will double the production of collagen, women are convinced to buy the product to look young and wrinkle-free. Skipping to the last phrase, ""In just 4 weeks, 96% showed a significant reduction in the look of lines and wrinkles." This is the technique of facts and figures because it shows the effectiveness of the product in such little time. Lastly at the bottom, "Suitable for all ethnicities."By saying that, it will appeal to every woman and thus, increasing the sale of this product.

The need that applies to this ad is the need for attention. Women, when they start to wrinkle, are typically very conscious of their appearance. They want to look their best and youthful. This product will fix all of those lines and wrinkles, making you look young and fresh. At least that's what Estee Lauder says...

I would say this ad was pretty effective because it used so many positive connotations. But, it got annoying reading all of those words. So depending on how the customer interprets the ad, it may or may not be effective. I don't have wrinkles yet, so I won't be buying this product...ooh! My aunt is hitting that age and she likes the color purple! I should show her this ad, haha.  

(First post of 2013!)

Plastic Surgery for Dogs? What the...?

 

Happy Holidays Everyone! How's break been for you guys? For me, I spent a week in SoCal celebrating Christmas. My family and I went to Disneyland, California Adventure, Seaworld, and Universal Studios! Walking around the theme parks was exhausting, but we spent a relaxing day cruising through LA, specifically Beverly Hills. That's how I came upon this billboard for canine plastic surgery.What?! Dogs can have plastic surgery like humans?? I've never heard of such thing until now...

To start off, I found this billboard vague because it asks "Is your dog a total 'dog'?". What is the meaning of "total"? Does that mean my dog isn't actually a dog? *gasp* Dr. Armond and his advertising crew probably meant that your dog undergoes plastic surgery, it will look much better. The example they give is of Brad the bulldog (at least I think he's a bulldog...) This example shows the great improvement of Brad's face. It was once all saggy and unappealing, then it became lifted and adorable. Clearly, the breed of dog is different by the color of the ears. In the before picture, only one side is brown, but in the after, both the ears are brown.

The technique that is used to hook the customer is Bribery. On the bottom right-hand corner, it says "Free Consultation". Stating that gives a feeling of curiosity because the consultation will tell what needs to be done to make your canine look more appealing to others. In a sense, this billboard also uses Snob Appeal because it's located in Beverly Hills, where all the wealthy stars live. Everyone there wants to make sure their pooch look gorgeous compared to the others. This billboard reminded me of the movie "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" because the main character is the pampered chihuahua Chloe, where she wants to be the best on the block. 

The need that satisfies this ad is the need for prominence. By giving your canine plastic surgery, it will make it look fabulous. People in Beverly Hills have a pretty high social status and want their pets to be the same. Plastic surgery ensures that they will be admired and have more potential.

To sum it all up, this billboard made me giggle a bit because I didn't know such thing existed. It wasn't the most effective ad because it seemed more humorous than serious. Ad placement was key for this billboard because it was located in Beverly Hills, where celebs pamper their pooches. 

Last post for 2012~

HAPPY NEW YEAR!