Idea for Final Paper

So I think I know what I’m going to write about. However, I am having trouble thinking of how it relates–or adds on–to the discussions and overall conversation of the class. I drew my idea after listening to our last discussion. Someone brought up PC and MAC and their latest commercials which, instead of promoting goods, serve as a catalyst for aggression and mockery.  This topic then triggered an example of other companies which use characters to attack their competitors. Altel Mobile was mentioned and I believe we also brought up a few others. As I drove home after class, I began to think back to all other commercials which use similar tactics. Then it hit me. My idea is to investigate how companies create identities for their products. MAC has the young and hip adult. PC has launched a multi-million dollar ad campaign which has everyone personifying the identity of a PC. Atel has “CHAD,” who obviously contrasts against the other services providers. Geico uses the cavemen, to express how easy it is to save money. On the same note, Etrade uses a baby to tell us how easy it is to trade and make money by using their program. My last example is Comcast’s two turtles which are supposed to convince viewers that DSL is futile and slow.

The purpose of my paper will be to understand why companies use these made up characters, and how or if these alter-egos truly work. Does relating a Mac Book to a young adult really make me think of MAC as hip and fresh? Does the Etrade baby really serve his purpose by persuading me that I can make money as easily as he does? And if I am a dedicated Progressive client or DSL customer, do the Geico Cavemen and Comcast turtles break me from my “product cult?” I don’t know, but am interested to find out.

There is no doubt that the commercials are funny. Then again, those brand-names aren’t in the business of entertaining us. Each commercial is meant to sell us something, and they try to do it by using different identities. Identities which may sometime push away consumers. If I were a business man looking for new computers for my offices, would I be swayed towards MAC because of its commercials? Or would I see them as young, immature, and somewhat leisurely–not efficient or professional.

This leads me to my last part of the paper. How does a consumers identity accept or reject the identity of a product?

i don’t know if anything in this idea makes sense, but if you have any opinions I would be delighted to here from you. Also, if you know any other companies that use these types of identities, please make me aware of them. Thank you.

 

Response to film

The part which caught my attention was the concept of clutter. I understand that advertisers place their work everywhere and anywhere they can. Its true that you cant step outside your house without seeing a new ad, or step in your house without being exposed to more ads online or on the television. But for me, the idea of clutter had never occurred. As an English major, and once an art major, I find it fascinating to look at advertisements and study their message and design. I do it while driving pass large billboards and when reading magazines. I like to catch new commercials on TV and judge them with my girlfriend late at night.

So i was never the type of person who would look passed the big neon lights. But i understand not everyone is like me, and it took this idea of “clutter” to help me understand that.

I’ve always been interested in going into the advertisement field later on in my career. This video has helped me realize some of the many obstacles i would have to face if i did pursue marketing and advertising.

Over all, I thought it was very interesting.

 

Just Try and Make Me Buy That Big Mac

Anyone watching The Persuaders must have to stop and think to themselves, “Wow, how could so much time and money be spent on such things?” In the case of Song Airlines – good god, how long did those people spend on that project just to have it fall through the cracks? How much money is spent in advertising each year for things that people will never consume, use, or even come into contact with in their lives? How many people do you know that actually got involved with Song Airlines? None that I can remember. However, I suppose I can see some upstart companies that did benefit greatly from extreme advertising once a long time ago (remember, even Microsoft had to be started sometime).

I couldn’t help but think, how many of those dollars are wasted on worthless advertising? But, in doing so, I only thought of the advertising that I myself buy into – I didn’t take into account the many other mediums that people in other areas are exposed to – for there is an abundance of space for ads….Magazine ads, newspaper ads, ads you see on the boards at the baseball game you went to last week, ads on the sides of taxis, buses, even cars. Ads in your television programs, ads on the sides of buildings, ads on the internet at the top, side and bottom of whatever webpage you’re surfing. Ads on the sidewalks, in the windows of stores, on people’s front lawns, ads waving behind planes at the beach, billboards, and of course, the annoying commercials between television shows that one is forced to sit through to find out what happens when Kramer on Seinfeld gets himself into another pickle. Of all of those ads, certainly, one medium will make at least one person think, “Hmm, that might be useful,” or “Hey, I think I really wanna get a Big Mac right now.” I suppose, for some companies, the possibility of drawing in a few customers by whatever means possible is worth the big bucks they’ve got to put into it.

Funnily enough, I was reminded by either the power of advertising or the stupidity of some people by recalling the woman who ate herself into obesity and poor health by buying McDonald’s food everyday (I believe this was prior to Fast Food Nation and Supersize Me). This woman sued McDonalds because the “TV ads made me want a Big Mac.” Apparently, according to her, the ads had more power over her than her own self-will to say “NO” to the Big Mac in question. I’d hate to think how much gas this woman wasted driving to and from McD’s everyday. As I said, this is either the power of advertisement at work, or the stupidity of people, but whichever it was, The Persuaders definitely made me think of it.

On the same note as those that already remarked about it – No, eating white bread does not make me feel lonely.

How can white bread make you lonely??? Silly advertising research...