browsing international house swap ads on craigslist! because really, when else do you get to see the inside of other people's (read: complete strangers') houses?? especially sweet parisian lofts and whatnot...ADDICTIVE? yes.

-not spend (so much) extraneous money
-work out every day, starting...TOMORROW!
-not throw my life away on ontd_startrek
-clean room
-read
-buy confessions of a shopaholic (#1 be damned)
-math test
-etc.

h. pot 6 tonight at midnight, hell yeah

 Well, it's time for me to turn this puppy in. It has been a long semester full of observations related to marketing, communications, etc...I hope you enjoy browsing through my crazy thoughts.

Give me an A?

Much love,
Anne

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I will be able to find a video or picture for this, but I was thinking about what to post this week, and I remembered back to something really great from this past Christmas. I am a huge fan of pretty much every artist on Jack Johnson's label, Brushfire Records, so naturally I am on the mailing list. When a notification came through for a paperless, "green" holiday card (keeping in Tune with everything that Jack and the label stand for), I thought it was such a fun idea. And even better, it was an excellent way to promote "This Warm December", a new, collaborative holiday album with festive song contributions from every artist on the label.

The premise of the Brushfire e-card was simple: Upload your picture (or a friend's), choose a song from the new album, and send it to a friend. The recipient would then be emailed a fun, animated music video e-card starring the chosen singer or band (in the form of their heads with moving jaws, a la Jib Jab) crooning the song of choice, while the person from the uploaded photo played a supporting role, doing such activities as skiing  or sledding in the background.

So fun, right? Fun, creative, eco-friendly, and a truly amazing example of viral marketing that not only was in keeping with the lightheartedness and joy of the season, but with the larger goals and values of the label as well.

I found this picture:

 Okay, so when I was in NYC, I was walking back to the hotel when I spied THIS in Times Square:

The lady singing a deconstructed version of her song "paparazzi" (above)


The element of surprise that Lady Gaga brings to every appearance and every performance (again, it's never the same twice) is a fabulous way to draw in fans because the public is constantly on the edge of its seat waiting to see what she does next--what better way to create buzz than to be in a state of perpetual evolution? Still there are some constants: her revolutionary, daring style, and her excellent singing and dancing abilities being two of them.

Boy oh boy. This past week has been one of the most exciting of my life--I spent it in New York City with a group from our AMDT department here at WSU, meeting with professionals involved in all facets of the apparel industry. From costume designers who work with the likes of Tina Fey, Whoopie Goldberg and Gwenyth Paltrow to high-end mannequin retailers, color forecasters, commercial brand experts (such as Nike "Ekin" Bruno Garcia, who earned his title by knowing the brand backwards and forwards...get it?), buyers and sourcers, stylists for the CW's Gossip Girl, and even American designer Kenneth Cole himself, we were able to meet and pick the brains of some super successful people. Not only that, but we got to be a part of what is essentially the hub of Capitalism and Corporate America: the city itself. New York has everything, and it has it bigger and better and more extravagant than anyplace else. All around the city, and underneath it as well (in the subway system), it was an ongoing barrage of marketing, advertising, communications, visual merchandising, promotions--you name it--all rolled into one, and I loved every minute of it.

PHOTOS!

 
The group with Kenneth Cole (he's in the back, and I'm 2 people to the left of him)

   
window displays at Bergdorf Goodman's on 5th avenue

   

Remember my Ray-Ban post (how could you forget? It was humungous...)?? Well, while I was in New York this past week, I finally got my very own pair of Wayfarers, from the Sunglass Hut in Times Square. They are just as glorious as I knew they would be. And the ads don't lie--I certainly never feel like hiding when I wear them!


Check it:

 I just saw this commercial on TV and loved it. Had to post it up here:

Probably one of the greatest marketing efforts I can think of is the "One Less" campaign for Gardasil, the HPV vaccine. It is genius--the company behind it has successfully scared millions of women out of their houses and into their doctors' offices to get vaccinated, and it has even compelled lawmakers to implement mass inoculation of 12 and 13 year-old girls in a number of countries such as Canada and Australia, not to mention a few US states, such as Texas.

Genius, yes, but slightly unethical in my humble opinion, and here's why: HPV, or Human Papillomavirus, is a sexually transmitted disease that is a leading cause of cervical cancer. But the fact that a vaccine exists to treat this bothersome and often very dangerous disease is not the issue. It is the way that the vaccine is being presented--as a necessity for avoiding cervical cancer--that angers me, because this is simply untrue. Even worse than that, government mandates for this vaccine are just so ridiculous. If Gardasil prevented a wildly contagious, communicable disease from burning through the population, then a mandate is obvious. But HPV, a sexually transmitted disease, is not communicable, it is acquired. You can't get it from sharing a drink with an infected person or from an anonymous passerby who sneezes in your general vicinity. HPV acquisition is based in CHOICE and PERSONAL ACTION. I hate it when government sticks its nose in where it doesn't belong, and it never belongs in telling young girls to put unnecessary drugs in their bodies. This vaccine and this disease are all about choice, as I previously stated, so these girls and women should be thinking carefully about whether or not this vaccine is right for them, then make their decision knowing the risks and benefits. And there are risks--thousands have reacted adversely to this new vaccine, even to the extent of death and paralysis in a few. Again, I love that this vaccine exists, because so many people are infected with HPV, and having it is both relevant and helpful to millions. But millions more my not want it or need it, depending on what kind of lifestyle they choose to pursue, and no one has the right to force something so based in free choice upon the generally uninformed, pre-teen female population.

The One Less Campaign has been around for a few years now, but a new commercial came out recently that got me all fired up again. In this commercial, a number of mothers and their young teen daughters are portrayed, and the mothers keep going on about how THEY chose to get their daughters vaccinated. This commercial is just one more example of how this drug company is scaring the public into thinking that their daughters will be infected by the virus if not vaccinated, and even worse, it is another example of these young girls having their choices stolen from them.

Here is a link to the more disturbing recent mother/daughter commercial:

 Here are two "adverts" (and now you get my username), as they call them across the pond, currently running in the UK. They are epic:


AND


I was tipped off by Perez Hilton, who posted both of these on his site in recent days/weeks. Thanks bb!
Thus, credit goes to "Hollywood's Most Hated" himself: perezhilton.com/

 It always strikes me, especially at this time of year (right around Valentine's day), how extraordinarily sexual chocolate adverts are. It is actually quite graphic--I'n every photo and every commercial, it's just this nightmare of beautiful women with looks on their faces indicating that they're enjoying something far better than a measly piece of Dove chocolate. Never in my life have I responded to chocolate in this way, and if I have, it has never been to the same extent. I mean, I get it--chocolate is linked to sex and lust because it is an indulgence, and something that many usually deny themselves. Dieting is like practicing abstinence, and eating a truffle is like surrendering to your more animalistic self. Again, I GET IT. I have seen Chocolat, and I got the message loud and clear. But I often think it gets rather old...maybe that's why I love the aforementioned Cadbury's ads out of the UK so much, simply because they're not the norm.

Don't get me wrong--I adore chocolate. I eat a bit of it almost every day. I just think that the industry is so limited in how it portrays its product. Okay, around Valentine's day, please, be my guest, take some photos of a woman on the verge of orgasm and slap them onto a print ad for Godiva, but throughout the rest of the year, I would love to see more creativity out of the chocolate & dessert industry. Chocolate making and  cooking in general are such beautiful, creative things, and honestly I would much rather see something that is aesthetically stunning than a boring photo of a woman who appears to be in the throes of passion. I usually just skip straight past these ads without a thought--it is the beautiful, interesting things that really catch my eye and make me appreciate the beauty of the product. Example: Tacori and Harry Winston engagement rings (Look at me coming up with a related industry example!). They do such a wonderful job of playing off the attributes of their product, and of incorporating symbolic meaning that is both really sweet and really nice to look at. But most importantly, these ads CATCH YOUR EYE. I know that chocolate is by nature more sexual than engagement rings, which clearly stand for so much more than lust and sensuality, but my point is that if they would branch out to more interesting subject matter, chocolate companies might find more people who stop to consider their product rather than flipping right past their ads in every major magazine.

in a nutshell,

BAD:


 This isn't even a good example...but it will do for now.


GOOD:


 Harry Winston Lovebirds. Gorgey!


And that's all I have to say about that!

 

 Sometimes, all you need for effective marketing is a shot of pure beauty. This Tommy Hilfiger ad from spring 2008 captivated me instantly, and I have held onto it for the past year--I love it so much that it is now framed and hanging in my bedroom. I think that the majority of marketing these days is rather forced or over the top, and this Tommy ad really reminded me how powerful simplicity and timeless beauty can be. This is the kind of photo that makes you sigh the moment you see it. From the stunning backdrop of the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, to the effortless surrender of the kiss, and the graceful sweep of the female model's hair, every part of this photo is a ten for me.

The other half of this advert, which is long since lost, featured vintage race cars waiting to be driven, giving the photo in its entirety a feeling of authentic Americana, something for which Tommy Hilfiger as a business undoubtedly stands. But beyond supporting brand identity, it is my opinion that this ad really speaks to the target market of the company. Not to say that the main market segment of Tommy Hilfiger's customers consists of adventurous antique car racers with great taste in shoes--instead, this ad uses its clarity and beauty and simplicity and all the rest of it to speak to the young, free, effortlessly chic and indisputably timeless consumer, or at the very least, the consumer who strives to be all of these things! It definitely spoke to me, so...

Bravo!

A gorgeous advertisement that I can honestly say brings me joy every time I see it.

The most iconic shades in history certainly deserve an equally bold advertising campaign: NEVER HIDE. That is the tagline and driving idea behind Ray-Ban's most recent marketing scheme. Print ads done in black and white highlight the quintessential classic-cool vibe of the sunglasses and provide a great neutral backdrop for the punchy red of the company's logo. The ads' photos depict people who are unafraid of the spotlight, people who do not fear being noteworthy or different--they relish being the center of attention, and are secure in who they are as individuals, convention and stereotypes be damned. The models come across as confident and unafraid of the perceptions of others, two qualities that many of us aspire to attain in our own lives. 

         

I love the whole message that "NEVER HIDE" conveys. Sunglasses are symbolic of mystery, of anonymity, of hiding your face from the world. No time to put on makeup? Obscure your puffy eyes with some oversized shades. Famous TV personality trying to walk your dog in peace? Don a pair of sunglasses and hope no one recognizes your lips and chin as you stroll through the park. Yes, sunglasses are useful for protecting your eyes from the sun's harsh rays (for the record, Ray-Bans provide 100% UV protection), but they are also extremely helpful for hiding one's identity. What I take from Ray-Ban's NEVER HIDE adverts is that the company hopes that consumers will use their products to flaunt and enhance their identities instead of using dark glasses to simply blend into a crowd. They want their customers, and therefore their products, to be seen by the world. When the Wayfarer style was introduced in 1952, something incredible occurred: the newfound spirit of teenage rebellion was instantly embodied within an accessory. As a brand, Ray-Ban has a history of breaking all kinds of social/cultural molds, and I think they could not have picked a more appropriate and exciting way to promote their product. The NEVER HIDE campaign absolutely hits the nail on the head.

        

To elevate the impact and exposure of Ray-Ban eyewear, as well as the principle of not only daring to be different, but rocking out to it, the company has incorporated a variety of media and a diverse range of humanity into this campaign in order to get the point across. NEVER HIDE was recently emblazoned across eleven massive screens in Times Square, a number of which featured not professional models but real consumers in their beloved Ray-Bans. Furthermore, the company partnered with Rolling Stone magazine to hold a music contest featuring daring new artists, and the most-voted-for group (voting was done by consumers and held online through social networking sites like myspace) won the chance to perform at Rolling Stone's 40th anniversary party at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Cafe, as well as the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Talk about exposure!


Finally, Ray-Ban has a YouTube channel that goes along with this amazing campaign. People submit short films that portray the message of "NEVER HIDE", as seen in the following two videos. The "Streaker" one is pretty long, but the end is more than worth it (be warned, there is nudity, as the name implies). "The Kiss" is completely gratuitous but so funny! It definitely gets the point across. There are many more fantastic shorts that can be found at www.youtube.com/user/neverhidefilms. My favorites that aren't posted here include "disco ballers" and "green screen guy".

Enjoy!



I have to say that this ad campaign has made me yearn for a pair of Ray-Bans of my own even more, if that's even possible! I have 2 pairs of fakes, and I have to say that the last thing I feel like doing while wearing them is hiding. The iconic style and essence of this product is something that people want to flaunt. Who wouldn't want to participate in something that fuses vintage and modern, sophistication and youthfulness, rebellion and tradition? The spirit of Ray-Ban eyewear is infectious. NEVER HIDE.

 I love John Krasinski and The Office. A lot. It makes sense then, that I recognized his voice in the Blackberry Storm commercials a few weeks ago, when most people were still questioning whether or not it was him doing the voice over. Well, even without checking, I knew it was, but I got online anyway (google magic, my friends), and lo and behold, I was right. 


To be honest, I wasn't initially going to say much about about the ads themselves because I was pretty much just using this as an (incredibly transparent) excuse to reference an actor I like, but now that I think more about them, John really is a great choice to be the voice of this cool new gadget. I think the product is definitely of considerable interest to the upcoming generation of young professionals--people in this age bracket are tech-savvy, they love his show, and I do think his personality matches well with what is being marketed. He comes across as your everyday, modern guy who is laid back, funny, and smart, but who just happens to star on a wildly popular TV show. Then there is always the simple fact that he has a nice voice. But that would be too easy, right?

Here is my first blog for this class, which I posted on 18 January 2009:

springformixedmedia.blogspot.com/

Check this out, as I worked hard on it! I decided to switch to LJ after I realized that you can't embed YouTube or other videos in Blogger posts. Laaaaaaame. Anyway, my first blog of the semester was about the fantastic marketing efforts behind President Obama's campaign this past year. It seemed the natural thing to discuss, since he was wildly successful, and because it's also the start of a new administration, a new year, and of this blog project for my marketing class.

later kids