Reflection 

Throughout this semester we have covered so much material and at first it all seemed like it would be too much. I began to realize day by day how interesting my classes were. Particularly my critical thinking 0 period class, which was my favorite out of all seven of my classes. I realized that I consume lots of media every day and most of it comes from the Internet or television. Ever since I started to take this class I have began to analyze everything I see in advertising and media. When I look at a billboard that I drive by I think about what kinds of techniques they are using or what needs they are trying to fulfill in the ad itself. I began to realize that media really is a big part of my life and no matter how much you try to avoid it you really can’t unless you live in the middle of no where with no contact from the outside world. Especially when I am watching TV. I always get the need to want to critique the ad and question whether or not they do a good job in advertising.  I think it is very important to have media literacy because it becomes a lot more fun to watch ads and you are more educated then others when it comes to advertising. I think it is pretty cool to explain to someone the type of techniques and needs that the marketers are using in their campaigns. Being an educated consumer is very important because you wont be the person who is gullible as to believe that certain products can do all the things they do in the commercials. Uneducated consumers tend to be the ones that go out and buy things that aren’t necessarily the products that the marketers showed in their ads. I’m glad that Mr. Starace had us do this blog because it makes you do the work but also makes it fun. It is a lot better than having to write all your blogs on a piece of paper and know that technology is advanced and allows teachers to have these assignments for their students makes teaching a lot more fun I would think. I am truly grad that I got into HISP and got to take this media class because it has taught me so much that not too many people have ever learned. I will continue to use this information throughout my life and who knows maybe one day I’ll be the one making the commercials that make you want to go out and buy that product. 

Well thats it for know..... Until next time bloggers!

While surfing the net I always seem to come across these little square ads on the side of the page. They have become really annoying and sometimes pop up right where you are trying to click and make you accidentally click on the ad instead. This is one of the reasons I hate ads like these online. At the same time they are starting to get more and more interactive. For instance if I were to click on the amazon icon at the top of the ad it would take me there, but if I wanted to download it from the app store then it would take me there. See what I mean although these ads are really annoying to some people they might be useful if they feel the need to click on them.

Its crazy how movies are now becoming available to watch right in our hands as before you had to go pay to watch it in the theatre or drive down to your local hollywood video and purchase a movie to take home and watch. But who does that now? Practically everyone has iPhones, iPads, and iPods that it has become normal for someone to watch a movie on one of those devices. So in fact this ad is great for people who contain these devices. But also pay attention to what they pack in to the ad.They are using 3 different companies and trying to sell them both to you. One if you buy the app in the app store than apple is making money off of you. But if you buy the movie in the amazon website then amazon is making money off of you. And either way the movie Rango is going to be making some type of revenue whether you buy it from apple or amazon. The choice is up to you.

I think that since these ads are becoming more and more interactive with the people that they are becoming more and more clever in the way they try to market there products. Overall this ad is good for the companies but annoying for me because I hate when they pop up and draw you off the course of your search.

http://youtu.be/5NTRvlrP2NU

Tiger Woods one of the best golfers in the world made a commercial not to long after his scandle. Nike was the sponsor of it because well they were the only ones that didn't drop their sponsor because of what he had done. This commercial relies on Tigers conscience because well his father passed away and how else would Tiger here these kinds of questions?

The way I took it is that Tigers conscience is his father and his father is asking him why he did what he did or what he learned from it. Its really using the need to nurture. You wouldn't think this because Tiger Woods is a grown man but think about the way Earl is speaking and the expression of Tigers face. His father Earl is trying to talk to him and like any father ask him how he feels or try to get to the root of their sons problem. Nike did a great job on this commercial by using Tigers conscience to calmly deliver a message.

Another need they used is the need for guidance, Tigers father is trying to guide his son and talk to him like any father who cares about his son would do. His father is his mentor and the one who taught him all about the game of golf and told him that nobody will be as mentally strong as him ever. So for his father to calmly talk about what has happened without actually saying what that is, is a way for nike to get there sponsor known. This commercial was really well planned because one it wasn't trying to sell a specific product but instead gave you an insight to Tigers mind whether it is really what he thinks or not.

Right when I saw this ad it caught my attention because it is like so many I have seen already. First they are trying to sell a watch and of course they are doing this by putting it on James Bond or 007. A need that they are using in this print ad is the need for prominence and showing James Bond in a tuxedo and a nice expensive looking watch on his wrist but also in front of him. When I think of James Bond I think of him always fighting, having the best suits, the best cars and what not and of course Omega uses this to their advantage and has him pretty much do the dirty work of advertising their watch.

Thats not all they do. There is clearly product placement. Who ever owns the right to the 007 movie Quantum of Solace made sure that since they were using "James Bond" as a reason for people to buy their watch then Omega better advertise there movie as well. So along with them selling the watch through James Bond this is also how movie companies spark the boosts in their box office revenue.

And of course a technique being used is the Snob Appeal which is very much like the need for prominence and is the suggestion that the use of this product makes the customer part of an elite group with a luxurious life style much like James Bond's.

I though the way that Omega advertised their watch was done very effectively on their part. They put the watch on a very well known man that always seems to have the newest and coolest things in all of his movies anyways and at the same time were able to help the company that produced Quantum of Solace by possible sparking an increase in the amount of people that went to go see the movie.

Of course just another Carl's Jr ad. What's not to like about this ads, I mean they're funny, sexy, different, and well tasty looking. 

Let's start with the writing, the ad says "She'll tell you size doesn't matter but she is lying." You can take this as two different meaning. One of those meaning I will not mention but the other is talking about the burger. The burger is big or small? Well from the looks of it, it is huge because it is bigger then Paris Hilton but lets face it she is tiny. They use the writing to grab your attention and make you think just what is Carl's Jr trying to say about size. 

Also with Carl's Jr. I can never trust the advertisements of the Burgers because they just look so darn delicious on the ads and when you have one in Person they look nothing like they do on TV. That leads me to believe that the fact that they probably realize this is the reason for them to continue selling there food with women that are half dressed eating the burger. The women they show are always prominent women like Kate Upton who is married to Justin Verlander, Paris Hilton who I don't even know why she is famous, and most play girls like to do these ads. 

The most important thing here I think is the fact that the wording they used is and can be interpreted in so many different ways but of course they want you to look at the size being the burger and that women like a bigger burger. So are they trying to appeal to women in this case? Do women really like bigger burgers? Well thats something I would like to know myself because I know most men would like a meaty burger and would enjoy one to look like it does on the Carl's Jr. commercial. Overall I  think they did a good job selling this burger and the wording was quite funny and is the reason i picked the ad to do a blog on. ENJOY.

Michael Jackson Pepsi Generation

While watching tv this commercial came up and obviously it is an old one because of the definition of the camera and of course Michael Jackson is sort of the whole subject of the commercial along with the Pepsi.

They are using one of Michael Jacksons most famous songs but instead changing the lyrics to "You are the pepsi generation." Bravo Pepsi this was a great advertisement and definitely grabbed my attention. You turned the King Of Pops song into your own but also made it his by integrating him in the commercial.

Obviously you can see as the kid starts to dance like Michael Jackson while his friends are playing the music, the Jackson 5 are watching. The kid is stunned at what he is seeing in front of his eyes. All of a sudden they all begin to dance in unison as a group. What kid wouldn't be surprised to see Michael Jackson? But of course as generations come and go people begin to forget who these people once were. So is Pepsi using Michael Jackson to tell us all that we are a new generation? And that we should drink Pepsi because we are a new generation. What i took from it was that Pepsi doesn't want us to forget about them and is pretty much saying even though you are growing up don't forget about the past. This commercial was put out years ago but is still shown because of the type of testimonial they used. The Jackson 5 are a group who will never be forgotten and are known all around the world. So by saying to these kids in the commercial that they are the pepsi generation it will make them want to drink it even more? No, it will make you want to dance according to Pepsi.

Aside from the testimonial I really liked the fact that they were able to take Billie Jean and make it Pepsi Generation. For me while watching the commercial it really made me want to drink one even though I hardly drink soda. The fact that they were able to integrate the new and the old in one commercial made me appeal to it a lot more.

One more thing. If you didn't notice the kid acting like Michael Jackson is Carlton Banks from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air!!!!!

I was on yahoo.com and I was just viewing some current events that have been going on lately and I came across this ad and it really caught my eye. I saw the words LAST CHANCE and it intrigues me already. Although once I read who the company was I kind of got a little skeptical about whether or not this ad was real. 

I also noticed that the deals that they were trying to sell were pretty good deals except for the part that they are pretty vague when explaining the deals, or what the deals are even on. How do i know that by clicking this website I am not going to get a virus on my computer. I mean at least show me what I might get deals on so I could have a little more interest in it. 

We are now 9 days away from Christmas and according to this ad this is our LAST CHANCE to get these kinds of deals. So the company wants us to buy there products because this is the last chance. Obviously they are using time pressure/ exigency to get you to buy buy buy. You must chose quick if you want things "LIKE" free shipping, 30% off, or 10$ off an item 50$  or more. You see they are also using weasel words. By saying get deals "like" these they aren't saying you will get these good of deals but you will get some similar. So what's similar 29% off or 5% off. There's a pretty big difference. So is it really even worth your time to buy from this company when one they aren't giving you any detail to what it is they sell and two they aren't guaranteeing these great deals for the items you want most. 

I think the company RetainMeNot could have done a better job by giving more detail in the ad instead of trying to make it festive full of Christmas and being vague. 

One more thing is there target market. Oh this one is easy. There target market is the annual late Christmas shoppers. There are always those, you know the people rushing at the mall, fighting over items they want for their children. Pretty much the stereotype lateC shopper.