"Super"-bowl Ads

Ads this year disappointingly fell short as compared to other years, however this does not mean they were bad in any sense of the word. The first ad that I found somewhat interesting was the GoDaddy.com ad, which as many other ads by this company have produced in the past features a scantily clad woman. This time, Danica Patrick. However the interesting part here was that they didn't show her so called "exposure" ad in full on TV, yet still provided a link to where the full video could be seen. What's more, they even say in the ad that viewer discretion of the full video is advised, which in the minds of most men that would actually go to godaddy.com to see the entire movie, means that they will see some potentially erotic content. Even more so, having to go to the website of a company that sells websites is just genius. The second ad that I found interesting as it related to the subject material recently covered in class was the Victoria's Secret ad featured toward the end of the game. It stated something to the effect that, "this game might almost be over, but the REAL games are just about to begin." This is highly allusive to sexual acts. What's more is that over three quarters of this ad is nothing but footage of an attractive woman sitting around in nothing but her underwear. These innuendoes combined would have a similar effect on the male psyche .

Ad Presentations

The ad presented on Wednesday that stuck out most in my mind was probably Eli's, Tony's, and the rest of that group's. I really liked the use of both typical and unorthodox settings that might require a hat in addition to their repititive pitch that they have over 10,000 hats. Their overall effect was quite comical, and I give mad props to them for the fact that they were able to get both a guy and girl in the same school bathroom without getting in trouble *applause*. Tony's energetic pitch to the fact that they have hats for every occasion only draws one's attention even deeper into the ad.

I also quite enjoyed the iBall commercial, as even though the product seems like something better sold in Spencer's Gifts, I could potentially see some practical use coming out of that (oh, US History maybe?). Brittney popping in and out making brash comments about the product simply contributed the the comedy.

You've Got to Spend Money to Make Money.

I've never really thought about it until now, but there is indeed quite a lot of research put into designs so that people are more likely to buy them. Studying design trends and using real-world examples are things that I never thought were taken into account when designing a product line. However, when you really get down to it and put thought to it, it's not all that ludicrous to think that retail corporations will go to great lentos to get you to buy the product.

Welcome to Wal-Mart! Would you like a sticker?

One of the stores that I shamefully admit to visiting on somewhat of a regular basis is Wal-Mart (the armpit of all stores). The persuading begins from the minute you walk in the door, with the friendly, aged greeter who kindly welcomes you to Wal-Mart, and you can't help but think how much you'd rather be in a retirement home than stuck saying hello to hundreds of slobs each day. Although some really do like their job and take it seriously (honestly, how can you take the job of a Wal-Mart greeter seriously?), it is all part of an elaborate ploy to make you feel more relaxed and "at home" so you can take your time and walk through the hundreds of aisles browsing for crap you don't need (but, it's cheap crap so that makes it alright). Another part of the scheme to make you feel much more confident in the items that you know won't last 'till the edge of the parking lot is the showing of the Wal-Mart commercials on the Wal-Mark Closed Circuit TV. They show families telling how much Wal-Mart has improved the qualities of their social events (and by extension, their very lives), and you can't help but think, "How can Wal-Mart improve the quality of MY life? With this brightly colored plastic shovel and bucket? Why not. Who cares if it's the dead of winter, it's only $2.99!"

Photo Credit: http://info.sanramontribune.com-a.googlepages.com/Wal-MartGreeterGoneWild.jpg

FCC Takes a Holiday

The question: Where is the line between artistic advertising and porn drawn?
The answer: There are so many lines due to varying perspectives that the entire gamut is nothing but a black box due to the infinite amount of lines drawn.

It is not the fault of any one entity in particular that debate rages over suggestive content in advertising and the questions of morality that follow as a result. Is it possible for everyone to accept a certain content limitation placed upon advertising? I would argue no, that essentially every printed media (or most any media) is bound to offend someone, and in this right it is virtually impossible for us to say where any advertisement has crossed the line (except for those that are so blatantly pornography that there is no other possible option but to label them as such), and because of this it is again virtually impossible for us to go back and say that the first amendment should not apply to a given situation when it comes into question. There are some that would argue that the very depiction of the female form is offensive. There are still others that would find a member of any given race being represented in advertising offensive. It is because of these sort of individuals that it is almost impossible to declare what morality is (and is not).



Photo Credit: http://www.homegame.org/news/stories/911mugatotide.jpg

2 Ways Men Can Be Hurt

Let me say, firstoff, that this passage "2 Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt" came across as little more than 23 pages of proliferating the stereotype that all heterosexual men are sex-crazed perverts that will stop at nothing to satisfy their own carnal desires, whatever that may mean to the woman involved. Secondly, this also portrays the female as an ever-innocent angel that never has any impure (maybe "human" would be a better term) thoughts. While I am not endorsing forced sex, domestic abuse, or any other violent, unwilling acts, I will say this, LIGHTEN UP! While it may be ingrained in our nature to be lustful beings (I do not discount females here, either), not everyone with a penis is going to try to make women submit to their desires.

In all seriousness, for a woman living in the global society of today, the odds are not in their favor. It is true that males will tend to act forcefully toward women, especially when it comes to sex. However, many of these men would more than likely do this anyways. I would not go so far as to blame the media entirely as the source of this assumed dominance.

The one passage in which I agree completely with Kilbourne is in the cases of the children being exploited. The case in which the 3-year-old was accused of being "sexually aggressive" seemed absolutely ludicrous to me. People of this age, I would expect, don't know the very first thing about sex, let alone think to equate aggressiveness with it. Furthermore, the Calvin Klein ads featuring what appear to be young children in a porn-esque setting are borderline obscene, as they feature very scantily clad boys and girls acting suggestively.

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Make Tonight a Manwich Night!

During the January 28th 9:00 showing of BBC's "Top Gear," a commercial for Hunt's Manwich sloppy joe sauce came on, blaring Ode to Manwich (Ode to Joy with all the notes replaced with: Manwich, Manwich, we adore you.  Fun and easy and sloppy too.  Napkins now unfold before thee, Manwich joy doth spring from you.).  The commercial goes on to feature a family sitting around the dinner table all smiling and laughing while eating Manwich sloppy joes.  The father goes on to show one of those cliche looks that he is really enjoying what he's eating.  As Lamags said in class, "Kids sell more crap than anything."  This is still the case in this commercial, as the two children, of varying ages, all seem to be adoring the Manwich.  The happy music, combined with the over-exaggerated expressions (unless they'd been starved for weeks maybe) all appeal to our emotions (and quite possibly stomachs) to make us desire the Manwich more and more.