In the spirit of the holiday season I've been watching the Christmas shows and such playing lately. And one of the most commonly appeared programs is Home Alone 2. The classic story of the boy being left behind and defending himself with traps. I've watched this movie lots of times over the years, but this time while watching I looked out for product placement use in the movie.
There wasn't as much compared to the amount seen in movies nowadays. But there was a bit that took notice of. One use was of Pepsi-Cola where it's commonly seen being drunken in the movie. Also the use of his tape recorder in the movie as he uses it to manipulate his way through adults. The tape recorder prominently displayed its logo, Talkboy, outwards towards the audience. This was a brand of tape recorders at the time.
Product placement is a good way for advertisers to subliminally get your attention towards their product and brand to increase the odds of you purchasing it.
In Merchants of Cool they identified a culture symbol being the female culture icon as the midriff. The midriff is the culture icon of the female audience, advertisers targeted during the the late 90's. The midriff targets young women, primarily teenagers that are prematurely adult and want to use their bodies. They are premature in the case of dressing and acting more sexually. In the video they depict Britney Spears as the figure icon of the midriff.
Even though the video was produced over 10 years ago, the "midriff" figure is still prominent within our culture today. Now it is no longer Britney Spears but people like Miley Cyrus or Kim Kardashian that have taken the position regarded as the midriff. They represent teenage girls and their positions of increasingly more prominent sexually outwardly. Figures of the midriff appeal to the teenage girl market because girls then want to be like these women they see as popular figures of culture.
As long as there is a market for teenage girls to buy product and be influenced by popular culture icons like Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears, there will always be a midriff icon. The midriff isn't just represented by a celebrity figure in a time period, but as recurring figure in each culture of teens. SO just as Britney Spears was the midriff in the 90's, Miley Cyrus now, then in 10 years or less some other prominent sexual women will be next.
While I was looking through Sports Illustrated I found an ad advertising Ball Park buns. The ad portrayed hamburger and hotdog buns saying they're "America's favorite." The whole portrayal of the ad is to get the typical American consumer to buy their buns. Looking at it I thought back to all the techniques and needs we've learned, that are employed by advertisers.
What first stood out to me was the use of color they used, the only colors used were red, white, and blue. This obviously being symbolic of America. Also when they use the phrase, "America's favorite," this gets you thinking that all of America likes Ball Park. It's the use of the technique, Patriotism, by buying Ball Park over others you're being American, and choosing the bun that all of America buys since, Ball Park is America's favorite apparently. The other technique they use in Plain Folks, there's nothing fancy about the bun, they say "baked fresh for your home team," this refers to your family. Aiming towards people to buy it since the bun's a good value for your family and the average man.
We've all seen the numerous commercials advertising technology, but more specifically Samsung. Samsung always advertises with the slogan, "The Next Big Thing," they advertise themselves as being ahead of everyone. Once again they're created another of their infamous commercials, but now advertising their new flagship phone, the Samsung Galaxy S5.
In the newest commercial I've found, they use the term "wall hugger," to describe those not using the S5, it's quite obvious they are referring to Apple iPhone users. The commercial is set at an airport, where all the walls are lined with people charging their iPhones at outlets. While S5 users walk around freely enjoying their lives, because they don't need to worry about being tied down by their charge cords, because of the S5's exceedingly long battery life.
Samsung uses quite a few different advertising techniques throughout the commercial to persuade consumers watching to buy the Galaxy S5 over the iPhone. The purpose of the commercial is to show how Apple users are restricted to power outlets and have to always charge their iPhones, while Samsung S5 users have the ability to continue to enjoy life with the new Ultra Power Saving mode feature. This is the use of Avante Garde, is shows that if you buy a Samsung you'll be ahead of everyone else with an iPhone, you'll be more technologically advance than those without the S5. Along with Avante Garde, they use the technique of Plain Folks to portray their target audience, they show regular people using the S5, no one special, just everyday people to show how the S5 is a good product to be used by the average person. Besides these two, the major technique that can be seen obviously throughout is Wit and Humor. The whole point of this commercial and many others, is to simply ridicule Apple's iPhone and its poor capabilities compared to the S5's. And finally, the last recognizable technique I identified was, Simple Solutions. If people don't want to be wall huggers, and enjoy life, than they should buy an S5. By buying an S5 people don't need to constantly charge their phones, and can enjoy life now, since they no longer have to sit up against the wall charging their phones. That's the solution offered up by Samsung, just simply buy the Galaxy S5 and your problems solved.
This commercial really hits dead on a major, social issue "suffered" by our generation. With smartphones now they are the lifeline to ourselves, and when the battery starts getting low we begin to freak out at the thought of losing our phone for that short while. So by offering a smartphone with an almost never ending battery life, Samsung has solved a problem faced by so many people. Looking around I always see people with their iPhones whining when their battery starts to get low and when my battery gets low (with my Galaxy S5), all I have to do is switch on the Power mode and I can last a day or two longer on the remaining charge of my phone. Now to all those Apple users, I have a question for you, "Is it time to trade in your beloved iPhone for a Samsung?"
In print media today companies and advertisers use a large variety of techniques to get our attention for their products. They tap into our inner, primal needs as people, like the need for prominence, a need for luxury and to be of a high class. And they appeal to us with luring incentives for our motives to buy their product. In an ad I found recently, in Sacramento Magazine, I discovered such an ad.
The print ad I found was advertising Niello, a car dealership company that sells a large variety of cars. All of which considered as foreign and luxury cars to us. They represent brands such BMW, Porsche, Maserati and several others. When we tend to think of such brands we automatically think of high class individuals and luxury. But according to the ad, Niello is having a sale at all of its dealerships, giving people an opportunity to buy such luxury cars. They're offering 0% APR financing to those buying their cars. This incentive is a common advertising technique, recognized as Bribery. By offering 0% APR financing they are offering people something desirable, something extra in return for buying their car. As humans we're greedy so we see this opportunity, and if we have the resources we want to take the deal, to get that bonus of 0% APR.
Along with using Bribery to motivate ourselves to buy their car, they also appeal to our Need for Prominence. This need is our inner desire to be admired, looked upped to by others, to be seen as a figure of high social status. All of Niello's dealerships sell luxury cars, they want to buy their car because if we do we'll be seen as a wealthy figure. Think of the difference people would see you as if you came driving in a BMW compared to driving in regular car you have now (no offense). By having a luxury car you'll be looked up upon by others, making yourself feel good and better than others to an extent. This is what Niello is trying to tap into, they want you to buy one of their cars with the motive that you'll feel more prominent than others. It's a smart move by them to use such incentives to attract people to their dealerships to buy their cars.
Advertisers now are having a harder time persuading us to get our attention and buy their product. Its getting harder and harder to push through the clutter they've already established. They're now advertising to us with the use of odd advertising. Advertisers use odd advertising in place of typical methods of billboards and commercials. A way they use odd advertising is product placement, where a company displays their brand or product in a movie or show.
Over the break I recently watched 22 Jump Street. While watching the film I noticed the notorious use of product placement by multiple companies in the scenes. One major brand that was continually seen was Sony. All the technology and devices showed were Sony Xperia devices (phones and tablets) as well as Sony/Vaio computers. When panned in on characters texting or in class they would picture them using Sony devices with the Sony brand facing out towards viewers.
Along with Sony several other brands were portrayed, just as how Sony showed their products being used, Nike as well did this. Instead of showing viewers the typical commercial, Nike instead displayed their clothes and shoes being worned by the stars. When the shot would pan in, focusing in on when stars would speak they'd show the Nike brand zoomed in on. Also whenever characters would be on the run or sitting down, the camera would seeminly make emphasize on showing the brand outfacing so people can see it. During the times when they had Channing Tatum playing football, or anything involving football, the Underarmour brand continually popped up. When scenes involving football appeared the Underamour brand would appear on the uniforms, socks, shoes and such apparel. After watching the entire movie it appeared to me that the movie was more of an advertising scheme then film. It seemed like every shot had some type of company advertising in it, ranging from the use of a Sony phone, Nike shoes worn, and Dorritos eaten. It served as a great example of companies using the odd advertising technique of product placement. They transformed this comedic film into a prolonged advertising clip.
The 2014 Toyota Highlander car commercial is your typical car commercial, in which a company tries to entice you buy their car by using a popular celebrity to endorse them. But this recent commercial is a great example of this common advertising technique seen throughout all types of media. Companies have you believe a popular celebrity in their commercial by showing the celebrity using or in the product trying to be sold.
In this Toyota commercial, the Muppets are the ones portrayed riding in the Highlander, and enjoying all the features that car has to offer. The Muppets are singing a song that talks about all the great features of the car, and with the main chorus, "ain't got no room for boring." By using the Muppets singing, which is what they are known for and iconic by people for, they are showing the people watching how the Highlander is a great product that you can trust. Since obviously creative puppets driving a car is trusting enough to spend a large amount of money on car, simply because "animal" the Muppet said so.
Logically this commercial doesn't sound viable, once you put thought into it and look beyond the fun, exciting characters promoting it. Before analyzing the commercial I was in the typical spot of the American consumer watching the clip, from that point of view I found the commercial to be funny and cool. And after that I automatically connected the Highlander with the Muppets, with the simple reasoning that they were in the Highlander and the commercial appealed to me. After watching the commercial it invoked a childhood urge in myself, I now connected the Muppets, a childhood icon, now to a car. There's no logic behind it but it works because Toyota took a cultural icon in they eyes of Americans, and used it to promote their product. It certainly worked, because I can't think of one without thinking of the other.
A serious question and issue brought up by many in America is the topic of Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, seemingly more dictator if you ask me. When we here the name Putin, many thoughts and assumptions come to mind, ranging from simply a political figure of Russia, to a threat to foreign assets and the list goes on. When I looked at two news organizations they both showed different points on President Vladimir Putin. Looking at the New York Times, I noticed the way that they reported on Putin, they showed him in a particularly negative view. By using language in their article like, "denounced what he called the global domination of one superpower," and "unstoppable." Putin is pictured as an unstoppable tyrant taking over weaker states and a figure that denounces the West's actions, primarily America. They write about him as, "risking the consequences," this puts him in a place of problem being the center of global debate. Overall, The New York Times portrayed Putin as a horrible man, that won't listen to the West and is unstoppable with power.
On the other hand, looking at an article by CBS, they used a different line of language. They portrayed Putin, as a law abiding good citizen, with good intentions for his country. In the recent events which he's decided to step down soon as president, it's written that he'll step down in line with the Russian Constitution, this shows him as being law abiding, a man of law. He stated how his continued present in office would not be for the greater good of Russia, shows his interest and devotion towards the Russian people, betterment of the people. In a speech given by him after his election he thanks the people for the win in their election of an open honest election. Using the words open, and honest, show his positive connotation of himself and the people. The overall view from this CBS article showed Putin as being a good, law abiding man with no selfish intentions. I consider both sources accurate in their reporting but all I have to say is that there's probably more than meets the eye when think of Putin, so even though the article uses opposite tones towards the Russian president, they both are technically correct. But the reason we hold such negative connotations and ideas towards Putin is because the news sources we've seen portray as tyrannical. There quite possible is much more than we know.
CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-for-life-vladimir-putin-opens-up/
NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/19/world/europe/ukraine.html?_r=0
In today's world it's impossible to not take notice to the immense amount of media presented to us. Media is an impressionable force to me, everywhere I go now, there's always a billboard or some type of advertisement in my face. Being your typical high schooler I have all the social media sites like Instagram and Twitter. And while scrolling through them I can't help but take notice to all the ads and products presented to me, that want to me to buy or listen to what they want me to. This probably being the biggest impact of media. When an add is presented to us it tends to always imply they want us to buy some product. And they do this by continuously showing the same product over and over again, and making you want it. You can't escape ads, when all you want to do is watch a TV show, there's an ad there, now it seems like the show itself is mainly ads and less plot of a show. Or when you want to listen to music you turn on the radio, oh wait another ad being played to you, and you have to listen to five ads before you actually get to listen to the actual song. I'm not going to lie advertisements do impression my decisions and such, I do fall victim when I'm presented with something on TV and instantly want it, simply because of a 30 second commercial. So you ask for my relationship with media, well it's the same as many others, highly annoyed by the immense amount and yet highly impressionable, and the consumer with the will to buy it.
