Week 3 EOC: Rolling Stone Magazine

The major strength and weakness that Rolling Stone Magazine has, that makes them stand out compared to other news sources such as Times or Newsweek, is that they are known as a pop culture “Zine”. When I hear Rolling Stone, I first think of that old band with a similar name, and then music news. With a quick look at their website, Rolling Stone seems to embrace this mentality and caters towards music enthusiasts. Music enthusiast are probably their biggest demographic and whenever they step out of that niche market, I can see that there would be some back lash.

When I first saw the cover photo I thought it would be some musician that I’d never heard of yet, but then I read “THE BOMBER” and I instantly felt a shiver run down my spine. Now this cover story on the Boston Marathon bomber, was a major opportunity to do something different than what everyone else, CNN, MSNBC, etc. was doing. Trying to understand how and why an everyday normal kid, would do something so horrible out of nowhere. "I knew this kid, and he was a good kid...And, apparently, he's also a monster." –Peter Payack. Even the people who knew the guy had no idea why he would commit such a terrible act on other human beings. This tragedy quite literally shook the shaky foundation that National Security currently stands on in the United States and why this would offend most of us is obvious. With a “selfie” picture of the terrorist, humanizing the monster that destroyed lives and changed hundreds with permanent injuries, at first this article seemed to be in bad taste. Like the aspartame in diet soda, it takes getting used to before you can continue putting it into your system. Once I got into the article the message of the cover became even clearer. Dzhokhar “Jahar” Tsarnaev, had a difficult background. His family came from a war torn town in Chechnya, they moved here in 2002, shortly after 9/11, and grew up in a country that, typically, doesn’t like people of the Muslim faith. Despite all of these factors, he was a normal kid. “Jahar had a talent for moving between social groups and always seemed able to empathize with just about anyone's problems.” He became a typical American boy. Although the article made it seem that his heavy use of marijuana may have led to his paranoia of the American government and brought him to a mindset becoming a terrorist, but I don’t think that was the intention. The threat was not that he smokes pot and all stoners are potential radical terrorist that will go murdering people, if they have a “Jihad”, but the threat is that it is nearly impossible to tell who is a terrorist. A relatively normal young man, who was well liked, handsome, and social, became the monster that haunts the nightmares of many people today. Promoting paranoia is threatening, but establishing empathy for murderers may have been the controversial move that made this such a big issue in the first place.

Week 2 BOC: Ethics in Advertising

When creating an advertisement there are many social and psychological factors that it need to be considered.  It may seem like a nightmare to catch the eyes of the target audience with all these lines in the sand. First their absolutely needs to be honesty in advertising. It may be something that is taken for granted or seem like a given fact, but it is possible to be truthful and respectful to the truth when selling a product. To make truth in advertising one must never distort the product's capabilities, or hide its defects. Ethical advertising is also clear about its intentions, refraining from subliminal messages or hidden agendas. Even Disney has cut back from using subliminal messages, so why shouldn't we?

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/difference-between-unethical-ethical-advertising-19262.html

Distinction- The International Charter states that ethical advertising seeks to create a completely different representation of its product from those of its competitors. Its brands or logos are only one of its kind and easily particular, its product can be quickly identified, and the character and imagery do not blur the line between competitors. When advertising unethically seeks to destroy the difference between it and other products: capitalizing on the resulting confusion by selling products to customers who can't make the distinction.

Social Consciousness- Refraining from appealing to "base" human emotions such as terror, materialism or lust. Remaining constructive and confident, and doesn't take advantage or use stereotypes based around race, gender, religion or age. In North America there are strict rules that determine the shape of advertising to children, while in some jurisdictions advertising to children is illegal.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/07/08/jwt.answer/

Environmental Consciousness- Operating with respect for the nature and showing restraint from causing undue harm to the environment. To maintain the ethics, advertising doesn't depict an unjustifiable or excessively commercial lifestyle, where the attainment of objects is the sole purpose for living. This means that the advertisements created should seek to maintain environmental standards, such as using recyclable components or non-polluting creation methods, and refrain from excessive waste.

The average child views about 3,000 advertisements a day online, on television, on billboards and in print media. Kids have a hard time trying to understand the difference between fantasy and reality. Although this may seem appealing, to take advantage of this fact to market your product, unethical advertising can be damaging to children. No matter what children are affected by these images, so advertisers have the responsibility to ensure that their ads are not dangerous or destructive. Images that advocate violence, promote lavish lifestyles or living beyond one’s means, greediness, specific gender roles and poor treatment of others should be avoided. Children whose parents can afford a product will buy it even if the child merely thinks it's fun, while the poorer children will be left feeling inferior because they can't afford whatever the next “must have” toy is.

http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/ways-prevent-unethical-advertising-kids-7645.html

Overall, it can be difficult to standout and stay within the confines of these guidelines. Edginess may get the attention, but what is the message you want to send out into the world? I accept the challenge to maintain ethical standards when creating ads. Who knows? It might even be fun.

Week 2 EOC: Pinochet and Advertising

Gen. Augusto Pinochet ran Chile with an iron fist. He first rose to power by having the Chilean military, aided by training and financing from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, host Coup D’état starting on September 11, 1973 on the established regime, which ultimately led to President Salvador Allende killing himself. Pinochet assumed power and gained absolute control of the country in less than a week. When Allende was in control, he the first avowedly Marxist elected chief of state in the Western Hemisphere. Socialism, at the time, gave America the feeling that Chile would be a threat so they decided to help the military take power.
Following many months of economic chaos, recession, labor strife, hyperinflation, and middle-class protests, and over all political unrest. Leaving Allende’s government extremely unpopular and a revolution very welcome. However, this bloody coup was the start to a very violent rule.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/pinochet/overview.htm

Pinochet’s fifteen-year reign of Chile was a brutal dictatorship. During his rule, more than 3,200 people were executed or disappeared, and scores of thousands more were detained and tortured or exiled. These injustices fueled the flame of revolution in the hearts of many of the Chileans, but how are they to change the established order? Their opportunity came to take Old Augusto down a notch, when Pinochet held an election to rally his nation together in support of himself. The choice was between “Si”(Yes) in support of the Generalissimo for another eight more years or “No” I can not stand for this anymore.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/11/world/americas/11pinochet.html?pagewanted=all

Pinochet thought he had the vote sewn up. The vast majority of the country, he believed, were grateful to him for the firm action he had taken against the “enemies of the state”. How would one go about convincing the disenfranchised, poverty stricken, and terrified public to vote for what they want, without them fearing for their lives? Originally, the No Campaign wanted to show all the atrocities that have been done to the people of Chile. This was too negative and doesn’t “sell” to the audience. The solution was to provoke a feeling a hope, flip the negative connotation of the word “No”, and show what bright future there is in the future, if the people would just vote.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/9842723/How-Chiles-ad-men-ousted-Pinochet-the-real-life-story-behind-new-film-No.html

Week 1 BOC: My Voice

My passions include performing arts, drawing, writing, and comedy. For as long as I can remember, I have always made people laugh and soon after, I discovered I liked to draw. I wasn’t any good, no natural talent whatsoever, but over the years I have perfected my crafts to appeal to my varied audiences. I have overcome many challenges to get to where I am today and where I plan to be tomorrow. Conquering my crippling stage fright has enabled me to pursue my dream of being a Stand-up Comedian and Actor. Being vulnerable to an audience, essentially baring my soul to complete strangers, gave me the confidence to branch out and try new things, such as showing my drawings and artwork to people. In fact, people have hired me to do special pieces for them, even tattoo designs. There are people out there right now wearing something I created for them. I find that just incredible. Now I’m one of those people that watch the Super Bowl for the commercials and not the game. I can appreciate most of the combined time and effort to make those advertisements good. With this appreciation, along side my quick wit, creative mind, and sense of humor, I have come to one conclusion that I am an Ad Man.

Week 1 EOC: Volkswagen Lemon

 Making A Lemon Into Lemonade

The problem that demanded creativity for the solution is selling Hitler’s favorite car brand to the American population, a mere 15 years after World War II. Volkswagen manufactured out of Wolfsburg, Germany, which was built by the Nazis. At this time other car manufacturers were appealing to families, by building larger automobiles that looked attractive, while VW’s Beetle resembled, as the name implies, a small ugly bug. To solve this debacle they didn't need to put the company through a rebirth, but to hire a Jewish-American advertising firm to bring "The People's Car" to America. George Lois of the Doyle Dane Bernbach ad agency said “We have to sell a Nazi car in a Jewish town”

Volkswagen attracted the consumer with a mixture of wit and simplicity “‘Live Below Your Means,’ advised one ad. ‘Think Small,’ counseled another…You couldn't help but love a company willing to kid itself in public…” Although their intentions were not to seem self-deprecating, but this takes the “Lemon” and makes it into lemonade. Honesty was more or less the desired effect when they gave you a sneak peek into the process of creating and the inspection each car goes through. After all of that if there is even one mistake, the car does not pass inspection, is rejected, and not sold. Thus the ad makes it clear that only the best are chosen for distribution. "We pluck the lemons, you get the plums."

            The fresh approach makes this campaign a huge success. “Think small,” “Lemon” and “Impossible” all presented the Bug as “an amusing, lovable, and curious automobile that signaled a quality product in a materialistic society abounding with false promises.” Being Honest established trust in Volkswagen. Simplicity attracted the customer and encouraged them to look even closer. Finally a little humor coaxed the advertisement to be wedged into the mind of each person who looked upon it and maybe even smiled or gave a light chuckle.

Sources:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/1960-1969-volkswagen-beetle4.htm

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/1999/11/22/smallb7.html?page=all

http://www.fastcocreate.com/1682699/see-a-brief-cultural-history-of-an-auto-giant-the-volkswagen-beetle#1