The Pitch

The car I have decided to pitch for my final project is the "Kia Soul." I have always thought it was an interesting car, from the day it arrived via commercial on my television set. Here are the reasons why I am attracted to this vehicle. For starters, I think it's "cute." The design of it is appealing, and it fits my personality. It's great because of the compact design. I don't particularly like huge, gas-guzzling SUV's, unless you live someplace that has snow. The Soul is perfect for a city dweller, who wants to zip around economically and be able to fit into those tight parallel parking spots. Not only does is save on gas, but the price is hard to beat. The base model starts at $15,190. Just like the Mustang we saw in class, they allow you to personalize it and add features on from that base model. Even after adding a bunch of features, it came up to about $19,000. With a trade in of the current car I have, my payments would be only $165 a month. Not too shabby.

I also like that they put an emphasis on "cool" with this car. The car was designed by former General Motors designer Michael Torpey. From a new York Times article back from 2009,
"The boars fascinated him. He quickly sketched a caricature of one and, for practicality, put a backpack on it. Hanging on a wall in the Korean studio, the sketch drew approval from the local designers, who described the boar as a “strong, clever creature.”
Mr. Torpey said the boar’s attitude of strength and capability — it can’t be taken advantage of despite its relatively small size — was exactly the image he wanted for a new model aimed at hip urban youths."

It is also nice to note that the Kia has received a five star rating in all except the roll-overs category, where they received four stars from the U.S. News & World Report website.
I am looking forward to taking a test drive to see for myself. Kia already has a cool and hip marketing campaign going for this car, hitting a home run with their "dancing hamsters" bit. I hope that I can think of something even half as clever.

EOC Week 5: Superbowl

This week, our goal is to take one of the commercials from this year's Superbowl and to break it down to its bare bones. Its advertizing bones, anyway. This is something that, when an advertising company gets a new project, they do automatically. This is how they begin the process of determining how to construct the flesh around the skeleton.

The ad I chose to break apart is the BMW one for the i3 electric vehicle. It features Bryant Gamble and Katie Couric.  I found it quite hilarious, because we all were ignorant to "email" and "the internet" at some point. That's how it connects to us as people.

• > Who?- We have two very recognizable television news anchors featured. These are anchors that people my age (and even a bit older) have grown up with, and are familiar with.
• > What?- They are selling a new and very high tech vehicle, the BMW i3.
• > Where?- The scenario in the beginning has them in 1994, very confused about what the internet and email is. Katie asks someone off camera, "What is internet?" Then, it jumps to today, where both people are now in a new electric car from BMW, still confused about what "i3" is.
• > When? There are two time periods, 1994, and present day.
• > Why? The purpose is the tell a story for a Superbowl  television commercial.
• > How? They use humor and the fact that we were all once ignorant to what the internet is, even though now it is such an integral part of our lives now. No one could have predicted that it would be that important now. So when they are confused about this advanced BMW, it is communicating to the audience that this new car is THAT advanced. And they are implying that it is so great, that its technology may become commonplace one day as well.
  

EOC Week 4: Role of Women in Contemporary Advertisements

The role of women today as opposed to yesteryear is to be real and strong. Where in the past, women were encouraged to be weak, frail, susceptible beings, not able to be held afloat without a man, now you see women embodying thing like strength and honesty.

The first ad I chose is a Dove ad that was hugely popular in the US. This is the Dove “Real Beauty” campaign. This is because there ad been a huge uproar from women about the extensive use of Photohopping and airbrushing done in women’s advertisements. It was creating (and still does) an unattainable standard of beauty. There have always been instances of editing and touching up of photos, ut never to the extant it is now with technology today. Often times, unedited pictures would be placed next to the edited version so people could see how huge of a difference it made. Dove decided to stand with the group of women who were sick of it, and began creating ads showing what real women look like, no Photoshopping. Having them stand in their underwear, looking clean and natural, portrays woman as individuals and real humans instead of long limbed and alien-looking supermodel perfection. The role of women was no longer to strive to be a sex object for men, but to feel sexy just as they are.

The second ad I chose is a Nike ad with a woman flying through the air. When you first look at the picture, the woman is looking very dynamic, legs and arms extended as she jumps through the air. She almost looks like a flying superhero. Nike has long been marketing to women, and this is an example of an ad campaign they have been promoting encouraging women’s strengths. The idea is that every woman is capable of these admirable things: being in shape, having a strong body, being proud of her hard work, and tremendous inner drive and strength. What better way to show this outwardly by wearing Nike? The striking way this woman is poised, and the picture was able to capture her mid-movement. This woman is being shown at the peak of her fitness efforts, and showing women are capable of physical greatness.

The last ad I chose is a very recent one. It was shown during the 2015 Superbowl. This was one of my favorite ones. It began with little boys and older girls being asked a smile question. “Show me what ‘run like a girl’ looks like.” The kids would run in a silly manner, hand flailing around. They then asked, “How does a girl hit a baseball?” The kids pretended they were too weak to hit it, or acted clumsy. They then asked these same questions to a few girls who were much younger, and had not been influenced. These girls, when asked to “run like a girl,” ran super fast in place, a look of determination on their face. When asked to hit a baseball “like a girl,” they hit it out of the park. I liked how they are proving that negative stereotypes of woman are taught or learned, and that they can be combatted. This ad by the brand “Always” really gets their point across, and gets it across with such basic clarity, that it is hard to ignore.  It proves that there is an issue, but that the issue can be changed. I found this honest and blunt angle to advertizing very refreshing.

EOC Week 3- Tobacco Advertisement

1.      Determine the scenario: What happens in this frame?

A man off camera is offering a classy violinist two different types of Tiparillo cigarette. She is still holding her violin, but looking directly and almost seductively at the viewer of the ad, with the hand and cigarettes in view, as if the viewer himself is offering the smokes. She suggestively has her shirt undone, with most of her chest exposed.

2.      What is the setting? What are the conditions?

The setting seems to be at the viewer/”man’s” home, where they have both gone after a day of work. The setting overall is during the late 1960’s, when women were becoming more liberated during the dawn of smoking culture. The cigarettes are being held closer to her face, imploring action. The conditions given to the woman are “Tiparillo Regular or M with menthol.”

3.      Who are the people or groups?

The people are a man and a woman, or the “viewer of the ad” and the woman.

4.      What is their point of view around this specific experience?

The point of view is to have a good time, and relax. The ad is drawing the viewer in, and making him part of the experience. So, it’s appealing to a man who is essentially trying to get laid. The woman is in to it, and you can tell by her gaze and her shirt being open. The ad states she is “open minded,” in other words, she is open to the experience. Also, with a stuffy and uptight career, she comes back to the man’s place to unwind, and Tiparillo will help the viewer of the ad will just help the whole scenario along.

5.      What are their goals?

Goals for both seem to be similar. They wish to relax and have a good time. Specifically, the man wants to have sex with the woman at his place. The man uses Tiparillo cigarettes to help him achieve his goal.

6.      What are their assumptions? What are their perceptions?

The assumption of the woman is that she will be able to unwind, relax and listen to her folk music. The man’s/viewer’s assumption is that by offering her a Tiparillo will be the key to help her fully unwind and release any reservations she may still have.

7.      Are there conflicts? Is there cooperation?

I would say there are not many conflicts. The ad, despite the innuendo, is fairly straightforward. She probably wants to, but offering her a cigarette will change that “probably” into a “definitely.”

8.      What are the outcomes?

The outcome is left up to the man’s imagination, but one can take a pretty good guess as to what it might be.