End of the Line

All blog POSTS and COMMENTS that have been submitted by the deadline have been posted. No new posts or comments will be put up after noon today (12/10/08).

Comfort Zone

From Jeanne Jensen

This advertisement always makes me laugh. There is this young woman walking her dog and holding the dog’s poop in a big in her other hand. She see’s this woman that she has hung out with before and gives her a hug with the bag still in her hand. This whole situation is so awkward…especially since there is no music, so we can almost here the awkward. It is for Comfort Inn and they do a great job depicting a really awkward situation and then saying, “get back to your comfort zone.” It is a perfect campaign for a simple hotel like the comfort in.

Mac Fights Back

From Sam Erman

Woah!. I was shocked when I saw apples recent attack ad against PCs and more specifically windows vista. Although the previous ads in Apple’s “I’m a mac” campaign took stabs at PCs the message was portrayed in a sort of “all in good fun” kind of way, this new ad on the other hand was not. This ad is a rebuttal to Window’s “I’m a PC” campaign where celebrities and regular people along with of all ages state that they are a PC. Mac claims that Windows has spent all their money on advertising and not enough on vista, which I’m sure crossed the mind of many consumers while watching their ads. I love apple and I got a kick out of watching this ad but hitting windows this low took it a little to far, this ad makes apple look like the weak one.

Jack

From Brandon Galloway

This is a good ad because it is not only funny, but it goes after that late night, college-aged partying crowd (like the stoner kid in the ad). It can often be difficult to reach consumers like this who are very wary of corporate messages. However, with the ingenious creation of the “Jack in The Box” character, Jack in the Box is able to go after these people with humor. The ad effectively conveys the message of tacos being offered for 99 cents but, more importantly, establishes brand loyalty and awareness amongst a particularly fickle yet valuable demographic.

My Mom Said I Could

From Kendall Fields

My Mom Said I Could

I came across this ad a few years ago in one of my French classes. It is a a French commercial for Hansaplast Ribbed Condoms. This ad is very funny as it maximizes on a child’s innocence and a parent’s negligence. It is also very shocking to see that other countries would air this commercial. It is definitely not something we would see on U.S. television. This is an affective ad as it comically displays the actions of a the little boy as he interprets his mother’s screams of pleasure to be words of permission for his wrongdoings. This ad definitely demonstrates what we discussed in class today as far as the “cultural lens.” In the U.S., a child past infancy is rarely shown in connection to any commercial dealing with sex. The fact that this ad depicts a form of “innocence” and naivety through the child in connection to a condom commercial is very surprising to my cultural perspective. People in the U.S. shelter their children from sexual activities. The fact that a child is running around doing these crazy things without his mother noticing gives a little more meaning to the condom commercial. I really like the overall message of this ad, safe sex prevents wily children. Plus, this ad is great for a good laugh and is definitely memorable.

More Budd

From Uri Fintzy

This commercial was aired during Superbowl XL in 2006, which was the best Superbowl-commercial year in the last decade in my opinion.
As always, Budweiser was able to come up with the funniest commercials, but this commercial stood out.
I enjoyed the contrast between the two apartments, one has a clean-cut, preppy guy who is well prepared to hide his beer from his friends, and the other is bunch of guys who look like “stoney” college students.
I loved the fact that the guys seek no explanation on how come they have a fridge full of beers appears out of nowhere, and instead embrace it as an act of God, a force of nature that was sent to them for a reason. My favorite part is the bowing. I love having a great tail-ending to commercials, and Bud Light is famous for that. Not too much thinking involved, just Magic Fridge… Why can’t I have one?

Good outdoor

From Sydney Esensten

Link

I remember seeing this over the summer on Sunset Blvd. before the movie came out. It is a billboard ad for the movie Pineapple Express with smoke coming out of the pineapple. I was so amazed by it, that I wanted to take a picture and send it to all my friends. It definitely generated my interest in the movie. This outdoor ad is effective in creating interest in the movie and generating a response from viewers. Shortly after this ad was placed, there were controversies over the ad due to the smoking connotations, which resulted in more advertising for this movie and the ad. Placing the ad on a busy street in LA like Sunset Blvd reaches a greater audience and high frequency of viewing.

Kudos to Chevron

From Lisa Guadagni

I was filling up on gas the other day and I noticed an outdoor, informational, point-of-purchase advertisement. The headline read “No Gasoline Gives You More Cleaning Power,” in Chevron’s traditional blue sans serif. The headline was followed by black sans serif informational copy with huge leading, “It’s true. When it comes to cleaning power, Chevron with TECHRON is unsurpassed. That means it keeps vital engine parts clean. And that means it helps keep your car running at its best.” The text wrapped around a small seal that read” Automakers’ Designated TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.” Below the copy floated soap bubbles, some of which featured the lovable Chevron cars inside of them. I liked the ad so much, I took a picture with my cell phone, which is why the picture quality is so poor. I usually think of informational ads as boring and lacking innovation, but Chevron’s campaign featuring anthropomorphic cars has been wonderful. The commercials are low-key, fun and enjoyable for all ages. And the extension of the campaign to point-of-sale advertising reminds consumers why they are at that particular gas station, a small reward if the consumer has driven around looking for a Chevron station, as I sometimes do, or for paying a little bit extra for better gasoline. The point-of-sale advertising also informs new customers who chose the Chevron station randomly or for convenience why they should come back. Part of the success of the ad itself is due to it’s simple layout, and large-scale font. The type is large and clear, with lots of space between lines and words, so the audience can read the copy with almost no effort. Additionally, the bubbles and anthropomorphic cars offer a visual, if childish, representation of automobile cleanliness and remind audiences of the fun, easy-going cars that have been talking to them for over a decade. KUDOS CHEVRON!

Be A Guitar Hero

From Drew Geiger

The new Guitar Hero 4 (GH4) commercial features four of America’s top athletes Kobe Bryant, Michael Phelps, Alex Rodriquez, and Tony Hawk. The real premise of the commercial was the replication of the most famous scene in Risky Business. The scene is when Tom Cruise’s character slides out from the hallway with only a button up shirt and his underwear. What GH4 does to make it unique then straight copying Risky Business was to not have each athlete in their underwear, but to wear something that corresponds to their sport. Phelps wears his Speedo, Bryant wears basketball shorts, A-Rod has his sliding shorts on, and Hawk has his skateboard and helmet. This ad is really funny and unexpected when all four famous men come from the hallway with one of the four different instruments that GH4 has (guitar, bass, drums, and a microphone). This ad is only one in a new campaign for GH4, but all the ads have the same theme of the Risky Business scene. The only thing that changes is the famous person used in the ad. GH4 has ads featuring Heidi Klum, David Cook, and David Archuleta.

Choice

From Joe Condon

Linky

I think these ads do a really great job of using the brand name in a tagline that relates well to the story. The over-the-top awkwardness of the characters makes you feel uncomfortable, and but in a funny way that makes the ad entertaining. I enjoy seeing these ads, and would probably remember them if I was driving around and saw a comfort inn. My favorite is the office chair switch…