Holiday Ads

http://adage.com/article?article_id=147348

This article helps to show just how much things are changing.  Print ads used to be huge!  And I remember going through the newspaper on Thanksgiving looking for the best sales.  This year, my mom didn't even touch a newspaper.  She went straight to her computer and looked up all the sales online.  TV and internet are beginning to overcome print ads.  According to the article, "Most CMOs -- 42% -- said they allocate most of their holiday budget to print ads, down from 64% a year ago."  That's a 22% difference in only one year.  If companies keep decreasing their holiday print ad budget at this rate, print will be dead very soon.  The article goes on to say, "And 27% said they'd be investing the bulk of their budget in online ads, including social-networking sites. That's up from just 18% last year."  Online and especially social-networking advertisements are growing at an extremely fast rate compared to all other forms of advertising.  The internet hasn't been around for very long and already over one-fourth of companies are spending the majority of their budget here.  The world is changing - digital is in, print is going out.

Most Talented Gorilla!

Does anyone get it?  What does a drum-playing gorilla have to do with chocolate?
It doesn't matter.  This kind of an ad grabs your attention and most of all makes you laugh.  Who cares that it has nothing to do with the product.  Just like Jelly Helm's saying, "It's not about what it's about."  Gorillas and chocolate have nothing in common, but that's not the point.  The point is that this clip is enjoyable, it made you pay attention.  Some enjoyed it so much they decided to share with others (like me posting on here) and that's what gets the product's name around.  Sometimes edgy and ridiculous really works.  I can't tell if this works, but I can say I truly enjoyed it!

Family Time

Tis the season.  It's that time again for gorging yourself on food, listening to Christmas music, and most of all spending time with family.  I never realized until this year just how much I treasure being able to see my family come together.  Before, I always took for granted the times my little family would gather and talk about old times.  I thought that it was boring and embarrassing.  Now, I wish it was a little longer.  I feel out of touch with them.  I don't know what is going on in their lives anymore.  These people are my family yet I feel as though I hardly know them.  Why people complain about getting together with loved ones is a bit of a mystery to me right now.  I miss those I only see a few times a year.  I guess all that it took was a little time of separation from all that I know to realize just how much I love and miss it all.  My family isn't all that I've missed.  Also included in this is my friends, my dogs, my house, my town, my old job, my neighborhood - the list goes on and on.  I am thankful for this time of year and for the love that brings family and friends together.

The Situation Promoting Safe Sex?

You have got to be kidding me.  Candie's Foundation?  Really?  Honestly, I can hardly think of two worse people to talk about abstinence.  Bristol, YOU HAD A KID! And Mike, now that's just a joke right?  He probably has more STDs than I have hairs on my head!  And this foundation picked these two, I mean these two, to promote safe sex?  Bristol Palin got into "a situation" and now doesn't want to be the hot mess.  Especially since her mom decided to be on some HGTV reality show showing the life of the Palins in there wild Alaskan home.  Talk about terrible acting on her part as well.  She doesn't stand still for a second, swaying back and forth and playing with her hands.  Also, what in the world is she doing in that flapper-rockette outfit?  Enough about that mess.  Now for The Situation.  Ok, I do love me some Jersey Shore, but I watch it because it is ridiculous.  All they do is go to clubs and hook up!  Oh and of course GTL (gym, tan, laundry for those who aren't fans).  There is not one consideration for safe sex in any of those episodes.  He is ALWAYS looking for the next hot thing to get in bed with.
And the worst worst worst part: WABAM! Magnums.
This video just makes me sick.  The message is extremely important to get across, but choose better people to promote it.  The Situation? Really?

Stop Smoking

Click here to view all package designs: http://adweek.blogs.com

Recently the FDA has been given permission to regulate tobacco products under a new law.  The hot debate now: cigarette packaging designs.  The FDA has released 36 warning labels for the cartons and is asking the public for feedback.  By June the top 9 designs will be used for the packages going out in October.  Finally, a gruesome, yet gravely truthful portrayal of the effects of cigarette smoking.  Only three of the 36 labels are positive and suggest that quitting now reduces serious health risk.  Sure this is a scare tactic (that hopefully works!) but a lot is the same old negative phrases that have been used since smoking was found to be harmful.  Although these phrases have been used repeatedly, now they (along with morbid images) will be shoved in front of all smokers who look at their cigarette package.

One thing that boggles my mind every time I think about it is how many people are STILL smoking.  Every time I walk through campus I am surprised at the number of students lighting up.  I don't know one person that hasn't heard of the risks of tobacco products.  The scientific evidence is clear so why risk your life on something so easy to avoid?  And not only your life, but everyone else around you that you breathe that disgusting, smokey breath on.  I realize that some people are addicted.  My question to them: why did you start in the first place?  Smoking is deadly.  If you want the risk of lung, mouth, and throat cancer along with yellow fingernails and teeth, and smelly breath, hair, and clothes, then by all means smoke.  But don't say you haven't been warned.

Sharing is Caring

Tis the season for giving.  But why do we only have one season for it?  Shouldn't it be a year-long concern?  Holidays are the one time a year when people are in the giving spirit.  Sure it's ok to only give presents to your friends and family once every 365 days, but what about the needy?  They need help all year, not just once while they are on many people's minds.

The Salvation Army bell ringers are only out during Christmas ringing their bells and giving warm wishings of well-being.  This is the only time of year that most of us even remember them.
One type of heart-wrenching commercial that does try to reach out and help those in need is one that everyone is familiar with: the cute little old man holding the starved African child.  He walks you through their village showing all the poor children without clothes or food.  Then, he looks directly into the camera, directly into your soul and says something like "10 cents can feed this child for a week."  That's when you start adding up in your head just how many weeks a child could have been fed if you hadn't bought that shirt the other day....  If moments like this can't get us to give then what can?
When I was younger, I participated in a fundraising program for starving children in Africa called 30 Hour Famine.  In return for the money I raised, I went 30 hours straight without food (which included no sleep since I was with my friends).  It made an impact on my life then, but I don't even think about it now.  We need to stop putting ourselves first and help out those who really have no opportunities.  It should be our duty to help, and not just during Christmas.

Weeee!!

I know that this commercial has been a while, but it still gives me the giggles every time I see it.  Geico started an entire campaign with this serious man asking the viewer silly questions such as "Does the little piggy cry wee, wee, wee all the way home?"  It's cute and grabs attention, and all for car insurance.  Geico has been successful in creating their image.  People always know who that adorable, Australian gecko belongs to.  Now they are using more taking animals.  This campaign has created a bit of publicity for Geico.  I don't know if it has helped their sales, but their commercials do stick in your mind.