Smackdown on Mother Nature

  

When flipping through magazines like M or Tiger Beat, looking for news about my favorite celebs, I remember always coming across this ad. I always had to look at it because Serena Williams was on it, one of the best tennis players in the world.

This right here is one of the reasons I'd always look at the ad. Tampax's use of testimonial automatically attracts people because Serena Williams is on it! Serena Williams is a major athlete, and if she is able to defeat mother nature with Tampax, then anyone can.

The target audience of this ad is obviously women, but it is specifically targeting athletic females, who have it tough when given "Mother Nature's gift."

Another advertising technique used is wit and humor, because Serena's shot has hit Mother Nature's gift right in the center. Next to the huge whole, the ad says, "Serena delivers a SMACKDOWN." This use of humor makes the reader want to buy the product, not only because it's funny, but because it really delivers the message that it will defeat that dreadful gift.

This ad also satisfies our need to achieve. Because Serena is such a successful tennis player, we feel that buy using this product, we can be as successful as her. Another need this ad satisfies is our need to feel safe. Because Serena trusts Tampax to prevent her game from being interrupted, we can trust it too and feel safe that nothing bad is going to happen while we're doing our daily activities.

I always love seeing this ad because Serena is the athlete of the advertisement, and I've got to love any tennis players on advertisements, they're representing one of my favorite sports! I also like that we feel a deeper connection to her because this ad shows that she has the same problems as just about every female out there. Because of the advertising techniques and the needs this ad satisfies, Tampax has definitely made it's product sound very convincing.

I Knew You Were Trouble

One of my favorite songs right now is by Taylor Swift. The reason for this is because I feel like I can relate to it easily, like most of her other songs. However, this particular song "I Knew You Were Trouble" goes beyond her typical songs about boys. Although it is directed towards boys, it took on a greater meaning for me, especially the chorus: 

"'Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in
So shame on me now
Flew me to places I'd never been
'Til you put me down, oh
I knew you were trouble when you walked in
So shame on me now
Flew me to places I'd never been
Now I'm lying on the cold hard ground
Oh, oh, trouble, trouble, trouble
Oh, oh, trouble, trouble, trouble"

This could be seen as a song dedicated to boys, but I see it as a song dedicated to the stupid mistakes we make in life. I have had many instances where I knew that something bad was going to happen out of what I chose to do, but I still did it anyways. To me, these lyrics are directed at all the decisions I've made that only led to trouble, and that I knew were going to lead to just that. I also like how she says "So shame on me now," because in the end, the only one who's to blame for making bad decisions is yourself.

This chorus uses several words with negative connotations to really make the listener feel the pain that Taylor Swift is going through. For example, Taylor uses words like cold and hard. These two words have bad connotations of being uncomfortable and unpleasant, especially if you're laying on something cold and hard. It really paints the picture of how bad the consequence of her action is. 

Because of the greater meaning the song takes on for me and the negative connotations, I always feel really angry when I listen to this song because it reminds me of all the things I've done that I wish I hadn't, whether it's little things like choosing to talk back to my mom or bigger things. However, when the song ends, I feel better again because I know that I'm not the only one who makes stupid mistakes.

One of the techniques of the song to make listeners remember it is repetition. Because Taylor Swift repeats the word "trouble" just about a dozen times, that part of the song gets stuck in your head. I know that when I first heard the song, that was the only part I remembered. 

I think that Taylor Swift has become such a popular singer because of the way she can connect to her audience, whether it's on a superficial level or on a deeper level. I know that there are some songs where I can relate just on the surface, like one of her best songs ever "You Belong With Me." There are others, like "I Knew You Were Trouble" that take on a bigger meaning. 

Here is the music video of "I Knew You Were Trouble" if you are interested in watching. However, I must warn you it's a little darker than her other music videos. 

Zooey Likes Pantene

As I was catching up on one of my favorite series, New Girl, I realized that there was a possibility that Zooey Deschanel might have done a commercial for a company. I decided to look it up, and sure enough she had done a Pantene commercial!

She has most likely made many people want to buy Pantene now for several reasons. First of all, the company used the advertising technique of testimonial to get viewers to want to buy the product. Because Zooey is saying that she likes the product, this makes others want to buy the product. If Zooey likes it, it must be good.

Another advertising technique used is plain folks. I'm not necessarily sure if this is where it would fall under, but it's the closest one it fits with. Pantene says that it donates a million dollars to help women fighting cancer. Because of this, people will think of buying Pantene as a good cause and will put more money into buying the product because it helps with a problem known to many.

There are also glittering generalities used. Pantene is saying that by using their product, you get longer, stronger hair, something that everyone wants. There is also a scene where Zooey is showing off her hair and it looks super shiny and healthy. In reality, there was probably a lot more that had to be done to get her hair to look like that. It definitely didn't end up like that just because she started using Pantene.

This ad also satisfies several needs. The ad satisfies the need to achieve and the need for attention. Everyone knows how difficult it is to grow out hair without getting split ends, and Pantene demonstrates that it is possible to achieve long and healthy hair by using their product. It satisfies our need for attention because by using this product, we will have the hair that everyone wants, and people will notice us because of that.

The target audience of this commercial are fans of the show New Girl, or fans of Zooey Deschanel herself. In general, though, this commercial targets female young adults, because the person in the commercial is around their age, and they feel like they can relate with the person in the screen.

All of these techniques allow for Pantene to be bought by many. Because they use celebrities like Zooey Deschanel, they draw the attention of many people who enjoy watching her. Because of their promises for defeating a problem people have when trying to grow out hair, split ends, they attract many as well. Lastly, because Pantene states that they are also donating to a greater cause, this makes Pantene that much more wanted.

I'm a Walking Ad!

This weekend, I participated in a tennis tournament over at Laguna Creek Racquet Club. As we were driving there, my mom told me that we would be getting long sleeve shirts for participating in the tournament. I was so excited, because I love getting random clothes for free. Anyways, I went up to the coordinator of the tournament and he gave me my shirt. I loved everything about it! I only skimmed the front, because I was anxious to see what was on the back. Once I turned it around, my smile faded. Was this shirt really a way of making the participants feel good about participating, or was it just an advertising technique? They included a telephone number for contact, so not doubt about it, this shirt was meant to advertise. We, the participants, were manipulated by the advertisers to become their walking ads. How did they hope to convince anyone of coming here, though?

The shirt includes a picture of two snowmen hitting snowballs at each other with racquets, which so conveniently goes with the time of year. This picture satisfies the viewer's need for affiliation. Because the two snowmen are together, having a good time, the viewer will get the feeling that by going to this club, they will be able to have a hitting buddy that they can smack snow balls at (not really). This picture also satisfies the need to escape. Snowmen are built when you're on a break and have free time. Snowballs are thrown when there's nothing else to do except have fun. The picture shows that by going to this club, you will be able to escape the stressful life and do things that you can only do when you're free.

A couple advertising techniques used are wit and humor/sex appeal, specifically humor, and gestalt. Who doesn't want to smile when they see two snowmen hitting snowballs at each other? This funny image triggers the attention of the viewer, which leads up to them wanting to be a part of the humor and join the club. Gestalt is used because the actual shirt is a very odd color of green. It stands out from other colors, so one couldn't help but look at the shirt. It would take time to realize that you're looking at the shirt because of the color, not just because you're eyes happened to settle on it.

This shirt targets those who play tennis, because the snowmen are playing tennis. It also targets those who just want to have a good time, because these snowmen look like they're having a blast. In my opinion, this tool of target marketing is effective because I know that if I saw this shirt, I would be interested in learning more about the club based on the picture.

The odd shade of green, the snowmen, the racquets, the snowballs, and everything else makes this an ad that will catch the attention of many. Although I do like the shirt and I am thankful that's its a long sleeve, I hope that next time they put the ad on a poster or something instead of on me, because I just hate the idea of being a walking ad.

Total Eclipse of the Truth

Don't you just hate it when you're talking to someone and they seem like a generally nice person, but you don't want to be next to them because they're breath STINKS? Thank goodness they invented gum. Otherwise, I don't know how I, and many others, would survive. Gum is a lifesaver in any situation, whether it's you who has the bad breath, or you're buddy talking to you. Bad breath is inevitable, unless you want to stay away from some of the best foods on the planet, of course. It's a good thing we can rely on gum to come to the rescue! 

One of my favorite gums is Eclipse, specifically the winterfrost flavor. Out of all the gums to ever exist, and there are many, I chose Eclipse. I ask myself now, why is that? What did those advertisers do to make me love this gum more than any others? 

First of all, Eclipse gum can KILL germs. How cool is that? When I read this, I picture tiny little cinnamon toast crunch characters with swords attacking all the germs in my mouth. This weasel word of "kill" evades explaining how this gum is truly effective and instead makes me picture little armies of cereal characters. If I weren't attempting to break down this ad, I would be fine with my imaginary soldiers, as I was back before Critical Thinking. Now I see that in reality, Eclipse is just using the word "kill" because they can't think of a better way to explain their product, and because the word "kill" really reinforces the fact that it will get rid of that stink everyones dreads. In other words, this ad is just a big lie, because in reality, this gum is not going to kill anything. 

The word "kill" is also used in just about every sentence except for the last, which is the advertising technique of repetition. Another advertising technique used is Glittering Generalities. If you chew this gum, the results will be fantastic. You'll have super advanced fresh breath. Seriously. What does advanced fresh breath smell like, anyways?

On the topic of confusing words, this ad has got some vagueness in it. The words natural and advanced have got some major vagueness. Natural has a positive connotation, and that's why they used it, but what is natural? It could mean that it is organic, that it is something not made by man, and many other possibilities, which could also tie in to ambiguity. Advanced is also a very vague word. It has a positive connotation as well, but what does it really mean? Many people have different ideas of what advanced is. Also, how can fresh breath be advanced? I really hope no one was persuaded by this ad, all this vagueness and nonsense makes it unbelievable.

Well, I've definitely learned a lot about my favorite gum. I don't know if I can call it that anymore, though, because there is a lot of shakiness in its claims. Clarification is required if this ad is to be convincing. There are too many words I just don't understand in this ad. Whether or not they're vague or weasel words, this ad is getting less convincing by the second. Oh well, it's still gum, something we're all in desperate need of many times. The Eclipse ad may be obscuring the truth about what it really does to make that stinky breath go away, but hey, as long as it's eclipse-ing that bad breath, it's all good, right? 

State Farm Has a Dark Side?

"Like a good neighbor, state farm is there!" Everyone has seen these commercials, and knows this catchphrase. Why is this? It's just so catchy! There's also that little tune that accompanies it afterwards that makes it much more memorable. I love how in the commercials, they always start out with the signature catchphrase, "Like a good neighbor, state farm is there!" and then add things like "in my office!" or "with a hot tub!" In this commercial's case, what accompanies the phrase are "with a hot guy", "who's also sensitive", and finally, "but has a dark side." This is probably my favorite State Farm commercial yet, so then I ask myself, what did the advertisers do with this commercial that just makes it so entertaining and memorable. Well, let's break it down!

First of all, this commercial satisfies one of our needs. When the girls come and notice that there has been damage done to the car, the two who don't own the car freak out. However, the owner of the car is calm and relaxed, because she feels secure. She knows that all she has to do is say that magical phrase, and then abracadabra her car is fixed. Watching how secure this lady is because she knows she can rely on State Farm to fix her troubles makes the viewer of this commercial feel that if they have State Farm Insurance, they too can feel the same in any trouble. The advertisers definitely satisfy the need to feel safe in this manner, which makes the commercial effective. However, that's not all.

The advertisers also have a couple of advertising techniques up their sleeves. The two most prominent techniques are diversion and wit and humor/sex appeal. You can see that these two techniques are used because the commercial diverts us from what State Farm Insurance can reasonably do to what they definitely can't. They do this using the wit and humor/sex appeal. If you look back at the commercial, you'll realize that they only talked about what State Farm could actually do once. Right after the lady said the phrase to contact a State Farm Insurance worker to fix the car, it went straight to focusing on the hot guy they asked for afterwards. These sneaky techniques were effective, no doubt about it, because the first time I saw it, it didn't even cross my mind that I was being diverted from the actual point of the commercial. It took me several times watching it to realize this, not that I minded though, because it's an entertaining commercial.

I would have to say that State Farm commercials are one of the ones I don't mind coming on while I'm watching TV, because they always make me laugh. They're also not scary or violent, but that's beside the point. State Farm has the capability to satisfy our need to feel safe, but also manage to throw in a little fun by diverting our attention to some humor. Even though it is funny for most of us, it does turn our attention away from what State Farm is about. It moves us away from considering whether or not State Farm is a good insurance, because it goes right on with something afterwards. At the end of the day, we remember State Farm as "that funny commercial" instead of "that commercial that doesn't really prove that it's a reliable insurance company." Unfortunately, there are people who choose State Farm Insurance because they remember their commercials as "the funny one" and remember that State Farm is like a good neighbor. What's not to love? Even though we do laugh at the State Farm commercials, let's not fall into the trap of believing it is a good company just because it can magically summon hot guys and because it's like a good neighbor. Let's be critical when we watch their commercials, because even the best neighbor in the whole wide world isn't going to pop up out of thin air when you sing that catchy phrase.

Gatorade=Success

There are so many people who drink gatorade, even though they are not necessarily being active. I know that I am guilty of drinking this drink with one of my meals or just for because I'm thirsty. So why is it that I choose to drink Gatorade instead of water, juice, or some other drink that could be healthier for me? Why do so many others choose to have a Gatorade instead of something else? Why is it that athletes are usually drinking Gatorade during the break times of their game? The answer is simple: it tastes good, and gatorade is equal to success.

Every Gatorade ad has a way of proving to the viewer that by drinking their product, they will become successful. For example, in this picture, Gatorade is stating that by drinking Gatorade, you will always win, therefore you will always be successful. After being exposed to this advertisement, even just drinking Gatorade you feel like a champion. People want to feel like their always winning, always being successful, and to most, drinking Gatorade allows for this. Gatorade becomes a reification in this advertisement, taking on a deeper meaning than simply a sports drink. In this ad, Gatorade becomes a way for someone to win. It becomes the key to success. Obviously, Gatorade doesn't really guarantee a win. I've played tennis matches, drinking Gatorade during breaks, and I've lost. Even though Gatorade doesn't really help us win, it's so engrained in our heads that it will, and that's why we choose to drink it.

There are more ways than one that Gatorade convinces us of its powers. There are many ads like this one that use successful athletes to prove the powers of Gatorade. Mikael Forssell, a soccer player, is used in the Gatorade ad, scoring a goal on a person made of clear liquid. What Gatorade is trying to show through this advertisement is that Gatorade is in Mikael Forssell, and that is why Mikael is able to score. It's also interesting that they chose to use a clear liquid as the goalie, because it's basically saying that Gatorade will beat out any of the other drinks. It was fascinating how Gatorade used images to speak the message to the audience. There was a limited amount of word choice because the image itself did most of the "talking." Overall, this ad is just another way that Gatorade shows that with it, you're unstoppable.

Gatorade also plays on our value assumptions. We believe that winning is good and important. Gatorade uses that value assumption to lure us in and make us want to buy their product. Because we feel so strongly about the importance of winning, we are drawn in and we buy the product, bringing in the cash for Gatorade. By playing on our value assumptions, Gatorade is able to make its products wanted, therefore making it a successful business.

Gatorade uses our drive for success, one of our many value assumptions, to get us to buy their products. No matter how silly it may seem to believe that Gatorade will allow us to win, I think that sometimes we actually do believe this. We've been exposed to so many ads that say it's true, whether it's flat out saying the statement or using successful athletes to prove it. You know what they say, if you repeat a lie many times, people are bound to start believing it.


                                        

Maybe Maybelline Lies?

Everywhere we go, the media surrounds us with information on how we are supposed to look, how we are supposed to act, and so much more. Advertisers use our longing for the perfection we are exposed to by the media to get us to buy their products, whether it's advertising a new cologne so people can smell good, or advertising a new makeup product so that we feel like we look good. Maybelline has come out with a new mascara, which supposedly gives your eyelashes a "cat eye" effect. In the commercial linked to this page, a woman with insanely long eyelashes is filmed, as well as a jaguar, an animal belonging to the cat species. This gives the typical observer the sense that their eyelashes are really going to make their eyes look cat-tish by using this mascara. However, now that I am aware of the language manipulation used by advertisers, I am not persuaded by the commercial to believe that this new mascara really is true in every way it is described.

http://www.maybelline.com/OnSet/2012/10/Volum-Express-The-Colossal-Cat-Eyes-TVC.aspx

First of all, this commercial has a phrase in which a woman says, "fiercely feminine, super feline." What is that supposed to mean? This phrase is so vague in what the appearance of the description actually is, it's ridiculous. The only way to make sense of this phrase is to look at each word from the phrase individually. The word "fiercely" gives off a good connotation, because when hearing it you feel independent, strong, brave. "Feminine" makes you feel true to your identity, if you're a girl of course, which is also a good connotation. "Super" always has a good connotation, because you feel like you have more. "Feline" describes the way that your eyes, or more specifically eyelashes are supposed to look with this mascara. It has a positive connotation as well. It's almost like the advertisers just took a few words that had positive connotations and jumbled them together to make it sound enticing, even though together they don't make much sense. People focus on the words individually, and how each sound positive and good, and that is why they don't pay attention to the overall meaning of the phrase, which is completely vague and strange.

Secondly, the commercial describes the formula they use to make the eyelashes look so amazing and feline by calling the formula a "collagen formula." Most people have no idea what collagen is, and most don't really care what it is, because the outcome of using the product is much more interesting and much more focused on throughout the commercial. However, if you actually took the time to look up what collagen is, I'm not sure you'd be as eager to use the mascara as you once were. Maybelline uses euphemism in it's commercial, because no one would buy their product if they actually knew what collagen is. According to thefreedictionary.com, collagen is "the fibrous protein constituent of bone, cartilage, tendon, and other connective tissue that converts to gelatin when boiling." Well, I think we know how the formula is made now! What's even more disturbing, though, is that if you really think about it, you will come to realize that collagen is found in flesh, and flesh is living. Obviously the only flesh legally allowed to be extracted is that of animals. So how do we get collagen...? Let that settle in, and I'm sure you'll be checking the formula for every mascara you use from now on.

Thirdly, and lastly, at the end of the commercial, the woman says that famous Maybelline phrase of "Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline." In this phrase, the word Maybelline takes on a whole different meaning than what it actually is. Instead of just being a brand, the word Maybelline takes on the meaning that it's something so natural and true that it is comparable to how you would be, well, naturally. You can't tell the difference between natural and Maybelline, according to this phrase. Therefore, it is a reification. This reification makes the observer feel that Maybelline has so much more meaning than just being a word, and that evokes the urge to buy the product.

Maybelline's commercial for the new cat eye mascara is enticing and persuading because of the way it can captivate an audience and sound true and convincing. However, if you break down the commercial and look at the different ways Maybelline manipulates language to convince an audience, it goes from interesting and powerful to deceiving and rather... disgusting. The next time I watch a Maybelline commercial, or any other type of commercial for that matter, I'll have to watch out for the language used, because most likely it's not really what it portrays. I'll also have to keep an eye out for unknown words, because you never know, the definitions might not be as pleasant as I'd presumed them to be.