Wednesday, January 25, 2017

WEEK THREE EOC: Bill Bernbach

William "Bill" Bernbach
Who exactly was Bill Bernbach one might ask. Well, William Bernbach was an American pioneer for advertising. “Bernbach was a visionary who valued innovation and intuition over science and rules. His philosophy was grounded in the belief that advertising is fundamentally persuasion and persuasion was not a science, but an art. By incorporating creativity, simplicity and humor into their work, DDB created some of the most successful and memorable campaigns in advertising history” (ddb.com). He managed to create a name for himself by creating advertisements that had never even been thought of, making him a hero for the advertisement industry.


William Bernbach was born on August 13, 1911 and died the age of seventy-one in 1982. Bernbach began his success with the help of two other men known as Ned Doyle and Maxwell Dane. Together the three would open up their own iconic advertising firm. They would go on to call this firm Doyle Dayne Bernbach, DDB, which would go on to house the creators of many revolutionary advertisements. Bernbach himself has inspired many and still continues to inspire them till this day. He was definitely ahead of his time with his creative thinking. “Before DDB, art directors and copywriters worked separately. And that does not mean they worked at different desks, they were often in different departments, on different floors, or even in different buildings. A copywriter would write the copy for an ad, including the headline, and that copy would be passed to an art director who would apply visuals and a graphic treatment” (Suggett, thebalance.com).
“You can say the right thing about a product and nobody will listen. You've got to say it in such a way that people will feel it in their gut. Because if they don't feel it, nothing will happen” (Bernbach, brainyquote.com) His philosophy on hitting people hard with advertisement is what many advertisement agencies follow to this day. He believed that you shouldn’t just show them the product, but make them remember it indefinitely.  

WEEK THREE EOC: Creative Thinking

Creative Thinking




What even is creative thinking? “A way of looking at problems or situations from a fresh perspective that suggests unorthodox solutions (which may look unsettling at first)” (BusinessDictionary.com). (When it comes to thinking creatively, it can be quite a difficult task. Ironically enough thinking with an open mind can be challenging considering you most likely have to come up with something completely groundbreaking. But, there are some easy solutions to helping you channel your inner creative mind. Here are some different tips and tricks I found most helpful and hopefully you will too!
“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas” (Skillsyouneed.com). This is definitely a philosophy to live by. What has helped me most with creative thinking has been to think of literally anything I possibly can, even if it seems completely ridiculous. Because, no idea is a bad idea! So, be sure to constantly stimulate your mind with as many ideas and solutions as possible. It helps- trust me! Take Edison’s advice for it. “I might fail. Thomas Edison, in his search for the perfect filament for the incandescent lamp, tried anything he could think of, including whiskers from a friend's beard. In all, he tried about 1800 things. After about 1000 attempts, someone asked him if he was frustrated at his lack of success. He said something like, "I've gained a lot of knowledge--I now know a thousand things that won't work” (Harris, Virtualsalt.com).
Be sure to challenge yourself! Don’t be timid to step outside of the box and think of ideas you would have never pictured yourself doing. “Challenge. Curious people like to identify and challenge the assumptions behind ideas, proposals, problems, beliefs, and statements. Many assumptions, of course, turn out to be quite necessary and solid, but many others have been assumed unnecessarily, and in breaking out of those assumptions often comes a new idea, a new path, a new solution” (Harris, Virtualsalt.com).
At the end of the day, your ideas are what you make of them. They can only go so far if you let them. With that being said, my biggest word of advice would be to write down every single idea you ever have down. Good luck and get those creative juices flowing!

“Creativity works in mysterious and often paradoxical ways. Creative thinking is a stable, defining characteristic in some personalities, but it may also change based on situation and context. Inspiration and ideas often arise seemingly out of nowhere and then fail to show up when we most need them, and creative thinking requires complex cognition yet is completely distinct from the thinking process" (Gregolre, Huffingpost.com).


WEEK TWO EOC: Ethics in Tobacco





1. Determine the scenario: What happens in this frame?
Two young people are seen being intimate while enjoying the Newport brand of cigarettes. The woman's back is to the camera, leading the viewer's eyes to the cigarette being held by the man. Which leads the viewer to subconsciously view the Newport as the source of the pleasure stated in the catch phrase of the ad. 

2. What is the setting? What are the conditions?
The setting is against a green backdrop. Used as a means to correlate green to a feeling of calmness or carefreeness. The color scheme is that of a quadratic, combining: green, orange, yellow, and purple. The conditions are set for the viewer to take on subliminal messages relating Newport to "pleasure!"
3. Who are the people or groups?
The people are of African-American descent; a group of smokers who may prefer menthols more so than non-menthol cigarettes. They are also young. Younger audiences tend to become more swayed by advertisements, which is brilliant. To hook someone while they are young and dumb is much easier than a stubborn, or wise, older person.
4. What is their point of view around this specific experience?
The people seem to be enjoying themselves, maybe too much for enjoying something containing formaldehyde and cancer causing agents., but ignorance is bliss. 

5. What are their goals?
Their goals seem to be to have a good time. Most likely to interlope regardless of the cigarette or not.

6. What are their assumptions? What are their perceptions?
They seem to assume pleasure will come from the cigarette.

7. Are there conflicts? Is there cooperation?
The two people seem to be cooperating very well. Maybe the ad is suggesting that women will cooperate and fling themselves toward men due to the perception around smokers provided in film and television.
8. What are the outcomes? 
The outcome is not certain, yet it can be assumed that a pleasurable experience will become of the situation.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

WEEK TWO EOC: Questionable Ethics

How We Let Advertisements Become Questionable

How We Let Advertisements Become Questionable
The transportation boom, coupled with the advent of the smart phone, have made us walking piggybanks for advertisers. Technology has made our lives more efficient, but the comfort does not come without cost. Every day our personal data is being sold to companies whose very goal is to bank on the interests, queries, and locations of unsuspecting people. To them, your online presence isn't without consideration, they know us, our habits, our interests, our dreams. For the very first time in history, our innermost thoughts have become profitable...VERY profitable. Advertising has become as widespread as student debt, and with its numerous entities, there must be numerous controversial ads. These questionable ads, which find their way through the cracks of morality, challenge both our own ethics (how we have come to perceive them), and the ethics of the advertisers themselves (the producers).

Questionable ethics means something's morality is in question. Things that make us ask ourselves, "Is this good? Is this bad?" With the most important follow-up "why?" What makes something good or bad? In the case of advertising, the message is almost as, yet not quite, important as the way the message is portrayed. Example 1: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA has been known for their extreme advertisements, of which often expose the explicit and violent treatment of animals within slaughterhouse environments or captivity. The ad in question is one portraying a pro-vegetarian, pro-whale agenda. "SAVE THE WHALES, LOSE THE BLUBBER". The ad is unethical because it correlates the consumption of animals to obesity. This does nothing to address the other issues leading to obesity: lack of exercise, genetics, over-consumption of processed foods. The unethical base of the ad omits evidence to the underlying problem. It's similar to placing blame on one piece of an entire problem puzzle, when there are many more pieces left unaccounted for.
Ouch! Peta has no mercy when it comes to getting attention of it's viewers.

BICE - "Bread is Life"


Does anything really need to say about the unethical ad using a piece of bread shaped similar to male genitalia? Bread sticks are RUINED.
Hmm, that bread sure does look funny!

Tobacco companies are notorious for their ads portraying the product as a harmless. From Joe Camel, a cartoon camel appealing to children, to Newport's 'Pleasure' ads. Unassuming consumers have fallen prey to tobacco ads since the turn of the century, which has tethered off for the most part thanks to more regulation and conscience packaging. 

The more teeth that fall out of your mouth, the better and this dentist agrees!
Is this considered more ethical?

Ethics in advertising can go either way. It can be moral or amoral. There must be a middle ground. In the end, they are not trying to appeal to our morality, but to our wallets.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

WEEK ONE EOC: My Voice




Yup, It's Me 



There’s so much more to the fashion world, well, at least in my opinion. There’s almost a science about it and that is exactly what I plan on doing; proving it. The history of fashion always interested me. Yes, the fancy clothes and extravagant runway shows are quite fascinating but never had enough substance for me. I wanted to learn more about the exact purpose of fashion- why do humans obsess over what we clothe our bodies in? It’s my mission to discover all the knowledge of the purpose fashion has played in not only today but throughout history.
Hello, I’m Jheri and no it is not pronounced “Jerry.” I am a fashion design student here at Art Institute of Las Vegas. I am in my third year of school and have about a year and a half left until I can officially move on to chasing my dreams of becoming a museum curator. I would love to work with historical clothing and learning about it’s past, who wore it and why. Until then, I’m here, bringing to a blog. Smizing While Advertising (thanks Tyra). Hope you enjoy and be sure to check out my tweets as well<3 


Besos,


Jheri 

WEEK ONE EOC: Volkswagen Lemon Ad



“We pluck the lemons; you get the plums”


“How could Volkswagen sell Hitler’s favorite car to the American people only a decade and a half after World War II?” (Coleman, Writing For Designers). Would Americans ever even think about purchasing a car that Hitler created? It was quite a bold step to advertise such a controversial yet groundbreaking topic. But, Helmut Krone, at an advertisement agency known as Doyle Dane Bernbach, decided to take on the task. The term “lemon” has always been associated with being a run-down automobile- so, the use of the word was genius. It did everything Krone had anticipated; it got the attention of its viewers during this time. This would soon change the way of advertising everywhere.


To “Think small” wasn’t a common ideal back in the sixties, actually advertisement was going for the idea of bigger is better. A black and white photo of the beetle was included in the advertisement, which is most likely what really drew viewers’ in. “Below the image follows a statement that proclaims that this particular car was rejected by Inspector Kurt Kroner because of a blemish on the chrome piece of the glove box.” (Coleman, Writing For Designers). The ad went on to describe why this small yet efficient car was a perfect choice for everyday Americans. The car itself reached up to 62 mph, had an air-cooled engine and the tank got an astonishing 42 miles per gallon, which was perfect for an average income family. Crazy enough, all of this as Hitler’s idea who is to be considered the most evil man in the world. He of all people wanted a comfortable car for the ideal family? Strange as it is, the beetle became extremely popular. Especially due to this advertisement.


The simple monochromatic photo was out of the ordinary during this because many automobile advertisements were illustrated with bright colors. But, somehow Krone’s innovative idea manage to grab the attention of thousands and even more to this day. Many advertisements now use the same method of including both a photo of the product and witty text to entertain consumers. “There is a true argumentative purpose that this advertisement was trying to create, and that is that as a consumer, you could still be satisfied and trendy in a vehicle that was designed for the simple life” (Salas, The Visual Communication Guy).