WEEK SEVEN EOC: The Pitch

2017 Honda Civic

The world of technology of automobiles may be becoming more advanced but many consumers still prefer to keep things simple but always stylish. It is rated 4.5/5 on Motor Trend.com. The 2017 Honda Civic is just that, simple, stylish but more importantly, affordable. Pricing starts at around $20,000, which is perfect for a single person or small family looking for an efficient ride. This car features include: sleek, stylish design, outstanding fuel economy, heated leather seats as well as, many trim levels to choose from. The interior is extremely comfortable and riding is smooth. What more could a person ask for?

“For 2017, Honda will offer the Civic coupe and sedan with the new power train pairing of the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and a six-speed manual transmission. A 2.0-liter four cylinder engine (the base engine) is also available with a standard manual transmission, while both engine options can be paired with the available CVT. EPA fuel economy from the 2016 model year for the 1.5-liter engine is 31/42 mpg, while the 2.0-liter engine gets a rating of 31/41 mpg with the CVT and 27/40 with the manual.

The 2017 Honda Civic coupe and sedan models will be offered in multiple trim levels from LX to Touring. The manual transmission will come standard on the base models, while most trims feature the CVT as standard,” (MotorTrend.com)

Let’s get more into detail about all the 2017 Honda Civic has to offer:

Performance

·         Features a rear stabilizer bar

·         Hill Start Assist

·         Turning Diameter of 35.7

·         Fuel Economy rating (City/Highway) of 34

Comfort

·         Automatic climate control

·         Tailgate power unlock/lock

·         Rearview camera

·         Remote trunk/tailgate release

·         Floor mats

The 2017 Honda Civic also features 7 stylish colors, including Energy Green, which is quite similar to Greenery (Pantone’s Color of the year)

The car is available in both manual and automatic.

“An excellent all-arounder, the newest Civic drives well no matter which version you pick. Out on the highway, the Civic offers a composed ride quality that doesn't get overly floaty or harsh. Honda has also packed in plenty of the latest technology, from smartphone integration to advanced driver aids that can help you avoid accidents. No matter how you look at it, the 2017 Honda Civic is one of the best cars in its class,” (Langness, Edmunds.com).

Sources:

·         http://www.motortrend.com/cars/honda/civic/2017/

·         http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-coupe#build-price

·         https://www.edmunds.com/honda/civic/2017/review/

WEEK SIX EOC: Fake News

Alternative Facts

Could anything be more bizarre than a celebrity star running for president of the United States? Nope, not really. America was pretty much doomed from the get-go, as soon as Donald Trump was nominated to run for our commander in chief. But, how does a celebrity with no political experience whatsoever convince millions of people he’s qualified? It’s actually quite simple; just lie. Trump and his entire campaign decided to attack the media claiming that everything reported was fake news. Well, everything that contradicted what he fed to his followers that is. Any source of information that revealed the horrible side of Trump was automatically deemed fake news. However, Trump somehow managed to convince his supporters that this outrageous claim was true. Although, his claims are completely untrue, he still continues to spill his opinions on his social media.  “Just heard Fake News CNN is doing polls again despite the fact that their election polls were a WAY OFF disaster. Much higher ratings at Fox,” Trump tweeted (Politico.com). It’s unfortunate that the man, who is now our president, fails to understand the harm his untruthful statements have on us Americans. It’s completely irresponsible and un-ethical of Trump to blatantly lie. To top it all off, Trump himself has been caught reporting fake news, with no facts or evidence to support his claims.

”The way in which Trump made those charges about Obama; the way the White House subsequently handled the mess, by demanding that Congress investigate them after an internal search that turned up nothing to back them up; the way in which Trump continues to blithely dismiss the need to get to the bottom of Russian meddling in our election — all of those things are a function of something that is seeping into pretty much everything the White House is doing these days,” (Washington Post).

But, what can we expect from a man who has absolutely no experience in leading a country, or at least a sufficient amount of people.

Sources:

·         https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/03/21/trumps-lies-are-failing-him-and-it-is-making-him-deeply-frustrated/?utm_term=.b4f11e5e312d

·         http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-cnn-fake-news-polls-236250

WEEK FIVE EOC: We accept, Airbnb Superbowl Commercial

#WeAccept

Airbnb did exactly what was anticipated, which was getting political. The company aired a wonderfully visual commercial that featured people from all walks of life. The main message stated that all types of people are welcome not only with their company but in this country as a whole. The dialogue was quite straightforward and contained simple texting reading: “We believe no matter who you are, where you’re from, who you love or who you worship, we all belong. The world is more beautiful the more you accept.” The commercial itself is quite simple as far as visuals. Faces of people are the main focus throughout the thirty one second video. It is quite obvious what the creative director of Airbnb’s intention were. Especially in the midst of a much divided country due to certain political issues and of course this caused some controversy. “Airbnb, one of the most aggressive corporate critics of Mr. Trump’s policy, took its opposition to the Super Bowl,” (The New York Times). Many of the millions of super bowl viewers felt that it was “too political” and even went as far as saying it was “un-American.” The video highlights many of the issues that are happening right now in America, such as racism.

“The ad’s message is of course politically charged in the context of Silicon Valley’s response to President Trump’s immigration ban, but Airbnb itself also has its reasons for wanting to portray an image of diversity — research has suggested that some Airbnb hosts discriminate by not accepting black guests based on their names, and that non-black hosts are able to charge more on average,” (The Verge).

Although the commercial did stir up some, it did have a very positive effect on numerous viewers.

“The company garnered widespread support for the Super Bowl spot on social media during the game. Former Secretary of State John Kerry called it “leadership that’s needed!” and former Attorney General Eric Holder said it represented “who we truly are,” (Huffington Post).

Let’s hope for more future inspirational commercials/ads from Airbnb that will hopefully help in bringing this country together, rather than dividing.



Sources:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/05/technology/airbnb-super-bowl-ad-trump-travel-ban.html?_r=0
• http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/5/14517708/airbnb-super-bowl-ad-donation-aid
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/airbnb-super-bowl-commercial_us_5897d6b9e4b09bd304bbf23d

WEEK FOUR EOC: Millennial Women In Advertising

Who Runs the World? Girls

As the role of women in western society transformed, so did the role the women played in advertising. In the 50's, throughout the new millennia, women have gone from common housewives to much more. Today more than ever, we have women represented more fairly within advertising and television alike. In 2016, America has seen its first woman to win a party nomination for president, as well as the election of the first Latina, Catherine Cortez Mastro, to The Senate.

Truly women of all backgrounds must feel like this is the second wind of the women's suffrage. We see women taking the most proactive approach when it comes to protesting the violation of human rights and civil injustice.

And it's not just women who are making a big splash when it comes to breakthroughs in advertising. LGBT communities have been given the spotlight too. The surge in representation is quite unprecedented, but with intense focus and cooperation, we can hopefully see a steady increase in the amount of minority groups. It is important to make people aware of these groups, not just for inclusion or diversity castings, but to legitimize their grievances.

To make aware a people of another people is to take into consideration the problems and issues surround both the latter and the former.

I just hope to see one day when the president is female, when we can have a minority Vice-President, an LGBT House Speaker or an African-American Headliner for Coachella Fest (Beyoncé, thank god). I, myself, am so amazed at how far we as whole have come. Women are beginning to take on this globe without any fear of the consequences. Before you know it, we will be finally be treated equally to men and I have a feeling that time is near.

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.  

http://www.ddb.com/BillBernbachSaid/more-about-bill/biography.html

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/williamber103123.html

https://www.thebalance.com/advertising-industry-profile-bill-bernbach-38613

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).

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/creative-thinking.html

http://www.virtualsalt.com/crebook1.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/04/creativity-habits_n_4859769.html

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.