Google+?

Google has recently created a social network called the Google+ Project. Google does not think that current online networks truly provide everything that a social network should provide. The idea of creating this project is to top Facebook and to make every existing Google product socially compatible including Picasa, Gmail, Google Maps, and more. You won’t have to sign into different services to share photos and let your friends know what you’re up to. Facebook’s newsfeed is going to be compared to Google+ stream. The stream is where all of your info and updates from your friends will be constantly updated. Some never before elements to this social network include circles, hangouts, huddles, and sparks. Circles will make the project like real life by being able to share certain things with certain people like a circle of friends. Hangouts are like Facebook events except they include face-to-face video chats. Huddles will be like a multi-way text message conversation. These will be helpful when friends are trying to hang out. Everyone can talk together. Sparks are a way to sort things that you like including videos and readings. It is a way to stay connected to the things that you like.

            There are a lot more great qualities to Google+. It is very similar to Facebook but bigger and better. I am not sure what to think about it. Do I really want to be connected on another social network? Why do we need more than one? I think the funniest thing about this new project is that I first heard about it on Facebook. Also, my friends are asking me to join and friend them on Google+ through Facebook. I like the concepts of social networks because they really help you to stay connected with family and friends on a deeper level than just a phone call. I think it is getting a little out of hand but I definitely appreciate the effort to get people to stay connected.

Harry Potter - Good Advertisement

Even if you are not a Harry Potter fan, you know that the most recent Harry Potter is coming out this Friday. The reason that you know this is because the movie is getting great advertisement on TV, radio, and print ads. I think that their best way of advertisement right now is showing all of the movies on cable TV. All of the movies have been playing on ABC Family on repeat for the last few days. I for one am not a huge fan, but my roommates are so I have been watching these movies every night. Every day I am becoming more and more of a fan because I am being emerged in the world of Harry Potter.

            I think it is really exciting  how much of an influence a product can have on a person if it is shown and advertised enough and in the right way. I think it is smart to have the movies playing on repeat. This advertises the new one without actually showing an advertisement. Also during the movies on ABC Family, they have been showing sneak peeks to the new movie. This really helps because it makes people want to see more.  Another thing is that these movies are already so famous that they do not need a whole lot of advertising. They have so many  loyal and committed fans that their biggest advertisement is probably from word of mouth. Although I am not a huge Harry Potter fan, I will probably go see the new movie just because I want to see what comes next and how well it will be executed.

Santa Represents Pepsi in the Summer

             Both Coke and Pepsi are well known products that have been in a friendly competition for a good number of years since they were both created. Pepsi’s most well known spokespeople are famous women celebrities like Brittany Spears and Maria Carey. Coke’s spokes-icons on the other hand have always been Santa Claus or the Coke Polar Bear. No matter who the spokesperson is, the world is divided on which product is the best.

            Recently, Pepsi reviled a commercial about drinking Pepsi in the summer. Their spokesperson for this commercial is Santa. The commercial is trying to show that Santa really likes Pepsi more but he was paid to say he likes Coke. It is summer and he is on a beach. He goes to the bar to get a beverage and the bartender gives him a Coke. Santa replies by saying that he is on vacation and that he wants to have a little fun. That is also saying that Coke is part of the business when he is working in the winter.

            This commercial caught my eye because I just recently read about how Santa was a big selling strategy for Coke when he first started being shown on Coke bottles and cans. I find it interesting that Pepsi is allowed to steal Santa from Coke. I am not sure if that is legal. I would have thought that Coke would be able to buy the rights to Santa and his image. I think Pepsi’s advertisers were very clever in thinking of this commercial to sell their product. They figured if it worked so well for Coke why not try it themselves.

Impulse Buying - With the Click of a Button

           

             Infomercials are reaching an even faster way for impulse buyers to be able to order products from on the tv. The “As Seen On TV” products are now able to be purchased by using the remote control or a cell phone directly from the television set. When an infomercial comes on tv, a message comes across the advertisement that says “buy now,” and with the click of a button on the remote, a purchase could be made. This new way of buying is taking out the step of calling and waiting on hold for a representative in order to buy the product. This new way is direct and effective.

            What will they come up with next? Technology is becoming so advanced that pretty soon there will be no need for all of these different steps and equipment to get where you want to be. Everything is going to be in one device like: television, computer, internet, phone, music, etc. This is already possible with some technologies but it is going to get bigger and better.

            I think that this new way of ordering from infomercials is genius. It helps the lazy people in the world be even lazier, but it also helps the busy people get there shopping done faster. This technology will help buying for Christmas so much faster. Shopping could be finished in a day with just the click of a few buttons.

            Anything is possible!

Steer Bar & Grill - Sexy Ad

I well known Steakhouse in Melbourne called Steer Bar & Grill has a new ad out that is demeaning to women. The ad is a pair of female legs wearing a short skirt and it says “Find a great bit of skirt at Steer.”

            There was a lot of controversy about this ad because some think that the ad is comparing women and different grades of meat where others think it is perfectly ok. The Advertising Standards Board explains that if there is a comparison of women to meat, no matter what, it is vilifying and discriminatory. The ad has now been withdrawn by the advertisers.

            Steer Bar & Grill try to defend their ad by saying they did not mean to be disrespectful or offensive to women in any way. The ad was supposed to be humorous and innocent. Women should not be seen or treated that way according to the company.

            I think this whole controversy is very bizarre. There are ads all over the place that are demeaning and disrespectful to women. This is really not out of the ordinary. Although I think that this ad, and all ads that disrespect women, are not right, I don’t think that this is any worse than others. Sex sells and that is how it has always been. People put sex into their ads to sell their product because if their product seems sexy, then the people buying it will be having sex often and the world would be good. Sex is big in the advertising industry along with the world.

           Here are some other examples of ads that disrepect women:

Hardee's - "If machines can't eat it, machines shouldn't make it."

            The popular restaurant, Hardee's, has a new commercial out that revolves around humanizing robots and how robots are not humans. They are not humans therefore they do not have stomachs and cannot eat anything. The commercial has a good point to it. Hardee's is trying to say that their food is not processed and made by machines and then packaged and sent to the restaurants. They are all made by humans for humans. The advertisers for this company were very smart when creating this ad because people want to know where their food is coming from and how real or artificial it really is. This commercial steps out of the norms of a restaurant ad that is usually trying to sell a new product and turns it into making people aware or their products. The robot symbolizes evil in a way. It symbolizes alien machines that bread chicken patties for other companies they freeze them then serve them to customers.

            I like this ad because it is real and that is what people want these days.

The Alamo Draft House Cinema: Chaos

The Alamo Draft House Cinema is a movie theatre chain who takes their phone policy very seriously. Their phone policy is that if you talk or text during a movie, you are to be kicked out of the theatre. Every movie theatre has this rule, but the employees at The Alamo make sure to follow this policy very carefully.

Recently, a movie-goer experienced the seriousness of this policy while viewing a movie at The Alamo. The patron was mad because this is America and we should be free to text in a movie theater if we want to. She was so mad that she called The Alamo and left a message to complain about her experience. The audio of this message was then turned into an advertisement. After all of that blew up, the CEO of Alamo Draft House made a follow up video responding to the patron’s voicemail, the advertisement, and to everyone out there who were posting rude and mean comments about all of it. His response had something to do with how it is rude and distracting to others to text and talk on the phone in a movie theater. He was trying to make a point.

I decided to post about this because I find it very interesting that The Alamo decided to make a commercial of the costumer’s complaint. That is probably illegal and inconsiderate. I also thought it was fascinating how far all of this went through the media. It shows how powerful the media and advertising really is. All of the hype from this situation ended up on The View, CNN, Anderson Cooper, and all over the television and World Wide Web.

Technology is a crazy source to have in the world. It is growing and expanding and becoming so reliable for everything. This whole problem started with a cell phone which goes to show that technology, along with social media, might possibly be taking over the world.

Foursquare - The Newest Social Media

Foursquare is a fairly newer program that is used when on a mobile phone. Members of this program can note their location and can find out where their friends are at and their recent activities. It gives people a new way to explore their cities. It is the newest form of social networking. It is a way for people who have mobile devices to interact with their environment.  Some special features about this program are that you can earn points, unlock badges for discovering new things, and you can earn mayorship.

I have never used this program but I keep hearing more and more about it. It is becoming the new big thing in social media. I have many friends who “check in” to Foursquare on a daily basis in competition to achieve mayorship. It is like a game, competition, and a cool way to explore new places around where you live.

It is one of those things that I feel like if I start using it, I will be addicted. It almost seems like a way to stalk your friends and beat their “high scores.” I think it is so interesting that there are new things popping up every day for new ways to interact and stay connected.

Louis Vuitton - Not Natural

Louis Vuitton is trying a new look to their bags and to their advertisements by going all natural. They decided the best way to kick off their ads would be to have Angelina Jolie in their ad because she is a humanitarian activist. They wanted their whole piece to look natural. When I think of Angelina Jolie I don’t think of natural at all. Every time you see her on TV or on the red carpet she is caked with makeup and entirely plastic. Louis Vuitton says that Angelina looks natural in this ad because she is barefoot, she is wearing all of her own clothing, her own bag is in the picture, and she is not wearing any makeup. In my opinion, she looks the same as she always looks, processed and plastic looking. The backdrop for the photo is the only thing that looks totally organic and natural. Angelina looks airbrushed and unrealistic. It looks more like a painting than it does a photo.

The biggest thing about this ad and all ads that gets to me is that they want their models to look natural and real but the photo never comes out that way. The photo that was taken is not the photo that everyone sees in the magazines. Once the photo is taken it is digitally touched up to make the models and actors look thinner and prettier than they are. I can understand using airbrush to hide acne but to make a smaller waist line or to make things different than they actually are is absurd. No wonder teenage girls think they need to be perfect and skinny. They are trying to model their bodies off of something that does not really exist.  

Sour Patch Kids: Teaching the World

            I think my favorite commercial out there right now is the Sour Patch commercials. I think that they are cute, sweet, and eye catching. I am always wondering what is coming next with Sour Patch Kids. The commercials always have the same meaning but the delivery is always different and a surprise. “They’re sour and then they’re sweet.”

The reason that I like these commercials so much is because the advertisers were smart in creating them. The catch phrase has always been “they’re sour and then they’re sweet,” so in terms of advertising, there are so many things that could be done. I think the commercials are shocking in a humorous way. They take the meanings of sour and sweet to the extremes like cutting a girls hair and then giving her a hug or like putting up a fake tunnel for a bicyclist to run into and then giving him a band-aid. The sour part is way worse than the sweet part, but the person receiving the apology is always forgives the sour patch kid. That amuses me. In a way, sour patch kids are treating the world a lesson. No matter how bad the action was, you should always be the bigger person and forgive.

Sour Patch Kids are a sweet and sour treat, but the commercials are teaching the world about forgiveness while selling their product.

Shoes: Newest Technology

            I am a big fan of shoes, especially heels. They are the one thing that I do not mind splurging my money on. I have seen the shoe industry go through good times, like Steve Madden’s Beige Platform Pumps, and through the bad times, like crocs in any color.

            The newest technology in the shoe industry is, high-heeled shoes turning into flats with a push of a button. For anyone who wears heels on a regular basis, they know what a hassle they can be. Yes the look cute and make your legs look nice, but they are a hazard while driving and they are hard to walk long distances in. I know many women who have a pair of flats always handy in their purse for when they have to walk and when they have to drive.

           

        There is no need for the doubling up on shoes anymore. There is now these “transforming shoes.” I am not too sure how well they work but they seem like a great idea. On the other hand, who knows how stable they are. They have to be a good brand and made correctly if they are going to work properly. I know that I have had heels snap off of my shoes more than once. These heels are made to move and hide in the shoe. If permanent heels on shoes are not always stable, how can these be.

            I am a bit worried for the future of these heels, but maybe they are the next big thing.

"Power, Beauty, and Soul" -What Brand Am I?

             Aston Martin is a manufacturer of luxury sports cars. A team of designers and a crew of builders work together to make hand renderings come to life. These cars are more than just sports cars, they are pieces of art. They strive on making their cars unique. Aston Martin stands for fine, civilized high performance sports cars, designed and produced by skilled craftsmen. Their two slogans are “Power, Beauty, and Soul,” and “… It’s living art.”

            When deciding what brand I am most like, it was a no brainer. I have always loved cars since I was little, so I knew I was going to choose a car brand. Aston Martin stuck out in my head because the car’s designs are just as important as the cars themselves. That sold me on this brand. I am a technical theatre major at Marquette with an emphasis in design. My designs are very important to me. I love seeing my sets come to life. Aston Martin also values this concept. Along with the obvious reasons for choosing this brand, the slogan was important. I have always lived my life according to “power, beauty, and soul.”

            Power is a strong word. I was told as a child that I have the power to do anything. I have the power to change the world and the power to be anything I want to. Power is more than just a sign of strength, it is also a sign of knowledge, love, and happiness. I am powerful in those areas.

            In my everyday life, I attempt to be beautiful inside and out. Beauty is another powerful word from my past. I was always told that I am beautiful but beauty doesn’t matter if it doesn’t run within as well. I live my life trying to be nice and welcoming to everyone. That is true beauty.

            The soul is a person’s morals and sense of identity. In the case of Aston Martin, all of their cars have individual identity. I like to live my life going against the natural flow of the world. I want my identity and soul to be different. I try hard to be a leader instead of a follower because in the end I want to be recognizable. I want to be seen as a person with a beautiful soul who changed the world.        

Aston Martin is different from its competitors. It is more than just a car, it is living art. They don’t design their cars to make money or special features. They are different because they put power, beauty and soul into their creations. I am different from other people because I want to achieve those same goals. I want to be more than average in the world. I want to be seen as a powerful person with knowledge, love, and happiness, a beautiful person inside and out, and a person with an identifiable soul. I, along with Aston Martin, am trying to be the difference in the world.

http://www.astonmartin.com/

Justin Bieber - YouTube Sensation

This post relates to my last post about YouTube. I was spending time with my four year old cousin yesterday and her new favorite thing is Justin Bieber. She made me watch the movie "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never." It is a movie about how he became famous, who he is, and behind the scene footage of his concerts. I had the privilege of watching this movie four times in a row. Justin Bieber was founded on YouTube. He kept making videos of himself singing all different styles of songs and one day a manager called him up and wanted to get him out into the business. From there, he met Usher who is another one of his managers. Now he is a big star and every girl between the ages of 4 and 17 are in love with him. He went from being a no-body on YouTube to being a hit list singer. If it was not for YouTube he would not be known. It is amazing to me of how big an impact YouTube can be to someone’s life. It is an easy to use website and it is creating big time stars.

 Twitter has also helped Justin’s career greatly. He tweets many different things about his life daily and he has people all over the world following him. Everyone wants to know what he is doing and where he is and how he is feeling. If it was not for Twitter and the amount of tweets he tweets, he would probably not have the fan base that he does.

He sure does have my cousin hooked. Of course she did not know him through YouTube or Twitter, but she is addicted to the movie and, at the age of four, she can recite everyone on of his songs.

"My Jeans" - What is this world coming to?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DwT_2QQU64&feature=related

Since Rebbecca Black's "Friday" became such a popular song on YouTube, people have been creating all kinds of parodies and spins off on it. "My Jeans" by Jenna Rose is a song about her jeans. It is very similar to Rebbecca Black's song in the style of the song and the layout of the music video.

The music video is a girl singing about waking up and not knowing what to wear. She turns her TV on and she sees an ad for new designer jeans that she just bought at the mall. She talks about all of the Disney Channel Stars wearing her jeans. She is shocked and excited about the fact that everyone is wearing the jeans just like her.

I think it is so bizarre that people think it is necessary to write and sing songs about wearing jeans and how it is almost Friday. What is this world coming to?

I am really writing this because of how YouTube is such a great website that is growing and producing all kinds of interesting things. People are becoming famous from what they posted on YouTube. Also what is so interesting is that when you search a certain video, you will get the real video but then right under it are usually tons of videos mimicking or mocking or saying how great that one video is. YouTube is a large advertisement for a lot of people.

I congratulate YouTube for what they are doing. Although there are many stupid videos out there that make me think, "why are these people wasting there time," there are also many videos that showcase talent, beauty, and potential fame.

"Smoking isn't just suicide, it's murder"

I always find these ads so shocking. I think that this is an older advertisement but someone recently shown it to me. It says "Smoking isn't just suicide, it's murder." This is an ad from the Chilean Corporation against Cancer.

The images that they shown in their ads are so raw and they really make a statement. These are the types of ads that make me think that the visuals speak louder than the text in ads. Just by looking at this I don't realize that it has anything to do with smoking but the image is so shocking so it made me want to look closer and read more.

This image is scary. It is scary to think that smoking is not only killing the person who is smoking but everyone else around them too. When I think of smoking and second hand smoke, this image will be stuck in my head.

Shocking advertisements definitely catch my eye. They make me stop and think about the world around us and how we can make the world a better place.