Finally, a music video sans "hip-shaking" women!

On Wednesday, after watching a short documentary on gender roles in music videos, we were tasked with finding a music video that offered a different perspective on gender roles than mainstream media allows.  The common media viewpoint is that women are simply objects at mens' disposal.  This demeaning role creates a gap in gender equality, and is simply a ridiculous notion.  I thought hard about finding a music video that shows women in a different role than simply a sexual entity, and came up with Hot Chip's I Feel Better.

This music video starts with a bunch of women screaming with excitement as attractive male "musicians" dance and sing on stage.  (These men are not actual members of Hot Chip, they are just for effect in the video.)  Soon thereafter, an unattractive man floats in and disrupts the concert.  The women look at him in horror as he floats onto the stage and proceeds to "laser-breathe" the band members in the face.  I don't know the symbolism of this, but if I were to guess, I would assume it represents Hot Chip's distaste for pop-music from bands like N*Sync, Jonas Brothers, Justin Beiber, etc -- not because they are attractive to women, but because their music is more about appealing to women physically than it is about the actual music.  The uniqueness of this video is that the men are the objects of lust, as opposed to scantily-clad women.

Regardless of the deeper meaning of the video, the video is shot from a perspective of women simply enjoying a concert as opposed to stripping and shaking their hips.  The result is a satirical piece that is nothing like any music video that I have ever seen.  I believe it effectively portrays a different perspective on gender roles, and the song is catchy to boot!

Thanks for reading!

Effective Social Media Campaigning

I recently read an article from Forbes with regards to viral marketing and some of the best social media campaigns.  I must be behind the curve, as I was unfamiliar with all of the cited winners--including Old Spice's spokesman, Isiah Mustafa, answering real-time questions about the campaign from "fans" of the humorous "advertainment" put out by the brand.  Another successful ad campaign through social media was the use of a Facebook game, Farmville, to promote the use of Microsoft's Bing search engine, offering in-game rewards for doing so.  I am not a heavy Facebook user, so unfortunately these ads never reached me, but I would say that they are very successful, because I know a great deal of people who play Farmville and were likely enticed to use Bing for the in-game incentives.



The Nitto Trail Grappler
Complements of postrelease.com



One social media ad campaign that I have been effected by personally was a recent give-away by a tire company Nitto Tires.  Facebook recognized my affinity for off-road vehicles, and suggested I like the tire company on Facebok.  Once I went to the company's page, I was informed that if I "liked" the page, I would be entered to win a set of tires of my choosing.  This chance of free tires prompted me to investigate thier actual website, where I glanced over the entire selection of tires they offered.  This relatively simple campaign effectively drew me in, and I familiarized myself with the product.  I would admit that even if I don't win the tires, I would consider Nitto Tire brand tires when my tires need replacing.

My Favorite Ad Campaign

There are a good many ad campaigns that have been successful over the years.  Some are so successful that they have stuck with us since our youth.  I can still remember the commercial for board games like Guess Who? and CROSSFIRE from my youth.  I mean, when you see two kids hoverboard into an arena of fire and lightening and battle for supreme dominance, it's not really something you can ever forget.

Yes, I've seen my fair share of what I would say were successful commercials in my time.  I'll be honest, they're half of the reason I have watched the Super Bowl with as much diligence as I have over the years.  (The other half can be accredited to the food.)

I can say with all certainty, however, that the Capitol One "Vikings" ad campaign has been my favorite over the years.  The commercials are short and sweet, offering up the humorous combination of ancient vikings trying to exist in a modern world.  It doesn't sound nearly as funny in text, but I can assure you that a smile will creep across your face when watching these.  If it doesn't, than you obviously have no appreciation of viking culture...or a funny bone.  I don't think I'm the only fan.

The above is one of my favorite spots.  These ads are effective because they provide the audience with useful information on the product while entertaining them with humor.  The campaign has had great legs, and is still funny after approximately five years of ads.  Keep it up, Capital One.

What art thou, COMM404?

I'm not too keen on keeping a personal blog, but class mandates it, so here I am.  (In digital format.)

I was asked what I hope to learn in this class this semester, and then to blog on it.  Well, I suppose what I would like to learn from this class is whether or not I'm cut out to focus on the what-I-view-as-being-more-artsy advertising compared to the more business-oriented field of marketing.  That is my minor here at SU -- marketing, that is.

So yes, I want to learn if advertising is a profession I would like to pursue.  Case closed.