What Has Weed Done To You by Brian Parent

Wednesday, February 25, 2009
"what has weed done for you?" Brian Parent

The commercial that I viewed was a public service announcement commercial. It was geared towards teens that have smoked or have thought about smoking marijuana. The commercial was able to connect with the viewers because they came up with situations that all of us have been through or can picture ourselves going through. Each situation that was brought up depicted a person doing something out of the ordinary that they usually wouldn’t do if they were in a sober state of mind. The music in the background was also catchy and it would probably make a person my age look at the television if they weren’t already.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Add by, Joey Ruggiero

Britney Spears Pepsi Commercial By Mary Dalla Costa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EEZLYKN8Fo

This commercial was appealing to people my age because it was made when she was in her prime. Though she is reiviving herself, Britney Spears had a huge fan base. This commercial is clearly taking a testimonial approach. People who watched Britney Spears dancing around, having fun while drinking Pepsi want the same thing. They thought if Britney liked Pepsi then Pepsi is cool. They wanted to be like Britney. She was an idol for many. Britney was in shape, too. Pepsi isn't the best thing for a diet. If she can be skinny and drink Pepsi, then why couldn't anyone else? Who knows if Britney actually drinks or likes Pepsi? This whole commercial could be propaganda. Britney says drink Pepsi while she's in front of a camera due to a million dollar contract, so do it.

Xbox Vs. PS3 by Nick Peters

This commercial is about the battle between the Sony gaming console PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360. Microsoft is using name calling, and somewhat bandwagon. Name calling is seen by using a previous PS3 commercial and changing it, by making the PS3 transform into an Xbox 360, then saying even a PS3 wants to be an Xbox 360. Bandwagon is apparent though the way of making it seem like everyone is buying or wanting to have an Xbox 360, even the PS3 is becoming one. It appeals to the male population between ages 14 to 25 in my belief because this age is the largest gaming group, it is where all gaming corporations will try to sell their products to. The commercial is effective since Microsoft is trying to show that their Xbox 360 is so much better, and tries to inadvertently question a gaming consumer why they would spend their money on a PS3 and not the Xbox 360.

What is G Commercial by Logan White

Gatorade has thrown down the advertising gauntlet with this commercial. This commercial is similiar to other Gatorade commercials in the sense that sports figures are used to promote their product, but in this one, historical figures and others who are not athletes are used in the commercial. This looks like it would be under the testimonial technique because it is saying some of the greatest of all time use our product, don't you want to be great? There was another one that had Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning, and Usein Bolt in the commercial, which was huge. I was literally in awe of Gatorade when I saw the commercial for the first time. I hadn't seen this particular one until I looked it up on youtube but I liked that it had Chaz Ortiz and Muhammad Ali in it. The fact that rapper Lil Wayne, self-proclaimed greatest rapper of all time, is the speaker does not hurt at all either. G, the Greatest.

Can you hear me now. By: Kisan Chhotalal

This commercial shows you can talk to anyone in the states for cheap price. This picture I found clearly shows the propaganda technique bandwagon. This technique is trying to persuade everyone to join in and do the same thing. If you look at the image you can see that its showing a group of people with one person excluded. This commercial is saying that they are better than the average phone company and everyone's using it, why aren't you.

Andres Acosta - Commercial Annotation - MAC VS PC

This commercial was made by Apple - Macintosh, they use several methods to promote their personal computers. Their main method is by showing all the drawbacks to PC's. They use two characters to represent each the Mac and the PC. The Mac seems to be more "hip" while PC seems to be boring and only able to do work stuff. Also Mac shows how PC can get infected by many viruses while Macs can't! This method seems to keep the audience very interested and is also somewhat funny since PC is always in some sort of problem while Mac is just younger and better!

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgzbhEc6VVo

Jessica Simpson Used to Boost Sales Commercial by Chad Isenhart

So basically, advertising is absolutely everywhere! (well at least here in the US) I sometimes find it very annoying. All I ever hear or see is buy this, subscribe to this, come here, rent me and so on. There are so many different ways that companies use propaganda to entice the public to buy their product or service. One of the ways, which I find to be most pathetic, is the testimonial type. Testimonial propaganda is the "...most-loved and most-used propaganda techniques (McClintock)." It "...capitalizes on the admiration of people have for a celebrity to make the product shine more brightly (McClintock)." A lot of companies and firms use this form because it is highly effective. Well liked celebrities and stars can sell anything to the unsuspecting public. All it takes is for someone to see someone else they love using a product and it's sold! Well Michael Jordan wears Hanes underwear and hes was a pro athlete, so if he find them confortable than I will too. Wrong. Well maybe not. Just because he is considered the best basketball player ever, you don't have to agree with him on underwear preference. All I'm saying is that I think it's downright stupid to use something or buy something just because a loved star did the same thing.
Jessica Simpson is probly one of the most beautiful women. In the video clip she uses her own testimony to sell an acne treatment. Everyone knows who she is and when they see the advertisement they'll be hooked. They might think, well Jessica is so beautiful and if she trust that product than I definately will. Or, Jessica risked this product on her beautiful face so I might as well. People suffering from acne will see how beautiful her skin is from using this treatment and will buy it because they want the same results.

Gatorade commercial Zachary Hoffmann

The commercial is showing that athletes such as Derek Jeter, Payton Manning, Dwayne Wade, and Maria Sharapova drink Gatorade. These professionals are considered to be the top athletes in the world at their sport and are role models to inspiring athletes. The commercial illustrates that all hope isn’t lost if you drink Gatorade, that you can do anything and succeed in what you are doing. It is trying to prove that you can be better, faster or stronger by drinking their product. Gatorade, is it in you?

SHOE CIRCUS Brad Duffy

I could not tell you why I like this add, but I think its Jerry Seinfeld. Microsoft's attempts at marketing Vista are well, lacking in the THIS ADD IS ABOUT VISTA department. If you watch the Apple vs. Mac ads, its clear what Mac is a hip young cool computer, and Windows is boring and old. This add really just goes to further prove the point. Bill Gates buys shoes at the Shoe Circus and Jerry Seinfeld comes in to make sure he is really getting his money's worth. Gates pays with his rewards card just like you and I would do.

If the point of this ad were to explain that Gates buy shows from the discount store down the road just like you and I, then job well done. I felt like the writers aimed this add to explain that Microsoft is making software for the AVERAGE person. WHO WANTS TO BE AVERAGE??? Sure buying the Apple laptop is not going to make you different from the other 3 million Apple laptops, but the marketing that has been to portray Apple as hip and cool, has stuck for almost 40 years. Microsoft tried to bring the idea that even someone like Bill Gates is just like you and I, and he uses Windows, but it still doesn't help me think that Windows is any better then yesterday. As far as I am concerned, I now think Bill Gates is to cheap to buy real leather shoes, and with the money and power available to him....that's pathetic.

Nike Women be TRANSFORMED Analysis by Stephanie Kumetz

This commercial is directed towards young active women. I believe that McClintock would call this ad either Glittering Generalities, or Plain Folks. The reason I believe that this would be considered a Glittering Generalities is because it give a good name to women. Saying that we can kick butt if we really wanted too. It is also telling us that with these shoes we can become more confident in what we do when we work out. The way that this ad would be a Plain Folks ad is because its taking a average women boxing and transforming her into an amazing fighter, just because she is wearing Nike shoes for women. Its telling women wear these shoes and feel more confident and powerful in what you do.

Pepsi Max Commercial Analysis by Ashley Johnson

This commercial could be used to attract a wide range of audiences. The song itself is funny to kids, teens, and adults. The Pepsi marketing team created their idea for the commercial from the 1998 movie, A Night at the Roxbury. My favorite part was at the end when they incorporated Chris Kattan, one of the actors in A Night at the Roxbury, into the commercial. This commercial uses glittering generalities in the sense that everyone is falling asleep, but after they drink Pepsi Max they are wide awake. I could see this product being very popular to teens and young adults, since we all try to stay awake during classes, even though sometimes it’s not easy.

Snickers ad. Analysis by Jorge Chavez

This commercial clearly appeals to teenagers and young adults. Instead of using words, the commercial uses action to attract the viewer’s attention. Notice that the ad does not state the product at the beginning, making the viewer curious to stay and watch. Examining the commercial one can see that it is aimed to young people, with hip music and action from beginning to end. At the end, the product is finally revealed with the words “SNICKERS Don’t Stop”. This could be an example of glittering generalities, using the phrase “don’t stop”. This could indicate that if you consume snickers, then you won’t stop, or that people that consume snickers, are those who don’t stop. Also using association, the ad makes the little green people the protagonists, showing them defeating the red little people, who are trying to stop them. Overall the commercial uses action and music to attract viewers to the product that is already known worldwide. If you had no idea what Snickers was, this commercial wouldn’t have helped you figure it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wefgs9BEYw

The Axe Effect Commercial Analysis by Sara Rievely

The Axe Effect



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9tWZB7OUSU
This entertaining commercial is directed specifically towards high school and college men. From the beginning of the commercial, women in tiny bikinis are running through woods, swimming the ocean, and jumping off cliffs. I was curious to find out what this commercial was all about, and of course the women are running towards a man standing on a beach spraying himself with axe. In this commercial two different propaganda techniques are used, association and glittering generalities. Both techniques were used in different ways. Association was used by having the beautiful women running and wanting the man the smells amazing. This technique makes the product look very desirable to young men my age. I even love the smell of it! The glittering generalities technique was used at the end of the commercial when they gave the catchy slogan “spray more get more the axe effect.” The axe effect is when the women chase after you; therefore, the commercial appeals to men because men want beautiful women to want them, and they believe axe will have that effect. I thought this commercial was hilarious!

Guitar Hero Band World Tour Commercial

Guitar Hero Band World Tour Commercial by Zach Newman


As the commercial starts you see Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant, Tony Hawk, and Alex Rodriguez sliding across the floor singing “Old Time Rock and Roll” by Bob Segar, and you can not help but chuckle. This commercial is one of the most obvious displays of association advertising I have ever seen. Four sports figures that almost any person in the world let alone the United States could identify, and if not all four at least one or two. The association is that all these famous icons love to play Guitar Hero World Tour and it appeals to all teens that idolize all these icons. According to McClintock this commercial is using testimonial because teens admire these stars for being at the peak of physical ability in the world, and these teens wish to be more like them. “We like the person so much that we like the product too” (McClintock 273).

Snuggie Commercial Analysis by Annie Anderson

The informercial I watched was the one about the Snuggie. Within the first six seconds, the company mentions one hot topic: saving money. Instantly I recognize the "Appeal to Emotion" tactic. They are trying to appeal to someone who is very cold but has to use their hands and wants to save money by not using heat. Also, another tactic I recognized is "Association" The advertizers are associating the Snuggie with being warm while saving money. I think that these two ways of getting the customer to buy your products works great. Someone who is interested in something like this to keep you warm will want this no matter what, but adding in the saving money part and people feel like they can't say no!

Mac vs. PC Commercial Analysis by Lisa Melchiorre

The commercials of a Mac vs. a PC have been around for the past few years. This one in particular appeals to college students today as well as seniors in high school because of it’s use of cheerleaders and how the Mac is a young famous actor (Justin Long) and the PC is an older gentleman. The younger man versus the older gentleman already makes it seem that the Mac is the younger, more hip item to purchase. This commercial uses the bandwagon technique of propaganda as well as glittering generalities. The PC states how the Mac is the “Number 1 notebook on college campuses”, which makes those seniors in high school and other college students join the crowd to purchase a Mac for college. That statement also allows the Mac to create a positive outlook on its product because it seems that so many college students use a Mac for their academic adventure.

Ecko Red Footwear Commercial Analysis by Maddy Tarantelli

This is a commercial advertising Red by Ecko Footwear featuring Venessa Hudgins. First this ad uses a celebrity to sell the product which, according to

Anne McClintock, would classify this propaganda as a testimonial. Most advertisers do this because they assume people want to become or at least relate
to celebrities, so we should dress like them. I feel that this product is geared towards teenagers. Venessa Hudgin's popularity grabs the attention of the
consumers. "everybody let's dance, all you have to do is take a chance" is sucking people in like saying "if you don't dance (with the right shoes),
then you're not courageous enough". Also doublespeak is used in the term "footwear" instead of shoes signifying a more luxurious item. When it comes
to shoesit doesn't really matter because the shoe company is probably not going to take the world over by advertising propaganda to sell their product.

Post 1: Propaganda Techniques in Advertising

McClintock cautions us to be sensitive to propaganda in advertising. Watch some commercials on TV that are aimed at people your age or go online and find a commercial that is geared to either men or women your age.

Take notes on some of the advertising techniques that were used in ONE of these commercials. Discuss in a post of no fewer than 100 words what techniques were used and why you think they appealed to an audience.

Draw upon some of McClintock's terminology when describing these advertisers' techniques. Your post may have a serious or playful tone.