The Faux Power of Facebook “Likes”
Sorry for the short hiatus from posting, everyone. Just taking a little vacation back home for the week, so I’ve been out and about quite a bit. I’ll try to be more regular in sharing ads with you!
I’ve been striving to share some print ads for quite some time, and I’ve finally found a print ad campaign that has stuck out to me. The campaign is produced by Crisis Relief Singapore, an organization dedicated to disaster relief in Singapore. These print ads take on the social media action of “liking” a status, post, page, etc. I’m sure many of you have seen posts on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and other websites with something to the effect of “Like/Retweet if you support and love the victims of damage from the most recent hurricane!!!!!” These ads challenge those very posts, reminding us that just “liking” a post doesn’t do squat in aiding those who are going through a disaster.
I’m not saying that it is a bad thing to promote awareness for a cause on social media through likes, retweets, and shares. In fact, there needs to be more of that! I just find it discouraging that most of the support only stops at a post. People need to feel more inclined to send in donations or volunteer for a cause that really touches their hearts. While it is nearly impossible to give money and time to every cause that one cares about, every bit that you can afford to give to a few causes greatly helps out.
Don’t just stop at the “Like.” End with a “Do.” THAT is how you can show true support.
Carona Makes An Out of This World Ad
Screenshot from video produced by Corona Extra.
I just came across this unique ad produced by Corona Extra. The billboard has a bottle of brew in the center of the frame, with the top of the bottle rising off of the board with a slogan to the side “Night or day, find your beach.” The rest of the ad relies on the moon (yes, the actual moon) to align with the top of the bottle to form the “lime” that people typically add to their drinks. Even though the board can only utilize the moon from a certain angle (tonight, Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th) for a short period of time, I think the buzz inspired by this production will last for quite a while. You can see Corona’s explanation of their process to make the ad happen here in this video. I sure wish I could be in New York to see this first hand!
“Just Checking”, “Pub Loo Shocker”
Hey all,
The first advertisement that I would like to share with you comes from Cheerios, called “.” The TV commercial is centered around a little girl who runs up to her mom, asking if Cheerios are really heart healthy. The mom goes onto explain the benefits of the cereal, which leads the little girl to run off and give some cereal to her dad in a cute and innocent fashion. (I’ll make you watch the whole ad to see this!) Despite the cute and innocent feel of the commercial, much of the feedback to the ad is negative and controversial. Why you ask? Because the father is black, the mother is white, and the daughter is a product of a bi-racial family. While some recognize the ad for the adorable nature of the little girl, others are calling it an abomination and disgusting. I cannot fathom how this ad turned into anything related to race. So what if the couple’s relationship is interracial? It’s the 21st century America, the majority of us have moved past this sensitive issue. According to this USA Today coverage, Cheerio has disabled comments for the ad on Youtube, but will not pull the ad from circulation. I, for one, would like to applaud Cheerios for creating an adorable ad, as well as dealing with the negative criticism from overly bitter people in an efficient manner.
The second thing I would like to share is a public service announcement from the United Kingdom’s Department of Transportation. The “” was set up to be sort of a prank played on patrons in a bar. As they are in the middle of washing their hands, they get an unpleasant surprise… Wow. This is some pretty powerful stuff. PSAs like this can really force you to think about your actions after you’ve had a few drinks. While it may direct others away from drunk driving, I think it has driven me away from using a bathroom in public. Or at least from washing my hands in them… (Just kidding!)
So, a few questions for you. What is your take on the Cheerios ad? Did the brand make a bold move in featuring an interracial couple? Would this ad influence you to buy or not buy their product? And for the PSA: How would you react if the stunt was pulled on you while you washed your hands? Do you think that a message of this degree should be allowed to be pulled in public?
Introduction
Welcome to my blog! What I hope to accomplish is to share new and interesting advertisements from all over the world with you that use unique techniques to deliver a company’s or organization’s message to the public. I hope to post my findings on at least a weekly basis.
There are so many ads in circulation that are hilarious, like my personal favorite featuring Terry Crews. Granted this ad is not from within the past few months, it is an example of an out-of-the-ordinary ad that grabbed the attention of the Internet by storm. Not only was the ad itself funny, but Old Spice created an interactive game to go along with it which allowed you to produce a musical masterpiece by mashing keys on your keyboard and forcing Crews to flex his god-like muscles to activate instruments.
There are so many ads out there that leave behind memorable fits of laughter or warm feelings in your heart. What are some of your favorite ads? Post in the comments!