Oct 24, 2011

Everything's Funny With Little Kids

Trigon Hospital - Blue Cross Blue Shield
Hilarious! But does the humor really advertise the hospital well? Including a child definitely taps into pathos and the humor grabs attention, but is it at the risk of ethos?  How credible does the viewer believe this hospital really is after hearing a child's silly account? Also, how well does it incorporate the brand?

I don't believe the viewer would watch this their first time and automatically associate the child with Trigon Hospital.  In fact, even after a 2nd or 3rd watch the brand still is very unknown.  A watermark in the bottom corner could have been their first step to remedy this, but it might have been even more effective if the child was sitting in a hospital waiting-room.  At least it would have created an association to a general hospital. 

But the humor is undeniably fantastic.  So enjoy!

Dear Women -Love, Total Stud

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and how better to convince women to perform self-breast examinations than sex appeal!  That's right, gone are the ads of women in bikinis which appeal to men.  Hello studs ;)

Oct 10, 2011

Masterpiece

 
When I first saw this ad I thought it was fantastically clever.  Coldwater Creek has just started their first set of TV ads which will target 45+ women and air throughout the fall season.  For a demographic mostly targeted by "anti-aging" commercials, this must be a very refreshing break.  Unfortunately, the rest of their commercials are a little less fun, but at least this one made quite an impact.

Did You Know?

The video posted below is a presentation based off information originally compiled by high school professor, Karl Fisch.  Its original intention was to inform other professors at a faculty meeting of the world they would be preparing students for.  While the information and statistics are old, the message is still relevant; we are undeniably, living in exponential times.

But what does this mean for us? And for communication?
This video shows just how quickly society is advancing.  Not only are our methods of obtaining information evolving, but the types of content we are demanding are evolving as well.  We are beginning to care more about other people, and their impact on us.  This can be seen through the explosive growth of social media groups such as myspace, facebook, and twitter.  We demand social interaction at all times; pushing aside classic literature and folk tales for more current blogs, news reports, status updates, and tweets.  Is this because our minds are moving quicker? Perhaps it is through our forms of media that we have trained ourselves to have insatiable appetites for information.  We want to know more, and we want to know it sooner.

Is this the natural evolution of man?  To create futures that the present versions of ourselves can't even fathom? And then to expect ourselves to succeed in those futures?

It's almost terrifying to think that we might create a future we one day are unable to live or succeed in.  I believe a lot of people today are fearing that exact thing when we examine our government's spending habits, the state of the economy, nuclear advancements, and even the fluctuating job market. We're all afraid that the future will be too different for us to adapt to.

I think we're testing the limits of our bodies and minds.  Stretching our mental capacity 
I viw the search for that limit as a terrifying, intimidating, and incredibly exciting endeavor.