Blog #8: Too Much Advertising

Yes, I do believe that there is indeed too much advertising and much of it goes un-noticed due to it being everywhere. Some people get tired of it and think that its unnecessary to have that much. I think that our attention spans are short because we may tend to lose interest and eventually move onto something else. It matters depending what it is and if it proves to be useful to the consumer. Hmm.. well again I'd have to say it depends on what brand it is.

Say for example you take, Intel a company that sells computer processors. Everyone needs one right? Yep, they most certainly do. Intel could reduce their advertising costs by that 9 percent since they don't need to worry about their profits dropping; as everyone will continue to buy computers, which keeps them in demand. I don't think that you're just rambling on, you are trying to get your point across and doing everything in your power to do it. You want to intrigue consumers and get noticed by them in order to be successful. :)

Blog #7: Gotta Make A Great Impression

Oh wow, such an interesting question. Hmm.. Well, I do believe that shock-vertising certainly does more harm than good to the brand due to the fact that it can be offensive, but in some cases its effective which grabs your attention and helps to get the message through. I don't believe that brands should use this approach as it sends both a positive and negative message to the viewers. Yes, it does contribute to the more sensitive issues which are important since they deal with real life experiences such as the ad about anorexia and meth. They are worth the approach as you need to be able to balance out the two, one negative and one positive make the ad when they come together.

I don't think its necessarily wrong to be daring at all, I mean it does make the ad appear both interesting and exciting depending on the said topic. It's not wrong to confront people's sensibilities as they have different views and opinions than you do, in which they may or not be comfortable with. Although, advertising can go too far and the reputation of the brand goes down hill. They do not need to be pushed any further and these are the ads that often tend to be forgotten about and are banned from the public.

Blog #6: A Journey Into My Opinion?

I don't believe that brands should be extolling virtues by being unfaithful, since that's not very good for the company as their cheating with one another; which leads to frustrations and the loss of consumers. Regarding adultery, I do believe that the brand(s) recognize this to be a human behaviour, which we do because we can and it happens regardless. The advertisements that we use may be overly sexual and/or inappropriate to certain viewers but there is a need for the adult audience. Its the difference from an ad that is trying to promote safe sex versus an ad that has to do with a sex hotline or dating site. Know where to draw the line between appropriate and inappropriate and who is your target audience. 

Perhaps ads that have to deal with sex would be better suited to a newspaper and or website instead of on a billboard. Whereas an ad all about sexual health would be more acceptable on those billboards which help to avoid offending anyone. Am I right? I think so. :)

Blog #5: Subliminal Advertising

I did not notice the subliminal message that you had inserted in that last sentence and I don't know if I will.. :/

I think that its a bit of both. It is clever since you don't necessarily have to see the entire brand to know if its Coca-Cola or not, you just know. The thought of drinking a Coke does sound rather appetizing as well. I think that subliminal advertising does indeed work as it encourages us to buy their products and yes I do believe that some people do have too much time on their hands when pictures of nudes and naughty bits are included.

Blog #4: Humorous Ads

Eh, I don't really see an issue with the advertising industry producing ads that have to deal with making us laugh. I think that its both a good and bad idea. It's good because I mean c'mon don't we all need some humor in our life? I know I sure do. Ads are an excellent way to achieve this. Meanwhile, it being a bad idea would be due to the fact that consumers aren't necessarily buying the product and some may find the message of the ad offensive.

Is it worth it taking all those risks? Well, I guess it does depend on what the ad is about. If it was advertising a new product but it was actually both helpful and humorous then I could see that the risk being worth the trouble. Otherwise, I'd have to say no I don't agree that it'd be worth the risk..

Blog #3: Are Ads Making Us Obese?

Yes, I believe that advertising does play a role in making people obese since the flashy and appetizing slogans are drawing us in with fast food. McDonalds for example is one of the biggest well known for this. I mean their advertising makes their food seems sooo delicious looking and they claim that they use real grown potatoes for their french fries. I'm not so sure whether to believe that or not.. I've seen what happens to their fries after years, they don't decompose at all. That's just not right! But yes, fast food restaurants and other food places are great at drawing in customers. I admit that I do eat there, but its not all that often; I consider going there only once a month and its like a "treat".

Hmm.. for some reasons advertising can help prevent obesity and a couple ways are healthier options for food and exercise. Mcdonalds and many other fast food restaurants offer the option of "healthier" foods on their menus such as salads and wraps. I believe that we could prevent obesity by turning to these better options and also not allowing ourselves to be drawn in as much to their ads, although that is their job. You can say "no". They aren't exactly forcing you to buy their product and its not their fault if you become obese because of it.

In a way, its the same as retailers that sell cigarettes and alcohol. They're trying to promote their business and the more buyers they get of their product the longer they'll remain in business. Let's face it, without advertising and marketing they wouldn't be as successful as they are today.

As for obesity among children and youth, I believe that consumers should promote more healthier options for their food products and fitness. They definitely need more ads that appeal to children in order for them to become enticed and to engage in physical activity for a healthier lifestyle.

Blog #2: Photoshopping Ads?

So, you want to know my opinion on the use of Photoshop for ads? Well, I'll tell you this I agree and disagree.. Its difficult to just pick one (kind of like whether or not I wanted to pre-order Pokemon X or Y)

I'm going to point out a few pros and cons about the use of Photoshop, why I believe it should and shouldn't be used for marketing use.

Pros of Photoshop:

- Can make photographs and images look more professional
- Products and editing of them makes it more appealing for the buyer
- Gives the photograph or image a "perfect" look to it

Cons of Photoshop:

- Takes away the natural beauty from the subject or object
- Seems a bit unnatural
-  Some of the alterations that can be done are scary

I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing, its just taking away the "natural" overall feel. I believe that some of the models are real and that they Photoshop them to make them look more appealing. Whether it be to make them appear slimmer, prettier, taller, and also age them. Removing or adding wrinkles, grey hair, and using make-up products for covering up. I don't think that it really matters if their real or not. Either way, they are helping to sell products and it clearly works. I guess that it could be either literal or metaphorical depending on the target audience. Well, still going back to the target audience and the results may vary for them for if we need to protect them or not from this creative license. Where I stand on this matter, I think that it doesn't really matter if an ad is Photo-shopped or not as long as it sells.


Stay tuned for next week's blog update, which I am hoping to write earlier.. Anyway, have a nice rest of your week and the weekend. Peace out! :D

- Kaiden

Blog #1: Mic Mac Mall Gone Wrong (August 22nd 2013)

I believe that the Mic Mac Mall would have a decrease in shoppers due to these ads that portray that girls are more interested in shopping and not as intersted in school at all. For one, not all girls are "shop crazy" or "shoppaholics". Yeah I still think they'd shop there but there were a ton of complaints filed against the Mic Mac Mall. I would not run the campaign, due to being against it and not being gender bias. I believe that the ads are both sexist and insulting towards the female students, since it makes them seem like shopping is all they do, which they don't. Hmm.. that is a very good question.

If the ads had featured both young men and young women, I don't think it would have recieved as much publicity as the other ones. The other ones were targeted at just women and therefore is alot different than if it featured both men and women. Yes, I do believe that the campaign hurt the Mic Mac Mall brand; they spread the ads and the feedback was negative. I feel that the ads still appear a bit sexist since they only feature women, they shouldn't leave out the men. The use of the cartoon stylized pictures on their ads do create a calm and welcoming feeling.

Yes, the Mic Mac Mall should have issued a $5,000 cheque and an apology for what they had done. I would have done the same because it's not right. It it were me in the situation, I'd do everything I could to "fix" it and guarantee the satisfaction and happpiness of the customers. The ads on their Facebook page definitely show stereotyping women.


Anyway that is all for this week, stay tuned for next week's blog entry. Peace out! :) - Kaiden

NOTE: I'm using this blog for my Advertising and Marketing class, just letting some of you know in case their was some confusion. I'll try to post some other stuff later on when I'm in the mood.

The Guy Behind the Blog

Hello there, and welcome to my blog. This is actually the first time that I'm introducing myself on here. The other blog I did which was "50 Instances of Brilliance - The World of Pineapples" was all due to my random obsession with the fruit. In this blog though, it'll be more about me and not my obsession. Here is a little bio of myself. :)

Birth Name: Kyla R. Brant
Preferred Name: Kaiden J. Brant
Age: 23
D.O.B.: January 10th 1990
Gender: Male (Trans FtM)
Occupation: Unemployed