I Really Like Twitter #IMEANIT

A few years ago, I was originally skeptical about setting up a Twitter account. I thought Twitter was only good for providing a platform for our narcissistic generation and their compulsion to publish every insignificant thought. See, I told you I was skeptical...and cynical. Little did I realize that Twitter was a whole lot more than reading when your friend "got the best burger EVER" or a celebrity is in the "Stuuuuuuuudiooooooooo" (Lil Wayne's tweet from today). 


I became an active Twitter user when I started my internship as the Social Media Intern for the I Back Jack Foundation. It became my job to manage the foundation's Twitter account. I quickly learned how powerful Twitter was for I Back Jack and thought how it could be a powerful tool for me as well. I follow key news source accounts on Twitter - it is a great, cheap and fast way to get the information I need. I also follow accounts that offer information on things I want to know. It is also a fun way for me to keep interact with friends. Another thing that I enjoy about Twitter is that it is witty and to the point. Every character counts. 


A tip from an article called Twitter for College Students warns students that unless protected, tweets are viewable by anyone. This is definitely something to keep in mind. The article also suggests that professors should give students their Twitter name. This way, the professor doesn't need to share his or her mobile number - something that is private and can often times be abused. 


25 Suggestions For How To Use Twitter in 2011 encourages tweeters to grow professionally, research competitors and to engage with your community. These three things are certainly why I find Twitter extremely valuable. 


My client, the I Back Jack Foundation, can rely on Twitter to interact with other organizations. These can be organizations that the foundation already converses with, or new ones that are potentially interested in learning more about working with the foundation. Twitter is a great tool for the foundation to give credit where it is deserved by mentioning donors and sponsors. It is also a fantastic way to keep followers updated and excited. 


Five accounts that I now follow as a result of this assignment are Big Shoes Network, Sheena Carey, MU Tribune, NY Times and AP Stylebook. I will continue to follow all of these accounts. I find them to be worthy of my interest. My favorite one thus far is the NY Times. I enjoy what they choose to post and how often they choose to post. MU Tribune is good too because I can stay updated on campus happenings - even after I graduate! 

Isan Litrong

"I never thought a soda bottle could brighten my home." Check this out - it's a sweet and inspirational story. 

Can't Wait to Try It

I came across this product a few weeks ago. It's just nail polish, so why can't I stop thinking about it? Scotch Naturals has me hooked. This polish is water-based and non-toxic. Quite the eco-friendly alternative to traditional polishes. Now that's polish with a purpose - sign me up.

One Long Noodle

Your imagination is the limit when it comes to advertising. Any surface can be used to promote a brand -- but the challenge is to do so in a way that hasn't been done. What will catch the passerby's eye? What will be talked about?

I think that this Mondo Pasta ad is super clever! I personally have never heard of the brand Mondo Pasta, but I'd be willing to check it out after seeing this ad! It just goes to show that creative advertising DOES make a difference!

Old Spice, You So Funny

I enjoyed the latest group's assessment of Old Spice. Isaiah Mustafa is perfect for these quirky ads. I like how Old Spice didn't take the easy way out and do a typical men's body wash/cologne advertisement. Girls aren't falling from the sky to chase after a man who has recently bathed his body in a certain scent. These Old Spice ads are different and break through the clutter.

One of my favorite quotes that one of the group members said was that Old Spice "takes its target seriously". They need a reason besides "getting the girl" to listen to the ad.

Give Me a Break!

Jenna Lyons is J.Crew's Creative Director, and MAN has she done an impressive job in the last few years. She has broght J.Crew into the 21st century, keeping its preppy style but adding a modern and more trendy twist.

J.Crew's website has a section called "Jenna's Picks" where shoppers can see Lyons' favorite items. Recently, J.Crew featured Lyons in a more up-close-and-personal ad series.

This ad shows Lyons with her son, painting his toenails. The ad has sparked a bit of controversy, asking if it is appropriate for parents to support boys participating in what is traditionally a girl's past time.

What I have learned here is that some ads can be controversial even when they aren't meant to be. We all have different values and beliefs. What I say is....LET HIM WEAR PINK!

Yes, I know my ABCs

Talk about brand recognition! One simple letter and a few simple colors equals successful branding. It is fun to see how labels and brands have infused their way into our brains.

How many can you correctly identify? Answers below...NO CHEATING!

Facebook Not So Social...

I am not good with change. So, when Facebook decides to make changes - whether they be miniscule or drastic - I notice. I find myself becoming frustrated asking, "Why, Facebook, Why?!?" and see that my other friends are posting similar grievances about such changes. Is Facebook listening? Do they even care? Can I change anything? The answer is pretty much no. I have tried, and there is no way for me to tell Facebook what I am thinking about their new changes.

What a surprise! Facebook would not exist if it weren't for the users. Facebook simply provides the framework for users to publish what they want and to interact with other users. So why not listen to what these users have to say? The reason is that Facebook doesn't need to. As the most popular social media network, Facebook has the ability to slowly manipulate the way the site works. Us users pretty much have to roll with the punches.

Hmm....food for thought!

Red Bull and Product Information

When I first starting evaluating Red Bull's creative for my group project, I was impressed with its Red Bull Cola advertisements.

Red Bull's strong suit has never been product information. The ingredients that Red Bull uses have never been transparent, adding to an ora of mystery surrounding each product.

The Cola campaign has started something new for Red Bull. The ingredients are all out in the open. No confusion, no mystery.

I would like to see Red Bull continue this product information campaign with it's other products like the Red Bull energy drinks and two-hour energy shots.

Absolut...

My friend Peggy passed this on to me a few days ago. The ad mimics Absolut Vodka's "Absolut ____" campaign. This drunk driving campaign was actually produced by the Bucharest Traffic Police. It just goes to show how effective the Absolut Vodka campaign has been. 

When I read "20 Ads that Changed the World" by James B. Twitchell in the beginning of the semester,  the "Absolut ______" by Absolut Vodka was one of the campaigns that he praised. It discussed how the campaign was successful due to the consistency and wit that the advertisers used from execution to execution.

While this adaptation of the Absolut campaign may be harsh, it gets the point across.

In this ad, the outline of the Absolut bottle is all that is shown. The bottom reads, "Absolute Stupidity". Applause to the Bucharest Traffic Police for this production. I'd like to see Absolut Vodka do it's own campaign like this against drunk driving.

Hey That's Mine...

 Bud Light scratch bottles. Genius. I'm a little upset that I didn't think of this. How many times have you forgotten which beer bottle is yours? The market is already full of little ways to identify your wine glass, party cup..etc. There was a demand for drinkers to identify their beer bottles, and Bud Light was the first one to think of a way to do it!

This has stirred excitement among many of my friends. Everyone seems to be impressed. I would assume that sales will increase for Bud Light, since these scratch bottles are perfect for any party - big or small.

Additionally, this is a way for people to pass out their cell numbers at bars or parties. I've seen it done!

Product Placement

Product placement used to be a subtle and sneaky way for advertisers to promote their brands. Most consumers were not aware of this tactic. Now, consumers are educated. They know when they see product placement and many times become annoyed. It is just more clutter.

In this ad, Bud Light pokes fun at product placement by going over the top. Every opportunity is utilized to place a Bud Light logo or product on screen. This ad is successful because it is funny, makes the viewer feel "in the know" and they get the point across that they are indeed selling Bud Light.

Out with the Old & In with the Audi

After watching a group's presentation on Audi, I learned that Audi wants its target to know that it is NEW. Out with our parent's cars like Mercedes, Cadillac and BMW and in with Audi's fresh feel.

This branding is successful. Even before I had thought about Audi and how it has advertised, I thought of Audi as a fresh luxury brand for a younger target. I had always thought that Audi was cool and for people who wanted something a bit different and unexpected. Turns out, I was right! And I was only right because the advertising had worked under my radar. Congratulations to Audi on successful branding!

Beach Tweet

Pepsi's new girl is Sofia Vergara!

An important element in advertising is who will play your protagonist. It should be someone who fits the role and who is well-liked. Sofia Vergara hit it big when she gained popularity in the sitcom Modern Family.

I think Pepsi did a great job choosing someone fresh to represent their products. This ad is fun and modern. I like seeing someone new and different as the face of a big brand like Pepsi.

Not So Consistent

Dove's Real Beauty campaign is the first and leader of its kind. It promotes women's real beauty and encourages women of all sizes and races to be confident and accept themselves for who they are. Every woman is beautiful.

In my Media Ethics class this semester, we looked at the fact that Dove and Axe are owned by the same parent company, Unilever. An ethical debate arises when we realize this. While Dove promotes physical variety, self confidence emotional health, Axe is known for its risque ads that show women brainlessly chasing after men. On top of that, these women all look the same - tall and thin with modelesque features.

This was the first time I had thought about what it means to be consistent and ethical in advertising.

Hmm....

This ad sparked a ton of controversy. It hung on the side of a building in New York and was taken down as a result of the outrage.

Although I consider myself to be Pro-Life, when a classmate showed this during class, I couldn't help become upset. I believe that the ad is distasteful. However, I do assume that it is based on statistics and that other research was done to see how many Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian..etc abortions took place in the same timeframe.

Sometimes an ad knows that it will spark controversy and may even be forced to be removed from its venue. The important thing, whether for good or for bad, is that the discussion on the ad will continue.

Never Seen This Before...

I saw this billboard driving into Chicago from southern Illinois. Many of us Illinois tax payers are fed up with high rates.

So in advertising, we know that if there's a problem  - you advertise a solution! In this case, living in Indiana with lower tax rates is the answer.

This stood out to me because I have never seen an advertisement for residents of one state to move to a different one. Yes, we have all seen the Visit Florida, Michigan, California...etc advertisements, but it has never been promoting a residential move.

Google Love

My teacher in Media Writing showed my class this ad last semester. It had been a while since I had seen an advertisement for Google and I even asked myself if I had ever seen an advertisement for Google. Then I realized that with a newer competing search engine, Bing, on the rise...Google needed to do some advertising.

The ad has no voice overs. Just music. The viewer follows the Google search process of an unknown protagonist from the days before he studied abroad in Paris until he falls in love with a Parisian, marries her and is expecting a baby. The ad shows that Google is there every step of the way - even when you make little spelling mistakes and the search engine directs you to, "did you mean ______". I think this ad is effective and it definitely pulled on my entire class's heart stings!

Responsible

A classmate showed me this billboard that he found online. I thought about myself and what stands out to me when I'm driving and surrounded by thousands of advertisements.

The billboards that stand out to me are simple and different. I can't read too much text because I must focus on driving, but it should also be something that does distract me enough to bring my attention to it.

This ad for Eskom energy is visually different. The text makes sense with the design of the billboard, which fades from darkness into light. It shows the responsibility of Eskom and that if you choose to use Eskom, they will be efficient and responsible with your energy and money.

This ad would definitely make me investigate Eskom as a company  - I want to learn more!

Oh Yes We Did

Domino's "Oh Yes We Did" campaign has been very successful. They are now extending this campaign to their new chicken products and asking customers what they think.

For the first time a few days ago, I saw an ad for Domino's chicken. The box that the chicken comes in has a removable top that allows you to check off "Nope", "Almost" or "Yes We Did", each corresponding to your satisfaction. After seeing the commercial, I went to YouTube and found this video explaining the chicken campaign. It is pretty funny and makes me feel like Domino's really wants to know what I think about their products. Domino's gets an A for effort!