karter1976-blog

[karter1976-blog]

Argument Analysis

Jean Kilbourne wanted people to understand that the images of women that portrayed in the media play a significant role in a lot women self-esteem. For example there are plenty women in the world who are content with their weight or lifestyle, but when women are objectified and idealized to look a certain way, it can devalue a women who believes that she is beautiful in her own unique way.

Understanding that most ads don't aim to offend, I realize that having attractive models would be a effective strategy to attract consumers, but it would be better if marketers would feature more women of different sizes and shapes.

[karter1976-blog]

Violence In Advertising

I found this old Pepsi Max Super bowl commercial that exploited some stereotypical generalizations about black couples. This ad was criticized for shining light on domestic violence and poor eating habits.

I understand that marketers take different approaches when targeting different audiences, but advertisers should know where to draw the line between entertainment and ignorance.

[karter1976-blog]

The Pepsi Max commercial with the couple, ending with the girl getting hit in the head with a can.

[karter1976-blog]

Reflections: What I've grasped so far

Advertisers are certainly opinions leaders in society. Advertising has the power to inform, persuade and entertain.

Using these dimensions advertisers create a desire for products and services that drive consumers to make purchases. Sometimes these purchases are planned and others are impulsive. We live in a society where the media is a very powerful tool, and advertisers go above and beyond to conduct research that will help them appeal to their audience. At the hands of creative advertisers, consumers are being conditioned to either conform or accept the images and information put in advertising. 

The most successful marketing strategies are those that target a specific demographic. Advertisers tailor ads based off of information acquired through various forms of research. With advertisers working hard to appeal to consumers, it is not a question whether ads influence our purchase behavior, the real question is which product or service category are you most susceptible to adverting?

[karter1976-blog]

Mountain Dew is definitely one of my favorite drinks but they didn’t have to pick black guys to be the bad guys

http://www.rap-up.com/2013/05/03/tyler-the-creator-defends-controversial-mountain-dew-ad/

The Pepsi Co. signed off on a controversial viral ad that featured a battered waitress being told to identify her attacker, out of a line-up of 5 black males and a goat.The goat was featured in past Mountain Dew commercials but viewers found it racially offensive for having virtually all black suspects. The producer of the ad is a 22 year old rapper who claims that his intentions were not to offend, and that all the actors were his friends. Whether the actors were his friends or not is irrelevant to offended viewers and customers.

[karter1976-blog]

Unintended Consequences

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/02/business/media/gm-and-mountain-dew-pull-ads-after-criticism-for-racial-insensitivity.html?_r=0

This is clearly offensive advertising. Chevrolet thought it would be okay to have a car ad that featured a remix of an Asian song from the 1930's, that literally had nothing to do with the car itself. The reason I think this ad is offensive is because the creators could have simply picked a song that was more universally appreciated. This ad featured a vehicle that is not currently sold in the states, but despite that, this ad would've still got the same message across without being so generic. Chevy obviously wanted to target the Asian population but they could have featured a song that was more internationally known in order to attract a larger demographic audience.

Mountain Dew is definitely one of my favorite drinks but they didn't have to pick black guys to be the bad guys.