All About Advertising

It's Halftime, America.

2012-02-07T22:19:00.000-08:00

This Chrysler ad is a winner. You can't go wrong with America's favorite tough guy as the spokesperson. When you hear that rough yet subtle tone of Clint Eastwood's voice, you best believe he's got something to say. Add to the mixture an inspired script and a fitting football analogy and you have a great Superbowl spot.

This ad conveys the pure resilience of America. The message is positive without being over-the-top and naive. "This isn't a game," Eastwood declares. When we face difficult times we have to rally, pick ourselves up and do what we need to do in order to turn things around. "If we can't find a way, then we'll make one."

Just like we tend to do with most things today, we can find a way to sway this ad politically. An Obama re-election campaign? No. Plain and simple, it's a car commercial. There's no hidden meaning. Patriotism is not Democrat or Republican.

And so we move forward together as Americans. Let's leave politics out of it for once. Let us instead take pride in our nation and what it stands for. Go USA...and Chrysler.

I'm back.

2012-02-05T22:55:00.000-08:00

This blog was originally going to be temporary. I set out to simply fulfill my requirements for my first advertising class at Marquette last year. However I have decided to continue writing. Call it a late new year's resolution. I always enjoyed writing these posts last year, and they helped me learn a whole lot more about advertising. And I can't think of a better time to start up again than Super Bowl Sunday, that one day a year when people stay put on the couch during the commercials, eating chips furiously and watching intently as if they're seeing Titanic for the first time.

I realize now halfway through this post that it is actually now Monday morning. But nevertheless, the Super Bowl Sunday spirit lives on throughout the week as this year's best spots are viewed countless times and analyzed by ad enthusiasts.

So give me a minute to step back and take a second look at this year's spread, and I will be writing again in no time. To whomever may come across this, thanks for reading and stay tuned.

-Caroline

Three Stripes Means...

2011-04-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Adidas owns the three stripe image. This print ad shows that. Just one glance and you know it's for Adidas. This brand trademark and Adidas' consistency with it makes for creative ads that are always recognizable. This ad conveys a simple message for Adidas. Adidas shoes will protect you, yet they can be as natural as your own bare feet. Three band-aids is all it takes to get the point across. Adidas already has strong credibility, so simply subtle creativity can be used to convey that natural yet reliable message.

When your ad does the opposite

2011-04-25T21:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a Dodge dealership just trying to do a little advertising, but someone just has to come along and partake in a little graffiti art. A bike, that's all this person had to draw for this whole billboard to convey something completely different.

Today, gas prices are constantly fluctuating, and everyone is trying to find the cheapest way to get around town. Car ads now have to say something about the miles per gallon to get the practical consumer to consider the car. Yet there's so much focus on cars that sometimes people may forget about the even cheaper ways to travel.

This graffiti artist took it upon him or herself to remind people of one form of transportation that requires only a little extra time and a little more motivation for way less the cost. Biking, not just a recreational activity but a way to get to where you need to go. While cars may be more practical and convenient at times, you can always save some gas and consider a bike ride for those next short trips.

So in the end, this ad may have done the complete opposite of what it was supposed to do. This simple image can make people think twice about transportation. It can cause someone to hop on their Schwinn instead of taking a trip to the dealership.

Putting the Mini in Mini Cooper

2011-04-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

These great Mini Cooper ambient ads show just how compact the popular Mini Cooper is. The empty Mini Cooper box tossed out with the trash or the box with the car inside and the age 16 and up label on it easily grabs people's attention. The advertisers are showcasing the car in a very unique way. Think of it as a big toy, not just a small car. This one's all about perspective. Putting something in a box can completely change how a person sees it. And it's the small size and this character that makes this car so popular. So why advertise it like any other car? These ads perfectly present the Mini Cooper in a one-of-a-kind way, setting it apart from every other vehicle. You can show any car being driven in an advertisement, but these show what makes the Mini Cooper the Mini Cooper.

Skip song or listen to ad?

2011-04-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

As a frequent Pandora listener I am accustomed to hearing a few advertisements now and then. But now they seem to be coming a lot more frequently. The ads are now the prices you have to pay for skipping songs. I try to use the skip feature sparingly to begin with because Pandora only lets you skip a certain amount of songs an hour. Now I don't want to use it because just about every time I click that skip, an advertisement appears.

I've also noticed that when the ad comes on, it is significantly louder than the music. This definitely wakes me up from my Pandora daze and forces me to listen. By now, I have most of the ads that play on my stations memorized, word for word. Advertising wins, it has successfully been drilled into my brain.

I like to consider myself a tolerant person, and especially tolerant of advertising. But I am getting increasingly annoyed with these Pandora ads. It may be because I haven't listened to the radio in a while, and I don't like having my constant stream of music interrupted. Or it may be the increased volume of the ads that annoys me, because I really don't like being yelled at about free business cards from Vistaprint. Either way, I always find myself quickly pressing the mute button or mouthing the words of the ad along with the speaker. But as annoyed as I may get, I understand that Pandora is a popular website and a great place for communicating quick messages. I just have to keep reminding myself that it's just like the radio and I'll be back to my music in no time.

Cadbury's Gorilla Ad

2011-04-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

In honor of the recent holiday, I thought I'd share an old commercial for Cadbury, the maker of everyone's favorite creme eggs.

I'm still trying to figure it out. A gorilla violently drumming along to Phil Collin's "In the Air Tonight" doesn't really make me think of chocolate. But that may not be the point of this spot. In fact, maybe there really is no point. This is one of those times that a company can put out an ad that doesn't necessarily make sense or relate back to the brand but something that people will respond to. This video definitely qualifies as one of the weird things you stumble upon while procrastinating, it gives you a quick laugh, and you send it out via email to a handful of friends who happen to appreciate weird things as much as you do.

I would really like to hear how the agency that produced this came up with the idea. A gorilla. A drum set. And one of those songs everyone has heard but doesn't really know the name of. Perfect. How does anyone think of something as random as this? Yet a part of me is still thinking that maybe I'm missing something. Maybe this whole concept does make sense? I'm still not entirely sure, let me know. But if it does or if it doesn't, the ad is still creative and oddly funny and something that many people can appreciate.

Marvel's Little Thor

2011-04-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

After the Super Bowl, no one was talking about the game but instead this commercial. Everyone loved the little Darth Vader and apparently couldn't get enough of the Volkswagen spot as evidence by the 36 million views and counting on YouTube. This ad definitely got people talking with the cute kid in the perfect Darth Vader costume, no overdone script, and finally the triumphant roar of the engine thanks to "the force".

So it was only a matter of time before someone else produced an alternate version, using the popularity of the Volkswagen ad to their advantage. This is an effort by Marvel to promote the new movie, Thor.

Although this ad may not be considered original and creative, I still think it works. It already has attracted a lot of media attention. And whether people like the ad or not, they're still being exposed to it, and it may subconsciously affect their decisions to go see the movie. Good or bad attention is attention nonetheless.

Less is More: Minimalism in Advertising

2011-04-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

We are often tricked into thinking that more is better. What makes a good ad? More colors, more words, more images, more complexity? Yet when more is added, do we still get that underlying simple message? Probably not. Taking away the excess and the clutter can leave you with great results. Why make something harder to understand than it has to be? A minimalist ad gets the point across, plain and simple. In the words of Leonardo da Vinci, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

Here are some great examples.

Hitler v. Charlie Chaplin

Wi-fi at McDonald's

Lego's "Imagine" campaign

Coca-Cola Light Lemon

The Small Steps to Getting Fit

2011-04-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Read this ad

This ad provides a very unique way to get moving and be on your way to getting fit. But it's not asking you to run a mile from the get-go; all you need to do is start small and move your head side to side. And congratulations, if you read this ad, you're off to a great start. Although getting in shape involves a whole lot more than this, the point is you have to start somewhere.

I mean, who likes to work out? I know some people may claim to, but I'll bet you ten bucks they would rather be reclining in the La-z-boy with the remote in one hand and a pint of Ben and Jerry's in the other. Trust me, it doesn't get much better than that. But unfortunately as one of the most obese countries in the world, America has to make some changes in the fitness department.

This ad doesn't say, "Drop and give me fifty." Instead, it eases you into getting moving, even if that just may be your head. You can start small by just taking the stairs or parking farther away from the store, and as you go along you can add more and more physical activity to the point where you're getting stronger and seeing results. Fitness centers may come across as very intimidating and intense, but Fit Vibe wants you to approach fitness calmly and take those small steps towards really getting moving.

A creative ad for new way to think about fitness.

Spreading the word about using less

2011-04-25T00:04:00.000-07:00

This ambient ad displays a good message that we should all keep in mind. We Americans live our lives in excess. We always have to have more, and rarely do we function with the bare minimum. Our obsession with possessions and our need to have more, despite not having the means to pay for this excess, has plunged us into a financial crisis. Not enough word is spread about living with less. And although this ad refers specifically to water, it's an important message that can still be applied to life in general. I also like how this ad puts a different spin on advertising. Many people think of advertising as just getting us to buy more and more things we don't need, but this shows that not all advertising has to be like that. Advertising can encourage social good and work to make vital changes in society. This ad seeks to initiate change in a very creative way.

Ray-Ban Print Campaign

2011-04-24T23:00:00.000-07:00

Art adds so much to advertising. A cool and interesting visual does wonders in promoting a brand and portraying it in a certain light. Consumers want to see something, not have someone talk their ear off about a product. These Ray-Ban print ads say a lot about the brand through the design and using only two simple words, "Never hide." Ray-Ban shows that its brand is fun, bold, and eccentric.

The ads appeal to Ray-Ban's mostly "hipster" target audience. Hipsters tend to appreciate design a little more than the average Joe anyways, but all the colors, images, and aspects of the ads further draw in the trendy Ray-Ban customer. In addition to the graphics, the slogan encourages individuality also. Ray-Ban wants you to celebrate your differences and realize that you are cool by being unique and a little off-kilter. Hipster or not, these ads are visually appealing and make a bold statement.

The Lies of Fast Food Advertising

2011-04-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

The other day I came across an interesting article that sought to reveal the truth behind fast food. The various sandwiches and burgers look delectable on TV, but the next time you stop by your favorite drive-thru destination, take a look at your food before you eat it, and compare. Here's what you should see:

What more can I say? These pictures are worth a thousand words. The food on the right side was photographed with a nice camera, in a professional studio, even matching the lighting and angles of the pictures in the ads. Yet look at these results. How do we not seem to notice this? The meat patties are grey and disappearing into the shapeless forms of the pancake-like hamburger buns. The lank lettuce appears to be miserably failing its desperate attempts to escape from its confines. The pallid cheese looks like it's just dripped from a candle or a beehive. And what can be said about that sad tomato slice wasting away in the Whopper? Overall, the actual pictures reveal fast food's true colors: greasy and bad for you. Oh well, not a big surprise.

But although these pictures are a little gross, and the ads have lied to us, I'm sure I can speak on behalf of many Americans and say that I will still drop a few bucks on my Big Mac and polish off a medium fry at the red lights on the drive home.

Check out the full article here: http://www.alphaila.com/articles/failure/fast-food-false-advertising-vs-reality/

Dawn for Doing Dishes?

2011-04-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

This Dawn commercial has made me think. Animals and dish soap? Although Dawn is promoting a great cause with its goal to save wildlife, it sure doesn't make me think of washing dishes.

The people watching this commercial are those who are using Dawn to clean up the dishes after dinner and probably have other things on their minds before saving wildlife. Even though it is important to maintain and care for our natural world, everyday people have other things to get done. Managing a household, paying the bills, running errands. Saving the world is probably not at the top of their lists. However Dawn does take a little pressure off. Just by purchasing the dish soap, someone can make a small contribution to the ongoing efforts to preserve wildlife.
The ad just doesn't seem like it initially appeals to Dawn's consumers. I'm all for saving animals but I'm just not quite sure I want to think about them as I'm helping my mom clean up the dishes after eating a steak...

T-Mobile's Royal Wedding

2011-04-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

I don't know about anyone else, but this ad had me looking twice. These actors are nearly identical to their royal counterparts. And how weird to see what looks like Queen Elizabeth and crew strutting their stuff down a church aisle. But I think this ad really works overall.
The world seems to be so caught up in the excitement of the royal wedding coming up next week. T-mobile has succeeded in coming out with something perfectly current to add to the frenzy and to generate even more buzz. The video has gone viral with currently more than nine million hits on YouTube. It's attracted so much attention and will continue to do so as the week goes on with the royals in the spotlight.
This ad has a great concept. It brings life and joy to the sometimes seemingly disciplined, cut-and-dried royal system. It makes light of a such an extravagant and monumental event. T-mobile encourages us to celebrate all the joys of life and to realize that, "One's life is for sharing." The ad reminds us that the royal family is just like our families, in a way; we just want to have a good time.

Stick your gum somewhere else

2011-04-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

Most of us have all had the experience of stepping in gum. It's extremely annoying, getting permanently stuck to the bottom of our shoes in addition to throwing off our balance and making an irritating sticking sound when we keep walking. We don't usually look down at the sidewalk and count just how many wads have been carelessly stuck to the ground. It's everywhere. In Dublin it littered the streets, so the Dublin City Council decided to do something about this problem by coming up with a clever ambient campaign.

The tagline: "Gum. It's better stuck in the bin."

Hundreds of shoes were stuck to the ground with chewing gum in a crowded area. The spectacle attracted a lot of attention from the public. People took pictures and videos, and the campaign quickly became a popular subject in local media, blogs, and on social networking sites. This is a great campaign because it gets the message across in a creative way, it's cost-effective, and it generates interest and attention. It points out this unnecessary problem and persuades the public to be more conscientious of how and where they dispose of their gum, and litter in general.

Left Brain/Right Brain

2011-04-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

For some reason I can't stop staring at the recent Mercedes Benz Left Brain/Right Brain print ads. This campaign provides a very new and fresh take on car advertising. I find car ads to be so much more inspiring and creative when they're simply hyping the brand, clearing displaying the brand's personality and depicting what it stands for. In this case, it's all about appealing to both types of people, left brain thinkers and right brain thinkers. This ad campaign separates the two by illustrating and describing their individual characteristics. Yet the two opposite sides are brought together by the all-encompassing power of Mercedes Benz.

The brand incorporates the finest aspects of each brain type to claim its tagline, "The best or nothing." Mercedes can be thought of as the best of both worlds. Mercedes is the mathematician and the artist. Science and logic joins with creativity and passion to create something perfect, something for everyone.
Finally, the bold graphics of these ads bring the whole innovative concept to life. You can't help but be drawn in by the stark contrast between the vivid right side of the brain and the sharp left side.

The Most Relaxing Ad for a Cell Phone, Ever

2011-04-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

Ads for cell phones are typically flashy and over-the-top. Bright colors and upbeat music make the phone seem fun and cutting edge. An ad for technology in general has to do everything it can to make the newest device seem cool and modern. It needs to say that this is the best gadget yet, the pinnacle of technology. But this Japanese ad for the Touch Wood SH-08C phone from Docomo takes an entirely different approach.

Bach being played in a forest on a wooden xylophone. Does it get much better than that? The natural and organic mood of this commercial is so refreshing. It doesn't excite you, but calms you instead. Three minutes of relaxing simplicity with no loud voiceovers, just the sounds of the forest and the wooden ball rolling down its xylophone track. The birds softly chirping in the background, the creek streaming, the hazy sunlight winding through the tall trees, and the steady tap of wood that emits a string of clear tones. All of these elements lend themselves perfectly to the relaxing nature of this ad.

Now does it make you want this phone? Who knows? Who cares? Just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and think about that later.

If this doesn't get your attention, what will?

2011-04-11T22:20:00.000-07:00

How does advertising get any bigger than this? I love this jaw-dropping, in-your-face advertising for many reasons. This ad really brings the WOW factor. This is not something you can miss walking by. Seeing this in person would be astonishing, and even the picture is able to capture the sheer magnitude of this outdoor ad.

It would be impossible to walk by this without saying something to the person next to you or just looking twice. The huge splash of lime green paint catches your eye, draws you in, and sparks interest in the ad. It goes beyond the confines of a simple banner and literally colors outside of the lines. Who says ads must be bound by the rectangular measurements of a page in a magazine or a billboard? This spreading display makes for a much more interesting and captivating advertisement.

And just when you think this can't get any better, you realize that this is a dual ad. Coop's Paints and Nationwide both get something out of this. The bright spectacle paints a vivid and alluring picture for Coop's Paints (pun very much intended). Seeing the paint spilled over a black background and onto the dull surroundings gives the paint a fresh and exciting feel. The Nationwide part of the ad then steadies this excitement. Their signature tagline works perfectly with the rest of this ad. When things are overwhelming and life is coming at you at the speed of light, Nationwide is there to smooth everything over. Nationwide wants you to know that for all of life's little accidents, you'll have someone you can trust to help you manage.

This creative ad gets the message across in a very original way. It easily captures your attention and encourages you to connect the two brands while still understanding each one separately.

Technology is not enough... but buy the iPad 2

2011-04-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

At this point, Apple really doesn't have to do too much work anymore. Take an existing product. Make it thinner, a little bit faster, a different color. Put in a couple cameras. Advertise it. Make a quick commercial. The new iPad rotating in front of a white background. Everyone's favorite new indie song playing. People with accents, black shirts, and thick-framed glasses speaking in fluent techie jargon. Doesn't matter what they say, people are going to buy it.

But in promoting the iPad 2, Apple tried something new in addition to their signature spot. This commercial attempts to be less fun and more sentimental. It makes you think of the iPad less as a cool gadget and more of a tool to document every important aspect of your life. But it seems a little contradictory. It starts with the statement, "Technology alone is not enough." Yet it's always seemed like Apple has been trying to tell us that technology is almost all we need. And it goes on to declare that once technology gets out of the way, then "everything becomes more delightful." This ad makes you think about how technology has completely consumed your life and how nice it would be to just appreciate the simple things. So if you want to go back to basics, don't read a book or take a walk outside... instead buy the iPad 2..?

Keep Your Head Down

2011-03-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

Walk down a busy sidewalk. More than half of the people you pass will be looking down at their cell phones. They're too busy texting or checking their emails that they can't look up for one minute. They won't be able to see the ad on the bus speeding by, the enormous ad plastered to the side of a building, the billboard in the distance, or the ad at the bus stop. They have blocked out everything around them including the advertising.

Where should the ads go now? Where they can see them, on the ground. Sidewalk advertising is all over now, catching peoples' attention and forcing them to look beyond their cell phone screens.

If you don't have an iPhone...

2011-03-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

The iPhone has taken over the world. I remember the days when it first became a novelty. We crowded around the one person we knew who had it and marveled at the touch screen and the most basic apps. How things have changed. Now, everywhere you look there's people bent over their iPhones hardly able to tear their eyes away from the screen. It's become an integral part of people, almost an extension of themselves. How could they live without it?

I've started to really enjoy the reactions I get when I pull out my Verizon flip phone. Horror. Confusion. Disgust. I'm quick to defend the dignity of this archaic yet trusty mobile device. I explain how the camera is the most advanced feature and how I text like a pro with T9. The most exciting part is when I show that this model is truly indestructible by giving it a light toss to the floor, something iPhone owners would never dream of doing. I've become ever so proud of this cell phone, loving the way it fits in any pocket and closes every conversation perfectly with a snap shut.

However recently, Apple has been making many attempts to destroy this pride by pointing out all the wonderful things I'm missing out on. Take a look.

This is just one of the many iPhone features that is advertised and one thing that my reliable phone can't offer. How sad. Apple is trying to get non-iPhone users everywhere to feel bad about their cell phones. They're saying we should be embarrassed by what we're carrying around and trying to pass off as phones.

But I say, "Resist!" Who is Apple to take constant jabs at my cell phone pride? This advertising comes across as very smug and pretentious especially with the closing line, "If you don't have an iPhone, well, you don't have an iPhone." Yes, I am completely biased because I do not have an iPhone, but if anything these commercials make me want one even less. Get off your high horse, Apple. You make cool stuff, but I'm perfectly fine with what I have, thank you very much.

Check out all of these TV ads at Apple's YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/Apple#p/u/3/tVvVQc3O01U

Remedy for Headaches Caused by Commercial

2011-03-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

When pondering my next blog entry I usually find myself thinking of the best ads I've seen in the past couple weeks. This time I wanted to take a different approach. I simply asked myself the question, "What is the most annoying advertisement I have ever seen?" Almost immediately, a simple phrase began ringing in my ears.

"HeadOn, apply directly to the forehead!"
"HeadOn, apply directly to the forehead!"
"HeadOn, apply directly to the forehead!"

This incessant command soon became stuck in my head just like Gaga's "Paparazzi." I couldn't focus on anything else so I immediately had to pour my frustration into this entry. So simple. Yet so extremely annoying. When it comes on you don't have time to escape. It doesn't give you time to wrench the remote control out of the seat cushions and jab the channel up button. You have to just bear it. No matter what strategies you use to protect yourself from that voice, you will still get the message. Not only will you get it, but it will be drilled into your brain and will likely stay there for eternity.

Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic. Nevertheless, this ad is memorable. It gets the message across by simple repetition and the lack of elaborate creativity. In an industry where things are becoming more and more innovative, this breaks through the clutter. And the repetition of the product's directions is sure to drive people crazy. So crazy that people will go out and buy the product which they had promised they wouldn't purchase because the advertising was so irritating. In fact, this is now the perfect time for HeadOn (to be applied directly to the forehead) as the repetition has produced a pounding headache.

Annoying? yes. Effective? yes. Worst ad ever? I guess not.

Dove Promotes Real Beauty

2011-03-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

I first read about this ad campaign in the book, Hey Whipple, Squeeze This, by Luke Sullivan. Through this campaign the Dove brand has become even more synonymous with term "real beauty." This "Dove Evolution"spot, done by Ogilvy, is intriguing and takes advertising for cosmetics in a new direction.

Typically, advertising for beauty products involves portraying a model with perfectly proportioned features and no flaws whatsoever. Everyone wants perfection, and cosmetics marketing caters to this desire by manipulating reality. Technology has given photographers and editors the ability to completely distort anything natural. Faces are stretched and airbrushed until they are seemingly impeccable. Consumers then, driven by this aspiration to look flawless, go out and buy the product being advertised that will apparently give them superhuman beauty.

Dove instead takes a more honest and real approach to beauty. This campaign reveals the deceit behind the whole industry. It emphasizes beauty in the natural and real sense. But it isn't all about physical appearances. Dove sends out a greater message about confidence. Dove values being proud of oneself and having the courage to be an individual. Besides selling products, Dove promotes an attitude. This campaign raises awareness about perceptions of beauty and self-esteem. It also lends itself well to the brand essence of Dove. To consumers, Dove can be seen as a positive force emphasizing natural beauty and combatting society's expectations of perfection. The Evolution campaign is right on target with what Dove wants to communicate to the world.

Oreo Elevator

2011-02-13T16:27:00.000-08:00

Here is one great advertisement that celebrates America's favorite pastime: dunking an Oreo into a glass of milk. This classic tradition is right up there with having lemonade stands in the summer or running downstairs on Christmas morning to see that Santa had come. This simple act evokes a wonderful sense of nostalgia. We are reminded of our childhood and the many debates we had about which was better, the cookie or the cream. This submerging of America's favorite cookie in a tall glass of ice cold milk is undoubtedly one of the greatest simple joys of life.

The elevator advertising concept drew on this popular and cherished tradition. It is creative and unconventional so it stands out. It is effective because it is advertising that people don't want to avoid. Ads like this get attention and get people talking. The originality gets people excited and makes them appreciate the ad. What I like most about this ad is that it can make you smile. It encourages you to slow down and take a minute to just relax and let yourself be happy. And isn't pure and simple happiness what Oreo stands for?

The Power of Physical Comedy

2011-02-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

You see someone trip and fall on the ground, landing in a very awkward position. What is your immediate response? What happens before any type of concern sets in? Assuming there is no serious damage, chances are you're holding back a smile. No matter how mature you are, there's just something funny about those missteps that leave a person out of control. It is not that we take joy in another's pain or embarrassment. It is the simple appearance of someone physically caught in an unusual position. We are so used to people having complete control over themselves that when they lose that command we watch in utter fascination.
Both Reebok and Pepsi tapped into this idea for their Super Bowl spots. They laid on the physical comedy thick for us all to enjoy, making it perfectly acceptable for us to bust a gut laughing.

In Reebok's commercial, we see linebacker "Terry Tate" take control of a typical office. One mistake in this workplace and you're blind-sided by a harrowing tackle courtesy of number 56. What adds to the hilarity of the flailing employees are the aggressive verbal scoldings that Tate issues. In this case, losing your dignity while being thrown into a cubicle wall can really motivate you to do better next time.

Pepsi also gets a laugh out of us with their Pepsi Max commercials. The spot that aired in 2009 shows a handful of guys receive some rough bumps and bruises. These injuries are painfully funny especially with the nonchalant "I'm good" reaction from the victim. This year's spot is a little less dramatic. It isn't hit after hit, just a pop can to the head at the end. Yet it still uses that slapstick comedy which we all seem to enjoy.

So the question is: is this use of a certain kind of comedy effective in advertising? I would argue that it is. It makes us laugh, which makes us want to see it again. And when we search for the commercial on our computers we have to know what was being advertised in order to find what we are looking for. To track down the spot we must remember the brand and the product. It may be true that slapstick humor is overused in commercials, especially those for the Super Bowl, but I think that it can really work when used right.

I am Converse.

2011-02-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.converse.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ConverseAllStar?v=info

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPZ5fnYFI4Q

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/agency/e3i5dab627a6e5e9f67f6c2ff46aaef1efe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY6VroKoB8E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE5Rd_uIdqw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bll1AunxHtY&feature=related

I don’t need caffeine or exercise to feel refreshed in the morning. I simply roll out of bed and lace up my trusty Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars. A sense of confidence emerges as I run my fingers over the worn away “All Star” on the heel and the classic patch on the ankle. I am reminded of what Converse stands for, what I stand for. I’m ready to start the day with my identity strapped to my feet.

Converse supplies tradition and originality to millions of people around the world. The signature Converse star represents universal individuality with an edge, and it gives a respectful nod to the past and makes strides into the future. This star also embodies my values.

I pride myself on being my own person. I celebrate my differences and what makes me an individual. Nothing is better than knowing that I am the only me. Converse invites the world to appreciate the individual. You’re able to express yourself by simply donning a pair of shoes. The color or the way you wear them can tell the world just a little something about you. The shoes are as different as the people wearing them. For instance, my mother doesn’t like my maroon high-tops, claiming they are for boys. Yet she can occasionally be seen sporting my old plaid low-tops. We are unique yet bonded by the power of a simple pair of sneakers. I feel as if no one can stop us when we saunter up and down the bread aisle at the grocery store in our “same but different” kicks.

This sense of boldness and tenacity comes with a pair of Chuck Taylors. Converse stands for edgy confidence with a little touch a rebellion. I like getting into that Converse mindset that says, “I can get along with anyone but I dare you to cross me.” It’s exciting to be a little rough around the edges. The rock and roll image associated with the brand definitely helps get the message across. The leather jacket paired with black All Stars is the quintessential tough but cool look.

Converse moves its image forward. Just as I am learning new things and looking forward to the future, Converse moves along, keeping up to date and refreshing itself for what’s to come. Yet as forward thinking as it is, the brand respectfully acknowledges the past. Converse reminds us of the times back when Chuck Taylor himself just wanted a functional pair of basketball shoes. I also imagine simpler times when I was just a kid without a care in the world. Converse and I alike want to preserve the past and pay homage to our humble beginnings.

Converse and I exist outside of boundaries. We don’t want to be labeled. We want to be different and cool by our own standards. We want to encourage originality. We want to be creative and express ourselves. We don’t want to be held back; we want to thrive.