Axe versus Dove

I feel that the Dove campaign is an example of effective advertising. This is because they speak the truth, using everyday people and not models. They are trying to let young girls know that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, colours and looks. Dove is stating that true beauty comes from within. This ad speaks to both the younger generation and their parents.

The Dove campaign makes me feel better about myself and those around me. I do feel that they are effectively marketing their product to a large group of people that could easily become committed to this product and use it for a very long time.

I feel that the Axe video was quite funny, it really made me laugh out loud. However this ad was very unrealistic in the sense that it showed women coming from all corners of the world, chasing a scent, looking for the man wearing that scent. All the women were wearing nothing more than bikinis, they were all physically fit and attractive so the campaign took on a more sexual tone. This ad is not appropriate for young children to see so the target audience is much smaller than the one in the Dove campaign.

I do think that the parent company should show ethical responsibility in all of their marketing campaigns and have their values and beliefs come through regardless of the product being marketed. If they show different values with different products then they are lying to one group of people that they are targeting. If the company truly believes that women are beautiful in any shape or size etc. then why would they only use young, attractive women for the Axe advertisement? Did they do that just to sell the product to the young men that they were hoping would buy this product? Were they hoping that sex would sell this product? If that is the case then they have portrayed both the women and men in a bad light being that men only think of getting the girl and women just want cute men.

Taxing pop

I believe that in some instances scare campaigns can be an effective form of advertising. I think that in this particular instance the scare tactics used are effective in making people want to lead healthier lives. After seeing some of these campaigns I want to try and make sure that I am making healthier choices in my daily life.

I do believe that obesity is now an epidemic of large proportions. When walking down the street I see many more people who are overweight and/or obese than I noticed a few years ago. This is even more so when I visit my aunt and uncle in the United States. When going to restaurants for meals I have noticed that portions are getting larger and larger. Many restaurants have specials on items that are less healthy and are charging more and more for the healthier foods. There are also more buffet restaurants that encourage people to overeat.

Watching the video of the man drinking fat made me feel sick. It was plain nasty to see the liquified fat that he was trying to drink. It made me think about all the junk food and pop that I have eaten and what is doing to my body. Seeing the 10 pounds of fat poured onto the plate at the end of the video was disgusting. It made me feel very nauseated and not wanting to eat junk foods.

If a tax was put on soda pop, chips, candies and other junk foods it would discourage me from purchasing those items. I know that I would purchase the cheaper diet pops and healthier food items as I would want to save my money for other purchases rather than just giving it to the government. Also, as I am getting older I am more concerned about my health and wanting to maintain a healthy body weight to prevent diseases associated with being obese. I do not think that I am alone in this thinking. Many of my friends would also turn away from junk foods if they were taxed as they do not want to pay more for the sugary pops when the diet pop is just as good and would be cheaper.

Photoshop gone bad

I think that using photoshop to digitally improve the looks of models and celebrities in magazines is wrong because it shows them in ways that are very unrealistic. Many young children and teenagers as well as some adults feel that they must get their bodies to look just as skinny or toned. This can lead to many people who are "normal weights" to start with becoming anorexic or bulimic. Also, when these same people are shown made up many "normal" people will feel less attractive which can effect their self esteem.

I think that the models and celebrities that are being shown without their make-up is a good idea because it shows that they want to present themselves to the world as they really are. They are rebelling against the current media that are changing their appearance for profit.

The use of everyday people in magazine shots I think is a great idea because we get to see real people modelling the clothes. It lets those people reading the magazines and seeing the ads realize that they are normal too and that beauty comes in all ages, colours and sizes. I hope that this trend continues to grow so that more people can see the beauty in everyday folks. I do not see the women in my family in the altered photos but when I look at the non glammed up photos I can picture my sisters or even my mother in those photos which is more the normal in life.

Video games

The evolution of video games, in my opinion, has been beneficial to the population in general. This is because as the graphics improve more the game play improves and therefore more people are excited to be playing these games. From a personal point of view, as I have progressed through various gaming devices, my enjoyment of the games has increased phenomenally. I look forward to each and every new game especially those related to hockey and war.

The downside of the evolution of video games is that with each and every improvement made to the systems and the game graphics the games themselves are becoming more expensive. The newest gaming systems are now complete entertainment units unto themselves. It is unlikely that one could purchase a new system for under $600.00 which in today's economy is out of reach of many teenagers and young adults. The games are in the range of $50 to 7o when they are released.

The new game genres such as the Wii and the portable devices such as PSP and the Nintendo DS are being marketed to both the younger generations and their parents generations. I think that part of this new marketing scheme is to target the generation that can afford to purchase these systems. The new genres, especially the Wii which involves the player actually moving has alot of benefits as it is a form of exercise. These systems are being used in rehabilitation hospitals to help the elderly and stroke patients recover and stay active. While played differently then the traditional video games they are still games in the end.The new game genres actually encourage family time as it is an enjoyable activity across all generations.