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.

Ads of the \past

The messages that these advertisements show would not be appropriate for publication in today's society as the messages they show are not healthy messages.

The first ad shows a man blowing smoke in a woman's face and states that the smell of that brand of cigarette, when blown in her face will make her follow you anywhere. The woman in the ad is very young, pretty and sexy while the man is not shown as much. This ad encourages smoking which was very common place in the 1950's and 1960's. The behaviour of the man in this ad is very inappropriate as it is a rude gesture he makes towards the woman. Today we know the dangers of smoking and this ad would not be appropriate. Also, in Canadian women are more respected now.

The second ad is for dieting and talks about tapeworms as a way to stay thin. The ad is geared to women and only shows a woman in it. Even then there was a need for women to be thin to be considered pretty. This is still a current theme in our ads however it is not appropriate as people are turning to many dangerous ways to be thin. The best way to be thin is to eat properly and exercise. The use of tapeworms would not be allowed today as we know the risks of this product.

The third ad shows a doctor smoking and states that most doctors prefer this brand of cigarette. This ad takes someone of authority smoking and presents itself as a healthy thing to do. The pictures show male doctors who back then were considered at the top of the list for health knowledge. Today we know the dangers of smoking and doctors are shown in ads promoting aids to help people quit smoking.

The last ad shows a happy and thin family dressed for the beach. It states that they are happy because they eat lard. This was a very commonly used product in that era but today we know it is not healthy and ads are for low fat items today.

Most of these ads would have been considered appropriate in the 1950's and 1960's as they show the current thoughts of that era. Today these ads are considered inappropriate as they promote unhealthy behaviours.

Google Streetview

I agree with Google developing this program for people to access because it will assist people in locating unfamiliar destinations. It allows someone to type in the address of where they are going and actually see what the house or apartment and the surrounding areas look like. This will help them find the right place. While some people will claim that a regular GPS device will do the same, it will only get you to the address, it will not help you find the actual place that one is looking for.

In a way I believe that privacy laws are being broken by this new program. One can see both people and in some cases cars parked in driveways. While Google has stated that the blurring out of license plates and people's faces has protected their privacy it is still possible to identify people who are caught in the pictures. Car license plates can be obtained by driving to that address and recognizing the car parked in the driveway. Today's privacy laws state that even parents cannot take pictures at their kids sporting events. Adults even complain if their photos are taken at events and they do not want those photos shared with others, especially in the times of online social networking.

I think that the best solution would be for Google to find better ways to protect privacy. One suggestion that I have would be for them to remove all people and vehicles from the photos. With technology available today this would not be hard. This would leave people with a valuable mapping tool and protect everyone's privacy.