Cramer-Krasselt: An Agent that ISN'T a Secret

Have you ever seen the Carona beer commercial where there are various scenes where a couple enjoys the taste of the beer together or have you ever seen the Porsche Panamera commercial where all the different Porsche cars are driving in the desert, then the Panamera comes through and all of the other cars branch out and they form a family tree? If you have, then you know of some work from Cramer-Krasselt, an advertising agency has been around since 1898. Cramer-Krasselt is the second largest independent agency in the U.S. and was created in Milwaukee.

This company has worked with many of the biggest companies around such as CareerBuilder, Edward Jones, the Blue Man Group, and they have also worked with big Milwaukee based company Airtran Airways. This agency does a great job of finding simple, intelligent ways to grasp the attention of the audience or demographic they want for any product. For an example, Airtran Airways was really unpopular in Milwaukee for many reasons and people didn't want to choose their airlines for traveling, but CK came up with marketing techniques that were undeniably great that people started trusting and liking the company. Some of the techniques were designing the outside of planes in the Milwaukee Brewers colors and logos, giving many job opportunities to Milwaukee people, and got them to serve warm cookies on the airplanes. Great techniques to change the outlook of a airline people hate can do wonders. To see all of the great things they have done, go to their website http://www.c-k.com/# for more info.

Corona: Simple, but Great

This ad was one of the great examples I've seen recently when it comes to simple, but great advertising for a product. The Corona beer ads all take place on a beach and it's always two beers with a lime slice. The beach represents beautiful paradise and the colors are perfect and relaxing. The purpose of this particular ad is that one beer is almost full while the other beer is almost empty. Next to the full beer, it says "High tide" and next to the empty beer, it says, "Low Tide". The sayings are references to how the ocean goes when waves are formed. It also connects to how it looks when one beer is opened and how it looks when a beer is closed. I think this is a humorous ad. The other thing the ad does simply, but great is the fact that the camera angle is focused strictly on the bottles. Everything in the ad is in the back. It draws your eyes to the bottles first instead of looking at the beach. Even when you look at the setting, you can't help but to look at the bottles as well.

Frito Lay turning South Park's Cheesy Poofs into Reality

In the spirit of the 15th year of the animated cable show South Park, Frito-Lay is gearing up to turn certain bags of Cheetos into the actual show's version Cheesy Poofs. This will take place in the fall, but only for a limited time. The Cheesy Poofs comes from an episode in the earlier days of the show, where Cartman (as seen above) is obsess with the chessy snack. Above is a video of Cartman singing the jingle for Cheesy Poofs.

I think that it is a brilliant idea for South Park to allow Frito-Lay to advertise their idea because this is how both companies can make more money. Many people will go out and purchase the bag because it's a South Park reference...a classy reference overall in the show's 15th year history. It is also smart for Frito-Lay to do this because they are bringing various groups of people to buy more of their snacks and they are also charging more money than usual for the bag because of the novelty aspect of it. This deal seems to work out for everyone and the marketing skill is simple, but will make a lot of money.

CDF Freedom Schools National Social Action Day: I'm Stepping Up For Children

This week is a very important one as every 3rd Wednesday of July, the Children Defense Fund Freedom Schools program conducts the National Social Action Day. For those who never heard of Freedom Schools, you are really missing out! Freedom Schools is a reading enrichment program created by the Children Defense Fund (see my blog called What Brand Am I to get the full effect of the program) to motivate children to fall in love with reading and being able to learn critical thinking skills.

Now, since there is a little recap or introduction into the program, we can talk about the National Social Action Day. The importance of Social Action to the Freedom Schools model is to teach children to take a positive role in the issues that affect their communities. Some would probably ask, "What can children do to make a huge difference in their communities?" The answer to that is  A LOT!!! Children from a young age to college students have made a positive impact in history on social issues such as Little Rock 9, the Freedom Riders, and various Civil Rights groups.

In Freedom School, the children, which are referred to as Scholars, are taught to strive above the "norm" for students. These Scholars definitely achieve this goal when they continue the legacy of fighting for equality on social issues such as healthcare coverage, education, poverty, and incarceration issues.

On July 13th, there will be thousands of children nationwide from big cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and New York to small cities such as Bennettsville, SC, and Tulsa, Ok, that will participating in the this amazing event. There will be marches, chants, and a huge amount of taking a stand for a common cause in their communities.

Here is a promo video of this year's National Social Action Day theme

After watching the video, I hope you have an urge to want to make a positive impact and that you ask yourself, "How can I be apart of this huge event?" If this question comes to your mind and you are in Milwaukee then you can answer that question! Urban Roots CDF Freedom School is one of the 130 sites around the nation and the ONLY site in the state of Wisconsin. This site's existence has been 3 years and has made a great change in the Harambee Community of Milwaukee. This Wednesday at 12pm-2:30pm, Urban Roots will be having a National Social Action Day event at 2600 N. 2nd St. to take action on the educational problems happening not just in the country, but specifically in Wisconsin. There are many budget cuts that have happened (thanks to a certain beloved Governor) which has and will affect the future of education in this state. With the budget cuts, teachers have lost jobs, college students have lost grants and added more debt on top of their loans, and not to mention some public schools have closed.

We all need to take a stand and say we CAN'T and WON'T allow this to happen because all children need education.

Here's a flyer for the Urban Roots CDF Freedom School National Social Action Day event

Apple's Origin of Ads: The Seeds that Planted Success

In the spirit of showing respect to this great brand Apple, I wanted to go back and focus on how they started in marketing their computers. The advertising looks so B.C. now, but looking back during the early 80s at brands and their advertising, Apple has done one thing consistently over the past 30 years...cutting edge marketing and advertising.

The ad above is a huge step in the cutting edge area. The ad clearly plays on the biblical story of Adam and Eve and how the importance of the apple in that story connects to how important Apple should be. With a slogan saying, "We're looking for the most original use of an Apple since Adam", it puts their product in the forbidden realm which is so great that it makes you sin. Ads from the past weren't as risky. This makes it one of the risky ads of its time.

The ad below is an ad that shows the dominance of what Apple stands for even today...being the Ultimate Personal Computer. In ads for Apple in the past, they were very direct on bragging about how good their products were than the competition. As of today, they still make ads bragging, but they are more subtle today probably due to the emergence of Microsoft during the mid 80s. Either way, cheers to Apple and their 3 decades of great ads and marketing.

 In the spirit of our Apple week, I decided to blog about one of the best ads of the last decade. Apple has always been a trendsetter when it comes to style and technology, but with these ads, Apple had started something epic...the silhouette of a person dancing to a song that they're listening to on their Ipod. By viewing this ad, a person can imagine themselves owning an Ipod and jamming wherever or whenever. On the left, there is a woman smiling while dancing to her Ipod.

To the right, there is a silhouette of a guy looking like he's playing an air guitar to a song on his Ipod. Many guys, if not all, can relate to hearing our favorite song on our mp3 and pretending to be the drummer or the guitar player. We would play it with feeling. These ads made you remember these moments and wanted to make new ones.

These ads help take mp3 players to another level where Microsoft created some competition with a product called Zune. There were other companies creating ads very similar to Apple’s. This was a great marketing strategy and the profits showed for Apple. Today, Ipods still are the biggest music player in the world. Various types have hit the stores over the years. Apple continues to be the cutting edge company in technology, and this was the ad to help take Ipods to a new level.

Early Drink???

Here is an advertisement for Guinness Beer with the slogan, "Lovely day for a Guinness". My question, "Why would someone wake up wanting a beer?" I'm assuming that the toucan is to show that the beer is one of the wonders of the world. Both objects (the beer and the toucan) stand out and over the city...which means start your day with one amazing thing that no one in the world can describe. The fact that a roaster is normally the bird that wakes people up, shows that this is a different route for a person to take in the morning, but it's fun, lively, and unique.

I don't mind having a few beers every now and again, but at sunrise? I think not. The first thing I think about when I wake up, after thanking God for another day, is what am I going to eat. I think this is in poor taste because eating on an empty stomach isn't good for anyone. Now I know this beer is made overseas, and this ad is probably targeting that demographic, but I still think if a person wakes up wanting a beer, this is clearly a sign of  an alcoholic. Maybe it's just me.

AT&T: Creative Genius

This ad above is for AT&T Wireless, which shows creative genius. The purpose for the ad is to depict the wireless coverage is all over the world, and the phone just blends into the background. The picture shows a phone laying against trees or bushes while a chameleon discovers the phone. If you look closer, the picture is made up of hands, fingers, and arms. The branches are arms, the chameleon and trees are hands and fingers. I thought it was genius because it shows a earthy tone to their company. The hands represent protection, but open to everyone. The chameleon represents blending in everywhere. The fact that it is made with arms, it depicts having control on their service. That means AT&T does a great drop of having coverage. The creativity in this ad is probably the best I have seen in a very long time.

Degrading women, Sexy Ad, or ...?

This ad is apart of a campaign for Dolce & Gabbana, a company where they create clothing, accessories, and fragrances. In this particular ad, there are four men with one woman at a destination. Depending on who you are and where your mind is, there are many different views a person can have about this ad.

By looking at this picture, the first thought I received was "wow, I can't believe that this is an ad for a company." So, I figured that my mindset was on the fact that this ad was degrading women by having four men and one woman. From this view, it looks like a woman is being held down by a man while the other men watch. This form of acting is rape. To make a rape claim...how? Well, if you view her facial expression, a person with this mindset can see it as her resisting because the expression is serious.

Another view of this advertisement could be a sexual escapade that they are having. Everything said about the rape mindset is happening, but instead of resisting, the woman could be looked as participating in the activity. Notice her legs bent...this is a submission of herself to the man who is holding her. Her facial expression can be taken in the sense of her enjoying herself in the pleasure of what's she will experience.

After looking at this ad in an orgy or rape view, go back and look again. This advertisement can also be viewed as a woman who is in trouble and the man is trying to save her. The other men who are around are viewing to see she is alright or what's going on. The guy who is over the woman is holding her wrist. Instead of viewing her as holding the woman down, view the man as checking her pulse. It clearly is very hot where they are outside because the people are sweaty. This is definitely a serious moment...look at the guy in the blue long sleeve close to the woman. His face has a really concern look. The woman looks like she fainted by the closed eyes and the mouth slightly opened.

So however you view this ad, remember that it Erving Goffman stated this type of  ad as ritual of subordination. The woman is lowered in every way by being under a man. The woman is powerless while the men all are standing over her and seem larger than life. This ad was definitely targeted towards men due to the colors in the ad and the how men are portrayed as the stronger, dominant gender. Men are also portrayed as the protector and savior in this ad.

Burger King: Subliminal Sex Messages?

The ad above is a picture of the BK Super Seven-Incher from Burger King that is served in Singapore. This ad was one of the most controversial ads around the world in the past few years. The crazy thing to me about this whole thing is the name of the sandwich...7 Incher??? So, when does sandwiches referencing to the size of a male's penis a good idea for products? If you didn't see or understand the reference of the sandwich to a penis, read the caption at the bottom of the ad. If the caption is too small for you, here is the caption:
"Fill your desire for something long, juicy and flame-grilled with the NEW BK SUPER SEVEN INCHER. Yearn for more after you taste the mind-blowing burger that comes with a single beef patty, topped with American cheese, crispy onions and the A1 Thick and Hearty Steak Sauce."
In the caption, there were many sexual references to pleasure and ecstasy through describing the sandwich. "Fill your desire with something long" is describing the sandwich, but in a way that you understand the size of it similar to a male's penis. "Yearn for more" gives off the satisfaction and climax feel of sexual intercourse through describing your taste buds going through the same motions.

Sign of Ritual of Subordination: Skyy Vodka

This advertisement to the left is for Skyy Vodka, found in the October 2010 Cosmo, clearly shows ritual of subordination. Goffman describes this method as a “stereotype of deference in that of lowering oneself physically in some form or other of prostration”. The first thing that a person notices while looking at this ad is the woman’s legs in red tights and heels wrapped around the long solid bottle of the Skyy Vodka.

The colors of the ad is very important as well as the action that is going on in the picture. Normally the color red on a woman is linked up as seduction and sex. When women wear red, it represents the “I don’t care what you think of me, I’m sexually expressive”. The royal dark blue represents a strong dominant solid color that usually represents men. The goldish-yellow color represents achieving something or paradise. The color usually exemplifies success or the best. I.e. gold medal in the Olympics.

The action that is going on in the ad, which has the legs of a woman wrapped around the bottle, can be looked as various ways, all of them equals to sex. The first way is that the woman is seductive and trying to trap the masculine object. The woman has a fixation with it and won’t stop until she achieves it. The woman’s legs also can represent that she is having a sexual encounter with something masculine, which is the bottle, and she has reached her peak, which is the golden background. The bottle can represent a man due to its bold, solid colors and its straight, solid shape. The bottle can also represent a man’s private part due to the long, solid, straight object and the woman’s legs being wrapped around it. The golden background can show ecstasy between the women and the man who drinks this vodka. This ad was created to give men and women the idea of reaching the most high through a sexual representation. By drinking this vodka, men will have women wrapped in them and women will trap the guy that they want. Both in which will fulfill their wants and needs.

Function Ranking in Vodka?

The advertisement above is for Skyy Vodka, which was featured in the Maxim magazine in October 2010. Maxim magazine is a national magazine that targets the audience of males. When looking at the ad, you see a woman by a fashion forward chair while a man is sitting in it holding a drink. A person also sees the city at night behind them and the bottle for the vodka in front of them. With an untrained eye, you see the woman interested in the man’s comment, but you cannot see the man’s face.

This advertisement uses the “function ranking” method, which Erving Goffman, creator of the method, describes as men and women contributing in equal activity, the men usually are the executor of the activity while women are supportive, or a woman does the job that is “feminine” while men do nothing. In this ad, the woman is the person who is doing the task of making the man a drink due to having the drink stirrer in her hand. She is also looking deep into the chair where the man is sitting, which gives the viewer as she is focused on pleasing the man’s wishes. Normally, the person who is doing the most work would be the dominant person, but by the stance of the woman, the lack of importance of the rest of the man’s body, but how the legs and drink is shown, it shows that the woman is inferior.

The man’s grasp of the drink shows that the mission is complete. The man also holds the drink with firmness, which depicts his dominance. His legs are also together and firmed, while the woman’s legs are over the man’s. Her shoes are shining, which shows less solid things which would be considered “feminine”. The woman’s legs are bent with a dress with a slit that rises close to her private area. This shows the sex appeal. The nightlife and the woman are secondary to the man and the drink, even though they are all equals in the activity of enjoying themselves. The bottle and the drink on the table show that if you have this strong, “manly” vodka, you can get great “manly” drinks from women. This shows that it doesn’t matter what guy it is, the same can happen and the night can end the same, which the man is superior of the woman in the nightlife.

What Brand Am I: CDF® FREEDOM SCHOOLS

"A lot of people are waiting for Martin Luther King or Mahatma Ghandi to come back--but they are gone. We are it. It is up to us. It is up to you." -Marian Wright Edelman (President, Children's Defense Fund)

The brand that I am and proudly to say is the Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools. This nonprofit organization is the new movement to help ALL children succeed in America. The purpose of the program is to get children engaged in reading and cultural awareness in their communities. What makes this organization different from other programs is the pivotal focus on reading and engaging children by critical thinking skills. It is a program that not only focus on education, but it focuses on children's gifts and talents. This brand stands for something meaningful, which is children advocacy for a better life. I am a person who definitely want to help educate the future and I feel that the educational systems of today are not working to the best of its capabilities.
 
Below, This is a introductory video of the program:

This brand is high energy and creative with its innovative techniques such as Harambee.This program is an internship for college students to receive experience of teaching. I have personally worked with this program for 4 years. Throughout college, I have been with this program and it has changed my life. I did not know the statistics of the poverty and reading rates. Now, I feel obligated to make a difference in the lives of people. This program is open to everyone and I feel like I am a product of this program through the leadership I have given to children and received by working with others. We need to make sure we help others because everyone is important. Everyone should have equal rights and be treated fairly. We should not stop until this happens. "We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes." -Ella Baker

Axe Detailer: A Manly Man's cleaner?

This ad for the Axe Detailer shower tool gets straight to the point."Get your parts clean with the Axe Detailer shower tool" is definitely manly...or is it? Should a man use a scrubber to clean himself? Axe does a very great job of taking away the "girly" feel to bath scrubbers by changing the color to a dark, solid, and metallic style. They also use words like "guy parts" and "tool" to show the rugged toughness about an object that is used for cleansing. At the end of the day, it is still a scrubber, right? By adding a rough scrubber that is attach to the normal scrubber, it turns the "feminine" object into something accessible for the Paul Bunyans of the world.

STATE FARM Commercial: Smart Ads or Counterproductive

Over the past year, State Farm Auto Insurance has been having a "Magic Jingle" campaign where people who have the insurance can sing the jingle and receive anything they want. Above is one of the commercials where a couple is arguing about the accident that they just caused. The girlfriend complains while the boyfriend sings the jingle. As the boyfriend finishes the jingle, the girlfriend wishes for a new partner of her dreams.The boyfriend does the same while the State Farm agent files the claim. How does the commercials promote the importance of car insurance or what does State Farm really can do for a person who needs car insurance?
State Farm gives the illusion if you have their insurance, you can get your car taking care of plus anything your heart desires. I have car insurance, and none of those things have ever happened to me. Maybe if I say the slogan of my insurance, I will get an agent at my door who will grant my wishes. It seems like humor is the approach to take away the seriousness of insurance so people could have less stress in this recessive economy.
It doesn't matter if there is a catchy jingle, wishes granted, or agents solving problems instantly, car insurance will never be funny. Trying to take the person's mind of the seriousness of insurance by appealing to humor and other desires will not work.