Our Air Is Killing Us - Ad Analysis

Hi Readers, I found this advertisement and thought it was quite creative. Feel free to let me know what you think about this advertisement in the comments, and tell me- did you interpret the message differently than the way I did?

This advertisement is an image presented by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The NRDC is an environmental movement organization whose mission is to work to “safeguard the earth—its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.” The Air Pollution Kills campaign and advertisements focuses on how the pollutants that are released into the air are detrimental to human health and the planet. The advertisement itself gives a real-life example of how air pollution is contaminating our earth. This specific image shows a factory building with a billboard hung on the side of it with an apparent illustration of a firearm in alignment with the factory’s chimney. The visual also includes a short statement that reads on the billboard, “Air pollution kills 60,000 people a year.” This advertisement as a whole confronts the dreadful and hazardous effects that ultimately results in death. The statement of text located below the firearm is not as visible as it should be, given that we see the advertisement through a photograph that was taken; however, in-person as the initial advertisement is depicted, would allow one for a much more visible and readable message. Despite that, the message is still capable of being read and understood. The short statement is clear and effective, in letting the viewers know the effects of air pollution, and an example of what causes air pollution. The argument of this ad intends on targeting the audience emotionally and logically, for no one wants to live the world that we share that is being polluted, and worse yet, no one wants to be a part of a death statistic due to air pollution.

Stop Texting and Driving

 

Hello to my AdridBlogs Readers! I loved analyzing an advertisement on my last post and after reading all the positive feedback and comments from my audience, I am glad to be bringing you another visual advertisement analysis. I believe the messaging behind this advertisement can speak to us all and is an important issue.

 

This advertisement is presented by Terremoto Propaganda, a Brazilian Company that created a worldwide ad campaign series in attempt to create awareness among people to “Stop the Violence.” The “Stop Texting and Driving” advertisement focuses on educating and conveying the potential consequences of texting and driving using scare tactics – emotionally and physically, and preachy messaging. The visual of the ad focuses on a man’s face that depicts a motor vehicle and is being struck by a human fist that also represents a motor vehicle, as a result of texting and driving. The white and gold, bold-lettered message underneath this visual states, “Stop the violence. Don’t text and drive.” The clear focus is the ad’s visual; however, without the text or its message, the concept may be perceived as ambiguous. The black background of the advertisement allows for the visual to be the explicit and primary focus of the ad, with no distractions, and also allows for the message to be easily readable. The contorted face of the man in the visual gives support to the overall message of the ad, which is that texting and driving can cause a huge, yet avoidable, life or death situation. The ad’s targeted audience are those who drive and operate a motor vehicle and have a cellular device. This advertisement effectively sends the message that if one texts and drives, he or she is putting themselves and others at risk. For the sake of saving a life, please do not text and drive or engage in any distracted driving.

Liking Isn’t Helping

"Liking Isn't Helping. Be a Volunteer. Change a Life" 

The power of branding, marketing, and advertising is limitless. What are you trying to present to the audience? What do you want your message to be? How do you intend your audience to receive the message? All must be cognized with marketing and getting a message across, whether that be to persuade, to inform, to create a call-to-action, or simply for entertainment. As a Business student, every thing I come across in my life, whether how an individual presents oneself, or how a product is branded, or why decisions are made in such a specific way, I consider it from the perspective of a business. For this blog post, and likely my next blog post, since I find the concept of advertising/marketing intriguing, I have decided to analyze an advertisement. This image is an advertisement created by Publicis Singapore for a volunteer program called Crisis Relief Singapore, as part of the “Liking Isn’t Helping” series. It depicts what seems to be a mother holding her injured and bloody son as he looks into her eyes for what may be his last moments with her. Surrounding the mother and her child, the advertisement positions us to see several hands motioning a “thumbs up,” just as it would appear on Facebook, and towards the left of the image near the mangled boys head includes a few words that states, “Liking isn’t helping.” This advertisement is significant because it puts the viewer's “activism” into perspective. As ethical human beings, more needs to be done in ways that simply “liking” a photo cannot do. This Publicis Singapore advertisement implies that today’s society is quick to “like” the post and forget the image’s message as they scroll on. The message behind the advertisement without the text “Liking isn’t helping” would be somewhat unclear for some; however, with all images that include text, it allows for a better understanding and comprehension of the concept and clarifies what message the advertiser is sending. On the other hand, the text reading “As a volunteer, change a life” is so minuscule that the 'what can' and 'should be' done factors of the advertisement are missed. The mother and her child are the main focal points in this advertisement. In addition, the ad is portrayed in a black-and-white color scheme. The black and white effect that the advertiser has applied to the ad gives off a simplistic, yet dramatic effect to the scenario and atmosphere. The use of a real photograph, rather than a painted or graphic designed image provides the audience to feel repulsive, and the issues depicted in the ad should not be taken lightly. The advertiser’s use of rhetorical appeals, such as pathos and logos, play a huge role in this advertisement, hence why the intended audience for this advertisement are those who use social media and carry compassionate and considerate emotions.

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Blog Post #4 - IS101

Modern (Millennial?) Viral Lingo

Between the mass number of social media platforms, hundreds of thousands of apps, acronyms, and wild terminology us millennials call English, it can get a little crazy. From Emoji’s to slang words it can be difficult for one to stay up to date with all the new terminology making its way around. NO WORRIES, I am here to help!

Today I will be explaining a very commonly used term.

THIRSTY:

One can assume that the terminology “thirsty” would mean that a person is parched. According to Merriam-Webster, thirsty is defined as, “having an uncomfortable feeling because you need something to drink: feeling thirst.” (“Merriam-Webster”)

Although that is the correct denotation, that is not the case in some circumstances when you generally see it on social media.
Thirsty is a commonly used term within the social media realm. You can see this term used on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and even throughout YouTube and its comment section. This term is used to refer or describe an individual who is looking for desperate for attention and is doing things over the top to get noticed.

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Urban Dictionary defines Thirsty as:

1. Too eager to get something (especially play)
2. Desperate
3. To crave attention.
4. Trying to talk to the opposite sex (most likely)

Example: "She is always posting [revealing] pictures, thirsty much?

[LINK TO SOURCE/URBAN DICTIONARY DEFINITION]

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When you hear the word thirsty in the context of above, it is mainly being used by teenagers. I’ve never heard an older adult use this term in that way. Furthermore, I’d much rather like to keep it that way where those who are not in their teens do not say it. To hear a person in their thirties or forties speak in this manner is just awkward and inappropriate. It’s weird to hear people in their early and late twenties say it! Nonetheless, there is no actual reason why a person should use this term anymore unless they are trying to make a point that they need some H2O. This term dates back years, so to say how it came about would be me telling you a bunch of muck to be quite frank. I mean you look at the definition on Urban Dictionary, and it was entered in December of 2003. I do believe that this word had died out for about ten years and then came back to life in 2012 when Kanye West released a hit single entitled “Mercy.” (The power of “Yeezus,” people!) In this song, Kanye stated, “Lamborghini Mercy, your chick, she so thirsty,” and from that point on the word was resurrected. Today, in 2016 the word is still rarely used; you’ll hear people here and there using the term. (Click HERE for “Mercy” music video on YouTube)

This word can be used towards any person by anyone, not just a particular group. Men tend to use this term more often to refer to females as “thirsty,” but it can be used by whoever. People tend to not be offended when called by this term, and those who are called by this name are not excluded. They may be perceived differently, but ethically they are not excluded.

Commonly this term can also be referred to as a “Thirst Trap.” Take for example on Instagram. A girl posts a half-naked photo; however, she captions it “Check out my new phone.” No one is looking at your phone in that half-naked photo of yours! The thirst trap is when you put out a seductive photo just to get thirsty attention. It raises the question of why would they post a photo like that.

In some way, I can see how people could be against people who are viewed as “thirsty.” However, what may seem “thirsty” could also be the individual showing confidence. Maybe a person is thrilled with their weight-loss progress and chooses to take a photo showing off their progress. I believe that some photos should be private, especially the explicit (we all know what you’re trying to do) photos.

Ultimately, it comes down to what you embody.
As long as this word is out of standard terminology, then all is well.

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Blog Post #3 - IS101

Memoir of Adrian's Writing

The power of writing is unlike any other. Writing saves lives. Writing allows for an escape from the real world. And ultimately, writing is a safe-haven where your thoughts and feelings can escape and flow freely. Not only has writing changed my life in so many ways, but it’s changed the way the world works and how people communicate with one another. Something that was so common before the technological advances of cellular devices and electronic messaging became present was writing letters. To communicate, people would write messages on cards and stationary and mail them out. While it is still possible for everyone to write these letters and mail them out, more commonly today, we lean towards e-mails, text messaging, and web browsers for discussion and forum boards as our primary source of communication that allows for immediate response and answers. I am excited to be partaking in an interactive medium such as blogging, another form of creative writing, so what better way to begin a blog than explaining my developments and admiration for writing.

As the majority of us all do, I learned to write in school. Although I did not construct a full essay, or rather short text until fifth grade; in elementary school, I began using a pencil during Kindergarten. Kindergarten was more so about learning how to memorize the alphabet and numbers. It was not until third grade when writing became more apparent. Third grade was the year where we began to have journal entries and free-write. Starting in fifth grade, I was assigned to write essays and write responses to news articles that we would pull from newspapers. Technology has also had an enormous impact on my early experiences of writing. When arriving in middle school, I was required to turn in final draft essays that were entirely typed. Although I was not the best writer during middle school with brainstorming and beginning my essays, I believe that my writing was comprehendible and followed the topics and guidelines.

Earl Motycka once said, “The biggest failure you can have in life is not trying at all.” Many people view writing as a difficult task, and some may even consider that writing is not for everyone, it’s a talent. I used to have the same mindset and perception of writing, but time has shown, and through personal experience, anyone is able to become a better writer. I used to believe that I would never succumb to improving my writing abilities, but after dedicating myself to this craft, I improved and impressed myself time after time with my writing capabilities.  I am terrible at math; however, I know that in order to succeed, I may need to spend more time studying than the average student, attend tutoring sessions, and give up time from other obligations to make sure I fully understand the concepts and all that is required to advance. I pushed myself to improve my writing. I may say that receiving all the negative feedback from past English teachers, and being told that my writing was “vague” and “ambiguous,” they impacted my writing in the sense that it gave me a reason and push to progress. I pushed myself to become a better writer. I knew that I had limitless potential, and with practice, I could improve my writing tremendously. I used those negatives, and turned it around and fueled my writing. I must say, had those few teachers, not all of them, actually worked with me, helped me, told me how I could improve my writing, and not just critique my work, but see my work for its effort, dedication to trying to perfect the writing of my essays (though there is no perfect essay), rather than just being told it “sucked,” I would have gladly acknowledged them as a reason for my improvements. Just like life, writing is a huge learning experience. You learn something new every day and the more you work at it, the more knowledge you gain. Furthermore, there is no perfect person or writer in life.

Moreover, rapid technological advancements that affect how we communicate are inevitable. When wanting to learn about new writing technologies, such as this Blogger platform, I tend to research and look for online resources that may help answer any questions or connections I need. It occasionally will get challenging and timely at times finding a credible source or finding what I was searching for. Usually, when a new technology device is released, it is highly publicized thanks to the power of the internet and mass media coverage. I am excited that in this course, we will explore blogging, a different form of writing. I will enjoy the ability to write (blog) where I may write about anything, as long or short as I want, and with the ability to asynchronously communicate with my colleagues (yes, we’re classmates, but saying ‘colleagues’ is more formal).

Here’s to a successful semester of blogging!

Adrian

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Blog Post #2 - IS101