The Joy of Stereotyping

Stereotyping, there is so much to say about stereotypes. The first we could say is that stereotypes stem from the general public's view on people in general. However, when does it start to get offensive? It's hard to place the overall blame on media because a lot of that blame could go onto advertising. 

For as long as we could remember, advertising insinuated and implied many stereotypes on anyone and everyone. There are many current and past ads that cause all kinds of attention, but who is it for really? The product? Or the person using the product?
I want to start the focus on stereotypes with gender.

Starting from the 1950s, ads catered toward the narrow and conceptual view of women: which is vulnerable, oblivious, trophy wives. This "lesser of the two"outlook eventually changed as time and gender roles were modernizing. Now, we have ads that poke fun at women ironically, that were probably made by women. These two ads differ in the sense that they both portray roles and women with humor. However in this Schlitz ad, although it is only a product of it's time, it's also a very limited and a somewhat offensive stereotype. Often times in advertising or even in media, women are objectified. Women aren't necessarily seen as inferior, they're just seen as again, "less than." Because of this, it created a very gender specific label for women, which was again the typical house wife. Over time that changed, women aren't targeted for negative stereotypes as they were some odd 60 years ago. Obviously media as a whole created an expectation many have in women. Advertising creates an expectation which does end up becoming a stereotype. That expectation is what's used for racial stereotyping.

 Racial stereotyping has been around since people could see in color. Despite the change in racism, and societal views progressing, it can still be a bit off putting. There will always be a joke about specific stereotypes that are occasion are true, regardless of how society has moved forward. Racial stereotyping is again, a product of its time. Mickey Rooney getting yellow faced for the film, Breakfast at Tiffany's, was something that was allowed because it was expected. That was for a film, yet if you look at media as a whole, it is, was, and still expected. If movies make it okay to poke fun at races, it won't stop advertising because as a society we allow it to happen. Whether these are offensive or not isn't based on what we find offensive. It's based on what we allow as stereotypes. Should advertising companies have a more established and firm input in what goes and what doesn't on billboards and television? Yes. Advertising inspired a lifestyle that many try following, some people follow it blindly. It doesn't mean it has to be labeled, however, neither should people. People are their own brands, but they don't need to be labeled as a group. Advertising has changed to cater to a more individualistic society, but it won't change the stereotypes we established for ourselves.

Advertising advertises the product to the people using the product. The reason why they use stereotypes is because, they're universal. They're easy to identify and they're easy to associate with. It doesn't make it right, but it does sell a product. The only way advertising will change or reduce the amount of stereotypes is if society tries to minimize generalizations of people as groups.

Semiotics and Pure Imagination

Semiotics is probably the most interesting elements in advertising. It puts a signature on a product, the ad agency, and the company. 

This is a pretty long ad for Chipotle, but it's one of my favorites. It achieves the purpose of convincing others that food should be served and made in better conditions. This is one of the prettiest, and the most imaginative ads I have ever seen. It takes on the essence and sophistication of a short film, it also looks like a music video by Pixar! This video uses semiotics by picking on the basic components of story telling. What's interesting about this campaign is that it's also a promo for a game. They use a scarecrow as a worker for a mass produced food company called Crow Foods. The simplicity of a scarecrow scaring off birds really emphasizes the scarecrow's good nature, heroism, and how he is the protagonist. The backdrop of a bustling big city (which appears to be a combination of New York and Chicago), is used to represent how everything is moving so fast, the quality of minor things, especially food, has declined. And finally Fiona Apple's surreal and beautiful cover of "Pure Imagination," gives the audience several things to consider. One of them being how imagination, like the scarecrow's, could be used to make something different. The possibilities are endless, "Want to change the world? There's nothing to it." It also looks at how imagination could be taken in any direction a person chooses. The crows use imagination for the wrong reasons, whereas the scarecrow uses it for the right reasons.

This add is a great example of semiotics because it tells a story. Stories have connotations and denotations, qualities ads have. This campaign combines all of that, stories are meant to have symbols that resonate with the audience. This story has five million views on YouTube and could possibly inspire other to make something from "pure imagination."

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/brilliant-creative-billboard-advertisements/

This ad is pretty self explanatory, there's a dog scratching it's self. The ad is on the floor and the text reads "Get them off your dog." You'll notice that the dog is huge for a reason. While it's interactive and funny, it's meant to be viewed from a distance to see how irritating it is to have such little pests the dog can't seem to get rid of, while the dog owner can. The dog owner or the person who sees this, can help control and help the dog This ad uses semiotics because the size of the dog makes the viewer sympathetic. And the "fleas" or people are made to make the problem more visible.

I like this ad, it's creative, funny, and interesting to look at. It's simple and straightforward.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/copyranter/recent-fashion-ads-that-were-actually-good

This print ad is interesting for a number of reasons. It uses semiotics in an interesting way. If you notice, there are people who are the around the ages of 40-60. The attire is conservative and almost dated, and the label Lanvin Paris is also included. This is definitely advertising to an older generation. Possibly one that grew up in the 1960s, or who are baby boomers. The older models were picked because Lanvin knows their market. Lanvin has been around for a quite a while (since 1889), they're familiar with their consumers: successful baby boomers who can afford looking like a million bucks. Although Lanvin appeals to a specific and particular audience, they give the impression to both young and old. For the older audience: no matter how old anybody is, anybody could look fabulous. For the younger audience, it's saying, with a little patience, you could age gracefully and look as good as you like. 

Overall, this ad uses semiotics to show that fashion, Lanvin is timeless, and if an older person can pull it off, anybody can. I like this ad because it's unusual at first glance, and it's unpredictable for a fashion ad.

These three types of advertising are all successful because they're bold, and more importantly, they make their symbols obvious. Consumers can take these in any direction they choose, yet they make the consumer think. They leave the rest to the consumer's imagination.

BBC and American Advertising

I recently saw a documentary from BBC about American advertising. BBC pointed out many interesting concepts in American Advertising. Because of this, there are many things we think about when we think about American advertising. The first thing is the 1950s and 1960s: America's prime advertising years. Then we consider advertising the literal mad men of Madison Avenue. When the topic of American advertising comes up, the American Dream also becomes relevant because the American Dream was defined by these advertisements. 

Advertising created the American Dream using several eye catching components. One was mail-order catalogue started by Sears. This gave Americans many options and varieties of products to choose from. Along with this plethora of products, came the "eternal summer," better known to many, as the California Lifestyle. But there was more to it. John F. Kennedy and his family were players in sponsoring the idealism of the American Dream.

Advertisers gave the impression to many that anything is possible. If this ad tells you so, then do it. American advertisements worked into the minds of many households by using icons like the Malboro Man, and many more.  This led to many companies creating a brand, and a multitude images that became defining of the country. The documentary talked about the growth of the industry and how it has shaped America.

I liked this documentary because it focused on how the advertising industry was growing, and a prosperous time in America. The documentary's perspective was interesting because it focused on how advertising works and the minds behind it. I highly recommend it to others if you're curious about the history of American advertising.

Havas Affair

This ad agency is the envy of others. It makes people think twice about a product. It created a man that is apparently the most interesting man in the world. This ad agency is Havas Worldwide, and it is the most interesting ad agency in the world... 

Okay, obviously that slogan doesn't work for this situation. But what is obvious is my strong admiration for this agency.The agency was named after Carles Louis Havas, who founded the company in 1835. In 1968, the company went through a drastic change. Havas became known as Havas Counseil S.A., they became an anonymous company, and Havas took off.  

Havas is a very exciting company because it's different, they're very analytical of their clients, which makes them creative and very original. Havas tries to find a particular aspect or quirk of their client and highlight it. In this ad for Disneyland Paris, the company tried to make a very American icon relatable to Europeans. So they used a question that scares most parents, which is "how are you going to tell them?" Instead of making it intimidating, they turned it into something heartwarming. More importantly, something parents would want to tell their children. They asked European families to record their children's surprise reactions to going to Disneyland. This ended up pulling on many heartstrings, it left the impression that Disneyland is about making memories with loved ones. It made Disneyland Paris something to look forward to.

Another ad that I really enjoy is the work for Dos Equis. What I like about it is that it's funny and unusual. It's defining for the product, with a mascot that isn't too exaggerated or campy. Dos Equis was a beer better known in Mexico, and a lesser known one in the U.S. Havas took this small business opportunity and made it into a big one with an iconic character: the Most Interesting Man In The World. This man is so revered I have to capitalize his title. What they did with Dos Equis was simple. They gave young men the impression that a great, and awesome man drinks this underground Mexican beer and yet, he's incredibly sophisticated, and well... interesting. Young men want to appear interesting, it's part of a man's natural bravado and character. Havas smart enough to play on that.

But I think the company's best ad (or at least the most impacting), is for Fragile Childhood. Fragile Childhood is a foundation that promotes a very sensitive topic, parental alcohol use. Havas found a way to take the studies found in Finnish homes scary for both parents and children. By turning the children's fears into their parents, the commercial is a strong reminder to caretakers. Children can easily see their parents as monsters. Kids are impressionable in many ways, and parenting needs to be taken seriously.

Overall, Havas is a very creative and extraordinary ad agency because it looks for something different in their clients and in their products. It's this analysis and keen interest in both, that the company has prevailed. What I like most about this ad agency is that they are creative, intelligent, and they are also very considerate of their audience, product, and client. That is what makes Havas the most interesting ad agency in the world.

Brands: "A Marker of Quality"

(Taken by AD 2010)

"It all started with a mouse,"- Walt Disney

This mouse is known as one of the most memorable brands in the history of entertainment: Disney. Disney is a great example of smart and intelligent branding for many reasons. When we think of brands, we consider that brands are a “marker of quality.” Everyone is their own brand; we're a product of what’s been exposed in our lives. With the  rise of social networking, and a diverse selection of products; distributors and producers have to consider who they are, who their selling their brand to, and what defines their brand.

It’s easy to say, “My brand is separate from others, because point A and point B;” it’s harder to let the brand speak for itself. Disney is one of the most identified brands because it has two things. It has an adorable talking mouse, and a little bit of "pixie dust." These two pieces/mascots, somehow convince people anything is possible. A small studio in Burbank proved so, now that studio is world famous.

Disney evolved from award winning films, to theme parks that have over fifteen million in attendance. Walt Disney started the company in a little studio in Burbank, California in 1923. He and several animators produced short films like Steamboat Willie and Alice's Wonderland. Eventually, he came out with the financial and award winning success, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1937. After that, Disney went on a roller coaster of big successes and financial flops. After Walt Disney's death in 1966, the company got caught in an unlucky period until the sudden success of 1989's Little Mermaid. And from 1980-2000, Disney continued to flourish with a variety of TV stations, theme parks, and any form of entertainment value the company could get hold of. It's because of this long, and thriving history, people sympathized with the company. Having a 90-year span of growing and evolving, Disney created a name and brand for themselves. They even joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average in the 90s.

Now when people think of Disney as a brand, we tend to associate it with several key terms, some of which the company uses. These words are "magic," "family," "animation," and "legacy." These key terms define the company's brand, which we all know helped define American pop culture, and entertainment;  huge export in the U.S.'s economy. Overall, Disney as a brand has two things going for it, a positive and a negative. The positive outlook for this brand is that it is defined, it has a talking mouse ( if that's not definition, I don't know what is!). Everyone knows it as something, but because of this, the brand also becomes limited. This is Disney's weakness, and it has been since its flops with films like John Carter of Mars and The Lone Ranger. These flops happened because of the restrictions Disney has as a brand. Disney can't move too far from its comfort zone, or else they'll lose their audience. Although the company knows this, time will tell if they'll adapt to it correctly. And knowing this particular company, they will continue to thrive.

In conclusion, brands help define the product and familiarize it with it's audience. Disney is a brand because it knows it's audience, and the company is willing to conform into their audience's preferences. However, that also means it can't venture too far from it's brand without losing some followers. Because of this, I like to think of brands as a double edged sword. Using a brand correctly and to it's full potential can be beneficial. Misuse the brand and misunderstand it, well the brand is screwed. It all comes back to brands being "markers of quality," brands help identify the product, the company, and the owner. What makes Disney a good brand is that it understands the kind of quality it can deliver. It also informs the audience what it wants to know and see. And that is what makes a great brand.