Brand in their Brains

Branding is the connection that consumers create by recognizing a service or product through their logo, slogan, image, popularity, influence, or employees.  Branding has come so far, that we can instantly recognize a company, product or item by a colour that is displayed.  Companies take over and create a place for their Brand in consumers brains. When you hear "Have a break," you think "Have a Kit Kat." When you hear "Always Fresh," you think "Always Tim Hortons." When you hear "Pa, da, pa, pa, pa," you know they're referring to McDonald's. When you see a 6 inch sandwich, even without the wrap - you know it's Subway.

So let me play the game with you.

It's orange, it's a triangle, it's a snack, and it comes in many different flavors with one ingredient remaining consistent. What is it? I bet you already knew what I was talking about at "it's a triangle." You guessed right, it's cheese! No, I'm just kidding - it's Doritos.

Under Frito-Lay, Doritos was first introduced as a tortilla chip nationally in 1966. A look at this website provides a layout for every single Doritos logo with the year and description.

http://logos.wikia.com/wiki/Doritos

The need to be Bond.

The sleek suits, fancy cars, tiny yet destructive gadgets, and beautiful women - that's what James Bond is all about. This successful series has come along way, and so has product placement. But what makes James Bond a target (no pun intended) for branding, is the lifestyle that is incorporated with MI6. Usually I watch new movies on Netflix, but I went to a theater for this movie because I knew it was going to be big - it was going to be Bond. When I watched it, all I could think about was how awesome Bond was. He looked so crisp, clean and deadly. When I was assigned the March Break project for a movie treatment, Skyfall was ultimately the first choice.

Characters:

James Bond: A professional killing machine, James Bond is a cold hearted man with a passion for the finer things in life. This fictional Commander is the main character of the series. He is the agent M turns to for every large operation.

M: The head of the Secret Intelligence Service, referred to as MI6. In Skyfall, M lost an electronic drive consisting of the identities of the MI6 agents embedded in terrorist organization all across the globe. The antagonist exposed the agents on YouTube, which challenged M's ability. When told her time was soon to be up, indirect references to her age are made which extremely upsets her.

Q: Q, referring to Quarter Master is the head of the branch of Research and Development at MI6. He is basically provides Bond with the fancy electronic gadgets, knows a whole lot about the city's infrastructure, and about computers. One of the gadgets Bond receives from Q is a gun in which only recognizes his fingerprint.

Raoul Silva or Tiago Rodriguez: The antagonist, is a previous MI6 agent who is out to seek revenge against M. Back when Raoul was in the MI6, he was caught hacking the Chinese so M traded him in exchange for prisoners held by the Chinese government. Silva was tortured so badly, he made a fail attempt to take his life with a cyanide implant.  This left him mentally and physically damaged. The area most damaged is his mouth; therefore, he wears a prosthesis to hide it.

Moneypenny: Secretary to M.

For a 149 minute movie, it went by pretty fast. It was so thrilling, it was over the second time I blinked my eyes. That's what happens with such a good plot!

In Skyfall, M turns to 007 when the drive containing the identifications of MI6 agents is lost. In a failed attempt to retrieve the drive, the agency is forced to relocate. As a result of this event, M's position as head of MI6 is challenged by Gareth Mallory, the chairman of the Intelligence and Security committee. With her faith in Bond still intact, MI6 fights against the man behind the theft of the drive, Raoul Silva. Raoul Silva comes back for revenge against M because she traded him in for prisoners long ago.   

Many people watched the movie, many of my friends, coworkers, and family. From all of the negative feedback I received, I came to the conclusion that people are being too political about everything. Some of the many comments I heard were:

-  "I don't think Moneypenny should have been black. She was always white, she should stay white. Soon enough James Bond will be black too."

-  "Q looks too nerdy."

-  "Why is Raoul/Silva a gay guy? That whole caressing of Bond's knee was disturbing.

-  "James bond is too sentimental in this movie. What happened to sleeping with a girl and moving on."

-  "Why is Raoul/Silva blond?"

-  "Why did M die?"

Personally, I didn't mind any of the changes. After absorbing the movie, I realized the theme. Throughout the film, everybody is criticizing M and Bond for their poor performance. They fail in their first attempt to retrieve the drive, and Bond is shot. M is told she will soon be retiring, and she believes it is because of her inabilities. When Bond returns, he is sent back to intensive training, where he surprisingly struggles. Basically, both significant characters seem to be slipping.  When James gets back on his feet, and heads towards Skyfall, he looks for artillery within the home to use against Silva. However, the keeper of the house hands him a very old knife. James is curious to know how something so old could help him. The keeper explains that old things are the best things. Unexpectedly, Silva dies with the very same knife. The message is complete then and there. Regardless of whether James was slipping or not - he completed the mission. He had been in the game for a very long time, and because of that he began to slip. Realizing that fault, he bettered himself once again. He proved that old truly is gold.

I think this movies caters to a wide audience - ranging from teenagers to elderly people. This video isn't suitable for younger children as there is too much gun play along with a few sexual scenes. The older youth and elderly come into mind because they are the aspiring Bond's or Bond girls. The boys want the clean cut shaves, the tip top suits, women, and great cars. The girls wish to be the pretty, slim, eye catching bond girl who unfortunately always dies. However, that is not the point. After people leave the theater or turn that computer off, all they are left with is the memory of the movie. Raveled in those memories is the want to look like an MI6 member, whether it be Moneypenny, M, Q, Bond, or even Raoul Silva!

Started from the Bottom

The media ISU music video that Sam and I decided to pursue, was a very interesting experience. With a zero dollar budget, and no singing, acting, or dancing background - at all, I think we did a pretty good job.

The first step we took was to create a concept. We came up with the idea of shooting a music video inspired by Drake's "Started from the bottom." This video would show how both me and Sam's lows were Cedarbrae collegiate and that our successful present is spent at ASE 1. We then decided to do our research and recreate the lyrics so they would work with our concept.  Our Lyrics only took ten minutes to create, I guess it was because we were having so much fun!

[Chorus]
Started from the bottom now we're here
Started from the bottom now my whole team really here
Started from the bottom now we're here
Started from the bottom now the whole team here
Started from the bottom now we're here
Started from the bottom now my whole team here
Started from the bottom now we're here
Started from the bottom now the whole team really here

[Verse 1]
I done kept it real from the jump
Eating in the cruise room, new discussion every month
But I was trying to get it on my own
Working all week, but on Wednesday I’m at home
And my teacher calling me like "Where ya at?
I gave you the book, but I know you will give it back
But really I just think that you should know
for future success ASE is the place to go
And we...

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
Let me tell you a little about ASE
It’s a great school,  with teachers that are ACE
This school will turn you into a man
Ready for post-secondary, Yes We Can!
Hand your assignments in when they’re due
don’t do your homework and you’re through
Just as a reminder to myself
I check moodle even when I’m in the house
Cause I...

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
Always new people, but yeah we can feel that
Making new friends is where it’s all at
Now we don't like to do too much explaining
If you have any more questions, book a consultation
Always new people, but yeah we can feel that
Making new friends is where it’s all at
Now we don't like to do too much explaining
If you have any questions, book a consultation!
Cause we...

[Chorus]

Once the lyrics had been created, we began the shooting process.

The shooting process was very exciting, and surprisingly very easy.  Within two days, we had our entire footage down. However, due to busy schedules, it was a frustrating process. Our voices were recorded onto a Sony recorder and the footage was taken with a 16.1 megapixel camera. The audio and instrumental were put together with an Audio program called Audacity which allows you to sync and edit sounds together.  The song and video were put together by Windows Movie Maker.  

At the very end, once we had finished everything - we realized we made some errors. The voices at some parts are off, the lips don't sync in, we could have used more shots, and we could have shortened the lyrics.  However, you only learn from mistakes.  Overall, for a first time, I think Sam and I did the best that we could.

Photojournalism

What is more exciting than traveling the world in order to capture breathtaking, life changing, and mind boggling images? What is more amazing than to take a picture of a boy smiling amongst all the calamities occurring in his third world country? What is more fulfilling than to leave people amazed, to teach people, to show people the other side? Photojournalism, where pictures are used to illustrate an event instead of, or with text, is a fascinating job.

Photojournalists choose interesting or significant settings to photograph. The task is not as easy as it seems considering they must achieve a desirable effect. In order to do so, journalists must use high quality cameras and adjust the settings according to the scenario. They also use background lighting and work with a crew to make sure the photo comes out as best as possible. Usually, the pictures which go viral are universally understandable. Pictures which are subjected to one area may have difficulty being understood by people from different areas.

Photojournalists can either work freelance or for a company.  If they are freelance, they must submit their photos to publishers, magazine companies or any client in order to make money. The photo can come with full text, it can be alone, or it might accompany a title.

The job does not require an education; however, clients and companies prefer to hire photojournalists with at least some educational background.  Suggested high school courses are communications, media, math, science, history, world issues, art, and business. It is also possible to obtain a degree or diploma specifically in photojournalism. Jobs that are somewhat similar to Photojournalism include print journalism, and photographer.

Statistics do not list how many people in Canada have this job; however, the number of photographers is slightly decreasing. There are few job opportunities as people with more experience are usually hired.  Moreover, people with a vocational diploma are more likely to get a job. Most of these jobs are located in Quebec and Vancouver. The average range is from 18,000 to 60,000; however, newcomers usually earn 12,000 or less.

Money or no money, Photojournalism is definitely a job or hobby I would love to look into.

Relax

Our days are so hectic. We wake up, and jump into the busyness that we call our lives. Work, school, assignments, deadlines, friends, family, priorities, phone calls - so much is going on! Advertisements blasting in our face, cars everywhere, colours everywhere, the colours, so many colours, too many colours - oh the colours! Once we're out of that bed, the next time we relax is when we go right back to that bed after coming home from a long, crazy hard day. I grew up during a time where technology was growing with me, we're like the same age. I'm so used to it, it makes my parents flabbergasted. From the first time a Tamagachi that was handed to me, to now the I pods, cellphones and laptops I use - electronics have been shaping my life. I've never really experienced the laid back lifestyle that my parents describe they had, which is what makes me so curious. I want to know what it's like to be laid back. I want to relax. I don't want to have thousands of advertisements in my face, I don't want so many gas guzzling cars on the street, I want face to face socialization - not texting. Hence, for my fashion/lifestyle advertisement I went for a breezy, easy, laid back approach. However, what keeps these pictures so modern is that I incorporated technology with softness, and easiness. I named my company "relax," the very thing I think we need to do. Take a look:

Just wanted to thank my cousin for agreeing to model for this assignment :)

Siren

When Starbucks was founded in Seattle in 1971, it began to expand rapidly. The coffeehouse company now runs more than 20,000 stores in 61 different countries. America with more than 13,000 stores - is the biggest fan. Although there is a much smaller chain existing in Canada, I'm sure you know what Starbucks is. In 2006, Starbucks spent 87.7 million on advertising, only 1.4% of their entire 2005 revenue.  Surprisingly, other leading companies such as Coke and Nike spent 11% of their revenues on advertising and marketing.  According to the Seattle Times, Starbucks is all about partying and less about spending major bucks to attract potential customers. So how come I expect you to know what Starbucks is? If you take a step back, you will realize the Siren on that white coffee cup has become a social tool. It's cool to drink Starbucks. It's cool to spend four dollars more on a coffee you can get for three dollars less right across the street.

The ambiance of Starbucks is what makes it so great. Like the company's marketing techniques, Starbucks is laid back and hip. But most of all, Starbucks doesn't need you - you need Starbucks. And what best represents that message is Siren, the Starbucks logo.

Original Starbucks logo:

A Siren - in greek mythology, is a beautiful yet dangerous creature symbolizing obsession, addiction, and death. Starbucks had chosen Siren because it wanted something nautical to represent Seattle.  

Throughout the existence of Starbucks the logo has changed multiple times. Many of the changes include cropping the picture and changing the colour. The following image is an interpretation of the Siren's future according to Felipe Torres:

The significance of the image represents the power of big chain companies. Starbucks made it self widely recognizable with Siren, and now they are also incorporating a certain shade of green. Soon enough this brand will be recognizable with that green colour; therefore, eliminating Siren. Starbucks will be green, and green will be Starbucks.

Aside from the logo, the Starbucks company also tried to incorporate many different ideas overtime in order to create profit and a better customer experience. Back in the 90's, Starbucks had tried to sell a paper version of the Microsoft magazine; however, it was very unsuccessful. In 1997, Starbucks started to stock books from the Oprah Book Club, which also proved unsuccessful. Finally in 1999, the coffeehouse published it's own magazine "Joe," which unsurprisingly lasted three issues.

"Joe," the Starbucks magazine:

Regardless of these changes, there is one thing that has kept Starbucks consistent throughout. Starbucks is a true coffeehouse. It is a third space. The place you can relax in between work and home. Starbucks has created an attractive setting for their consumers. The light jazz being played in the background, the comfortable chairs, the aroma, the getting together of people, the socialization, writing your name on the cup - Starbucks creates a one on one experience. Starbucks has always gone the extra mile, which is why many consumers say the coffee is worth the price tag.

The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

According to Yankelovich, a market research firm, the average urban dweller is exposed to 5000 advertisements per day. To me this seemed like an overstatement. 5000? Really? But as the day went on I started to believe everything I had read. I realized that as soon as we wake up, the advertising charade begins. When we walk out the door, not only are we advertising ourselves - but we're advertising everything on us or with us. The car, the backpack, the purse, the pants, the phone - everything is now an ad. It is overwhelming, it is scary, and it is the reason why our attention spans are so short. I'm pretty sure this overload is the reason as to why I can't remember where I first saw the Old Spice "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" advertisement displayed below.

 A funny, yet generally eye-pleasing commercial, this advertisement markets Old Spice's male body wash. American actor and former NFL practice squad wide receiver Isaiah Mustafa played the main character for this clip. Considering this is a male product, one would think the target audience would obviously be the male gender. However, throughout the entire video Isaiah is speaking directly to the female, specifically the male's female partner. He is insinuating that this body wash can change her "man" for the better. This wash will encourage him to buy her the tickets to that thing she likes, it will give her diamonds - everything a girl could want! Then again, this ad could also be using a very sly approach to attract male attention.

The commercial is crisp, clean, and catchy. It caught my eye. Everything in the video looks very fresh. The clean and perfectly ironed clothes, the bright yet soft exhilarating backgrounds, and swift scenery changes made the experience a memorable one. The main character's monologue was very well written, it made me feel like I was participating in conversation with him - it felt like a dialogue. It is so catchy that some programs and many people have created their own parody of the ad.  For example, the very famous and educational kids program Sesame Street had their own version featuring Grover, teaching kids how to smell like a monster. I'm not surprised this ad grabbed the interest of more than 44 million people on YouTube alone.

Sesame Street Parody:

 
If you pay closer attention, you will realize that this ad featuring Mustafa comes in the form of a parody. It parodies the previous old spice commercials. The quick back and forth snippets of good looking models, multiple outfit changes, and different scenery. It's funny, and most of all it's light. We live in such a busy, overwhelming and sometimes dark world that commercials like these become a breath of fresh air. You see it, you chuckle, you feel better, and before you know it Old Spice wins your heart over.

1978 Old Spice Commercial:

Personally, I don't think viral advertising can make any more improvements. In fact, due to many customer requests, Old Spice has gone as far as answering questions through Isaiah in his commercial ensemble through YouTube videos. Yes, advertisements can get even more personal, specific, futuristic and flashy - but they won't get any better. The idea is to please the customer. It's not about purchasing the product alone anymore, it's about creating a place in the customer's heart. It's about creating an unforgettable memory, a journey, and an everlasting friendship.

Old Spice creating a friendship with their viewers (fast forward to 2:11):

The following links are references or more interesting clips regarding this advertisement:

Yankelovich Reference
Interesting Old Spice Case Study by Stroom Media
"The Sausage Your Sausage Could Taste Like" PARODY