Visual Remix Sneak Peak

I threw this together in a few minutes to get my first idea down on paper.  What is it? What does it have to do with Apple Computers?  Well...I will tell you that the tree is linked to Sir Issac Newton.  Now tell me what you think.

New Website

I have just launched a new blog entitled Think Different. The Advertising Blog.  While this is not quite the same as publishing in a journal or book, it is my best opportunity to get my ideas out in a public forum.  If you are interested in advertising or just visual communication, please check out my blog.

Think Different. The Advertising Blog.

Is mass media still King?

Mass media has always had a special place in my heart, and why shouldn't it.  Of course I stand to make my livelihood on mass media, but it goes beyond that.  I remain fascinated by mass media and how it continues to shape our culture and more importantly, our interpretations.  But, I do not believe that "mass media" exists today, at least the books definition of mass media.  The book implies that by definition, mass media broadcasts a singular message to the "masses."  It implies there are no target markets; mass media is more like a shotgun blasts than a sniper shot.  I simple do not believe this to be the case.  Television now has cable networks.  The masses have more than 4 channels to tune in to, in fact, they can watch networks dedicated to food, golf, tennis, home decor, etc.  The same can be said about magazines, radio (esp. satellite radio), and the internet.  The media today must target a fragmented audience to be persuasive. 

I would also argue that the mass media brings publics together, not fragment them and tear them apart much as the book suggests.   Mass media once operated under a one-way broadcast system, but has turned into more of a public forum.  While the internet is the most visible medium of public forum, the evidence can be found across all mediums.  The 2008 Presidential Election is a great example of the media bringing publics together.  While some may argue that the candidates where responsible  for bringing the country together, let us not forget that the media made Barack Obama what he is to the population.  Also, we have seen many features such as CNN's iReport that has allowed the public to remain part of the conversation and not just a recipient of the message.

The book's mention of the 1997 death of Princess Diana really struck a cord with me personally. I was 11 years old when Princess Diana died tragically, and although I was very young and unfamiliar with Princess Di at the time, I can still remember all the events surrounding her death.  We had just gotten a puppy, Brandy, and I had gotten up around 4 or 5 am to check on her. I found my mom downstairs watching television crying while she was watching the news coverage of the accident.  While I had never heard my mom even mention Princess Diana once in my life, she seemed very upset by the event.  She never could give me a straight reason why she was so upset, but now I understand better.  The media was on this story so quickly, everyone that was watching really felt like part of what was happening.  The images they broadcast really had staying power with those tuned in, and showed us all how fragile life really could be.  The media really was responsible for creating a sense of community at the local, national, and global level.

A little research.

It would help me out tremendously if everyone took just a minute to answer the following questions:

When you think of Coca Cola what comes to mind?

When you think of Apple Computers what comes to mind?

I am attempting to get a grasp on what theses brands mean to different people for my digital remix and video. Thanks to everyone in advance.

Visual Project

I have been tossing around some ideas for my visual project and keep coming back to one particular theme: Brands. While I am not sure exactly I would like to do with "brands" but I was thinking of taking a few of the most recognized brands in the world and giving them a makeover. More specifically, I would like to rebrand these companies/products. This will be a difficult task, but one that would prove beneficial to my creative thought process as a future advertisers. I would like to tackle these brands:

Through the Looking Glass pt. 2

The third chapter, Spectatorship, Power, and Knowledge, provides much insight on the visual roles/identities of males and females. While reading this chapter I began to contemplate the question that has been of much debate: Does sex in advertising sell? This is a very important question even to those not interested in advertising because it boils down to what role should you put males and females in visually.

The answer to this question is difficult to obtain. I believe this all depends on the social contexts you are operating under. For instance, women have been the object of gaze for centuries, but recently there has been a movement by women not to be objectified. I am reminded of a campaign put together by Dove a few years back that shows this shift in thinking among the public.



These are ads for Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty which portray women in very nontraditional ways. First, these are not the normal types of women you would see in an advertisement, especially for one attempting to sell cosmetics. Second, the women are looking at the camera, completely aware of the "gaze" mentioned in the third chapter. This ad does a good job conveying the message that Dove products are not just for supermodels, but for housewives, professionals, etc. This campaign has won numerous awards and was extremely effective.

So does sex sell? Well maybe if your audience is adolescent boys, but not if it is the educated public. That just is not effective anymore.

The visual landscape is also changing thanks to the ability to reproduce images. While images once spoke to a specific moment in time, the ability to reproduce images from the past has not only allowed us to see images from the past but also place those images in a new context. It has become increasingly difficult to produce a timeless image (one that will have the same meaning now and in the future).

What meaning does this image convey now? What possible messages could this image convey in 5 years, 10 years, 50 years?

Through the Looking Glass pt. 1

I would like to begin by stating that even as a future advertiser, it was surprising to read about all that images and words can mean to different people. I enjoy studying and dissecting advertisements to try and figure out what exactly an ad is suppose to mean. What emotion is it supposed to evoke? How is the ad supposed to be interpreted? Seeing that much of the interpretation is done instantaneously, it really takes a creative mind to start with nothing and build meaning from images and words.



Taking this recent cover of GQ, I began to look at this image for deeper meaning. Besides the fact that GQ is a men's magazine and a cover featuring Jennifer Aniston (regardless of if she is clothed or not) would help sell more issues, why create this particular image? I have come up with these possible interpretations:

1) The tie (Brooks Brothers btw) is included because GQ is a men's fashion magazine. Simple enough.
2) Now for the colors of the tie. In Western culture, red has traditionally been associated with courage and love. Fitting, considering many have felt that Aniston has displayed much courage throughout the Pitt-Jolie situation. Blue has been associated with serenity and infinity. Again fitting since Aniston now claims to be at peace with everything in her life.
3) Now why is she nude. Here a nude Jen is the signifier and freedom is the signified.

Well now that that is all cleared up I don't have to be ashamed about looking at borderline porn, since it is clearly not.

I choose the title for this blog post after I had read the first two chapters of the book, and it was done for this reason: whether we are referring to one's interpretation of an image or aesthetics or taste, what we see or what we choose to see is a product of our surroundings, environment, upbringing, etc. Think Burke's terministic screens. This should not come as a surprise considering the ideas and theories that we have been introduced to in rhetorical theory, professional comm, etc. But once again, considering our interpretations are done simultaneously as we view an image, we are not aware what is influencing our interpretations, and we accept these unquestionably.

I will conclude with an "adbusting" image from an advertisement in Berlin. "Subvertising" is the act of altering an advertisement to make a statement. What message could the subvertisers be trying to convey?

Hello!

Just wanted to go ahead and get my first blog post out of the way so that I will not have any first blog jitters when it really counts. That is all for now. Over and out.