Rethink Possible

Advertising. Every day we see millions of advertisements flashing around us. Okay, well, maybe not millions, but it sure seems like we are constantly bombarded with brand names telling us that we need them. However, one company is starting to take a different approach.
In an article in the New York Times, AT&T announced their new advertising campaign. AT&T is one of America’s top five advertising companies and is trying to change the way Americans see their products. The new slogan: “Rethink Possible.”
The point of this optimistic campaign is to bring the country out of the recession slumps and introduce them to a company that is forward-thinking and ready for positive change. They are building off of commercials they ran during the Olympics that saluted athletic achievement, and anyone who strives to be the best: “Here’s to Possibilities.”
Even more interestingly, AT&T is not promoting a single product—or any of their products really. They are burnishing the brand image of AT&T, convincing customers to be for their company because the company is good, alongside their products.
That is the most exciting and interesting part to me: an advertisement that is NOT SELLING A PRODUCT but a company’s reputation. Ever since my mass media class discussed advertisements, I’ve been thinking about the non-sense we are meant to believe. On network television, TELEVISION PROGRAMS ARE NOT THE IMPORTANT PRODUCT ON TV, ADVERTISEMENTS ARE. Television networks want consumers to see the advertisements more than their prime-time show. We discussed how the shows are meant to prepare us for the commercials, so we will be in a “buying mood”. With this new campaign from AT&T, television stations won’t know how to prepare their audiences.
I think this new campaign will reflect positively on AT&T. The country is looking for people (even companies) in which to find hope. I think AT&T is headed in the right direction. Their ads will not seem like regular advertisements and consumers will like that. I am excited to see what they are. I applaud AT&T for seeing a need in the consumers—an emotional and psychological need, not consuming need—and applying it to their company. Hopefully the consumers will agree.


Here’s to Possibilities, AT&T.

Betsy

Advertising: We've Got an App for That...

This weekend was to-be-sure a memorable one for thousands: everyone who is now a proud parent of an Apple iPad. Released on Saturday, the iPad is the latest and greatest in technology. Many waited anxiously for their advance-order iPads to arrive in the mail and doubtless they've been in admiration of it ever since. It serves the purpose of an iPod, computer, TV, Kindle, and game store (not to mention the countless apps you can download). A lot of people really, really wanted one - including the character Phil Dunphy on Modern Family.

Last week's episode of the hit TV series on ABC was, for all intents and purposes, a glorified commercial for the iPad. The plot centered on Phil Dunphy's longing to get an iPad for his birthday (I won't say any details so I don't spoil the episode). For those 30 minutes, the audience was entertained - while their thoughts were being geared toward how awesome the iPad is.

TV shows in general have become more and more known for using product placement (although in most cases it's not nearly as blatant as Modern Family's use of the iPad). An article from the Canadian Globe and Mail on April 6th addresses the fact that "like it or not, we’re entering a golden age of TV product placement." Along with Modern Family, the article lists several other popular shows that have used product placement recently: 30 Rock, Chuck, The Office, 24, and the Jay Leno Show. Product placement is a very effective means of advertising on TV in a time when TiVo and DVR give viewers the option to skip commercials (I myself watched this latest episode of Modern Family via TiVo). Because the TV industry needs money from advertisers in order to fund their programs, they've got to find a way to keep the advertisers happy (which, translated, means "keep the audience buying"). Hence, a switch in advertising tactics to a heavier emphasis on product placement.

In the case of the Modern Family episode, a potential problem arises: Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, is also a large shareholder in Disney, the owner of ABC. So did he have something to do with the guest appearance of the iPad on one of the most-viewed shows on the network? Some people think that this kind of product placement - that is both instigated by and directly benefits an investor or producer - would be going too far. However, Steve Jobs apparently had nothing to do with it. According to the same article from Globe and Mail, the producers of Modern Family decided to include the iPad in the plot on their own.

Whatever the case, we can't deny the fact that advertising is turning over a new leaf. Where in the past there was more distinction between programming and advertising, there are fewer clear-cut lines today. Rather than having the show interrupted by separate intervals of commercials, the "commercials" are appearing mixed right in with the show. As the article from Globe and Mail puts it, "the lines separating art and commerce will only continue to blur as brand names increasingly pop up on your favourite shows." Clearly, then, advertising - just as much as anything else - is changing to fit with the times.

The Real Valentine's Day

Gone are the days when Valentine's Day commemorated pure and unadulterated love for ones partner. In recent years, February 14th has become less about a day of love and more about an advertisers Christmas. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are estimated to have spent over $14.7 billion dollars last year on Valentine's Day purchases. As absurdly high of a number that is, it is in fact a 13.5 percent decrease from the $17 billion spent in 2008.
According to "Will You Be My Frugal Valentine?" an article in the New York Times written by journalist Stuart Elliott, Americans are supposedly "cutting back" on Valentine's Day purchases due to the economical recession. The article describes how corporations like: Walgreens, Target, White Castle, and even the notorious Martha Stewart, are offering discounts to help consumers save a penny on their Valentine's sweethearts. In addition, Google's search engine registered 653,000 search's for "Valentine's Day deals," 13,000 for "Valentine's Day discounts" and 3,140 for "Valentine's Day bargains." People around the Country are apparently cutting back on their holiday spending.
But is this enough? Have we lost sight of what Valentine's Day is really supposed to be about? Have advertisers convinced us that Valentine's Day is more about spending money then anything else? According to media scholars, David Croteau and William Hoynes, "media are ideological, selling certain messages and worldviews. Furthermore, "Media sell both mass media products and ideas, both personalities and worldviews." So that leads me to ask, has the media sold us on the ideas that Valentine's Day goes hand in hand with commercialism and materialism? Have we as Americans been "normalized," to think that to be a good Valentine, we must buy flowers, cards, chocolates, and necklaces?
You may say," of course a good Valentine should buy flowers and chocolates and take their dates out to fancy restaurants." I too have been guilty of thinking this very thing. But where exactly did these traditions come from? I contend that the advertisement companies have ingrained these traditions into our head to the point where they have become natural. As stated above, "the media has sold us on products and ideas, personalities and worldviews." So I challenge you this Valentine's Day, to look past these media ploys. To pay less attention to Valentines deals and more to your Valentine. You can't put a price on love so my advice is: DON"T TRY TO! I'm all for cutting back and being frugal, but what if Americans took it one step further? Instead of buying a card, write a poem. Instead of make reservations at a nice restaurant, cook your Valentine a dinner. Show your sweetheart that Valentine's Day can go beyond flowers and chocolates.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/28/business/media/28adco.html?ref=media