Media/ Visual Literacy Project

How many of you have ever thought about the humorous side of advertising? Humor sells. Humor is designed to make someone laugh or giggle to themselves. When the viewer is engaged in an advertisement, then the producer has achieved their mission. That mission is to have the consumer take notice of their product.

There is a great combination of funny commercials posted on YouTube. The collaboration is entitled Commercial II. It was posted by a user, who goes by the name of “Dononeg”, one year ago. Many of the commercials seen in the footage are older commercials, and some that were not even released in the United States.

The first commercial includes three women and a man. The description of these humans must be noted in order to fully grasp the humorous concept that is being pointed out. The man is what average Americans would consider slightly dorky or nerdy for lack of a better word. The three women are in pristine bikini shape complete with wardrobe. The girls are taking off their bikini bottoms thinking that they are just teasing someone who will never have them. Little to their surprise, the young man is taking pictures of them with his underwater camera.

This ad is humorous and ironic because the viewer would not expect the man to be prepared with a camera in that situation, especially as he is in the water. In this situation, many guys would probably want to buy that camera so they can be in that situation as well. That was a creative technique that most likely attracted the attention of many young males. The person who would want to buy this product most likely would be male, young, outdoor friendly, etc. This message is being sent to make other people want to buy this camera, even if for the sole purpose of taking illegitimate photographs.

The second clip is a wooly man in the outdoors. The advertisement comes from John West’s Red Salmon. The man is down stream, most likely at a salmon stream. When American consumers think of Salmon, the image of a stream and possibly even a bear are conjured up. Most schools teach that bears like to eat salmon. We as Americans like salmon too. Why do we need to let all of the bears eat salmon that we could be eating? This is where the comical part comes in. We don’t want the bears to take what we want, so we as Americans go into defense mode. This is the point where the fisherman decked out in clad orange comes in to beat the bear up and take the salmon back. The bear is a hard fight. The unimaginable happens with the bear when it has karate moves to defend his salmon. John West ultimately wins so that we can all eat salmon. How many other companies are defending our supply of salmon? This is the ultimate message of the commercial.

The company wants us to know that their salmon is better because they work harder for their salmon. This commercial is funny no doubt, and I think it captures the audience’s attention. People should be more prone to go out and buy John West’s salmon. There are a few more commercial clips that all use humor to try to sell a product on this particular video clip.

Nobody doubts the effectiveness of humor in advertising. There are now studies that have proved it scientifically as well. These studies were conducted at McGill University. The Management Faculty’s Dr. Ashesh Mukherjee, wondered what technique used, would be more effective to sale a product. His theories included the funny side, the scary side, and repellent attempts. The funny side would have to include a perverse nature, because everyone knows that sex sells; so why not include a humorous nature to the already scantily clad market.

Dr. Mukherjee made a pretend product called Sail sunscreen. He advertised the sunscreen in all the different manners listed above. The perversely funny nature was overwhelmingly more effective for selling the sunscreen. Dr. Mukherjee explains, “We’re hard-wired, physiologically and preconsciously, to recoil from threats – like photographs of skin cancer or blackened lungs, But humor acts like a Trojan horse, getting the threat past that initial response so we can assess it and protect ourselves” (http://jjsmallbridge.tripod.com/ ) Dr. Mukherjee plans to do this same experiment with a new product. He would like to use condoms, and see which is most effective. That should be interesting.

People in advertising take their work very seriously, especially the clients. However, that is the last thing they want the consumers to do. They want the consumer to enjoy themselves with the thought of the product. Ultimately, if a person is made to laugh, then the job of the advertiser has been complete. Even thought the funny wins, and sells- there are caveats. If the right person tells a joke, then it is absolutely hilarious, if the wrong person tells a joke, then it falls flat. According to David Chiavegato, one half of the Bud Light creative team, says, “A lot of humor is based on truth, so it’s an easier way to connect than getting overly serious or dramatic about a product” (http://jjsmallbridge.tripod.com/).

In conclusion, we all know that humor sells. It is an effective tool to use as an advertiser. The perverse humor is the best route because it works in conjunction with the rule of thumb that sex sells. The essentials of making a sale using humor include making a point, make them laugh, and then you’ve probably made a sale.

Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvTU0rlhBVw

http://jjsmallbridge.tripod.com/clips/20020722NPfunnyads.html

Georgia Standards Website

After viewing the website, I was particularly interested in the credit recovery program. The credit recovery program is an excellent idea. Many students are often unable to meet the requirements of a class the first time around, be it due to family problems, not working hard enough, not being in a good learning environment, etc. I am pleased to hear that the credit recovery program is available online. I was under the impression that the credit recovery program is often facillitated in an educational environment.

I do believe if the program was offered throughout Georgia, in the comfort of your own home; then the No Child Leff Behind Act would truly be utilized. Sometimes, a student often learns better in an environment that is more comfortable, such as their home. Independent learning is also emphasized with this program; which I believe is a good idea.

If the program is not available throughout Georgia, then it should be. I believe this credit recovery program could be a sanctuary for those who would otherwise not meet the requirements for graduation. I cannot stress enough, how much I am impressed with this program.

Wendell Berry essay and responses

My initial impression was that Mr. Berry was in denial. By ignoring the value of computers given to schools “in need of books” I thought he being very limited by his own short-sightedness. Indeed, the internet gives access to literally thousands of books, articles, newspapers, etc. Mr. Berry comes across to someone entrenched in this generation as typical of the oldest living Americans. He appears to be literally afraid of computers, looking upon them feeling palpable fear. Wendell Berry does much to add to the perception that he is ignorant.My opinion on Mr. Berry was changed dramatically after reading his response to his critics. Digesting the venomous responses of his detractors, he perceives that he has, “scratched the skin of a technological fundamentalism,” consequently that he represented a, “a threat to their complacency.”

From this statement one can view Mr. Berry as simply entrenched on his own side of the generation gap. His intelligence comes across clearly; his philosophy therefore becomes “different” rather than “ignorant.”

There were traces of this intelligence when he originally pointed out that new tools should be cheaper and easier to use. This would cast him in the role of the staunch pragmatist, by definition rational and thorough. One thing that throws the modern reader is his moral justification for not buying computers. His opinions are easily perceived as elaborate self-deception. He paints his critics in this very same light when he responds to their ill-informed attacks on his wife, labeling them, “audacious and irresponsible gossips.”

Overall, I found this article to be very enlightening. Berry challenged my preconceived notions of older generations.

Dr. Tison

Dr. Tim Tison was a speaker regarding a certain Middle School. Apparently Dr. Tison has a personal relationship with the students at that middle school. There are some very bright students at the middle school. Dr. Tison emphasizes School 2.0. School 2.0 differs from school 1.0 in that it emphasizes learning outside of the classroom and utilitizing what is learned to benefit others. The students at that middle school wanted to keep learning during the summer due to the challenge that Dr. Tison presented the students. He challenged them to making the best project, and the best project would be presented on I tunes.

            The I tunes prize really encouraged the students to do their best work. The students worked diligently towards making the best project. Many of them went on field trips to see world renowned scientists in order to do the best possible research. The parents of the students even got involved in many cases. Dr. Tison was successful I his endeavor because he offered the prize. Many kids want to do hard work, but they want to do it if and only if they know they are going to be rewarded for it. I think that is the important thing to remember in this situation. In real life, people are rewarded for their hard work, whether it is a paycheck, recognition, or something to those means. That is precisely what kids expect now. Other wise they are just going to do what they can get a way with to earn a grade that is equal to their standards.

            Dr. Tison was also considerate to let two of the children speak on behalf of their own work. The kids seemed well spoken and intelligent. The videos were fabulous. I couldn’t believe they were accomplished by middle school aged children. The videos were intriguing. They posed adult type questions that so many people don’t think about in their every day life. This goes to show that those children were taking what they absorbed in the class room and bringing it to their home life. The processed food video was a great example of how the children were influencing others with the knowledge they took in. Dr. Tison is doing a great job and I believe his ideas and philosophy should be spread on to other administrators in his position. Technology can change the world, if we only allow it too.  

“Cherry Chocolate Rain” Original Song by Tay Zonday

This is a music video created by Dr. Pepper to celebrate their new beverage Cherry Chocolate Rain.

NewYear’s

Links

Many students love visiting such websites as Facebook and MySpace.

Text Effects

Text Effects can be a powerful tool to emphasize a point you may have!

Homework 1

We were assigned to read the first few chapters from  Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson. It is worthy of note that there is a class and a book for such technological means. I have lived in an educational era that ranged from typewriters to computers. Technology has been an evolving explosion in the past fifteen years. I couldn’t imagine having to be taught all of the concepts, programs, and websites, in one class. Luckily, most people in my generation gradually filtered in most of the tools mentioned in this book. And for those few unexposed individuals, well, I suppose that’s why books like this were produced.

Reading the first few chapters of this book made me become conscious that there are some people who are fearful to the use of the internet. It made me realize that I take for granted the use of technology. The book mentions that is important to stress to parents, that the internet and its many components are actually more beneficial than harmful to students. It provided the negative and positive view points that many students and parents face in today’s demanding educational world.

I love how the book raises the negative issues that most technologically biased people are afraid to bring up. Specifically, it mentions how there is a possibility that internet usage could lead to someone being kidnapped, assaulted, etc. However, it also raised the issue that something like that is extremely rare. Another case in point listed how people were inclined to pay bills, email, and keep virtual filing cabinets in a computer. Where as other people were writing checks, mailing letters, and keeping wads of unorganized paper work lying around. It brought up both worlds, yet emphasizing the more positive views of being in a technological mind frame and utilizing the appropriate measures.

Blogs are another appealing concept in this book. It was intriguing to read the negative and positive view points on the issues of blogs. I find it quite interesting to receive feedback on something a student might choose to write about. There is always the remote possibility that the feedback will be inappropriate, but the author mentions the RSS concept which would allow someone to filter the messages before they are posted. The instance where the students analyzed a book and then had the author herself reply back was very interesting. I would have very much enjoyed being in a condition like that when I was younger. I always found myself wondering, what was the author really thinking? It always makes for a more interesting deliberation when you know the real truth of why someone did something rather than having to make the general assumption as to why someone did something. It just goes to show that you learn something new everyday and doing it in a technologically savvy way can be more beneficial to a student in many different ways.