Cheers To New Beginnings

Sadly my time of learning at Sheridan College is coming to an end. However, that does not mean I am finished with learning; I will always be learning and improving on my writing and advertising. Accumulating more knowledge in these areas will only help my success.

For those of you out there who are considering Advertising as a career choice, look into post-graduate programs to help you specialize in the field. Programs such as Sheridan's Post-Grad Advertising Account Management Program can provide knowledge that will benefit you in your future endeavours. Through my post-education learning experience, I have developed skills in both my writing (creativity) and various areas of advertising: digital, account management, sales, creative, media, laws and ethics of advertising, and so much more. The opportunities are endless.

If you are unsure where you fit within the industry, then a post-grad program may be right for you. Post-grad programs can provide the knowledge and skills required of all areas in the advertising industry, so you can have a sense of where you are most passionate or qualified.

I have been asked many times: why advertising? How did you first get interested in the industry? It's actually kind of funny. I knew from high school that I was going to end up in the advertising world. I planned out my education from there: Western University for 4 years and 1 year of post-grad education at Sheridan College. I've always been a creative individual. Since I was eighteen, I have had a wide imagination that has been hard to contain. As a result, I found a love for writing fiction novels. So logically I was seeking a career that would allow me to use that creativity in more complex ways. Advertising seemed to reach out to me. The idea of physically designing what billboards or commercials would look like suddenly appealed to my passionate side. Upon learning more about the industry, I was driven to account management to balance my imagination with writing and my creativity/business side with advertising.

Advertising is not merely creating and executing advertisements. There is so much more that goes into the industry than most people realize. There are plenty of opportunities in developing campaigns, creating content, buying and selling advertising space, digital advertising, mobile advertising, integrated marketing communications, the laws and ethics of advertising… I could go on but I'm sure you are able to research more about the available jobs in the industry. Or you could enter a post-grad program to increase your knowledge in the industry to find your place among it.

By communicating with others in the advertising world and following my passions, I have found my way. Now it is time to find yours.

Cheers, to your new beginnings.

You've Been Challenged: Staring Contest!

Samsung challenged any passerby to a 1 hour staring contest to encourage the promotion of the new Samsung Galaxy S4's "smart pause" technology in 2013. This "smart pause" technology can detect when you are looking at the screen. If you look away, it will automatically pause the video you are watching. To demonstrate its ability to do so, Samsung challenged anyone who passed by the machine to a 1 hour staring contest. If they continued to stare at the eye-tracking screen for 1 hour, they would win a free Samsung Galaxy S4. However, there is a catch. It's a set up! There are actors hired to argue beside you, "police" dogs wanting to sniff you, motorcyclists driving around, a growing audience and much more to bring your attention away from the screen.

This experiential event brought plenty of attention to the brand as well as the event itself. It was successful in that people did not realize they were participating in a promotional event until it was over. The hype and excitement over what was happening was the sole focus. Everyone wanted one person to pass the test and win the Samsung Galaxy S4. The campaign's very first "staring contest" took place at the Zurich Main Station in Switzerland and branched out to various locations to spread the word. Samsung succeeded in getting their audience interested, involved, and invested in their brand through participating in the staring contest, watching from the sidelines or even online. I first discovered this event back in 2013 and it has stuck with me ever since. I still admire it. It has an up-lifting attitude while promising a happy outcome. It is entertaining and allows the audience to forget the brand for a moment in order to fully participate in what is happening before them. The audience remembers who the brand is at the end and associates those recently felt emotions with the brand itself.

Experiential events can highly benefit a brand. They do not push the brand in consumers' faces but merely remind them that the brand is there and can be associated with the emotions felt during the experience. They are enjoyable. When I come across them, I find myself attracted to the event, wanting to participate in some way through recording what is happening, becoming a participant, or looking them up online. Even though Samsung's staring contest is a few years old, I believe it is worth discussing because of the innovative idea behind it. How do we promote this new technology? Let's make it a game! The main critique I have relates to the impact growth of this event had it been implemented in more cities nation-wide or pushed more virally online.

Check out the event below! 

Communication Through Memes

Advertising can be found everywhere these days: TV, internet, on billboards, transit, digital boards, smartphones, video games, apps… the list is endless. Now advertisements are using trends as a way of connecting with consumers through highly recognized images that relay certain messages (memes). Memes can be found everywhere, but the specific memes I am referring to are the ones found online. Typically, they are amusing and are highly identifiable: Success Kid, Grumpy Cat, and even Ryan Gosling's "Hey Girl" memes.

Recently, advertisers have begun utilizing well-known characters and their personalities/messages to reach more consumers through humour and recognition. This unique content breaks away from the clutter of everyday advertisements. Immediately, someone who knows of Success Kid would do a double take of this billboard to see why a trending meme is up there. It's an attention grabber as mentioned in my previous post, which is all too important.

Virgin Mobile using Success Kid

Success Kid

Memes can be found anywhere representing a variety of companies, opinions and ideas. They can relate to college or university, which most of them tend to do, trying to find a job, or even work experience as demonstrated by the Success Kid meme to the left. Most meme personalities or messages are relatable through experiences or lifestyles. They may even remind you of someone you know. Either way, these memes have yet to go out of style. In fact, more are being created each day. It only makes sense that advertisers start using memes as a way of connecting with consumers.

At Western University, I once took a class regarding the importance of communicating through memes. Memes portray everyday messages. A meme is more than a picture with a personality. As I've mentioned, these images have a meaning. For example, a stop sign is a meme. When you see a stop sign, you recognize it and what the image represents; therefore, you know you must come to a stop, so you do not break the law. The same goes for any other meme. An image of Success Kid will provide an internalized meaning that whatever is written beside him will lead to a successful or profitable outcome that is likely to be relatable with the audience. When pairing this knowledge with a brand, the association will be immediate: Success Kid will lead to a successful outcome that Virgin Mobile can provide for you.

There are even memes about advertising as "dumb" or "evil". Advertising is not always seen as a positive industry in the minds of consumers. Keeping tabs on memes related to advertising will allow you to better understand why your advertisements may not be appealing to your target market. Why not use these insights to your benefit? Or create a meme associated with your business to increase awareness and demonstrate humour or better yet, an understanding of your audience.

You get them. You understand how they feel about advertising. You understand what these images mean to them. And those can be used to develop a more positive position with your audience that can ultimately benefit your consumers as well as your brand.

Dumb and Dumber

Dr. Evil

Attention Grabbers

There has been a long time feud in the fast-food industry between McDonalds and Burger King. The two companies have been biding for attention as well as retaining and obtaining loyal customers for years. Recently, however, McDonalds came out with a new tactic by somewhat helping Burger King advertise in France. Obnoxious, and hilarious, McDonald's created a sign for Burger King stating that the driver only had "258 KM to go" (160 miles) to reach Burger King's drive thru. Meanwhile a much smaller sign is located next to the hard-to-miss Burger King sign stating that McDonalds is merely 5 KM away. There are over 1,000 McDonalds drive-thrus in France, which is far more than the amount of Burger King drive-thrus in the same country. This kind of advertising not only grabs attention but makes clear to its local audience that McDonalds is always convenient and there for you whereas Burger King is not. This location was likely chosen as a result of its remoteness from any nearby Burger King drive-thrus (Adweek)

This feud has always been public knowledge. Even this sign from Brioude has become widely recognized online as of recently. However, I do not believe that the company expected the sign to blow up as much as it has. As a result, more visuals of the McDonalds brand in North America has been embedded with the association of McDonald's having a better understanding of its consumers. Through the accomplishment of having more drive-thrus, McDonalds can demonstrate its understanding that consumers come to McDonald's for convenient, good-tasting food on the road because of their fast-paced lifestyles. People are busy. Food should be convenient. McDonalds can provide that, but can Burger King? It is true that consumers may be loyal to Burger King and will make that extra trek for a Whopper, but if you don't have to go farther for a burger, why would you? 

Many questions can be implied through these 2 signs side-by-side. 

I love this advertisement. It is hilarious and innovative. It is eye captivating and makes consumers think about the positives of McDonalds while simultaneously demonstrating some of the drawbacks of its competition. 

Grabbing the attention of consumers in a unique and comedic way can benefit a company's image as demonstrated. The photo of the McDonalds sign compared to the "Burger King sign" has increased in popularity online, impacting consumers across the world. Being able to make an impact such as this demonstrates the power of grabbing attention with advertisements. Anything can happen as a result, and it can serve to benefit a company such as McDonalds beyond possible expectations.

The Importance Of Originality

Heineken has created a series of hilarious commercials featuring Neil Patrick Harris as their "candid" Heineken Light Beer spokesman. However, Heineken executed these advertisements in a unique fashion compared to other beer companies. In doing so, Heineken was able to stand out from the clutter of advertisements consumers see daily. In The Director, Neil Patrick Harris is confused about the regulations of advertising beer on TV and does not understand why he is unable to drink the Heineken he is endorsing. 

Neil Patrick Harris comments on an issue faced by many companies advertising alcohol. There are no requirements when advertising beer in the US, but the brewing industry's Beer Institute contains voluntary guidelines prohibiting situations in which "beer is consumed rapidly, excessively, involuntarily, as part of a drinking game or as part of a dare." However, many companies still use the long-expelled Television Code in which alcohol is not to be consumed in commercials. This is interesting because how can you endorse something you aren't even trying?

Heineken discovered a way around this issue. Neil Patrick Harris never actually sips the Heineken Light Beer in his hand, but he keeps wanting and trying to.  The best way to explain this would be through Heineken's commercial: The Director available above.The beer cannot be demonstrated or related to unsafe practices such as drinking and driving or alcoholism which is implied in the commercial below: The Party.

I love these commercials because of their creativity. The fake behind-the-scenes commercial with The Director is nothing like the beer commercials surrounding it. 

Heineken implies that Neil Patrick Harris likely drank the Heineken after filming. This leads to the conclusion that Neil Patrick Harris really does enjoy the beer; therefore, it must be good beer. The originality of these commercials stems from having Neil Patrick Harris as their spokesman but also twisting the voluntary regulations as well as the older Television Code in a humorous way. 

The candidness of The Director allows the audience to momentarily lower their guards and forget that the advertisement is actually trying to sell them something. It does not seem scripted; therefore, the conversation is witty and more natural. It is humourous if not slightly believable that Neil Patrick Harris would act in this manner based on his beer-drinking character in How I Met Your Mother.

However, I am curious if Heineken got into trouble by bringing up the regulations in this manner. They merely show the beer, so the audience “have to take their words for it” as Neil Patrick Harris states in The Party. These commercials are both appropriate for the brand and effective as consumers begin to associate Heineken with the actor. This also continued through Heineken’s commercial The Fans where Neil Patrick Harris is only referred to as "that guy from the Heineken Light commercials". These advertisements were well planned and innovative. To an extent, they reminded me of the Old Spice commercials because of how different they were from any other body wash brands at the time.

In order to stand amidst the clutter, you have to get creative. The "candid" nature of Neil Patrick Harris during these commercials provided that originality and uniqueness lacking in other beer brands' advertisements because no one can replace Neil Patrick Harris. He is identifiable, relatable and iconic in this day and age, especially in relation to Heineken's audience who have likely watched How I Met Your Mother. This campaign relates to my previous post about not letting yourself be constrained by figment limitations. Always think outside the box. It might be a risk but it brings something unique to the table that is memorable amongst the clutter of advertisements out there. Similar to the Old Spice commercials with Isaiah Mustafa, Neil Patrick Harris is associated with the brand in a comedic, albeit slightly random, way to boost Heineken's image as a suitable brand for consumers 21+. In doing so, they increased the awareness of their Heineken Light Beer and reached a new audience who may have not otherwise known about it.

What do you think of Heineken's "candid" commercials?

Don't Be Constrained By The Box

Outside the box thinking can be powerful in advertising. While in competition with other car brands, specifically Lexus, from 2001-2002, BMW launched a campaign in which they created a series of short films to differentiate themselves from other car brands. These short films were placed in movie theatres and online; Clive Owen was featured as the mysterious driver-for-hire in this campaign, but BMW also included other celebrities such as Madonna and power directors such as Ang Lee. The big names themselves were enough to bring attention to BMW but these short films were eye-captivating and easily found. DVDs of these short films were given to customers at BMW locations and they could also be found on BMWs website.

The Star

Questionable content such as suicide in The Hostage, driving with no seatbelt in The Star, gun violence/attempted murder in The Ambush, and unsafe driving in every short is demonstrated; however, Advertising Stats Canada did not receive any complaints for these short films. BMW's The Hire series disguised their advertisements as short films. Therefore, most consumers did not view the BMW short films as advertisements, but rather as short movies featuring the BMW car. These shorts brought out relatable emotions to consumers such as love, compassion and rebellion. The audience has a connection to Clive Owen who is speaking to the audience in his voiceovers, so the audience becomes even more invested. 

This campaign brought positive focus to the brand while simultaneously breaking ASC codes (10, 14 b and d) and getting away with it. Since the short films were not always interpreted as advertisements, the audience was more susceptible to the message: BMW is cool. An audience typically has its guard up when viewing advertisements, but their guard goes down when watching movies; therefore, BMW got its message across with less barriers.

This campaign was incredibly successful and a brilliant marketing move. As a result, BMW sales increased by 12%, which put them ahead of their competitor Lexus. Advertising  online is cheap, so BMW saved money in terms of media placement. By relocating cost to production spending, BMW created high-quality advertisements with good music, legendary directors and famous celebrities. This new tactic paid off. The BMW short films were so popular that BMW ran out of DVDs, and the short films online were viewed over one-hundred million times. Without consumers complaining about the questionable content in The Hire short series, BMW never had to pull its advertisements. They can still be viewed online today. Companies are beginning to follow suit by creating short films or in Nike's case, "Nike Originals," similar to the idea of BMW's The Hire short series. These new short films differ from BMW's The Hire by repurposing the focus of these short films towards empowering women; therefore, they lack BMW's masculine driver-for-hire and violent situations. Short films over advertisements appear to be a new trend in the sports world with Nike and Adidas at the forefront to increase their female consumer loyalty. 

However, BMW was unique with its short films to increase awareness and loyalty first.

It is important to think outside the box. BMW took a risk in spending most of their money on production and less money on media placement. There was no guarantee that this tactic would pay off for a car company, yet with this campaign, BMW became more successful than their competitor at the time. Without meaning to, BMW has started a new trend towards short series instead of rigid advertisements.

To check out The Hire BMW short series, click here.

This one is my favourite!
BMW presents The Star featuring Madonna and Guy Ritchie.

What's Your Brand?

No, I'm not referring to the brand you choose to wear or promote by having a company name or symbol visible somewhere on you. What is your personal brand?

This question is consistently posed to us Post-Grads as we progress towards finding a job in the industry. What is your personality? What do you want future employers to think of you?

It was easy when we were young. We wanted to be liked for who we were. We still want that as adults, except we want to present the best version of ourselves to people who can affect our futures; this includes professors, future employers, coworkers and classmates.

Your personal brand can be displayed on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and in person. Your brand allows you to stand out from others with similar educational backgrounds, skills and experience. Your personal brand can make you memorable against many others applying for the same position. You want to impress the individual making the decision and demonstrate what uniqueness you can bring to the company. Will you get along with your coworkers? Will you be a good fit for this position?

Use what experiences you have to your advantage. What values can you offer the company? You worked in retail? Amazing! Now explain how that can benefit us and why we should hire you over the countless other students who have also worked in retail. You're friendly and studied communications? Great! Demonstrate those skills.

How do you do that?

There are a number of things you can do. Pick and choose an experience, event or quality that makes you different and zone in on it. For example: I'm an author. That's distinctive from many students applying for the same position as myself. It also demonstrates my creativity, self-discipline, organization and time management skills. Being an author is one part of my personal brand.

Your personal brand does not have to revolve around one aspect of yourself. Another side of my personal brand is related to advertising through promotional experience, which demonstrates my outgoing personality and friendly nature.



Everyone has a brand that is unique in its own way, so make yours work for you!

If you're interested in learning how to build your personal brand, hit up the video below by Digital Royalty on Youtube. Very insightful!