Who's in your fav 5?

Charles Barkley and Dwayne Wade

I decided to discuss an old commercial today that I thought was funny back then and would help gain business for the phone company, however the company has sold all it's right to a bigger phone company. T-mobile needed a new idea to draw attention to the company as Verizon Wireless and AT&T were bringing in most of the business, the result was the "Fav 5" idea. Each member of T-mobile was able to select 5 people from their contacts list and they were able to call these people and their minutes wouldn't count against these five people. A way of advertising how the Fav 5 could work, T-mobile hired NBA current superstar Dwayne Wade and 1980s superstar Charles Barkley to create commercials in which Wade is doing whatever he can to get into Barkley's Fav 5. In this current commerical, Barkley and Wade are at a golf course and Dwayne is attempting a putt. Charles makes fun of Dwayne for his sweater, and Dwayne says he is trying to concentrate on the putt. Charles makes the putt more intense when he tells Dwayne if he makes it, he will be put into Barkley's Fav 5. As Wade is in his back-swing, Charles calls him and Dwayne misses the shot terribly, then answers the phone to hear Charles say "I'm sorry, were you busy?" The commercial then ends with the highlights of being part of a Fav 5. These commercials lasted for a while, however T-mobile did not. This past year, AT&T bought out T-mobile for $39 million, and while T-mobile phones are no longer existent, AT&T grew stronger. I thought these commercials helped the business out, I guess it goes to show the business goes where the money is, and if there's no money sell out.

Above the Influence

Above the Influence

When people are partying, drinking, smoking marijuana, they often make reckless decisions without thinking because they were drunk or high, or even both. These decisions lead to carelessness and also accidents, which could harm innocent people or the one causing the accident. There is a way to preventing this, staying above the influence. Above the Influence is a website started to try and prevent kids from drinking or doing drugs. The website has facts about drugs, gives advice for those on drugs, and also talks about how to prevent drugs around you. This is a great idea, however the commercials are what make the advertisement known. The commercials normally show an adolescent involved in an accident or a problem and it is because the person did drugs earlier, the commercial then symbolizes how the person could have prevented this problem if the person didn't use drugs. These commercials are all different, but all show the same message. In this particular commercial, a son is being yelled at by his dad after the son crashed the car the night before. The dad is angry and saying how the son has changed so much and he is unsure why, because before this he would have never crashed the car. The son never speaks in the ad but only stares at his dad. At the end of the commercial, one of the sons friends shows up telling him he left something at the party: his brain. The ad then shows the above the influence slogan. This proves the message that dumb decisions are made if you do not stay above the influence. What sounds better, having a buzz for a small amount of time, or preventing injury by staying above the influence.

State Farm... There for any occasion

State Farm

Car accidents happen often, I am not quite sure what the exact number is but I am guessing it is at least five accidents a day, and when you are in the accident you need you agent, and of course "like a good neighbor, state farm is there"..... "with a new girlfriend." State farm has been a good insurance agency for quite some time, they have fair rates, they work well with you and also give you rewards for not getting into accidents. However, State Farm has recently been making commercials that not only sell their pitch, but add humor as well. Their slogan has always been "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there." However they have added more to the commercial, giving people their dream wishes when the agent arrives. Whether it be a hot tub, a good looking girl, being saved by buffalo, or Bob Barker, a State Farm agent is there for you when you need him/her with whatever you need, at least that's what the commercials say. In this commercial, a couple is arguing after a fender bender and the woman is screaming at the man for misjudging his park job. The man after a time is irritated by the girl and says the slogan, "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there." An agent appears and the girl sees that, she then says with a "New Boyfriend". The male character is replaced by a more handsome, muscular male. The male then says with a "New Girlfriend". The female character is replaced by a cuter girl. The two characters then argue over the new appearances, however the message sticks: State Farm will help you with whatever you need, whenever you need it. All you need to do is say the chant....

PC or mini-fridge?

PC or mini-fridge

What sounds like a better buy? A refrigerator along with a free ice cube tray or a PC with a free Xbox 360. This   is what PC is advertising now in order to compete with Macs from Apple. Over the last couple of years, there has been a big battle of what computer is better a Mac or a PC? While each has there different advertising approaches, PC's previous attempt at being the better buy is they always update a better type of Windows. Windows Vista is the second oldest one version, and over the last two years Windows advertised about Windows 7, the latest and greatest version that would be faster than any computer against it. However Apple still competed well for a couple reasons. The first is Apple's original brand and type of computer sells itself, Apple has done a great job with advertising, and one of the final reasons is Apple lately has given away a free iPod Touch with every purchase of a Mac. Now PC has come up with another approach at competing with Mac, giving away one of their own products. Whoever buys a new PC this year will receive a free Xbox 360 and controller. The commercial really shows why a PC is more important than to have a mini-fridge, especially when the character from the game destroys the mini-fridge. This shows that there's no contest, why buy a mini-fridge when you instead can have a PC and a free Xbox 360. This way PC will compete with Apple for which company is the better buy.

Free Credit Score

Free Credit Score

If you are trying to sign for a college loans, car loans, house loans, or personal loans, the bank needs to know one crucial piece of information before they approve your loan: your credit score. This part of your life that makes or break a loan, all of you history information on whether you made payments or not. Did you know that you have to pay in order to find out what your credit score is? Actually you get one free report through the government every year. However if you watch this commercial and apply to this website, you get a free credit score through freecreditscore.com. The commercial is a catchy commercial of two men golfing and on the golf cart is the man's credit score of 820, which is really good. This man is calm cool and relaxed. Narrating the commercial is a singer sitting on the back of the golf cart explaining how he keeps his credit score so high, by getting a free credit score through the website. This commercial is seen regularly on multiple TV channels. However this isn't the first type of website advertising a free credit score. Remember a couple years ago a man playing guitar in his basement, dressed as a pirate, talking about freecreditreport.com? Quite the same huh, well the only thing really different is the actor. I wonder if it is the same company but only different because it wasn't making profit. This goes with what we talked about in our discussion how you need to change advertising in company to find the profit.

Abercrombie and Fitch

All girls want to be with this kind of guy, all guys want to have this kind of body. Abercrombie and Fitch, an expensive brand name clothing company that symbolize if you are wearing their brand logo (a moose), you have a sense of class and are also elegant. While the brand symbolizes a sign of fancy, the advertisement stands for something else. All Abercrombie and Fitch advertisements have either a fit guy with a six-pack abs and toned arms, or a skinny attractive female with big breasts and an attractive face. The Abercrombie and Fitch models will always look like that, they will never be guys with no abs, or a guy with a large stomach. The girl can never have acne, or a larger body, or even a slightly unattractive face. These models are like all models, what American society represents as the "perfect" body type. While a small portion of society actually has this type of body, the advertisements still bring in a profit because society wants to be like these models. Abercrombie and Fitch benefits from the wants of American society and use their jealousy and needs by making these types of advertisements. The brand knows what society wants, and if people with a "perfect" body wear there brand, then people will want to be like them and also wear their brand. This company uses these ads wisely and also will make profit from them until society feels a fit body isn't the "perfect" body. Abercrombie and Fitch manipulates society because they use what we want. From this they are a successful brand, however they became successful by not thinking about the consumer's feelings but rather their wants, the want to be fit.