Week 4 EOC - Women in contemporary ads

 

Women have definitely been a big topic in advertising. There are typically sexual innuendos and misogynistic messages, although I believe with all the fuss about feminism uprising, a lot more female based ads have been positive. This Dove ad (and most of the Dove ads in general) make me happy. I love seeing the "campaign for real beauty." It delivers a powerful message to women of all ages that imperfection is beauty. That's from one of my favorite quotes by Marilyn Monroe, "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." It hangs in my bathroom to remind me that even when my makeup isn’t on point, I'm still beautiful. The "campaign for real beauty" empowers women by reminding them that beauty is more than skin deep.  

 

I like this ad because it depicts a woman confidently running, appearing to be racing and winning. This ad makes me think of the commercial that aired a while back, "Anything you can do, I can do better." Not to say that men are inferior, but I feel like women have so much more to prove. On top of that, athletic women have so much to prove! There are "model-type" women, "thick" women, "petite" women, etc. The category of "athlete" is very limited and mainly consisting of men. It takes a huge commitment and stringent training to be an athlete. Many women who are considered "athletes" are also deemed "manly." I would honestly have to say the woman in this ad looks pretty feminine. Nike always seems to do a good job at depicting equality between men and women, however this ad shows tasteful chivalry. "Ladies first" is an age old saying by charming men who would hold doors for women and let them go first. 

Week 4 EOC: Jerry Della Femina

Who is Jerry Della Femina? "In 1970, Della Femina, the then 34-year-old chairman of his own ad agency, wrote one of the defining books about advertising, the cult bestseller From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor. Taking its title from a suggestion Jerry made to colleagues about how they could sell Panasonic TVs, its anecdotes about 60s ad land made it a key source for Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner when building the world of Sterling Cooper." https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/jul/17/jerry-della-femina-mad-men But where did Della Femina get is start? He began as a teenager, chasing that American dream. In his early years, discrimination hindered him from getting a chance, however once he made his mark he was unstoppable. He is dubbed the "Mad Man of Madison Avenue" http://celebritynetworths.org/net-worth/jerry-della-femina-net-worth-2/ and was a legendary presence in 1960's advertising. To this day, his impact is still felt throughout the advertising world. From his company website, "50 years ago a messenger walked in to an advertising agency. He never left. That messenger went on to create advertising that jumped off the page, the screen and the radio. That messenger built four successful agencies, and filled them with like-minded people. People who wanted to grab attention, to wake you up, to challenge, push, to break through. That messenger was Jerry Della Femina. We challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of creativity. We search for new ways to solve problems by not limiting ourselves to traditional marketing methods. At the end of every day, we work towards one goal: find new ways to make your business successful." http://www.dellanyc.com/about Successful business is built on successful advertising. Jerry Della Femina truly got it. His boisterous personality and colorful sense of humor allowed him to connect with businesses and audiences. One admirable concept that I see a lot in advertising today is witty humor. I feel that Jerry Della Femina developed that concept to make it applicable in one of the most intolerant market eras during the 60's and its success has continued on.

Week 3: EOC - Bill Bernbach

Who is Bill Bernbach? "William Bernbach was a creative leader who revolutionized the way that advertising was approached. Above all he valued innovation and intuition over science and rules." http://advertisinghall.org/members/member_bio.php?memid=540 "As the single most influential creative force in advertising's history, Bernbach served as an inspiring father figure to some of advertising's most brilliant talents. His copywriters and art directors lived for his approval, competed to make his blue eyes sparkle, to produce work that would earn a Bernbachian smile. 'What did Bill think?' was the question his Doyle Dane Bernbach people and clients would ask when new work was shown. Bernbach ruled." http://adage.com/article/special-report-the-advertising-century/william-bernbach/140180/ "Bernbach insisted on first learning how his client's products related to their users, what human qualities and emotions came into play. Then the challenge turned to deciding how best to communicate those elements, in TV and print, and capture the consumer's understanding and support." http://adage.com/article/special-report-the-advertising-century/william-bernbach/140180/ He essentially created what is now modern day advertising. He wanted to understand the consumers' point of view and target them in such a way they felt like he was personalizing his product for them. In today's world, advertising works by doing just that. People will not be as responsive to a flashy, in your face type of ad. They want to connect to the product and feel coddled by the company. My parents are perfect examples of this. They will not buy a product unless they know the jingle by heart, and they will not try a new product, regardless if it is healthier for them, unless they can attest to its credibility with a jingle! As cultish as it seems, the audience favors catchy advertising and this is all thanks to Bill Bernbach. Even if the ad isn't a catchy jingle, if the audience can relate to it in any way, it's bound to be successful! 

"Mikey" for Life Cereal was one of Bill's projects to target kids who were picky eaters. Kids did not want to eat healthy, bland cereal. However, by depicting "Mikey" the little boy who "won’t eat anything" blissfully enjoying Life Cereal, this created the image that all kids will love Life. I vividly remember eating Life AND watching those "Mikey" commercials. Although it probably isn’t the healthiest option for kids, my parents were avid believers in Life Cereal because of its convincing advertising.