I think my favorite ad is the “Jake from State Farm” advertisement. Advertising campaigns have always been something I have been interested in; I find it fascinating how 30-second commercials can create lasting impressions about companies for years. In a positive context, advertisements can create lasting branding strategies or prompt a change in social behaviors in society. This State Farm commercial does not attempt to be serious by any means; it has a simple satirical premise that appeals to all types of demographics while highlighting a simple component of the company’s dependency for their customers. The commercial is nearly a decade old, yet guys still dress up as Jake for a last-minute Halloween costume when they don’t want to spend money on a costume (myself included). On the other hand, commercials can gain infamy for all the wrong reasons. In a negative context, controversial campaigns can spark a negative backlash that can be difficult for the brand and the people involved to recover from (the Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad comes to mind in particular).

One thing I find particularly interesting when reading is that the Kendall Jenner Pepsi commercial attempted to do many more of the things on the ‘Advertising Checklist’ in the Teays reading than the State Farm commercial did, yet their legacies could not be more different. The Pepsi commercial attempted a laundry list of these features to try to appeal to a mass audience: it tried telling a story, it exaggerated the product’s power, tried to promote diversity, made assumptions about power and class, attempted a political agenda and used sexuality/celebrity to promote the product. On the other hand, State Farm mainly told a story to appeal to its viewer. Looking at this checklist and the responses from society, I think a key takeaway is that trying to appeal to everyone realistically appeals to no one; the more companies attempt to make a statement to various groups in one cohesive message, the more likely it is to receive scrutiny from the groups they attempt to appeal to. Simplified models that focus on doing one thing really well are much more effective.

My favorite ads are Geico Ads and their “Hump Day” ad has to be one of their most well known and iconic ads. I remember when this commercial came out, Wednesday was known as Hump Day for quite some time. I think that Geico, and also the “Mayhem” Allstate ads that Nadia posted about, are some of my favorite ads and I always find myself tuning into them. I think these ads are so effective and engaging because they are so ridiculous. Geico ads are always over the top and you can always guess which ad is a Geico ad. I think that this style of advertising is so effective for an insurance commercial because it associates Geico’s name with the most over the top situations and shows that even though there is a camel walking through the office, Geico would know how to handle it. I also see this association with the Allstate “Mayhem” ads.

Furthermore, Martin the Geico gecko is not seen in this commercial but he is a staple of other Geico ads. This character is also a tool used in their advertising to associate the ridiculous scenarios with a calm character. It is also a great association tool, like Allstate’s “Mayhem.” Almost every ad has Martin in it and it helps the audience connect the commercial back to Geico. Furthermore, each ad always ends with a catchy slogan about Geico. For example, the most well known is “15 minutes could save you 15 percent or more on car insurance.” This repetition will eventually implant into the audience’s mind, especially if it is associated with a funny commercial. I even know this “15 minutes could save you 15 percent or more on car insurance”, and have known it for years, and I am not even interested in buying car insurance! Overall, Geico ads use ridiculous and over the top ads to connect their audience to Geico’s ability to help and fix these situations and the hump day ad is one of the most iconic examples of Geico’s effective advertising

One of my favorite ad campaigns over the years has been the #LikeAGirl campaign for the menstrual product brand, Always. When the first ad was launched in 2014, I remember I teared up watching it, being a middle-school girl at the time. This ad campaign was launched as “a new leg of its epic battle to make sure that girls everywhere keep their confidence through puberty and beyond by tackling the societal limitations that stand in their way” (Always). Unlike ads that promote negative stereotypes, hyper-sexualize individuals to sell products, and inform consumers that they are doing something inherently wrong, I love this ad because it instead reinforces that young women and girls deserve to be confident, even during a hard transition such as puberty. This ad has been widely celebrated for breaking down gender stereotypes and for empowering women and girls; while advertising for a brand, Always, the company has focused on a larger societal issue to encourage people that there should be no stigma in being a girl, and in that case, no stigma while purchasing menstrual products. When connecting this ad to the Teays reading, the first thing that comes to my mind is the diversity of the ad– for once, it actually does represent the society we live in. There are people in the ad across genders, ages, races, and ethnicities featured in this advertisement. This is important, especially in a world where white, thin, heterosexual, and conventionally “attractive” women are emphasized as the norm so that consumers of the ad are able to connect to it.

I also think it is worth noting that none of the interviewees in this ad mention their use of Always menstrual products or is attempting to promote a product in any type of way. The ad utilizes the stories and opinions of the interviewees through a message of female empowerment, with the name of the company mentioned as a supplement. In a way, this made me want to support Always more than a company with an ad promoting traditional gender stereotypes or making women seem weak during their menstrual cycles. Always did exactly the opposite of this and encouraged young women and girls to support their company as a result of their positive, progressive programming.

Here is the ad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs

When I thought about an ad that stood out to me, I immediately thought of the “Like a Girl” campaign by Always that was released in 2014. In the commercial, they start by asking teenagers what it means to “run like a girl”. All of them responded by running in the stereotypical way girls are perceived to run (flailing, not trying, worrying about their hair). They also ask how to throw like a girl, and fight like a girl – all of which elicited the same responses. However, when they asked younger girls (about age 10) the same questions, they had a very different reaction. One girl said that running like a girl meant running “as fast as you can”. The ad finishes with the statement that a girl’s confidence drops significantly during puberty, and that we should make “like a girl” mean better things.

I think this ad sticks out because it challenges a preconceived notion that we may not always notice, but that dramatically affects the way that women perceive themselves and perform on a day-to-day basis. It brings up something in our society that has become ingrained in our communities and should be changed. Especially after doing the readings for this week, the campaign definitely runs off of optimism, and pushes the idea that this problem can be solved if we change our mindset. It also tells a story to the audience, and shows us first-hand the devastating consequences that these stereotypes can have on young girls’ confidence levels. I also think that this ad is unique and stands out because of the visual aspects. The participants are asked on the spot to do these things, so it feels authentic and not planned out beforehand. I think that genuine feel to the ad gives it more power as well – if people think it’s just acting, they may be less inclined to listen to the message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs

In this TedTalk, strategist consultant Amane Dannouri discussed the various externalities that occur when online marketplaces impact local economies. In the talk, Dannouri discusses how there are both positive and negative externalities associated with the growth of these platforms such as Uber, AirBNB and Grubhub, but ultimately, when used properly, it can greatly benefit the greater society. Dannouri discussed how traditionally, people perceive online marketplaces as a threat to local economies, especially within the small business sector that disrupt traditional business models. However, this perception is largely not the case, as new technology can streamline efficiency and provide new opportunities, particularly in emerging areas. Dannouri gave the example of a technology company called Jumia, an Amazon equivalent company in Africa that is making efforts to improve technological literacy within the continent. An example of this that really struck out to me was the company’s service of an online university that prepares people to vend on their platform and increase their business opportunities. Through this program, people have been able to build their knowledge of markets and grow from an online business to a physical storefront and is expected to add three million new jobs in Africa in the next five years. His ending message is that technology does not have to be a zero-sum game; while industries will be restructured, their greater offerings to their communities increase their quality of life and provide new opportunities that would not be there without it.

I thought this was a really interesting Tedtalk given our current state. This talk was posted just before the pandemic was in full swing, but I believe its message is incredibly relevant to the state of the global economy. Small businesses are particularly impacted by this global shutdown; larger companies with multiple locations or multiple services can offset their losses, but smaller businesses do not have these opportunities. However, partnerships with services like Grubhub or Doordash allow for companies to reach their customers at a scale they would not be able to without these services and additionally allows people who have may have lost their job due to the pandemic the opportunity to make an alternative income. While this may seem small, these technologies are allowing people to feel more connected to their local community in times of isolation. New technology will always create a degree of tension and lash-backs, however, in the long-term, technology with overall positive externalities will continue to bring prosperity across the community, and technology with overall negative externalities will fade out.

I’m pretty sure many of you have seen and heard this ad growing up on television or as a meme on social media (especially recently). Education Connection ad was always a favorite for my brother and I growing up because it was very catchy and was on often– we may have seen the commercial at least once or twice everyday because of how popular it was. Although watching as a kid and nowhere near college then, this ad was a staple because how popular it was and how easy it was to remember the lyrics. It provided new view of technology and new paths people could take, which as a young kid, I assumed there was only one path to follow.

This commercial definitely used some of the factors we learned about in our readings for today. The Education connection slogan uses catchy music and lyrics to entice their audience to listen about the package deal of finding the right online college for them. The commercial shares a value that is common in American society which is continuing your education which can lead to a higher salary in your career. The lyrics share a story about a woman who did not do well in highschool and now ” taking my classes online, getting my degree on [her] own time” to get a better career and better salary. She emphasizes being able to get her degree at her own pace which is critical to education connection’s mission of finding the ideal program for you. This emphasis on an education made for you also appeals to an audience who has probably been in her situation, creating a relatable experience for them. It is also around this time that getting an online degree was a relatively new concept and appealed to many people who cannot do a ‘regular’ college path.

Here is the link to the commercial if anyone would like to jam to it.

Our buddy, our good pal, Mayhem. He is played by Dean Winters, an actor for Allstate Home Insurance commercials. He is the embodiment of Mayhem, and in each commercial, he  represents a rather common, but often forgettable event/person that can cause damage to our your home. He’s been a cat, an aspiring beauty blogger, a bad cleaning lady, overly confident dog walker, and everyone’s favorite, a teenage girl.

The opening line is always ” I’m a ______” and the commercial ends with “keep yourself protected from mayhem … like me” Truly iconic. Every commercial is a surreal comedy, with violent, dry, and deadpan humor, with a grown man acting out these absurd skits. For the teenage girl commercial in particular, there was a wonderfully done balance of some accuracy to teenage girl speech/thoughts, but also a detached commentary on how absurd it is. A masterpiece, truly. The common phrases and hilarity burns the commercial, and the company Allstate, into our minds. I feel like we as humans also just adore characters in general, with their dynamic nature. In a similar way, we love Flo from Progressive. These characters gain a life of their own and gain a “fanbase,” but unlike celebrities, they are inherently bound to the companies they represent.

No matter the absurdity, however, there rings a deep kernel of truth in everything. What if some unforeseen event really does dame our homes or cars? It’s a constant fear that we often choose to conveniently forget. And so, overall, Allstate really does succeed. It reminds us consumers of these fears/wants, and then Allstate is here to say “we can offer you these services.” Well done, for sure. And its cut its own place into the culture of people my age.

I do not watch a lot of TV in which I would see commercials. I tend to exclusively watch Netflix or prerecorded shows that my family will then fast forward through the commercials of. Therefore, the ads I am exposed to are mainly embedded advertisements or advertisements on the Internet (which, for me, especially this year, tend to be political ads). In considering this, my favorite advertisement is not on specific commercial or ad, but rather a form of embedded ads.

I listen to a lot of podcasts. Of these, one of my favorites is “Pod Save America” by Crooked Media. This podcast is about current news, particularly within the American politics sector. In the beginning of the podcasts and again about halfway through an episode, they read copy from their sponsors. Whether their sponsors are Oatly, Honey, Squarespace, Cash App, or more, they always add personal commentary to the copy. Sometimes this commentary is joking about the copy itself, other times it is relaying stories about using the goods they are advertising. One of the running tropes is, when advertising for Cash App, they will recount different situations one of them had to Cash App another one. Each time, this small anecdote references a long running joke in the podcast or is jokingly picked apart by the other hosts. No matter what they do, they add humor to the copy which makes me want to continue to listen to the ads rather than skipping over them. Additionally, the way these ads are embedded into the podcast has made me want to look into these goods. I have personally downloaded Honey and tried Oatly because of these advertisements.

This is a link to the podcast they did after Super Tuesday. The timestamps for the advertisements are 0-1:15 and 22:50-25:00.

One of my favorite ads is the Steve Carell, Lil Jon and Cardi B Pepsi ad from the 2019 Superbowl. After doing the reading for Monday it is pretty clear why this ad caught my attention. First of all, it has several celebrities in it which we know will make it more favorable. Steve Carell is probably my all-time favorite actor, so that is what drew my attention. I think that for a commercial, Steve Carell is pretty funny in it. I actually remember that the first time I saw it I went back and watched it again (which is weird to do with a commercial normally I wouldn’t pay attention the first time I saw it). Additionally, the ad is fast-paced and has a lot going on visually, so the viewer is never really bored. Right at the beginning of the commercial Steve Carell compares a Pepsi to a puppy, a shooting star, and a child’s laughter. Right off the bat, we have comparisons between Pepsi and several things that make most people happy. Additionally, it has the endorsement of several notable celebrities and if they like it why wouldn’t I?

Another one of my favorite commercials is a David Pastrnak (a hockey player for the Boston Bruins) commercial for Dunkin. One of the primary reasons I like this ad is again because it has a celebrity (at least a celebrity among hockey fanatics) that I am a huge fan of. Not only is David Pastrnak my favorite hockey player, but I also grew up watching and playing hockey so everything in the commercial appeals to me. There are a couple of subtle hockey jokes that I find funny because I understand the game. The only time I remember seeing this ad aired was during Bruins games, so most people that watch the ad will likely be attracted to it in the same way that I am.

I do not, however, feel like these commercials really encouraged me to buy the product. I do not drink soda frequently and if I do I am much more likely to drink Coke over Pepsi despite this commercial. I already go to Dunkin sometimes and this ad did not make me increases that frequency. Maybe they somehow have subconsciously but based on my current consumption habits that seems unlikely. I think these were more just commercials that I could tolerate watching, but they did not do much to change the way I think about the brand.

My favorite ad in Teays’ Second Thoughts is the “Got Milk?” campaign poster with NBA all-star Steve Nash. I remember how good Nash was in the NBA and how he was a favorite player among many young fans. This poster captivated my attention because I remember these posters adorned in the halls of middle school. Pro-athletes, musicians, and celebrities were always on these posters with the famous milk mustache. Although famous individuals had no expertise on the effect of drinking milk daily, everyone is fascinated by what their idols do. Young kids look up to role models in whatever they are passionate in. Kids want to be their hero and they will try to follow their hero’s footsteps. The next time a parent urges their kid to drink a glass of milk after dinner, they might be more inclined to because of the “Got Milk?” posters.

The intent behind these posters was smart since they blended into whatever environment they were put in. In schools, these posters never looked out of the ordinary. It can be argued that Got Milk is one of the arguably most successful adverting campaigns ever. I was interested in the origins of Got Milk and I discovered that it was a campaign created by the Californian Dairy Industry. The purpose of this ad was to make sure that Americans were consuming a sufficient amount of milk to sustain the milk industry. Ironically, milk consumption decreased nationally among Americans during the time of this campaign. The reason was that not having milk was not necessarily an issue. Some people chose to drink it more and others did not. This campaign brought awareness, but it did not encourage people to buy milk in greater quantities. Still, “Got Milk?” is so recognizable among Americans because of its widespread use in popular culture throughout the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.