Media Blog Reflection

After writing all these media blogs for about 4 weeks or so I finally realized how much media is around me everyday.  I never used to pay attention to all the advertisements around me until I started doing media blogs.  Everyday I consume media because it is literally everywhere I go.  Now everywhere I go I actually pay attention to the media and advertisements around me.  I can say that media distracts people a lot especially for me.  When I am doing homework I am constantly stopped by media whether its the sound of a TV, music, or online surfing. 

Since I now understand more about media I have become more aware of it.  I am not easily fooled by all the advertisements telling me to buy their products because its so awesome or they are really cheap and on sale!  It is important to be an educated consumer because you can look past all the ways the company is trying to sell the product and actually tell if it is worth buying or not.  To be an educated consumer you can make better decisions when purchasing a new item.  Also having media literacy allows people to understand the message and techniques that are being used to sell the product so they can make a good choice when deciding whether or not to buy something.  The people who make these advertisements have to understand media literacy in order to appeal to the people and sell their certain product to the people. 

From doing these media blogs I have realized how much media has played a role in my life and how easily I am manipulated by it.  After this assignment I am more aware of all the media I use and what is around me now that I have learned about it. 

Over the weekend I was watching the Niners game and when the commercials came on I found myself naming all the techniques and needs that were being used.  I could not believe what was happening to me...HISP has changed my way of interpreting things....I am kidding.  I was actually proud of myself for naming the techniques and needs because it showed I learned something from this unit.  This whole unit was super fun and interesting because it was relatable to our generation (teenagers).  It was something that everyone has seen  and heard of because it is all over the place.  I was able to learn a little about the advertising industry and how it works, plus the process companies take to figure out its target market and how to appeal to their customers.  This critical thinking class taught me a lot about media and I realized how much I am involved with media that i never seemed to notice before.

I never used to pay attention to commercial as much as I do now.  Nor did I realized that men do not watch girl films but girls watch both woman and men shows.  When I watched movies I never noticed the company or brand advertising's that were in the film like Apple or Starbucks.  These little things I never noticed, but after this assignment I actually search for them....its like a scavenger hunt.  This blog has been amazing I really enjoyed writing about media and posting every week on it.

 

Entry 13: "Get ME Out Of Here"

I was watching the Kings vs Heat game last night, which was a very sad game to watch since the Kings got killed.  Even though it was not the best game I was able to see D. Wade play and he reminded me of the T-mobile commercial he is  in. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yZj_yZ6m1o

This is probably one of my favorite NBA commercials of all times.  I love Wade and this video was funny to me.  It shows how fast technology is today and how much people are on social media networks to be informed what is going on around them.  T-mobile really knew how to deliver their message well because in the video they showed all these different groups of people looking at Wade's video and going crazy.  Then at the end they said that their phones are allow people to share photos and HD videos being "America's Largest 4G network."
 
T-mobile uses the testimonial appeal and the need to achieve in the commercial by having D. Wade sell the product to fans.  Even in the commercial you can see how many fans like Wade since they are wearing his jersey or chanting his name.  NBA fans would want to have T-mobile just because Wade is promoting their cell phones and showing how fast their network is.  If people want to be like Wade and do the things he does then they will switch to T-mobile.


                                         


                                        

Entry 12: Calvin Klein Cologne :D

When it comes to buying my brother a gift for his birthday or Christmas I always look at finding him cologne.  As I was looking for a different brand of cologne to give to him I came across a Calvin Klein cologne ad.  Last year I gave my brother True Religion cologne so this year I have to change things up.  Just looking at this Calvin Klein cologne ad I want to buy it for my brother and I have no clue what it smells like. 

The company is using glittering generalities in this advertisement by having a middle aged man who has a very nice body just posing with the logo on the bottom.  The guy has an amazing body and the lighting on his is great.  I like how half of his body  is light and the other half is dark.  The shadows also give off this intense and real look to it.  This ad has a seriousness to it with the guys expression, but also how the picture and cologne case is all black and white.  The cologne ad can appeal to a lot of girls because if they see this hot guy they would want their boyfriends to wear it and smell like the model.  Plenty of girls would buy this cologne for a guy they know just after seeing the hot model advertising it. 

The name of the cologne is also appealing to the eye on this ad because the Calvin Klein name is not very big.  However, the name of it s in all caps and is short so people will remember the name.   Plus the name is in white with a dark background so it somewhat sticks out. 

This is ad is gestalt to an extent because it does not talk about the cologne or what it is like it is just a picture of a hot guy and the cologne bottle on the bottom of the picture.  The cologne does not even stand out that much it blends right in with the whole color scheme. 

Entry 11: Glee Gap

This past week my parents were watching Glee reruns and the Gap episode was on when Blaine sings a song to this guy he likes for the holidays.  It was interesting that the characters in Glee went to a location that they never film at.  They always film at school or at the restaurant Bread Sticks. 

Gap is being advertised during this Glee episode "Silly Love Songs." Blaine wants to show this guy how much he cares about him and wants to be with him through a song. During the song at the store there was a sign that kept showing and it read "gfast," which is Gap's fitness gear. When the camera was rolling the audience can see all the jeans, glasses, clothing, and manikins throughout the whole song. Blaine walked around almost the whole store, so as an audience we can see everything that Gap sells.

 http://megashare.info/watch-glee-season-2-episode-12-online-TWpZek53PT0

At 21:54 of the video above, that is when Blaine is in the Gap store watching the guy he likes.  Blaine even says the brand name Gap right before he sings to the guy.  Gap was really able to sell their store name so they would attract Glee fans to come to their stores.  The store had great product placement because after Blaine sings he sits outside with Kurt waiting for the guy to leave work.  While the boys are sitting on the bench next to Blaine is the well know dark blue string Gap bag.  At 25:02 when the guy finally comes out of the store you can see a Gap sign right behind him.  No one can miss that gap sign at all the camera made sure that the audience can see the sign for a good 2 seconds. 

Having the Gap store in this Glee episode and having Blaine shop at the store showing the fans that famous people like the store.  It also shows that Gap is not just a children's store it sells women and men clothing too. 

Entry 10: Sunday Ads

I was going through the Sunday newspaper and this is the day when all the stores have their ads out.  usually I look at the clothing stores and when I saw the Target ad I just had to write about it.  On the cover page of Target's ad they have two girls excising and then right across the cover it says, "hard-core saving."  I found this very amusing for some reason and clever since there are girls working out and its an ad. 

Just on the front page of this Target ad the store is mainly appealing to women by showing two females doing work outs with weights.  Plus they have sport bras on the bottom of the page.  The whole ad is very colorful and I thought the color scheme was interesting.  I liked how in the picture of the two women the room they are in is all white so the people focus on what is in the room along with what they are wearing. 

 

In every ad that Target has they always have to show their signature symbol of the red dot with the red circle around it.  The store does not even have to write Target across the cover because the store is so well know and everyone already knows their symbol.  When I pick up the Sunday ads and I see the red dot and circle i immediately know it is Target.  In the Target ad you can constantly see their symbol throughout it and its repetitive.  Their popular saying is also well known, "Expect more. Pay less."  The saying is so short that is easy to remember and memorize. 

 

Target is really promoting Champions work out gear for women because there are so many options to choose from.  Another sign of repetition is the Champions logo; it is on every single sports bra, the top right corner, and it is even on the work out ball.  Target wants people to buy Champions weights and bras. 

 

 



Entry 9: Taco Bell....YUMMM

Lately, the newest thing to get at Taco Bell is the Doritos Locos Tacos.  I have seen so many commercials for this taco, yet i have not yet gone and tried it.  The taco looks pretty good and when I saw this add it just appealed to me even more.  I am like craving Taco Bell, I have not had it in so long.  To me I find it clever of Doritos and taco Bell to team up and create this new taco.  Its always good to try something new and change things up.  Sometimes basic is not always fulfilling, there is a need for something else. 

In this ad Taco Bell is appealing to people's physiological needs by talking about the taco and how it is a Doritos taco shell.  Two different companies are being advertised in this ad, Doritos and Taco Bell.  Many people know about the popular Doritos chip brand and the nacho cheese flavored chips are their most well known.  this taco creation would probably appeal to a lot of people because both of these companies are so popular today. 

 

The color schemes on this ad I found pretty interesting there are different shades of yellow and orange mixed within it.  The colors really define the red Doritos chip bag and if you look closely the colors all make like a triangle shape because the Doritos chips are all shaped like triangles if they are not broken.  In the corners there are dark shades of orange and as the lines go in the stripes become lighter and lighter until it reaches a yellow color. 

The presentation of the taco makes the food so much more appealing.  As a reader I can see each and every layer of the taco with the meat at the bottom, a small layer of sour cream, and then the lettuce with tomatoes and cheese.  A company has to make their product appealing so that the audience wants it bad.  I also liked how Taco Bell made their product have a rhyme to it by saying "Locos Tacos."

Entry 8: Devil Wears Prada



"Devil Wears Prada" is probably one of my favorite movies of all time because it stars Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway and I like both of those actresses.  Over break I saw the movie once again, but realized there was a lot of product of placement throughout the movie.  When I saw "Devil Wears Prada" years ago I never recognized the Starbucks shop in the background, the Pellegrino drinks in the beginning, or the apple computer that the assistants like Anne uses.  I actually payed close attention to the movie this time and saw all the advertising done by the writers and companies. 

Anne Hathaway plays an unattractive writer (Andy Sachs) that has moved to New York to become a journalist, but she ends up assisting Miranda the editor and chief of RUNWAY magazine.  In the beginning of the movie Andy does not know much about fashion and how the district works.  As the movie progresses she changes her look to fit the job and learns more about the fashion magazine.  Miranda has Andy running around town picking up her meals and groceries until finally she gives Andy some respect.  After Andy has done all she can to help Miranda she realizes it is time that she becomes what she came to New York to be, a journalist. 

I love this movie and how the writer showed all these different clothes and even in the movie named dropped some popular name brands like "Calvin Klein."  The movie advertises a lot of high end brands especially Prada since that is part of the movie name, but also the shoe and clothing brands.  This movie is also showing the whole fashion district with its positive and negative sides to it.  For instance, in the movie Andy brings her friends a very expensive purse along with hair products and other materials used in the fashion industry.  Then, the movie also shows how the fashion district is a very busy job, but you can meet many famous people that can help you out in the long run.  The RUNWAY magazine company is a huge advertisement in this movie because the whole movie is about the magazine and all the work that is put into and how people kill to have a job for that magazine. 

One of the actors Stanley Tucci said, "Fashion is the film."  This is true the whole movie is about fashion, there is some romance parts to it but the main story is about fashion.  The director shot the movie in Paris and New York the two most popular fashion districts people know of.  These two locations are known for its fashion contributions.

In the very beginning of the movie one of Miranda's other assistants is rushing around the building preparing Miranda's desk for her arrive.  As she is setting up her desk the assistant opens a bottle of Pellegrino for Miranda.  The camera screens another room where other workers are cleaning their mess and it is obvious that the workers were drink Pellegrino because you can see the clear green bottles with its name on it.  While Anne Hathaway is running all of Miranda's errands I recognized a Starbucks shop in the background since Miranda always needed her coffee for the day.  Everyday Andy had to pick up Miranda's coffee order from Starbucks so the cups and store were seen in the movie.  Starbucks did some major product placement in this movie along with some other companies.  Apple also used product placement in this film.  Miranda's assistants both had nice Apple computers set up for them to use to keep track of Miranda's schedule, but the girls also used the computer as a mirror to do their make up.  This shows that Apple is not only a computer, it can be used for other purposes too.