A Successful Ad Campaign

In our last assignment to this class we are faced with two rhetorical situations. These situations have been disguised in the assignment of coming up with a hypothetical ad campaign for a made up brand of potato chips. The first situation is developing a brand and advertisement for the chips themselves, the second is the pitch or presentation.

In the first part of the assignment we are supposed to create a packaging idea for the chips, a paper ad and either a storyboard or an actual video for a commercial. Each one of these parts have their own challenges but all include fostering a successful argument. The packaging is the first step to talking the first rhetorical situation of advertising. Packaging is often what we associate to a product, it’s the product or in this case the chips, identity. With designing the packaging we need to first develop a logo for the brand which needs to be not only memorable but also not over the top. Along with the logo a slogan for the product needs to be made, this often accompanies a logo and needs to be catchy, meaningful, and short enough to remember. The packaging itself needs to have warm colors that aren’t overwhelming and displays the product. To have a successful paper ad there are a few crucial items. First is a display of the product on a not too loud and cluttered ad. A catch phrase should be front and center with the product and should once again be short and memorable. The ad should be able to capture the essence of the product. Commercials follow much of the same line. Product display is key and the ad should display activities or ideas associated with the product. Along with this there should be an overarching theme and an appeal to the possible customer.

The second half of the assignment is the actual pitch of the new campaign. To have a successful pitch there needs to be a few things related with rhetoric. The pitch of course has to be convincing and persuasive but how can we do this? The primary factor is preparedness, if you don’t plan your pitch you are already doomed. Know what you want to say and how to say it, especially think about who you are speaking to. The next part is sharp graphics, if the things you are presenting look sloppy then so do you. Another thing that goes with graphics is your appearance. It’s an important factor that you as a presenter present yourself well. Those are just some basic ways to be successful.

How to Make the Best Chip

At the beginning of this assignment I began to think about a certain topic related to marketing. This topic in-mind was crucial and although I placed it high on the list of priorities I only looked skin deep. What I’m talking about is differentiating a product, creating a different product from the rest of the competition. When I originally thought of this it only resided in branding, packaging, logo, and motto. But after I read the “Best Chip” article I’ve found that it means so much more than colors, letters, and catchiness. Making a product different than the competition has a lot to do with location, heritage, and taste.

In the article the author explains his experience with potato chips and their vastly different histories and styles. He explains how different processes are found in different regions and how the love of chips is found throughout our country. He even tells the story’s believed to be the ones regarding the creation of the potato chip. Ultimately he describes how this isn’t just a chip, he explains that each potato chip is unique and the styles, cooking methods, and taste varies greatly around the country and regions. He goes on to offer that this American food is so much a part of our culture that we can see people mailing and bringing certain regional chips to friends all over the country.

This article really got me thinking about what we need to do with our project. We need to differentiate our product not just follow the pack. To do this though we need to do much more than just creating unique packaging and a noticeable logo. We need to help create a niche for these kettle chips within the pre-existing one. We need to help develop this chip as a regional taste. To do this we need to highlight this fact on the packaging and even imbed it into our logo and slogan. Eventually we should even inject some southwest Virginia into the ads and commercials. From this regional unique sect we can expand reach out and gain new customers as soon as we develop a strong un-supportive base clientele. 

Potato Chip Ads

Looking at different articles from the chip industry there definitely are some pretty standard ideas. When we think potato chips many chink crunchy and binge inducing. Many brands have pretty consistent ad campaigns and over time these pitches haven’t really changed.

In this ad from quite a few years ago Lay’s highlights the binge factor of its product. This campaign was extremely successful and multiple versions were released all including the same spokesmen. In this ad Lay’s compares its chips to the forbidden fruit from the biblical story of Adam and Eve.

In this ad which fits in with our topic of kettle chips we see some common themes. First we see words like natural and care. There is an emphasis on how the chips were made and the ad itself gives a rustic and simple feeling.

In this ad we see a connection between lays, natural ingredients, and happiness. In the slogan “Happiness is simple” lays wants to show us all that their product is simple and above all makes you happy.

In this ad for kettle chips we once again see a product that is presented as natural and real. This ad falls in line with almost every other lay’s ad in the attempt to seem simple, real, and natural. This ad is unique in the fact that it points of the taste of the chips and how it may be conceived as real to the customer and consumer.

In this ad from a smaller chip producer we see a new twist. Although the themes of rustic and simple prevail we see a new approach. This chip ad attempts to really connect itself to simplicity, old times, and country principles and lifestyle. In other ads for this company they allude to the quality of their chips with funny and clever headlines like this ones, all in an attempt to grab attention.  

Review of Jacob's Argument

"In your paper you do a great job of adding a new twist to what we read in the book. Your argument serves as an excellent rebuttal to the topics and evidence of the original article. In doing this you not only broke down his premise rather well but you also went after his credibility which I thought was a rather great choice. In the beginning of your paper though I had a hard time figuring out what your stance was, not until the third paragraph was I sure you disagreed with the writer. After that though there was no question so possibly consider stating your opinion and stance more clearly earlier on in the argument. Throughout the paper I could tell you really wanted to inject yourself more into the writing and your personal stories definitely helped but I would be interested to see how your paper would feel if you made it less stiff and more personal. Your body utilizes logic and personal narrative very well and you do a good job at refuting the previous articles premise. Something that you may want to address are the individual sins and how they don’t apply to college students, or just specifically at Tech. As for the paragraph on the videos I think this a really interesting idea that students are acting this way, is this a part of the culture? Maybe you should define for the audience what you think student culture is compared to what the media suggests it is. Lastly there are a few grammatical errors here and there , to fix those I would just sit down with someone and have them proofread, as English was my second language I know the struggle."

Miriam's Review

"Your paper certainly kept my attention and honestly was very interesting. You obviously feel strongly personally about this topic and your personal stories help solidify your case even more. However I felt that the paper was less an argument and more like a statement. By statement I mean that you told us a personal story about how this is an issue then never went any further. While you explain where this might be coming from very eloquently you miss a crucial point: how to fix it. This is really important for your argument otherwise it looks like you are just telling us a story about how poverty and family influences the culture of a learning environment. While I liked your paper very much and it was entertaining, I felt like this was serious concern definitely at the end where you just leave us with the problem and no bright future. As for rebuttals to your argument I feel like you really need to think about what anti-arguments of your paper might look like. These will help you add more meat to your paper and push it past just being a story and help it look more like an argument. Using rebuttals you can also shape a solution to the problems you laid out for us. The use of alternate and opposing viewpoints are here but I feel that you should make them more explicit and less implicit. In your conclusion maybe consider talking about what is at stake if we don’t address and fix these issues."

Review of Heath's Paper

"Reading your paper for the first time you definitely got me smiling and laughing as a read along this absurd journey you took on paper. Your personal stories and narrative were very entertaining and the tongue in cheek aspect certainly made it a very fun read for me overall. The introduction was great and while I feel you need to maybe tie it into your topic a little better it definitely got me interested.  Maybe talk about or provide a solution for the issue, a more college like experience? In the main body I feel like you stuck with the same fun voice but you got distracted. While you tried to keep it light and in line with your personality I feel like you lost sight. You drifted away from your topic and I felt confused about what this paper was actually about. I highly suggest re reading your paper and really think about what you are trying to say. Do you want to change censorship or the whole high school educational experience? Also look at giving me examples outside of “Catcher in the Rye” for evidence. In your conclusion it seems that you suggest college is the answer? It seems almost like you want to talk about education as a whole and not just censorship. I would definitely work on providing a more concrete thesis and working on your presentation of evidence. Certainly keep the humor and your personal voice but your paper is actually confusing as far as topic is concerned. Make sure you explain a solution as well for your audience."

Cristian's Argument

Walking into a zoo the senses are bombarded, sights, sounds smells. All amazing, but zoos aren’t just for our consumption and viewing. Zoo’s serve a vital role in education, preservation, and protection of species. Many argue that zoos are an unsafe place for animals but argue that it is exactly the opposite. Zoos provide a necessity that allow species to thrive even after extinction and over-hunting in the wild. Zoos are necessary in this day and age and outside of its consumer basis it can do great things.

Anyone who has been paying attention for the last ten years has probably heard about pandas. Pandas have dwindled in the wild of china but zoos are helping reverse this tide. Zoos here and all over the world in cooperation with china are working to breed in captivity to increase the panda population and return them successfully to the wild. However this isn’t the only case.

Zoos allow animals like the panda to have a second chance in the natural world. While some may say that zoos are damaging to animals I see zoos doing good with limited space. While zoos display animals and sell tickets they use these funds to educate and protect. Often zoos have programs that protect endangered species, some even containing animals that are extinct in the wild. Zoos can provide these animals a second chance. Take the American Grey Wolf for example. After the swift settling of the American Mid-west wolfs were slaughtered in great numbers to protect cattle. Today though after a program set up with Zoos wolves have been re-introduced to Montana and Idaho along with the Dakotas. These wolves are thriving and now because of zoos they have a second shot after being cheated by humanity. These wolfs aren’t the only case, but in fact this is becoming more common.

The original thesis is strong and while it is hard to argue against cute animals in small cages there are areas for improvement. Outside of usual there are some typos that will be easy to fix. I very much like the intro paragraph and I don’t want to see that change too much. Overall the paper is rather good for a first draft but I would like to see more evidence in the body. I feel like you definitely embrace the personal narrative part but linger away from the argument maybe? As for evidence maybe think about another topic. I personally can argue that zoos do have good to them, and while the spaces are small we all know zoos aren’t very well funded in most cases. Zoos struggle for space and land and maybe you can point that out as an issue with our society. As for dealing with counter arguments I would suggest only taking a moment to address them and then give evidence to the contrary but don’t build too big of a straw man. The voice of the paper I think is excellent I would definitely suggest keeping the tone because your personality shines through. 

Jessica's Argument

Students lined up to go in and all are stressing, we talk casually but everyone is inside their heads. I know that now is the time to really perform and my years of schooling are about to be weighed. While thinking all this over the weight of this moment hit me, this will be a score that showcases my abilities to all the colleges I want to attend. The SAT most definitely serves a purpose that is relevant to students as well as colleges. The SAT itself certainly leaves something to be desired however it is a crucial part of college admissions. Standardized testing is here, it’s everywhere and just because you get into a college doesn’t mean you’re done with it. Many will soon take an LSAT or MCAT test and in college a standardized test is a norm in many classes. The SAT allows colleges to see how well you perform in 3 crucial areas, reading, writing, and math. Undoubtedly these are some of the basest concepts to any education or field of study. The SAT allows for demonstration of these critical skills. From this test colleges get a snapshot of how students do in these areas. This plays a large role in the admissions system because not all schools have the staff or the manpower to sift through the tens of thousands of applicants in the 3 month period before decisions are released. Many complain about the culture of stress the exam creates, this isn’t going away anytime soon. College is stressful and a lot of weight is placed on finals which may be a standardized test. The SAT allows colleges to see just how well students can react to this. If you can’t handle the stress of a big test then you might not do so well in college. As for the money, somebody has got to get paid. But beyond that the element of money makes it more serious. If I didn’t have application fees I might have applied to as many colleges as possible, quite frankly wasting selection boards’ time with looking through my application. The SAT fee does two things. Pay the people who grade the tests and also makes the test more serious. With the addition of money students will take their chances at the test seriously from the first shot.

In conclusion I like your argument but there are definitely some counter arguments that you may want to address. The overall flow of your paper is pretty good I didn’t see anything that stood out in a negative aspect. I feel like there definitely could be some work done to your argument though. This topic is rather tricky and you could suffer from many good rebuttal points, I would suggest focusing on this. Really work on thinking ahead and trying to predict anti-arguments. Focusing on these rebuttals I feel that you won’t have any problem with added some meat to your paper as far as the argument goes. Also try to work on the voice a bit more, open up and express yourself more personally throughout the argument. 

Puyush's argument

In Puyush’s argument regarding computers I found it a little difficult throughout the paper to tell if the topic was in fact in support of computers. Not until the conclusion did I totally feel that was made clear. In response to the argument I believe books are important for primary education. While computers are the way of the future and allow for more space as books are consolidated on one device the merits of written text cannot be forgot. I feel that in the argument the author in fact argues more convincingly in the favor of books. Books are important for the primary education of youth. Children need to be experienced in how to navigate written texts as well as reading on a paper source. Just because we are moving into the new digital world doesn’t mean that paper sources will be all but eliminated. Students need to be prepared for reading and study from all elements and computers cannot simulate an actual source. Books provide a physical presence but along with that a student having books in school teaches responsibility. This lesson could not be taught with a digital device that will most likely be a fixed or personal possession. School supplied books teach students how to care for and keep track of important items, and while this results in lost books I believe it is a valuable lesson for our schools to teach young people.

In the argument Puyush goes into great detail regarding the cons of Word processing. To respond to this I would say he is completely correct, word processing leaves students without education on spelling and proper sentence structure. Word processing programs today are very complex and even automatically fix problems. The program itself allows laziness and apathy to creep in. Imagine a world where we don’t learn proper spelling and grammar n school. This could happen if we allow the majority of writing in school to take place on computers. Hand writing is a skill and with it so is proper grammar and spelling. If we do switch to a largely digital computerized schooling environment these skills may be lost and at a crucial time in development. Development is the whole purpose of our schooling system and if we don’t have a diversified environment and diverse tools for that development we will be hindering schools ability to develop young people for the world. While I agree that computers are a critical thing and developing skills in regards to this are important as well we need to remember we don’t use computers all the time. In our world we won’t always have that digital device and if we don’t learn how to write, read, and communicate effectively without them than we are losing a crucial skill.

In conclusion I do partial agree with Puyush’s argument however there are some adjustments that need to be made. First off there are quite a bit of grammatical errors and spelling issues. Beyond that thought there are some changes that need to be made to the argument itself. I feel that he focuses to much on the arguments against computers to the point that I forgot what his stance was. The paper needs to focus much more on why computers are a good idea and less the cons. 

Argument Outline

For my argument I am diving into the field of education. I want to argue that our education system needs overhauls specifically in High School education. These changes would be to curriculum and to culture of the learning area. To argue this point of view I’m going to use personal narrative along with some logic.

Intro:

Here I want to start with a story, something that happened to me either in High School or afterwards in college. Thinking back there are several situations that I experienced or saw firsthand that my “education” truly was not the best or it was lacking. I also need to express the main points in the argument in this paragraph.

Body:

Some main points for my argument include issues with curriculum. This I believe is the largest issue with our education. Our course load often has nothing to do with what we need in life or in what we want to do especially in the junior and senior year.

The next topic will focus on the culture that high school creates. As I went through school there was a feeling of stress as well as sheer disinterest in classes. Some classes were so scary and difficult many did not want to take part and some we were forced to do even though we wanted nothing to do with that career field. Other classes were seemed as so trivial and simple that many took them just to blow them off after the start of school. And all this created a culture of doing the bare minimum.

The last topic of my paper will regard education fr our future. As we go through school we learn many things sure, but how much do we eventually use? Our education in this country shouldn’t just be general. Our education here should prepare us for life as an adult. There should be classes on taxes, personal finance, and other important aspects. Our diploma shouldn’t just be in general math science and English but should be one for being a full and educated citizen.

Rebuttals:

I certainly expect some rebuttals and I have prepared to address a few. First being that changing our system would be too difficult. To this I would agree that it would be difficult however this is necessary. The longer we leave things the way they are the worse they will get, making things only harder. The second being that a system like I propose would not work in the United States. I personally believe that ridiculous. Students want change, and no one is going to hold them back from trying to do what they want to do. We simply need to make education more targeted and use it to train the next generation of workers and college students for the different lives ahead of them. 

Why Our Schools Must Change

For my paper I’m looking into the issue of education, specifically in High School. Now that I’m in college I often find myself looking back at my past education. I often think about my times in High School and what I did there. What I participated in and most importantly what I learned there. However when I think about the education aspect I find myself thinking about how often I use it now. This has led me to try and argue the point that our Education system needs to change. Change into a form where students will learn specific knowledge relevant to the student’s future.

Education has evolved into a general unloading of knowledge upon student in the US. Where student are crammed with lots of knowledge however few will actually use most of it or any of it. Education is very important and as the US falls even further behind other nations in primary education now is the time to act, and create a better more organized high school education for Americans.

To support my arguments I will use a variety of methods however I believe personal narrative will be my most used. My own personal story I believe is similar to many other college students in the US where we come here and realize we know truly nothing. We wasted hours of our time in AP Chem and Honors Math to never use it again after we graduate High School. I know I can certainly share some stories regarding this. Along with firsthand accounts of other countries systems I believe I can formulate an argument that would cause many to think.

Ultimately this topic is worth talking about. Many may argue that it will be too hard to change, or that a more European system would never be accepted here. However I disagree and believe that if we don’t have this conversation then things may never get better. And if the education system doesn’t try to learn itself then how can we ever truly learn as students. 

America

In America: The Multinational Society Reed describes a battle occurring in the United States. A battle being waged over what it means to be American. A fight over what our culture is and where it is heading. Reed describes an America rich in different cultures. A place where a Spanish speaking family has a kosher hot dog next to Afro-American man, in a city with a large Muslim population. America is certainly an amazing place. A land were many can come together and be one, all at the same time as retaining their ethnic identity and culture. But this was written a long time ago, does it still hold up in 2015?

As someone who has had the opportunity to live in over 4 different countries I can attest there is nothing quite like the United States. A place made by immigrants, a land so vast it spans two oceans, a place where many become one. I absolutely believe America is still this land, but with this it still has the same problems. Just as Reed explains America still struggles with its acceptance of others, in fact I know I do. A land with so many outsiders yet we reject anything that is seen as foreign. Which is rather comical given the fact that our culture and society is built from things not originating here. Cultures that are found across oceans and spanning languages. This culture which truly is a melting pot somehow likes to reject the new. We see ourselves needing isolation which is ridiculous considering we are one of the least isolated places in the world. We fight and struggle with things deemed “un-American”. However what is un-American? Is it anti-religious, not white, I don’t seem to get it? If people here were so content to shut the door now that they are here they might as well leave. Do what so many others have done and go to your land of promise. And when they go they should feel free to take their closed-mindedness and racism with them. Because if there is one thing that is truly anti-American, its monoculturism. 

The Seven not so Deadly Sins

In The Seven Deadly Sins of Students it seems we get to see the frustration of a begrudged professor manifest itself into print. As I read the article I could see how some of my less disciplined compatriots and fellow undergrads could take offense. I however agree with the authors conclusions. I do believe that my fellow students suffer from these flaws and I myself struggle with some. However these are not entirely of our making. Unfortunately many of these issues brought to light by Pannapacker are created by our culture and modern American society. A society were success is measured in gold and the only sign of success is the dollar sign.

Although I agree with the author in essence I feel that I need to make a rebuttal (entirely of my free will wink wink). To start off let’s think about what this looks like, a stuffy old liberal arts professor that KNOWS he is better than you. Yes sure, he is better educated, old, wiser, but still. As many of my friends in New Jersey would say “YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTA THEN ME?!” followed up with copious hand gestures of various meanings. Just the way the author goes about this seems insensitive and even shut off from the rest of the world. So with a little insight this is what I have to say.

Sloth: Yeah I don’t want to get up and read, so what? Even if I do read none of this stuff will be on the test that will conveniently end up being way more difficult than it needs to be. Oh and as for coming to class some days that would be more wasteful than staring at a wall for an hour.

Greed: Society created this monster don’t look at me.

Anger: Ok, maybe I’m a bit stressed out but I wouldn’t be that way if I didn’t have 7 classes that all assign copious readings, papers due every night, pop quizzes that could ruin my grade, GPA being crucial to getting a job, professors having way to high of standards, Fuuuuuuu…

Lust: Hey man just sit back and enjoy, you are getting paid for this.

Gluttony: yeah I can’t really defend this but at least the food here is good.

Envy: Ok, if that ass-hat sitting next to me gets an A then I deserve 5 A’s. I swear if this college thing was based on effort as opposed to meeting some old guys standards we would learn way more. Fix that and you fix envy.

Pride: Look that’s just a society thing, put less stress on us to perform and maybe we could be more humble. Low key though I am awesome, just look at my GPA. Some old people with masters and doctorates basically said I am.

Against Work-ing on This

In Against Work the author speaks about the culture of work in the US. An apparent need to work and make money even if it is at our expense. The author believes that this sense of having to work is actually damaging to us. This I would have to agree with. The entire premise of his article is true, the way he goes about proving it is interesting though. In the article there are several things that work and some that don’t, as well as some things that I believe are unnecessary.

In Against Work Christopher Clausen discusses the culture of work and labor in the US. In an overwhelmingly negative review he points out Workaholic-ism as a problem with our society. So much that a word meaning an addiction and non-human behavior has been so accepted that it is now considered a positive trait in a person. To describe this Clausen uses personal narrative to get to the point of his argument. While I think this was a good idea so that he may connect with the audience I feel it made him wander. At times I felt he got distracted in telling his story and wandered away from the topic. Ultimately though I felt that I connected with the author more than I would have and in relation the writing itself. However parts of the author’s personality showed through too much at times, like the comment on soldiers. That was just a bit to revealing, as well as unnecessary. There were other aspects though that I found to be a bit much. The author used many quotations. While it was nice to see that he had some backing it became too much. I found myself asking “Why should I care what old dead white guys said?” ultimately I just skipped over the last three, feeling that at this point it was just filler. But along with the quotations being a bit copious I found that it fit with an air of self-indulgence in the article. A feeling of loftiness that was just unnecessary. This stuffiness eventually made me feel bored and maybe even a bit offended if you can understand that.

Meatless but not Humorless

              In “Meatless Like Me” the author creates an unlikely argument. The subject itself, Vegetarian omnivore relations” is interesting enough. However, what is truly unlikely is the way he forms his argument. The writing itself starts like any essay with a story working as a hook but how the author uses this funny but sad story is what sets the tone for the rest of the piece. Taylor Clark, the author, creates an argument that most “normal” people would roll their eyes at and simply ignore. But with his humor and zaniness it seems exciting and fun to read. He creates a new spin to an old argument and natural conflict. Clark appeals to our sense of humanity by showing his. As you read his argument you don’t see a vegetarian blabbing on about how we should all get along but instead we get a view into a man’s mind. A mind that is not only clever but funny. But normally the use of humor in an argument might be considered a crutch or some sort of distraction. In this argument though I would consider it to be crucial for Clark’s point to get across. Instead of simply dismissing complaints or critical views we find ourselves listening and laughing.

                The authors writing style is what makes this a good argument. The use of absurdity and situations help attract attention and utilize it. With arguments the audience’s attention is crucial. The article needs to promote thought, without it the argument cannot be successful. The second half, utilization, is found in situations. In the article the author uses multiple situations to further his arguments and while he incorporates humor into these argument he also uses the opportunity to teach and open up to the audience. But theses theoretical situations aren’t all that helps him utilize attention, Clark also uses appeals. These appeals range from basic decency to appeals our softer side. These appeals make an effort to drive home the argument, but Clark gives them a spin. He makes is appeals almost sad-fully funny, asking so little in a humorous manner. This strategy at appeals helps to make his arguments all the more effective.

Peer Review

After going through my groups rough drafts there were several things that stood out. Of course this was a rough draft and several things will be expected. Some standard stuff I noticed while I read were grammatical errors, wording, and generally rough prose. As I went through my groups drafts I made corrections and offered advice for possible changes. After this there was a commonality I noticed with 2 out of 3, lack of meeting the 4 page limit. This ultimately can be chalked up to lack of content or just not thinking about the topic enough. I personally suggested to these partners maybe writing a paragraph about how you would change the ad to make it more effective. Another common issue was repeating information several times. I feel that this might be tied in with lack of content but it’s an easy fix. I tried to point this out when I saw it.

There were also several things the drafts did well. All of the drafts broke down the ads pretty well, Monica did an excellent job. I feel like in all the drafts after the first 2 paragraphs the writers really opened up and provided better and more genuine thought. I feel that all the drafts are pretty good in essence however with some small tweaks they can truly be great!

Raunch Culture in Advertisment

After reading this article it became clear to me how true the author was. As a man I often don’t think about what it means to be sexually objectified or being seen in that context. Honestly I love the fact that a raunchier and less conservative society prevails but I never think about what it really means. After reading the article it became clear just how much things have changed over the past several decades. Feminist movements have died down and the world has changed significantly. Even with America’s political back to basics it seems that things are only becoming more relaxed or maybe they are just staying the same.  But one thing is certain however Advertisement certainly utilizes sexism and sexual objectification.

I selected an ad from Bud Light for my paper, in this ad there is certainly use of objectification. As I did researched the ad I looked at several different options all from the alcohol and beer industries. It seemed to me that these ads used sexual undertones the most. One Manufacturer Heineken seemed to use these tactics the most. However after research I choose a Bud Light ad. At first in this ad doesn’t seem to be exactly sexually charged. However if you take a step back and really look you can see it, staring you in the face.

At first glance at the Ad you would only notice the large slogan but that is only the surface of this ad. Emblazoned on the front is the slogan “Are we having (Bud light Bottle) yet?” An obvious quip to liken bud light to fun. However what we don’t see is what is behind this slogan. Sitting right behind is 5 20 something’s laughing and having a good time. Sure looks innocent enough but if we look closer we can see it. The group of young particularly beautiful people are made up of one man surrounded by 4 women. Some of these women appear to be sitting in his lap or fawning over him and his bud light. There right there, we can see how far this goes. We can see that even in subtle jests how deep sexualization of women and products runs. 

Analysis of my Brain Storm Draft

                After re-reading my paper on the Bud Light article I have a few concerns. I’m concerned about reaching for content. After writing a few paragraphs I felt like I was stretching and adding more fluff to reach my 2 page limit. With only one ad to analyze I’m concerned that I might not be able to reach a meaningful five pages for the final draft. After writing what I did I felt like I was moving more away from the ad itself and more in the direction of alcohol ads themselves. However maybe I could include this in with my final draft. A piece of analysis on the psychological tactics that alcohol marketers use. After doing a bit of research into the topic I’m sure I can find more.

               

               In my first draft I feel like I might have been under-prepared to write the essay. Maybe next time I need to do a little digging first. Look into marketing tactics, tools the industry uses to sell products. Another area I need to research is Bug Light's advertisement record, and in particular this advertisement. In researching this ad I should try and find out if it was successful or not. To do this I should see if I can find sale reports. Maybe look into their past advertisements success and current and the similarities to this one. One last piece of information I should include is whether this ad was considered controversial. Look into if anyone actually complained about the ad.

                
                    Lastly on my to-do list is working on the general flow of my writing. I feel like as I struggle for more content my writing gets choppy. I plug in sentences that don’t flow well or the wording itself seems off or odd. Another thing I need to fix in the area of general flow is my topic sentences and the last sentences of my paragraphs. These usually don’t link in well to each other. To fix both of these are pretty easy. I feel like all I really need to do is do better at planning. Planning out the flow and direction of my paper. Deciding beforehand what order my thoughts will be in and what paragraphs will go together.

Ads on Facebook

               I use my face book fairly often, I talk to friends, look at pages and use it almost on a daily basis. Until recently their hadn’t been many adds on Facebook. However once I started seeing pages directed towards me I downloaded an ad blocker. To do this assignment I paused the app, and what popped up surprised me. Although I use my Facebook often I was surprised at how well the selective advertisement system worked. About 90% of the ads on my feed were things I had an interest in or things that had to do with my life.  Ads varied from games to apparel and services. With my involvement in fraternities, the Navy and service programs the ads were well tailored to my interests.

                One ad in particular was for a service called Tilt. Tilt is a fund raising service where any party can make donations to a cause or function. My fraternity uses this application often and for many different uses from charity to buying things for parties. Tilt often holds promotional events where they donate money to your cause or give you bonuses like TVs or MacBook’s if you hit a certain number of donors. This particular ad was for a promotion much like the one I described. In the ad the Tilt logo was highly visible and referenced college students. The students look as if they were fraternity members and the whole ad felt directly focused on students like myself. The add had a fresh young vibe to it and was modern in appearance. It was obviously directed towards young college coeds who used the service for funding parties.

                Another ad on my feed was for the company Costa. Costa is a company with roots in off shore fishing as well as outdoor activities. Costa is also a well-known staple of fratty individuals. In this ad there is a college age male decked out in Costa gear with two college coeds on his arms. This add obviously is directed towards males and although it was simple and only had the word Costa but the picture said it all. The picture simply implied that this could be you with Costa. In all the ad was successful though I have some of their sunglasses. 

An Ad Analysis

       

For this assignment I took a look at two company’s ads. Pepsi, and Coke have been at odds ever since Pepsi came on the scene and took some of the market from Coca-Cola. No matter which side of the debate you are on I think we can all agree the both are good but different in their own ways. These differences aren’t just pallet deep but in fact they go much further than that. Coke and Pepsi each practice very different marketing views and tactics. Each have taken different stances over the years but while researching I’ve found that there are two things that are constant: Coke is projected as the tried and true original while Pepsi is “New and cool”.

             

   The first ad I took a look at was the Pepsi. This add is from the 80’s and with the simple slogan “The look of a new generation.” Its intent is clear. Pepsi being the new kid on the block in regards to Coke takes this idea head on. In a simple ad depicting “cool, hip kids” it is clear Pepsi is aiming for younger Americans in this cool new generation. Pepsi seems to be aligning itself as a new drink for the young and cool while its competitors are old and the drink of parents.

  

              The second ad I analyzed was an ad for coke. This ad also being from the 80’s depicts a young man sitting on his jeep drinking a coke. In the caption it reads “Red-White-&-you” with the standard “Coca-Cola Classic”. This ad has a distinctly American theme, an almost Bruce Springsteen feel. The young man looks like a normal America living in the country drinking a cool drink with his dog asleep on the hood. It seems like Coke is playing into its status as the original, an American classic. Coke doesn’t hold back with the American relations though, the slogan proves this. One quality that always seems to be present in Coke ads is consistency. This consistency is found in the logos, fonts, and general themes of their ads and I think this is no mistake.

                Although these ads are both very different there are some similarities. Both ads utilize their logos and place them somewhere that draws the eye. Both ads use catch phrases that appeal to a thought or ideal. And both ads seem directed towards teen or young adults.

Analyzing My Essay

              While writing my essay I felt fairly confident in my ability to express what I wanted to express. However after reading it over again I could tell I had fallen short in some key areas. My paper was supposed to be about the link between moral education and adulthood. And while my intentions stayed the same throughout the paper I felt that I didn’t purse it effectively. I feel that in my paper I got too interested and preoccupied in exposition and setting up the plot. I let myself go on and on about how I ended up here and didn’t focus on why it mattered. I allowed myself to drift away from the purpose of the paper. I feel that my topic, the education of morals, is important. I believe it shapes who we are as people. But, I was not very successful in exploring this.

               

               In my paper I felt that my voice varied. I was unable to find a unifying tone. I felt like I was searching for the right voice throughout the paper. Reading it over again it felt almost artificial, like I was pandering to my audience. As for who my audience is I didn’t put much thought into it, it was more of a “whoever” feel. But moving forward I definitely need to identify with an audience. I also wanted this paper to be a look at how interactions and experiences shape our moral education. Moving forward I also need to find a way to express this to my audience.

               

                In my paper I felt that I did some things effectively and others not so much. I felt I was able to depict situations successfully. I was able to show my feelings and thoughts with the reader. I also feel that I have a great topic that I can expand upon further. There are some things I need to improve upon though. I need to work on making my paper flow more smoothly. At times I feel that my sentences and paragraphs are choppy and don’t mesh well. I also need to work on incorporating my topic better. To remedy these issues I’m going to go back through my paper and attempt so smooth it out with more detail and also by removing some unneeded fluff.