12 and up?

The recent class on 'advertising & social responsibility' really brought up some interesting points: beyond obligation, moral myopia, moral muteness... but more than anything, I was personally interested in one of the many controversies currently surrounding the industry: should advertising be banned for children 12 years old and younger? While there are many firm believers in this, and while I respect everyone's opinions, from a practical point of view, this is simply one thing... ridiculous!! 

By no means am I some media expert (in fact, my current grade definitely supports that...), but how is it at all possible for advertisers to know EXACTLY who is watching their commercials? Are viewers supposed to type in their social security number before watching a program? Absolutely not. Then how would this law actually be implemented? I realize this is simply a suggestion, and I am sure numerous experts have the same question as I do, but if they don't, it just seems naive to think that a few kids will not be sneaking in to their living rooms, watching TV and being "exposed" to ads.

Boom-De-Yada

There are many people today, who don't have much of an interest in the world we live in, nothing wrong with that. I too, tend to have similar feelings when it comes to nature and "outdoorsy" activities, but after watching this ad for the Discovery Channel, this beautiful compilation of everything our Planet has to offer, makes me want to explore. It makes me want to see some of the most unique parts of nature, and really appreciate all the world has to offer.

Learning DIFFERENCE, not disability

This past Friday, I was on a panel of students who were talking to parents of children with learning differences. It got me thinking about a lot of things, but mainly, when did the whole idea of a learning 'disability' come into play? Surely this is a relatively new phenomenon, and as a student diagnosed with visual/spatial disability, this topic is near and dear to my heart. However, my rather cynical cousin brought up a good point: if it is politically incorrect to say learning 'disability', and more socially acceptable to say learning 'difference', don't all people have a learning difference? After all, we all learn differently, correct?

This was a difficult concept to argue, because I do agree with my cousin; people do all learn differently. So what is it that merits extended time for students or taking an exam in a testing center? As an advocate for those with learning differences, I feel it is important to be able to explain why it is only CERTAIN individuals who have these accommodations.  

Flags

BOOOORINGGGG

Ever since I was a little kid, I was always interested in various cultures: food, climates, people, but something which I was always particularly fond of was the flag. A flag is the first and easiest thing to associate a nation with. The United Kingdom's Union Jack, Germany's bold red, yellow and black, and of course, the United States 50 stars and 13 colonies. Surely, all nations should pride themselves on their flags, as it is not only a national, but an international symbol. Saying all this, no flag ever got me as frustrated as the Libyan flag. Obviously there are reasons behind its boring design (hopefully at least), but why have absolutely NO design? As a kid, this would frustrate and puzzle me, and even though I wanted to travel to every country in the world, I swore I would NEVER go to Libya... simply because of its flag. Obviously, as I grew up, I realized there are political and social differences in each country, but it just humors me to think how just the color green can be the insignia of an entire nation.

And I don't even like football

The first time I saw this commercial, I sat there in awe. I actually got goosebumps... while sitting in class. As an extra credit question in my advertising research class, we watched this video and had to construct a "core value pyramid". Disregarding the assignment for a moment, I just thought to myself "wow", this makes me want to go out and kick some ass while wearing Nike Pro. And you know what the crazy part is? I don't even like Nike!! Growing up, one of my best friend's dad was the CMO of Adidas, so obviously I had my allegiance set to that brand. While I've always acknowledged Nike and admired the "Just Do It" slogan, Adidas has been my preference... until I saw this ad. Being a prospective member of the advertising industry, I do have brand loyalties, but the artistic beauty of this commercial (at least to me), which creates a sense of triumph, just makes me admire Nike so much more. I guess what I'm trying to say is next time I enter a Sports Authority, I won't mind strolling down the aisle with the big "swoosh" on top...

Colors we haven't even seen

"Oh that's not blue, that's more of a magenta!" My response to comments of this are along the lines of "sure, whatever you say...", but this got me thinking, are there colors out there which humans haven't seen before? Can we even comprehend such an idea (according to some of my friends, we definitely cannot)? Essentially, all shades that are visible to the human eye are based of the rainbow colors, but can we create something out of nothing? Surely individuals in the creative industry would say yes, but in reality, everything we create has SOME reference point, so being able to see something which has never existed in any form... that is just pure crazyness!!

 

Acting: talent or disguise?

Each year, the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and other award shoes attract millions of viewers around the world. This is an important time for advertising, and media decisions are critical. But why? Why are we as a society so impressed and in awe of those who stand in front of a camera, essentially pretending to be something they are not? Don't get me wrong, I have enormous respect for actors and actresses, and I realize this is not at all an easy way of making a living, but what makes people so good? Why do millions, perhaps billions of people all over the world want to 'act'. 

As children, the most common games involve pretending to be something you're not: a firefighter, a ballerina, a soccer player. Why, even from such a young age, do we disguise ourselves? Is there a human subconscious ashamed of admitting who we are, which forces us to mimic others? I'm not really sure, but an interesting point to think about is this: are actors truly talented or do they simply want to hide behind who they truly are, and put on a fake image for the rest of the world to see?