The Biz.
Read the PDF "Strategy and Business Structure" by Robin Landa (available online) and write a 300 word response paper about the reading. Reference at least one advertisement in the reading.
Write your response in a word or google document. When you are finished, copy and paste your response in the comments section below.
Your blog response must be time stamped before the due date and time in order to receive credit.
Assignment date: September 5.
Due Date: September 10, 4pm
Dustin Lester
ReplyDeleteResponse to “The Biz: Structure, Strategy and the Creative Brief”
Some new information that I learned from this reading was that not all ad agencies create advertisings, some just do copyright, or just do logos. In the Marketing section I found it interesting that Agencies specify have to racialy profile and stereotype groups. Evan if you consider all people equal, in the advertising business you need to assume people of different groups or people with different skin color are actually different and distinct. It was also strange to read that ad’s can be made to target politicians and other companies, because I usually think of advertisements as only to the “general public” For example the Pfizer as was targeted at authors and not the readers. The definition of PSA that the reading gives, I feel is some what wrong, according to there definition “ the objectives of these ads are education and awareness of significant social issues in an effort to change the publics attitudes and behaviors and stimulate positive social change” the definition of what a “positive” social change is dependent on the individual. For example the government could produce a PSA on how “free” health insurance is a good social change. That statement is a personal opinion of the government and may not in fact be a good social change at all. I also see a lot of room for abuse of PSA advertisements because they are preserved as being truthful and factual, when they could be manipulative.
I dd enjoy the questions the chick-fil-a did. The “why,whom and what questions” where very helpful in understanding who the viewer was, and why there ad worked.
In the ethics section it showed a list of DON’T’s, which I seem to see a lot of ads actually doing. Maybe because the ad market has become a warzone or maybe because the ethics are changing.
My graphic design company is almost an agency, I have created a few ads for magazines, flyers and stickers, mostly do guerilla ads. Sometimes with ads you have to really work to build your costumers. I find it odd that there should be a need to had race specific advertising agencies, but I understand the reason. They also use subtle gestures to manipulate the viewer into feeling a certain way. There is almost an art in manipulation. It’s amazing how just small changes in the design of the layouts can change what audience you will attract. Most guerilla advertisements are barely noticed by the consumer.
ReplyDeletePSA’s have been around for a long time. Some are good where others are more like propaganda then helpful advertisement. Many can be misleading. Advertising agencies have and amazing ability to bend the truth about something to change the publics opinion of it.
I should write a design brief for my next client. It will really help me define what I’m trying to say and who I’m trying to reach with my ads. Using the questions will definitely help me get to the heart of what the client wants. Sometimes the hardest part is knowing what they client wants.
I love the simplicity of “Got Milk”. I can remember watching those commercials as a kid and it making me wan’t a glass of chocolate milk. I couldn’t imagine going for two weeks without milk. It goes in and with so many things.
Many ad agencies bend the list of do’s and don’ts. They will give you half truths that give the impression of good or bad things.
Alyssa Ficks
ReplyDeleteResponse to "Strategy and Business Structure" by Robin Landa
I found the reading to be insightful. It made me think about how agencies respond to the audience, both conventional and unconventionally. Such as being at a hotel and seeing that pizza sign on the door key, but not taking into thought that it was guerilla advertisement. It only made you hungry, and want to order pizza. The ways on catching the audience attention, and to whom you want to catch that attention from was what intrigued me. I somewhat knew about most of the information displayed in this reading, but it made me think harder on the fact of how to advertise my work. Such as always stay away from “racial, ethnic, gender, age, or religious negative stereotyping, don’t degrade or talk down to anyone, and don’t lie or cover up. Though I have seen some ads that do incorporate some of those “don’ts”
I did like reading about the PSA’s and Social Advertising. It makes me think about the “truth” commercial ads about not smoking or drinking, or any type of harmful drug. They really appeal to the audience because they make it seem almost like a horror film, and the silence is chilly. Compared to the duck ad of not smoking made smoking not seem stupid, but the ad stupid (unless others liked it). However, I did like the explanation of why PSA’s are important. It made me think that its a sneaky way to changing a group behavior, but an effective one at that too.
The one advertisement that I did find appealing was the Richards Group/Dallas ad for Chick-fil-a. The way it asked questions and then answered on who they aimed for, the simplicity of the ad even though it was a 14 x 48 outdoor board, and how they conveyed the idea that chick-fil-a was the best. It always cracks me up with these billboards because its a cow supposedly making the sign. Which in truth is going against other fast foods saying chicken is healthier then beef. Thus does aim for a majority of the women then the men. I’ve even worked at chick-fil-a and can say that it truly does capture mainly middle age women.