Boy.... over saturation or obnoxiousness... in advertising? I don't know if there exists such a thing! Sorry to be posting so late, but it took me the entire day to recognize the advertisements and brands that I've conditioned myself to ignore. Thank goodness for the invention of Tivo....but some brands that find themselves on the irritable side of things are McDonald's, Capital One, Old Navy, Walmart, U.S Cellular, Verizon, any of the car makers in Ford, GM, Mazda... take your pick. The reasons all vary as well.
My problem with those mentioned brands or on the positive side, the reason I applaud the other brands for their minimalist approach is that I think with brands like Adidas or Apple, credit is given to the consumer for being either individualist or just plain intelligent that gimmicks aren't the mainstay of the commercial message. With Walmart and Old Navy, their campaign is just too juvenile, I'd be afraid of aliens coming and those commercials being the first they saw to deduce human life. U.S. Cellular, at least locally in Chicago, has made possible what I previously thought was impossible... in hating a local Chicago actress/icon and her portrayal of a typical Chicagoan. That actress being Joan Cusack the lesser known of the family, the popular being John Cusack. While I remember the name of the company and credit their commercials for at least brand recognition, the commerical's ability to stir hatred and the subsequent promise I've made to myself to never even contemplate using their service had to have been labeled a failure in their marketing meetings... With the car companies, sheer volume proves to be the issue. It's the Chinese water torture method of branding. Oh, you missed what the vehicles city/highway gas mileage was... just wait another 25 seconds til.... ohopp, there it is again!
We've grown up in a generation where we've been marketed to since we've been old enough to remember. How else could you explain the segment of sesame street children's viewing where portions of the program were "brought to us by the letter....Z." Of course, that's an extreme but a commercial nonetheless. I still won't buy Z's today!
In thinking about it more, to elaborate... it's not necessarily that Adidas and Apple have won me over solely because they strip down their message... but more the belief in their product that reinvention is not vital for their product to be adored by whatever market they're aiming towards just the general goodness and awesomeness of their product. Brands that do that have a better chance of outlasting acid wash, flannel, white baseball hats or those snazzy Lance Armstrong Live Strong bracelets. There's also a ton of "noise" in television, radio and now the Internet.
It's the calm in in the flurry of cool and fad.
Oh... By the way, Let me know what caffeine habits you people prescribe to.... having to listen to folks off the street wax nostalgic for hours on a day in a dark room albeit with tasty snacks eerily reminds me of struggling to stay awake in my 3 hour literature class in undergrad, truly amazing...
Bona Note!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Beverages
The Beverages I enjoy/ need on a weekly basis...
Gatorade, Nescafe, Diet Coke, Barefoot wine, Blue moon beer, Heiniken, Diet Pepsi, vitawater, Redbull, Tropicana OJ, Pom Juice, oregon Chai tea...
Typically a day starts with a cup of Nescafe in hot milk....My own little latte. Followed by a little oj... Thanks mom, you taught me to alway leave home with a little something healthy in your stomach. On the way to work, get the hydration on track with a nalgene full of Gatorade... After that I'm usually set for the rest of the morning.
After lunch though, you're kidding yourself if you think I can make it through the eas sleeps without a Diet Coke...A Boy's gotta watch his figure! I do work at the restaurant on the weekends and after a full day of a 9-5, redbull serves as dinner and I bleed that buzz out till 3 with Diet cokes probably 3 by the night is done.
Sunday's my detox day, and that when it's all pom juice, water or Chai tea...
All of the beverages I need are in my fridge... I'm a little fanatical about not having any of my bebidas....(drinks)
Ciao
Gatorade, Nescafe, Diet Coke, Barefoot wine, Blue moon beer, Heiniken, Diet Pepsi, vitawater, Redbull, Tropicana OJ, Pom Juice, oregon Chai tea...
Typically a day starts with a cup of Nescafe in hot milk....My own little latte. Followed by a little oj... Thanks mom, you taught me to alway leave home with a little something healthy in your stomach. On the way to work, get the hydration on track with a nalgene full of Gatorade... After that I'm usually set for the rest of the morning.
After lunch though, you're kidding yourself if you think I can make it through the eas sleeps without a Diet Coke...A Boy's gotta watch his figure! I do work at the restaurant on the weekends and after a full day of a 9-5, redbull serves as dinner and I bleed that buzz out till 3 with Diet cokes probably 3 by the night is done.
Sunday's my detox day, and that when it's all pom juice, water or Chai tea...
All of the beverages I need are in my fridge... I'm a little fanatical about not having any of my bebidas....(drinks)
Ciao
Brands
Adidas holds a near and dear spot next to my heart... something about the simplicity of those 3 stripes. Hmmm tasty... It's the only gym shoe I wear. That's probably been the case for the past 8 years.
Apple... Beyond redefining the music industry. It's minimalist if ever a computer/electronic company could be. Clean smooth and always well thought out. Also, not afraid to buck trend and re-invent. I really enjoy keeping tabs on them because of that bravado.
So far, if you title your brand starting with an 'A' and are simple, you're king of the hill with me.
Let's deviate huh... Coke, talk about a company not changing in a century... it's gone through 8 million tweaks only to realize it's bread and butter is Coke and Diet Coke. Why change perfection? My usual drinking steady would be forever bastardized if I couldn't have my Cap'n and Diet Coke... I live for a FREE CUBA....or a just a Cuba libre. Whichever's easier...
Nike...although I'm not a fan of their shoes... I do have to applaud them in their campaigns. Look, I'm a biker and team sport player, after watching a nike commercial, with it's perfectly scored music... I feel like running a forsaken marathon ugh!
American Express
Their print ads give a little insight to celebrity quirks and individuality rather simply.
Mastercard
This question really got me to realize how much I enjoy credit card ads, the Priceless campaign is phenomenal. Some funny, some tear jerker all original.
MTV
The network does whatever they want. Hey, let's put a bunch of snotty california kids together and I bet people will watch....Heeellllooooo Laguna Beach. The reality trash certainly didn't begin there and certainly would end there.... do I now admit that I love every trashy second.
Phillips
Their quailty is impeccable! Not much on the advertizing front but if a company can specialize in X ray equipment for doctor's they can make my tv.
Fanta
Flat out nostalgia. My mother would bring us down to the Dominican Republic for summers at a time when my brother and I were small. Whether it was that we missed the states or not or that it just tasted unbelievable good. I don't know. But I still love it today.
I think brands are best when they seep into your points of reference. When you recommend them to someone else or share a laugh over the latest ad seen. There is something that should be given to lasting power as well. Just thinking about how old Coke is and how the poorest village in asia can still recognize the red and white swirl. Or how IPOD has changed this culture... for better or for worse...
I've become more receptive to brands... I'm a consumer, everyone, in order to be a participant to this society is a consumer and with that things need to be sold. I'll give my business to those products that either prove their worth or show creativity in capturing my attention.
Having said that, I just recently returned from possibly the best marketed brand in the world with Disney World. My girlfriend succeeded in removing the blinders I had on in thinking it just a little to creepy. Only to realize they have something for everyone and that it's property is so spread out that it's not as overwhelming as I originally thought.
Apple... Beyond redefining the music industry. It's minimalist if ever a computer/electronic company could be. Clean smooth and always well thought out. Also, not afraid to buck trend and re-invent. I really enjoy keeping tabs on them because of that bravado.
So far, if you title your brand starting with an 'A' and are simple, you're king of the hill with me.
Let's deviate huh... Coke, talk about a company not changing in a century... it's gone through 8 million tweaks only to realize it's bread and butter is Coke and Diet Coke. Why change perfection? My usual drinking steady would be forever bastardized if I couldn't have my Cap'n and Diet Coke... I live for a FREE CUBA....or a just a Cuba libre. Whichever's easier...
Nike...although I'm not a fan of their shoes... I do have to applaud them in their campaigns. Look, I'm a biker and team sport player, after watching a nike commercial, with it's perfectly scored music... I feel like running a forsaken marathon ugh!
American Express
Their print ads give a little insight to celebrity quirks and individuality rather simply.
Mastercard
This question really got me to realize how much I enjoy credit card ads, the Priceless campaign is phenomenal. Some funny, some tear jerker all original.
MTV
The network does whatever they want. Hey, let's put a bunch of snotty california kids together and I bet people will watch....Heeellllooooo Laguna Beach. The reality trash certainly didn't begin there and certainly would end there.... do I now admit that I love every trashy second.
Phillips
Their quailty is impeccable! Not much on the advertizing front but if a company can specialize in X ray equipment for doctor's they can make my tv.
Fanta
Flat out nostalgia. My mother would bring us down to the Dominican Republic for summers at a time when my brother and I were small. Whether it was that we missed the states or not or that it just tasted unbelievable good. I don't know. But I still love it today.
I think brands are best when they seep into your points of reference. When you recommend them to someone else or share a laugh over the latest ad seen. There is something that should be given to lasting power as well. Just thinking about how old Coke is and how the poorest village in asia can still recognize the red and white swirl. Or how IPOD has changed this culture... for better or for worse...
I've become more receptive to brands... I'm a consumer, everyone, in order to be a participant to this society is a consumer and with that things need to be sold. I'll give my business to those products that either prove their worth or show creativity in capturing my attention.
Having said that, I just recently returned from possibly the best marketed brand in the world with Disney World. My girlfriend succeeded in removing the blinders I had on in thinking it just a little to creepy. Only to realize they have something for everyone and that it's property is so spread out that it's not as overwhelming as I originally thought.
My Generation
Takin bout my generation… Let’s see being 29. Do I classify as Gen X, Gen Y or whatever generation we find ourselves in now. I was on the younger side of X but maybe a little too old for the gen Y. I think we did a lot in the discussion of abortion, regardless of what side of the fence you sit on. The atrocities of China and the Tibetan movement were front and center with the reinvention of the mass traveling tour circus’ Lollapalozza, Woodstock, Lilith Fair, Free Tibet. Activism was accessible, easy, the in thing to do. Upon graduating, everyone flocked to volunteer programs.
The question was posed, “How can we impact our world while we still can and the pressures of capitalism are yet to be fully realized. We relied on more tech in every facet of our lives. Gay and lesbian movements were huge and becoming more and more topic atop the hill in D.C.
I’ve recently heard stories that the next generation’s preoccupation seems to center on material possession. They want to be on top of the hill… It’s a little discerning, I still have hopes of opening a clinic that can serve an overseas population. I know it’s never accurate to classify a generation as such and such. But I enjoy thinking there’s a little bit more social awareness in the preceding generation. With my parents generation, their thoughts on my generation is that it’s pretty remarkable. Gone are the days that the job you get either out of high school or college, is the job you retire from. If not even that, not even the same field. I spoke recently to an aunt of mine in Human resources, of where she said she referenced me in speech to her colleuges about the importance of maintaining content workers. If those workers are not content, they hold no reservation to leaving and retraining themselves in another field all together.
Having gone from consulting, to healthcare to the financial services industry, I can see what she means. There is a certain reckless abandon, not only by me, that’s possessed by our generation that if there’s something you want to do, there’s nothing except yourself stopping you. That same abandon can be seen as irresponsible or indecisive. While possibly true, I’ve thought that our generation has become unbelievable generalists. While adaptability is at an all time high, specialty is a little lacking.
As for our hero’s… I think of visionaries like, the Dali Lama, Pres. Clinton, Gorbachev, Thatcher, Princess Dianna, Lech Walesa, Nelson Mandela. On the flip side, villains were Kadafi, Noriega, Arafat. Things done in the 90’s were on a revolutionary level… the falling of the Berlin wall, dissolution of the Soviet Union, Chernobyl, the challenger tragedy, Waco, the advent of aids, Somalia. Social commentary was brought to a new level for the explosion of MTV and the cell phone. People like U2, Madonna, Nirvana, and Michael Jackson helped the music scene influence the generation.
I don’t think the advancements experienced through our generation were explicitly different. Politics, tragedy, music, optimism, hope, despair. That’s the fabric of life… We’re a volatile bunch, us human’s are and we can never be too happy with nothing going on. We like the pot stirred…
I really enjoy the influence of globalization on me. There is no border, whether in culture, race, religion or class, that can’t be accessed or learned about or even interacted with.
The question was posed, “How can we impact our world while we still can and the pressures of capitalism are yet to be fully realized. We relied on more tech in every facet of our lives. Gay and lesbian movements were huge and becoming more and more topic atop the hill in D.C.
I’ve recently heard stories that the next generation’s preoccupation seems to center on material possession. They want to be on top of the hill… It’s a little discerning, I still have hopes of opening a clinic that can serve an overseas population. I know it’s never accurate to classify a generation as such and such. But I enjoy thinking there’s a little bit more social awareness in the preceding generation. With my parents generation, their thoughts on my generation is that it’s pretty remarkable. Gone are the days that the job you get either out of high school or college, is the job you retire from. If not even that, not even the same field. I spoke recently to an aunt of mine in Human resources, of where she said she referenced me in speech to her colleuges about the importance of maintaining content workers. If those workers are not content, they hold no reservation to leaving and retraining themselves in another field all together.
Having gone from consulting, to healthcare to the financial services industry, I can see what she means. There is a certain reckless abandon, not only by me, that’s possessed by our generation that if there’s something you want to do, there’s nothing except yourself stopping you. That same abandon can be seen as irresponsible or indecisive. While possibly true, I’ve thought that our generation has become unbelievable generalists. While adaptability is at an all time high, specialty is a little lacking.
As for our hero’s… I think of visionaries like, the Dali Lama, Pres. Clinton, Gorbachev, Thatcher, Princess Dianna, Lech Walesa, Nelson Mandela. On the flip side, villains were Kadafi, Noriega, Arafat. Things done in the 90’s were on a revolutionary level… the falling of the Berlin wall, dissolution of the Soviet Union, Chernobyl, the challenger tragedy, Waco, the advent of aids, Somalia. Social commentary was brought to a new level for the explosion of MTV and the cell phone. People like U2, Madonna, Nirvana, and Michael Jackson helped the music scene influence the generation.
I don’t think the advancements experienced through our generation were explicitly different. Politics, tragedy, music, optimism, hope, despair. That’s the fabric of life… We’re a volatile bunch, us human’s are and we can never be too happy with nothing going on. We like the pot stirred…
I really enjoy the influence of globalization on me. There is no border, whether in culture, race, religion or class, that can’t be accessed or learned about or even interacted with.
My Life 10 Years Ago
Ten years ago I was a tender 19 years old. My world was a little upside down. That year, my mother suffered from an aneurysm while I was on spring break in the bahamas. While on that trip I arrived at the hotel (a hotel I didn’t have the information of to relay back to family yet) from Chicago, I had a message waiting for me from my brother informing me of the news. The next twelve hours and the phone calls back home and the subsequent night’s sleep spent in the airport was all surreal. To compound the situation, things were beginning to resemble normal from the death of my father 2 years before from cancer.
It’s amazing when I reflect back, because for the life of me I know that there were things that I closely aligned to that helped define me but with those two events, I lose a little insight on what those things were. I was huge into music, much like I am today. I just started playing the guitar and still do today. I made frequent trips up to the John Muir national woods in Wisconsin to mountain bike with my brother and loved it.
I was finishing my second year at Loyola and having a good time ‘discovering’ who I was. Drinking Wednesday’s through Saturday’s was the norm and that was the first year I tried the substance that’s since been claimed to provide medicinal relief. Oh… the wonders of marketing. I was into playstation and discovering that great new band.
My world was opened to the classic college influences of The doors, Zeppelin, Marley, Miles Davis, The Smiths, Al Green, Lou Reed, The Who, Curtis Mayfield. Music is what I ate drank and slept. I said the one job that I would do for free is serve as the dying breed of DJ. What I loved about those things is that I hated to be classified. In hindsight… I loved being “alternative.” It’s continues today, don’t fence me in is the mind sight when it comes to new things ventured, just because I’m not expected to do something doesn’t mean I’m not going to dive into it full blow.
Spirit of the times, was that of experimentation. Think of new ways to do things and then push that to the nth degree. The world was changing with the prospect of a Unified Europe. Being a political science major, EU was everywhere and who’s in and who’s out. The world was becoming a little smaller and access to that world was becoming ridiculously easier. I miss the optimism of that day, the U.S. wasn’t entrenched in war, the economy was looking up and the world was optimistic on a whole. It was all about learning about new cultures and the Asian cultures led the way. Zen was everywhere, what’s this Feng shui stuff…
It’s almost ironic, when looking back at the world that was primed for a lot of change and optimism permeated everything, I feel that was my lowest point. My family had just been divide by 2 in 2 years and my brother and I felt we were doomed to in even number years. Those deaths has forever changed me… obviously. But in looking at those events, what person won’t feel that lose of a parent? If anything, I appreciate the acts for the fact that recognizing what was important was a murky task before that happened. That change was a life lesson, I don’t know of one life lesson however painful, you would give back for the ignorance that previously resided…
It’s amazing when I reflect back, because for the life of me I know that there were things that I closely aligned to that helped define me but with those two events, I lose a little insight on what those things were. I was huge into music, much like I am today. I just started playing the guitar and still do today. I made frequent trips up to the John Muir national woods in Wisconsin to mountain bike with my brother and loved it.
I was finishing my second year at Loyola and having a good time ‘discovering’ who I was. Drinking Wednesday’s through Saturday’s was the norm and that was the first year I tried the substance that’s since been claimed to provide medicinal relief. Oh… the wonders of marketing. I was into playstation and discovering that great new band.
My world was opened to the classic college influences of The doors, Zeppelin, Marley, Miles Davis, The Smiths, Al Green, Lou Reed, The Who, Curtis Mayfield. Music is what I ate drank and slept. I said the one job that I would do for free is serve as the dying breed of DJ. What I loved about those things is that I hated to be classified. In hindsight… I loved being “alternative.” It’s continues today, don’t fence me in is the mind sight when it comes to new things ventured, just because I’m not expected to do something doesn’t mean I’m not going to dive into it full blow.
Spirit of the times, was that of experimentation. Think of new ways to do things and then push that to the nth degree. The world was changing with the prospect of a Unified Europe. Being a political science major, EU was everywhere and who’s in and who’s out. The world was becoming a little smaller and access to that world was becoming ridiculously easier. I miss the optimism of that day, the U.S. wasn’t entrenched in war, the economy was looking up and the world was optimistic on a whole. It was all about learning about new cultures and the Asian cultures led the way. Zen was everywhere, what’s this Feng shui stuff…
It’s almost ironic, when looking back at the world that was primed for a lot of change and optimism permeated everything, I feel that was my lowest point. My family had just been divide by 2 in 2 years and my brother and I felt we were doomed to in even number years. Those deaths has forever changed me… obviously. But in looking at those events, what person won’t feel that lose of a parent? If anything, I appreciate the acts for the fact that recognizing what was important was a murky task before that happened. That change was a life lesson, I don’t know of one life lesson however painful, you would give back for the ignorance that previously resided…
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Saturday
I started today with a little Green tea. It mellows me out and the anti-oxidents are an added boost to what seems to be a never ending cold...
Had a Nescafe this morning for a kick in the pants and because that what my parents raised me on... Tradition tradition tradition...
Worked tonight at the restaurant and had 5 Diet coke's/Cokes....Ass was dragging... but hmmm tasty
Had a Nescafe this morning for a kick in the pants and because that what my parents raised me on... Tradition tradition tradition...
Worked tonight at the restaurant and had 5 Diet coke's/Cokes....Ass was dragging... but hmmm tasty
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