2012: Heartbreak and Agony via the Beautiful Game

I have still yet to experience success in my conscious life. Every year, it is the same story: a hopeful start, followed by a disaster, continued with a glimmer of hope, finally crushed at the end with a blow so painful, you just wonder if it is ever worth it in the end. Of course I am referring to my passion for sports, and the teams I have poured support and love into, only to let me down at the end. From dismal seasons to crashing ends (literally with the last action of the game), my sports heart has ripped out, put back in, and ripped out again in this year that I would really love to forget.

3. Toronto FC

March 7 seemed so long ago by the middle of May, as a team with so much potential eventually dubbed themselves "the worst team in the world." At the end of the 2011 campaign, there was a renewed optimism in a club full of failure. TFC shut up their critics with a stunning victory over the star studded LA Galaxy in the CONCACAF Champions League Quarter Finals. But then they started their league season 0-9, an MLS best for being the worst. Continental success only went so far, as they saw a 3-2 aggregate lead against Santos Laguna turn into a 7-3 loss in the final 45 minutes of the Champions League semi-finals. After the start, it seemed that all hope was lost for Toronto, as expectations of making the playoffs disappeared altogether.

2. Canadian Men's National Soccer Team

If only, if only. The goal for the first two games was to take 4 points. Canada did just that and fell a point short of progressing the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, known as the Hex. Who knew those shots just skimming past the Honduran goal would prove to be so costly.

One can play this what if game, or they can simply look at the last game, an 8-1 drubbing courtesy of the Hondurans. A top of the group heading into the last game of the group stage, Canadians had their heads high and their hopes soaring. We only needed one point! But the Canadian's did not show up to play. A demoralizing effort saw the end of the road for several Canadian internationals, whose dream of making it to the World Cup was ended. All of the momentum in the nation built from their past games, as well as the success of the women's team in London, was lost. Mission 2014 was over.    

Bayern Munich

It makes a world of difference to afford world class footballers, separating the ultimate teams from the great teams. I never fell for Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid or Juve. I fell for one of the most over looked super teams in Europe. But as the trend continues, 2012 was a year to forget. Bayern was 2nd best in all competitions, but one specifically stands out far above the rest: the Champions League Final.

I was never interested in soccer until grade 9. After finishing our science exam, my teacher put the TV on so we could watch the World Cup. Maybe it's because I had nothing else to do, but I was intrigued and drawn into the beautiful game. I immediately had a choice as to which national team to align myself with, seeing as my dad is English, and my mom is German. I chose the latter, and never looked back. Die Nationalmannschaft had a spectacular run on home soil, losing in the semis to eventual winners Italy. But one particular player caught my eye, and has been my favourite ever since (most likely because of his name): Bastian Schweinsteiger. World Cup 2006 was the beginning of my soccer passion that has developed me into a supporter. I immediately started following the German team and Schweini, leading me to learn more about the Bundesliga and Bayern Munich in particular.

I feel this background is essential to explain the heartache I felt May 26, above everything else mentioned above. Watching my nation crash out of the World Cup hurt a lot, but the result was determined 20 minutes into the game. When Schweinsteiger hit the post with the 5th penalty kick, my heart sank, my eyes filled with tears, and my dream of one of "my teams" winning a major championship was gone instantly. This is the closest I've come as a fan.

Motor City Rebound

The auto industry and the city of Detroit have seen a rebound in sales after one particular ad campaign from earlier this year.

There have been a significant number of changes to the discourse over the past decade. Healthy eating initiatives, societies of concerned parents and countless norms in society have altered with the changing concerns of the people. Yet there is still one larger crisis that has caused a discourse shift across the globe, but has hit exceptionally hard in America. The recent recession that has destroyed the United States economy has left families crippled, strapped for cash and unable to afford their daily necessities. It is no wonder that American businesses have also hit all-time lows thanks to the economic struggles of the nation. One of the hardest hit industries during this crisis was the auto industry, struggling to make sales in a time when very few could afford new vehicles.

Bailouts came from the government to keep large auto companies a float, but that would only buy little time. Something needed to be done to accommodate this discourse shift, bringing in the American people to purchase a new vehicle in a time when cash should be spent elsewhere. With major cuts, including massive layoffs, how could the auto industry advertise effectively to appeal to the discourse? Chrysler took a gamble, putting a two minute ad into the Super Bowl.

This ad reached America’s largest television audience of the year, as well as over 15 million others on YouTube alone, going viral instantly. Chrysler effectively put together a smart campaign to reach out to those struggling in the tough economy, and did so emphasizing American values. Theresa Howard quotes Burger King's chief marketing officer, Russ Klein, saying, "People have grown increasingly skeptical of packaged, canned, Madison Avenue-speak." Chrysler clearly states in this ad that they are not New York City, Sin City, or the Windy City, moving away from the glamour of the bright lights. Rather, the narrator describes Detroit as a hard working, middle class city that has gone to hell and come back, just as many Americans have. The ad works extremely well to reach a target audience of working class Americans, between the ages of 18-45. This is ultimately the audience watching the ad during the Super Bowl, and also the audience that Chrysler sees being hit the hardest during the recession. They also have rapper Eminem appear, making a connection with the audience, as he is widely known in that age range, as are his struggles from growing up in Detroit to becoming one of the largest musical sensations of the last decade.

Looking at Tom Himpe’s 4 main factors of viral marketing, Chrysler hits each perfectly to come off as a huge success, sending their campaign viral overnight. The first factor, proximity, deals with the brand exclusively reaching out directly to the consumer, creating a personal feel for the consumer. Chrysler does this by advertising during the largest television audience of the year, effectively reaching their audience. While Himpe calls this “infiltration,” Chrysler is still respectful to keep a safe distance from the audience, and not getting into the consumer’s face. The second factor deals with exclusivity. While the Super Bowl may seem like the worst time to advertise, as many competitors and companies are doing the same, the hefty price tag signifies an elite and reputable class of companies that are able to afford the 2.5 million dollar 30 second spot. Chrysler asserts its power by purchasing a two minute slot, showing their elite status among other auto companies. The third factor is invisibility, which makes the ad seem like it is not an ad at all. Chrysler again does this extremely well, as the ad focuses more on the challenges the Motor City has overcome during this economic crisis. There is no pressure telling the audience to buy now. Lastly, Himpe explains that the ad needs unpredictability. To achieve this, the brand needs to fit the consumer, not the other way around. Chrysler defines itself in the commercial as an American company that has gone through the same economic hardships as the people they are targeting. As Chrysler effectively meets all 4 factors, their campaign reaches viral status, promoting their product internationally.

This ad campaign put on by Chrysler, “Imported from Detroit,” was a major success, coming away with North America’s top advertising award in 2012. Chrysler has identified their brand with hard working Americans over coming the hardships of economic turmoil. As the brand wins over the consumer, the consumer feels like a gladiator defeating the recession with the purchase of a Chrysler. By driving a Chrysler 200, the consumer lets the world know they have battled through hell as an American, but they have beat the odds.

As Derrida states that our identity is created by the advertising that surrounds us, it must be understood that advertising is created by the shifts in discourse and cultural behaviour. Chrysler bounced back in sales after releasing this campaign, showing that they have effectively adapted to the discourse shift. 

The Creation of the Athletic Identity



While this ad is selling the WTA, many ads geared towards athletic women take the same approach of selling an identity of beauty.



It is a scary thought how much advertisement plays a role in your daily life. The average person is subject to 5000 ads a day, with many passed over, or simply forgotten, and some influencing a new purchase. It should be noted that some ads even play on a person’s identity, impacting their thoughts and actions, as they are influenced by the company to buy their product and ultimately become their identity.

For women, capturing the audience is not difficult, as gender specific hails allow the ads to zero in on their target audience. For athletic women looking to get into shape, it is easy to create an identity of the ideal woman that not only men desire, but also women want to be. It is no secret that women are exploited in advertising for their looks, as advertisers look for the best possible way to market their product. The sex appeal, by far the most effective, draws eyes immediately to the media, whether the product being marketed is for women or men. For women wanting to tone up their body by getting into shape, ads specifically use good looking women to market this desired look. In essence, many advertisements geared towards young, athletic women have a heavy focus on physical appearance. It is no longer just enough to be active, but also be beautiful.

One of the raciest ad campaigns that worked in this fashion that I could find was Rebook’s Easytone shoes. Their hail strongly focuses on the sex appeal, as their ads essentially just show the woman’s breasts or butt (WARNING, this ad is for MATURE audiences only). Simply put, their hail states, “Hey, imagine if you were as toned as this. Buy our product and you can be.” This type of advertising, though many women may see it as ridiculously sexist in theory, taps into the appellation theory. Women will see the nicely toned body in the ad and want to be that way as well. Obviously wanting to look their best, women buy into this process, accepting the hail and participating in the conversation. Risqué as it may be, women that may find themselves out of shape feel confident that the product will help them because they advertiser too the time to talk to them. Just by engaging with the audience, as well as the audience accepting the hail, women are able to buy into this identity of being an athlete by being beautiful. Easytone focuses strongly using the directed action theory, showing clearly who you could become (or the butt you could have) by wearing their shoes. They create an identity of a beautiful athletic woman, which is possible to attain after purchasing the shoes.
 
Nike also plays on this theory of creating an identity of beautiful physically fit women in their commercials. However, they also play on the hard work ethic that goes into becoming the best that you can be. In this ad featuring United States Women’s Soccer star Alex Morgan, there is not one soccer ball or field in sight, but rather Morgan working out in a gym. Nike does extremely well at selling the identity of an athlete to people worldwide. Morgan’s story of hard work has led her to international success on the world stage, and allows for other women to buy into this identity of an athlete. Nike offers their product to these women striving to take the next step in life, wanting to enhance their identity as an athlete. As well, Nike also offers hard work and determination to a growing list of what and athletic woman is. It is through commercials like these that the company intrigues athletic women everywhere to #makeitcount. Looking at this from the process of interpellation, buying Nike essentially makes you an athlete, according to this commercial, as well as labeling you as a hard worker and determined being, just like Alex Morgan.

Nike does wonders for all athletes, and it isn’t shocking that their brand is among the leaders in athletic apparel. Nike likes to play on overcoming human struggles and obstacles, so it should come as no surprise that they create an identity of women overcoming men in sport. One of the common hails for women athletes in ads is, “Hey, you seem like a struggling athletic woman. I’m an athletic woman, and I’ve struggled to get where I am, let me help you out.” Looking at the Nike “Voices” ad, each woman explains their struggles growing up in a male dominated sports world. Nike creates the identity of an athlete able to come over anything, including sexism. Looking at Gillian Rose’s visual level of appellation, this ad works though the implied absences, as no men are shown ‘dominating’ these women in sports, but rather they speak of their abilities and their challenges to overcome them. This implication allows for the audience to view the situation as they see fit, making it more personal. Women fill this theory in with their own challenges, and purchase Nike clothing to symbolize their struggles, joining the millions of other women who have also taken on this identity.

Just looking at these three ads signifies how much advertising really does impact the identity of a human being. When people want to distinguish themselves, they look for products to purchase, as they say a lot about the identity of the person wearing or possessing them. All three of these ads create the identity of the athletic woman, caring about her looks and beauty, working hard to be the best she can be, and overcoming the adversity that stands before her. Or maybe this is just the identity Rebook and Nike have created for her, because she said yes to the hail.

As Jacques Derrida explains in his theory of bricolage, your identity consists of everything around you. Surrounded by ads, and the products that you purchase, your identity is ultimately determined through advertising. Women looking to be defined as athletic purchase these products so that society views them as such.

Election 2012: Using Attack to build Character

President Barrack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney exhange smiles ahead of their Presidential Debate. However, there's been a lot more dirty work being done in the advertising.

 

It’s time once again to join the travelling media circus that comes around every four years. On November 6, 2012, the people of America will take to the polls to decide the President of the United States, the man who single handily becomes one of the most powerful in the world for the next four years. Of course, many Americans have already decided on their vote, as their political views run deep through their veins. But with growing conflicts around the globe,  the undecided will need to choose one of these men to lead the world’s superpower, one job that requires a lot of character, not to mention the stress that comes with it (I don’t think Obama had a single grey in ’08).

Since announcing their candidates, both the Democratic and Republican parties have been hard at work to one up the other to appeal to the undecided voters. With the television becoming a common household item in the 1950s, election campaigns have run to promote the candidate vying to become the President. There has always been a strong emphasis on the character of a candidate, as the American people need a strong person to lead their country to victory and global dominance. In 1960, John F. Kennedy’s staff ran an ad promoting his youthfulness being just what American needed, in essence to rid themselves from the past old presidents. George H.W. Bush too boosted his character in 1988, running an ad portraying him as a family man, and average American just like everyone else. But times have changed drastically since then, with a major shift away from building your own character.

Election campaigns have taken a turn for the worse (for good reasons) in recent years, as a growing trend in political advertising has moved to promote the party by attacking the other candidate, essentially building their ethos off the errors of the other. Surely everyone knows about Mr. Obama by now. He’s had six years of media exposer playing up his character, his policies, and his wonderful speaking abilities. The republicans have criticized his rhetorical power for going too far, and doing nothing about the growing unemployment rate. Romney on the other hand is new to the show, as the average American may not be up to date with his political stand point. However, if they watched one of the democratic ads, they would believe that he ships jobs out of the country, causing struggling families to succumb to their debt. These ads are not designed for the extreme Republican and Democratic supporters, who vote for their parties no matter what, but rather the masses who particularly don’t follow politics regularly. Franz and Ridout call this the knowledge hypothesis, stating that these ads will have a stronger effect of the Americans less in tuned with politics, persuading them to one side of the spectrum.

Specifically looking at Barrack Obama’s “Understands” ad, the Priorities USA Advertisers claim that because of Mitt Romney’s decision to move a company out of the United States, Mr. Soptic (the man in the ad) lost his wife. Rhetorically, the ad is blaming Romney for the death of this woman, attaching tags such as, “murderer,” to his persona. To the average American in a conundrum, not knowing who to vote for, this speaks a great deal about who they should not vote for. Franz and Ridout point out two main factors influencing voters being partisanship and political knowledge, stating that the less knowledge a person has of politics, the more political ads are going to affect their decision, as opposed to those who are in the know. Obama’s ad works wonders on unknowing Americans, especially the unemployed, as they won’t want Romney harming anyone in their family.

Mitt Romney’s campaign takes similar approaches to their advertising, building up the lesser known Romney by exploiting the faults of Obama during his four year term. Two clever ads featuring the tagline, “Failing American _______” ran criticising Obama for not stopping manufactures in China from stealing jobs, and taking money away from families in America. Again, the ad plays fantastically on the politically naïve, as Americans in crisis look at Romney as the saviour for all of the problems Obama has caused. While this ad plays a general American theme, Romney’s campaign also released an ad criticizing Obama for giving the government credit for creating all small businesses, claiming that the ownersand entrepreneurs did not do it alone. The icing on the cake is that the video featured a man from Ohio, one of the states Romney is keen on taking to secure his spot in the White House. The ad devalues and attacks Obama’s character, as he tries to take credit for all of the hard work of the American people. On the other hand, Romney’s ethos grows, as he’s portrayed as a compassionate leader, encouraging the American people to live their dreams and build their own businesses.

So far this election campaign, no candidate has been spared, as each have gone head strong after the other. It seems as if we’ve moved away from a time of judging people by their character and good deeds, to condemning them for their faults, gaining from their blunders and misfortunes. Both Obama and Romney need not worry about building their own character to impress the voters, but must keep their composure to ensure their rival doesn’t receive an upper hand. May the best attacker win.

Damsels In Marketing

Advertising can be a cruel game played on morals. In fact, advertisers have tested the boundaries ruthlessly over the past few decades, pushing them further to allow edgier ad campaigns to be published and, essentially, become the norm in our society. In all sorts of media, women are degraded, shown in skimpy clothing and in sexually appealing poses, to draw in the audience (particularly men) to purchase the product. In no ways is this practice new, but the ways women have been portrayed has change drastically. Still, we as a society seem to keep moving further away from dignity. What is it about women in these ads that drives the audience (literally) crazy for them?

There are a lot of trends and patterns when looking at the depiction women on movie posters as a whole. Dealing with women as the main character, the poster largely focuses on their face, not allowing the audience to be drawn in to their sexual body features. Looking at Angelina Jolie on the cover of Salt, she looks fierce, determined, and mean; all qualities that are often not associated with women in advertising, especially when promoting products to a male audience (it may be argued that Jolie is an exception, as he persona as a tough woman from her success in the Tomb Raider Franchise). Again, Natalie Portman on the cover of, The Black Swan, and Meryl Streep in, The Iron Lady, all feature the actress’ from the neck up, leaving the rest of the body out of the equation.

This is not the same when it comes to male lead roles. Typically, action films will depict a “man in charge,” with the damsel in distress clinging on to him to survive. A growing trend with women as support actors is displaying them as vulnerable, and unable to care for themselves. This is common everywhere, with men holding women back, such as in the Twilight Saga, where Kristen Stewart is not able to defend herself (thank goodness Robert’s there). His hand is firmly planted on her wrist, holding her back from potentially running into any danger. This vulnerability speaks to the audience, putting feelings of macho-ness into the already inflated male ego looking at the poster. The poster aims for men to look at the poster and think, “I’ll protect you, Kristen,” as well as building drama for fans of the actual film.

Hands also play a vital role in movie posters, as seen above with the Breaking Dawn poster, particularly with what the men’s are doing and what the women’s are not. According to her article, “What’s Wrong With a Little Objectification,” Sut Jhally explains that “women’s hands usually are shown just caressing an object, or just barely touching it…whereas men’s hands are shown strongly grasping and manipulating objects.” Looking at the movie poster for Drive Angry, this message is hit spot on, with Nicholas Cage in full control of the vehicle, while the actress looks vulnerable, only to be kept safe by Mr. Cage. Her hair flies in the wind, untamed and out of control. Simply if she cannot take care of her hair, she can definitely not take care of her own wellbeing.

Jennifer Pozner explains that men feel entitled to sexiness, and the advertisers are going to exploit it in order to sell their product. There is a standard of beauty that must be lived up to, as putting any woman on a poster may have mixed results, and essentially, cause a failed campaign. This standard, along with making the woman look vulnerable compliment each other to draw in the audience. Not only are these posters giving the audience an attractive woman to look at, but there is also the need for them (again, the men) to protect this woman from the dangers that could possibly lie ahead.

Is there really any stop to the exploitation of women, or have we gone too far as culture that it will only be pushed further and further? I believe the latter will continue to dominate, as the ultimate deterrent is not the dignity of said model exposing herself, but the dollars that are brought into the pockets of the advertiser.

Billboard Advertising: Reeling in the Customer off the Streets

We see Billboards like this all the time. What is making us submit to these companies through advertising?

 

The fast food industry has developed and changed dramatically over the past few decades, as increased advertising has been used to draw in the customers needed for restaurants to succeed. Increased ads through different media, such as television, radio, and print, all serve to catch the eye and ear of the potential customers. However, if these people are sitting around at home, they may not be as likely to get up and drive to that particular restaurant, making a specific trip out because of an ad that has played.

In rural areas and big cities, there has been a major push on billboard advertising to appease to the eyes of the enormous amount of commuters that are taking to the streets every day to reach work, school, or events that they may attend. These billboards are colourful and simple, instilling in the mind of the consumer, “buy me.” After a long day at work, or heading home from a week at the cottage, why not grab a Big Mac, and re-enter the comfort of society by stimulating your taste buds (all 10,000 of them).

The world’s biggest fast food chain, McDonalds, attracts customers off the streets through simple ads, capturing the viewer’s empty stomach and reeling them in. Attached to every Golden Arch remains a count of the number of hamburgers they have served. To date, they have lost count, as now the signs read, "Billions and Billions.” So why do people keep coming back, in a health conscious society worried about clogged arteries and heart attacks? Quite simply, McDonalds knows how to advertise, and they do it well. Attaching themselves to the world’s biggest events, such as the Olympic Games, and the FIFA World Cup, billboards go up advertising their food along with the biggest athletes and stars currently making headlines.

In his article, “Masters of Desire: The Culture of American Advertising,” Jack Solomon draws parallels with the increasingly upbeat ads appearing in the “feel-good Reagan eighties,” and the triumphs of America in the cold war, but specifically through sports. Every Olympic Games, commercials come on to support our athletes, who probably have not eaten at a McDonalds since they began training for the games. Billboards follow suit, usually associating products with prizes, such as a Gold “Big Mac” Medal, or ChickenNuggets completing a triple axel. These ads convey the message, in Solomon’s eyes, of consumers living the fantasy of competing in the games for their country. By associating the Big Mac as the ultimate prize, McDonalds is playing on the fantasy of customers being victorious every time they eat their sandwich. In reality, they are falling victim to the corporate enterprise.

Along with the triumphs of a nation comes increasing patriotism, as suddenly everyone is proud of their roots and where they come from. Solomon describes this as “particularly effective,” as home grown products tend to do better in their region, instilling an idea that the customers are supporting local business by purchasing said product. At the top of the table, McDonalds can focus on exploiting communities for their products they produce, such as beef, potatoes, and produce. McDonalds has run billboards to emphasize the importance of buying local, stating that the potatoes they use are grown in a nearby community, and sold locally. These signs capture the passer-byer, reeling them in to support locally grown fries and burgers. These billboards specifically target the local community, pulling in the customers in the region. In reality, McDonalds is a global juggernaught in the fast food business, selling the same products in Washington State as they would Ontario, New York City and Paris, France.

But in a society where the Big Mac rules supreme, surely there are competitors who need to compete and attack in order to sell their sandwiches. While McDonalds casually (yet aggressively) draws their customers back, other chains go on the attack, persuading McDonald’s loyalists away from their usual eatery and to them.  Pete Barry describes this in his book, The Advertising Concept Book, as expanding the market, which is essential for the competition losing sales to the top companies. Burger King frequently competes with McDonalds, citing that their signature sandwich, the Whopper, is much bigger than the Big Mac. Burger King attempts to draw in their customers this way, hoping to persuade onlookers that McDonalds wimpy sandwich will leave them unsatisfied, hungry, and kicking themselves for not “Having it their way.”

Fast food chains are constantly reeling in customers off the streets thanks to the use of billboard advertising. They are able to capture the attention of the viewer for only a second or two, yet with a simple design and clever slogans, will remain in their thoughts for the entire day. With majestic images of burgers stacked sky high (in the sky) and golden fries spilling out of boxes, customers take to the drive-thru to satisfy their hunger needs.

Images courtesy of Google Images.