Sunday, May 29, 2011

Propaganda in Advertising/PR


Firstly, this ad uses the "beautiful people" technique. What in the world does Paris Hilton have to do with Carl's Jr.? By watching this, I guess people will associate "sexy lady" with "cheeseburger" in their primitive brains and go straight to Carl's Jr. in the hopes that Paris herself will be there, slithering around on the floor and pretending to eat a burger that's bigger than she is.

I also think that "intentional vagueness" is used, simply because this ad doesn't explain anything.
Does the burger taste good? Who knows. Is it a good deal? Probably not. People will draw their own interpretations, such as "Paris Hilton seems to . . . really . . . really . . . like it, so it must be good!" or "Mmm, there's nothing like eating a soapy soggy burger off the dirty wet floor! Let's to to Carl's!"

Friday, May 20, 2011

Internet

I do know someone who is addicted to gaming. But if I started to describe him on this blog, I'd feel bad. So instead, I'll use myself as an example!


I wouldn't go as far as to use the word addicted, but back when AIM was popular, I was definitely obsessed with it. I would sit in front of my computer for hours, wasting time, just to wait for one of my friends to come online. And at the same time, I went on Myspace way too much. I spent hours messing with the HTML on my profile, getting it to look perfect, and making sure I had all my favorite songs on my playlist.

Now that those two things are pretty much dead, there are two runners-up to contend with. One is Facebook, which doesn't pose much of a threat anymore. When I first joined, I would just waste my life sitting there doing nothing in case someone commented on my page. Now I go on in short intervals, just to check up on things, and then I go do something else. Unfortunately, that "something else" is usually my new obsession, Minecraft. I don't know what the free version's like, but if you pay for it, it's definitely very addicting. I end up staying up way later than I had planned because I keep finding new things to do in this game, or getting new ideas.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Television

A Brief History of Conspicuous Product Placement in Movies

Length: 6:31

Description: An entertaining and informative compilation of different movies using product placement, including older movies and interesting facts.

Chapters: 6 (Movies), 13 (Advertising)

Quiz question: What was the first film to win an Academy Award for best picture, and which product was featured? Scroll down for the answer.


Answer: Wings, featuring Hershey's Chocolate.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Movies

One of my favorite movies from 2010 was How to Train Your Dragon. It was an original concept and a highly enjoyable movie to watch. It's also one of those movies that I can watch multiple times without getting sick of it. I loved the story, the dialogue, the animation, and the music. It also triggered wanderlust; now I want to visit Europe/Scandinavian countries more than ever. I first saw it in theaters, and then I received the DVD for my birthday. Read more about the movie here!
{and yes, I know it was based on a book series, but I've never read them and don't plan to}


One of my favorite movies of all time would have to be Pirates of the Caribbean, but it's a tie between 1 and 3. The combination of director Gore Verbinski, composer Hans Zimmer, and actor Johnny Depp is what makes these movies so amazing in my eyes. Throw a little Disney magic into the mix and you've got a movie I will watch every month if need be. Exotic landscapes, supernatural elements, old-fashioned adventure, predictable romance, and a killer soundtrack are almost too much to handle. I first saw POTC 1 in theaters, and then after that I made sure to see the other two on their midnight releases. It also goes without saying that I received the trilogy for Christmas. Here is the link to read more.
{and, as interesting food for thought, the new movie Rango also features the same director/composer/actor combination}


It's fun to watch the movies and count how many times Keira Knightley actually closes her mouth. In the third movie, I think it was closed a grand total of six times.