False advertising is rampant in the fast food industry. Have you ever seen your Burger King Whopper look exactly like it does in the commercials or print ads? NO! Have you ever seen your Taco Bell Crunchy Taco even remotely resemble its advertisements? NO! Though this reality hasn't stopped anyone (as far as I know) from repeat orders, we'll always be a little disappointed each time we unwrap our chicken sandwiches or cheeseburgers.
A photographer-gone-blogger provides an extremely in depth comparison of what we are "promised" by fast food advertisements and what we actually receive. This type of blog post has been done before, but this particular post puts a professional spin on the Average Joe posts of the past. And still... the findings are gross...and small...and squished. Poor us.
Note: "Most Attractive Angle" Also, I need to say it... where's the beef?!* *Wrong fast food restaurant, same idea
Note: "Slightly Fluffed Up" So sad.... but SUCH a reality.
Note: he asked for the Whopper to be built to mimic the ads... makes you wonder: Do they even have those ingredients?
And the winner is... McDonald's Big N' Tasty! I was a bit curious if these restaurants owned anything other than "shredded lettuce"...
How can you advertise something in "actual size" if it legitimately cannot fit in it's allocated box? Maybe that's why they always looked so squished? Nah, probably not.
I'm going on a very long road trip to Canada this weekend, and I'll still order something from McDonald's. It might not look (at all) like the advertisement BUT at least it tastes like it's advertised. I know... that's subjective.
One of my favorite commercials of 2011 was Volkswagen's ad that first aired during the 2011 Super Bowl. The ad, featuring a powerful mini Darth Vader, is funny and adorable...and though I can't speak for men, I think it appeals to both sexes. I'm sure you've all seen the commercial on one channel or another (it runs pretty frequently)... but for my own entertainment, here it is:
This ad, called "The Force", created a lot of buzz (online and off). The video went viral. Consumers voted it as one of their favorite commercials. SO, with the help of Deutsch Los Angeles, VW is giving the Star Wars theme another go with "The Bark Side".
The dogs are cute, skilled, and the idea is funny... but I don't think this commercial will have the same impact as "The Force". I might be a bit biased because I (personally) think little kids are cuter/funnier than barking dogs... but that's not the case for everyone. The final ad doesn't run until February 5th (when the Patriots and HOPEFULLY the Giants will be duking it out on the field... GO GIANTS)... but they released the 60-second teaser during ABC's "The Middle" on January 18th.
We'll see how the Star Wars inspired canines fare in the highly-competitive Super Bowl commercial scene. Hopefully, for VW, they're just as powerful as mini Vader. If the NY Giant's don't win tonight, I plan on rooting for the Chewbacca dog during the Super Bowl.
Twitter and Facebook both create a ton of opportunities for companies to interact with consumers, but it is no secret that these social media sites pose massive threats as well. We are well aware that on our personal pages there are certain things we should never do or post. The same goes for companies... times 10. One of the most frowned upon social media practices is deleting unfavorable comments in hopes to maintain a positive brand image. When companies delete these comments or loosely/unprofessionally reply, their transparency and reputation plummet.
A well-known example of this type of social media disaster was Nestlé's response to Greenpeace's accusations in 2010. I learned about this crisis in my Global Marketing class, and it always comes to mind when other companies make similar silly (and damaging) mistakes. If you're not familiar with the story, let me fill you in...
Cue Greenpeace's (extremely graphic) video:
DO NOT WATCH IF YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH BLOOD... or monkey fingers)
Basically, Greenpeace (a non-governmental environmental organization) was raising awareness of Nestlé's use of palm oil in products, like Kit Kat. It's said that the palm oil companies they used cause extreme deforestation in Indonesian rainforests... and are responsible for the deaths of many native orangutans. Nestlé obviously tried to get the video removed from YouTube... sparking a social media war. Greenpeace started posting on Nestlé's Facebook page... Nestlé THEN made a detrimental mistake: they deleted the critical comments from Greenpeace and other users (especially those with the altered Kit Kat logo as their pictures).
Nestlé was not the first company to make the immature and inexcusable deleting mistake... and were not the last.
Recently, another company (or restaurant, in this case) got a slap on the wrist for their social media practices. Boners, an Atlanta BBQ joint, posted an extremely inappropriate blurb about a customer who "apparently" didn't tip. A rude customer and a bad Yelp review does not give restaurants (or any company) creative freedom to post anything like this... talk about a temper! After checking out their website... I'm not surprised. It doesn't seem like the classiest of establishments, but you can't judge a restaurant by its website (FALSE) who knows...
Boners has deleted the ridiculous post and the establishment's owner replaced it with a personal apology to Stephanie. His "sincere" post, however, has not quelled the equally inappropriate attacks against Stephanie from fellow Facebook users. Whoever is continuing to insult this woman via Boners' page needs to find a new hobby... I think she suffered enough from the restaurant's original post--don't you?
In full disclosure to my audience, this post is an assignment. Fortunately, it is not at all off topic. This one's for you, Ogilvy & Mather!
Creativity is more than a unique tagline or an innovative way to use social media. Creativity is more than an inspiring commercial or an unexpected guerilla marketing campaign. Creativity is more than integrating and fusing traditional tactics with interactive media.
Sometimes it is the unconventional application of creativity that defines the word the best. For example, creativity can be found in a friendly greeting or a witty reply. Clothing and hair styles can be the platform in which someone expresses their originality. There are thousands of music genres and fusion cuisines, which are examples of different ways to express creative feelings, interests, and capabilities.
Similarly, creativity could be conveyed through the title of your Facebook photo albums or even the topic of a blog post! Everyone is creative in one way or another, but it's simply how strongly they express their originality that determines who might be deemed a creative Craftsman of Culture.
I am somewhat similar to that girl (we all know one) who always manages to sneak the irrelevant topic of her boyfriend into the conversation. I, however, always bring up my blog! I have developed the skill to shape any conversation into the perfect opportunity to segue into blog chit-chat. It does not matter if I'm talking about the weather, the score of last night's football game, or the shade of your lipstick...it all comes back to AKtually Ashley. I think it is important to express my creativity through the platform that promotes that quality the best...and in the most tech-savvy, social media Queen-kinda way.
My goal, of course, was to link you to my blog. It is a pool of my thoughts, opinions, and inspirations. It's a creative way for me to actively consider, review, and highlight a broad range of meaningful endeavors from other marketing professionals that I come across. It provides a venue in which I can step out of my college student sneakers, and into my marketing stilettos. Though it is only 3 months old, it has quite the personality...some may say 21 years worth.
A video that provides a fantastic summary of creative tools is the 2011 Tomorrowland After Movie. Here's a snippit of it...and if you find yourself wanting more, check out my blog post:Wonderland? Neverland? TOMORROWLAND.
Music. Light show. Aerial shots. Angles. Set decorations and decor.
Many are guilty of a little photo editing to make themselves the picture look better--especially before uploading it to Facebook! Enhancing the picture, adjusting the hue, changing from color to black and white, or losing 10 pounds... WAIT WHAT?! Come on, this is nothing new! Advertisement photographers and creatives have been altering, adjusting, and "fixing" pictures since programs like Adobe's Photoshop were developed. We'd be silly to believe that models are all perfectly slim, smooth, and bronzed--but it doesn't stop men and women from idolizing and striving for these (usually) unatainable bodies.
I recently came across thisarticle in Adweek's AdFreak about a similar topic. It features a satiracle infommercial promoting a new beauty product, Fotoshop by Adobé. Ha... get it? The video was produced by Cali filmmaker Jesse Rosten. While Adobe is not particularly thrilled, to say the least, Rosten skillfully unveils an all-too-true (and humorous) quality of beauty and fashion commercials and magazine spreads. His witty video reveals how far the industry has gone to achieve "beauty".
Funny, right?
I'm assuming that the majority of us have accepted that many published photographs are "fixed" in one way or another. I'll also make the assumption that we all still believe these models are real even if their bodies are tweaked here and there. After reading this article, however, we all may have to reassess that belief.
I know, I know--you can't always believe everything you read... BUT apparently, the fashion chain H&M was caught using fake swimsuit models in its recent online catalogue. When I say fake, I don't mean digitally altered... I mean completely digitally created... from scratch.
Look closely. I would have never noticed, mainly because if I'm shopping for swimwear, I'm looking at the bikinis. Each model has the same body stance... OK, that could be a coincidence or part of the company's "look". What gives these "models" away, though, are their fingers. That's what jumped out at me first. If you take a closer look, you can see that the contour of their stomachs are all EXACTLY the same. Creepy. You just can't trust anyone these days...
Usually this little piggy would go "Wee Wee Wee" all the way home... but GEICO's takes the rhyme to a new level... literally. Maxwell the Pig is back, and zip lining the New Year away in the recently released GEICO commercial. Some viewers don't understand the commercial and think it's a poor effort compared to GEICO's usually clever advertising spots. Others argue that it is absolutely hysterical... but still don't get it. Regardless of consumers' opinions, the video, produced by The Martin Agency, is on a viral rampage. However, this may only be because people are trying to decipher with their friends what Maxwell actually says to his fellow zip liner. "Pure. Adrenaline."
While the GEICO gecko is my favorite of the company's many advertising reps, Maxwell the Pig can be pretty funny... just not in the zip lining commercial.
Scene: It's 9:30 AM and you have only been on the beach for 30 minutes, but the warm Caribbean sun is already hot enough to fry an egg. All you want is a Pina Colada or a Strawberry Daiquiri to quench your thirst... but it's not even 10 o'clock yet--let alone noon! To make matters worse, you see one of the resort's wait staff carrying a tray of frozen cocktails down the beach. You think to yourself: Already? The other guests must be animals--drinking at 9:30 AM? Hmm... those do look delicious... maybe a virgin Pina Colada? That would be acceptable, right?
Were these tropical frozen cocktails actually ordered by resort guests at 9:30 AM? Or is this merely a trick to motivate guests to start ordering daiquiri after daiquiri early in the day? These drinks cast some sort of spell over hotel patrons. Once you see a frozen cocktail you are left yearning for one until FINALLY you gather the courage to order a Miami Vice (half Pina Colada, half Strawberry Daiquiri... yum) for yourself. Maybe around 11 AM? It MUST be noon somewhere!
I don't believe tropical resorts attempt to deceive customers by carrying around Pina Coladas with no "owners" -- BUT if the morning is a little slow on drink orders, they really should consider sending servers out with trays of frozen deliciousness. It would be an effective marketing strategy and I think it would do the trick!
I haven't even shown you a picture and you're already aching for a Strawberry Daiquiri! Maybe Mango? Believe me, I feel your pain.
