Maybe She's Born With It... Nah!

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 this article 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...


POGS,
The Real AKtually Ashley

"Smell Better Than Yourself"

Old Spice, one of Procter & Gamble's grooming brands for men, has had a plethora of witty, satirical, and extremely successful campaigns. Old Spice really made a splash when they introduced their "Smell Like a Man, Man" (aka "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign. The campaign features commercials and print ads with actor Isaiah Mustafa as the token "Old Spice Man". In all of the commercials, he addresses viewers in confident, rapid-fire monologues... each more ridiculous than the last. These ads have been around since February 2010 and really differentiate Old Spice from the rest of the men's grooming products in the market. 

Their newest campaign, "Smell Better Than Yourself", began around September 2011. The ad agency, Wieden+Kennedy, created both campaigns... I would've continued working with them too -- smart move Old Spice! This campaign is much different. The premise is: You might not be an attractive/respected/successful man in real life, BUT Old Spice can make you smell like you are.

This is the first spot, which launched during the NFL opener on September 8th. The faux sea captain is fighting an octopus while gold coins spill out of his pockets. Lets not forget to mention his 20-pack abs and his gorgeous wife! None of this is true BUT his wife has nooooo idea because with the help of Old Spice he SMELLS like a Sea Captain whose pockets rain gold. 

This is the second spot for the campaign. After taking a sniff of Old Spice Swagger, the guy begins to transform. An article on AdWeek describes the transformation perfectly! The Guy "cracks apart like porcelain, with bits of his unmanly husk shattering on the floor, revealing a super manly biker dude inside." An extremely overweight man then turns into a... bear? While an old man turns into a babe. Oh, the power of Old Spice!

Old Spice has the strength to turn average guys into attractive and adventurous MEN. The lighthearted, hysterical, and increasingly ridiculous campaigns continue to place the brand ahead of its competitors... at least when it comes to creativity. 

POGS, 

AKtually Ashley

Babies: The Up and Coming Target Market

The Vinci Tablet

At first glance, this product looks like an oversized iPhone with a protective barrier, right? This tablet is actually pretty close to an iPhone... but is marketed to an entirely different segment... children 0-4 years old. The red ring surrounding the tablet is a drool-proof bumper. Yes, drool-proof. When a product needs to be drool-proof, it's probably a sign that the electronic should not be targeted at drooling children in the first place... common sense, right? But manufacturers and marketers can no longer afford to ignore this youthful, drooling segment. The Vinci, which 2 year olds probably cannot even pronounce, is allegedly the first-ever educational handheld device for kids. It sells for $389 to $479... WOW. I personally can't bring myself to buy an iPhone or iPad, but a 6 month old owns a $300-$500 Vinci? Lucky kid. This new product is innovative and definitely fills the market opportunity of electronics for infants... whether or not there is actual demand is an entirely different story. This product, and various digital marketing tactics aimed at society's youth, is raising many questions concerning the impact on childhood development and ethical boundaries. The issue (and this topic in general) is described in depth in this AdWeek article. 

The trend of marketing to infants is not necessarily new, but is getting increasingly aggressive and competitive. Brands like Disney have been doing this for years! Marketing was once limited to logo/mascot-printed clothing, packaged goods, or toys, but is now expanding into the digital and interactive world. There is now a TV "network" for infants online, called BabyFirstTV.com, which has subscription-based videos, games, educational activities, and music. Luxury clothing designers (ie. Versace and Marc Jacobs) are beginning to gain loyal infant consumers with trendy lines for the infant fashionista. Cynthia Rowley has designed diapers for Pampers. They run for about $15 (a bit pricey for disposable toilets)... but I do have to say, they're adorable. 

This market is becoming increasingly popular, meaning competition for infants' brand loyalty is becoming more and more important to companies and marketers. They're competing to become the first brand to establish a relationship with the child and hope to maintain this relationship as the child grows. You may be thinking that these efforts will go unnoticed and aren't worth the time, money or effort, but the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood reports otherwise. They found that by 6 months, babies can form mental images of corporate logos and mascots. Additionally, as soon as infants can speak they can (and will) request brands. Other reports have found that by the age of 3, kids can recognize an average of 100 brand logos. 

How many of these can you link with a brand? An easier question may be: how many can't you link with a brand?

I absolutely love this brand alphabet. It was introduced to me in a class a few years ago, and it really holds true to the belief that brand logos are completely imprinted in our brains. You see the "P" and automatically think Pez Candy or the "C" and know it's from Campbells Soup. Kudos to these companies, their marketing teams of the past have really done an incredible job developing consumer recognition with their brands. It's amazing, but it's life. We can't help but associate colors, mascots, fonts, etc. with brands and companies. It starts at a young age, and stays with us forever. 

That is what this new marketing trend is trying to establish and maintain. It will no longer be just Disney Princesses on onsies or Tony the Tiger on cereal boxes... The Vinci, Apple, Fendi, and other luxury brands are entering the competitive market. These brands, as well as more traditional infant-targeting companies, are beginning to establish themselves through innovative digital tactics and aggressive efforts to reach this baby market through all possible touch points.

It's a new world out there... no boundaries.

POGS, 

AKtually Ashley