The King of Quality

Zoom in on Average Joe’s ear. He’s got those classic mutton-chop sideburns and his shoulder length black hair is slicked back. There are goose bumps littering his skin, showing how content he is. Hanging from his ear, where a headphone ear bud would be, is Elvis Presley. He’s shrunk down to size and, wearing his signature white jumpsuit, is singing directly into his ear. This advertisement is selling the personal concert experience without the expensive ticket.

This advertisement is meant to catch your eye. It’s simple, aesthetically pleasing, and right off the bat, it makes you think. Not many ads have a miniature Elvis hanging from a man’s ear. The message comes across clearly. It is a good product, it works, and if you love music, you should buy it. This is better than watching music videos online or on the television. This is better than dropping hundreds of dollars on concert ticket after concert ticket only to barely be able to see the stage. For a little over two hundred dollars (www.samsung.com) you’re getting the experience of the singer taking your requests on your time.

The man’s Elvis-esqe cut, the way he has his hair slicked back like the famous performer always did, is there to appeal not only to lovers of Elvis Presley, but to lovers of music in general. It shows how easy it is to immerse yourself in the music with this product. The ad makes it more personal to music enthusiasts everywhere. In addition, using the iconic image of Elvis is meant to play off the credibility that comes with his name. Elvis Presley was and still is loved by millions of people, and his name means something, especially in the world of entertainment.

The lack of a slogan, while detrimental for other advertisements, makes this particular one stronger. Usually the slogan is what sticks in your head once you walk away from an advertisement, so you think about it and later come to buy the product. In this case, a slogan would almost be overkill. The audience already has the image of Elvis Presley hanging from a man’s ear in their heads. It’s hard to get more memorable than this. Here, the slogan and the ad are the same thing. The photo, and therefore the product, sells itself.

This advertisement is very good. It’s simple, it’s eye-catching, and it’s straight to the point. It pulls in your attention and doesn’t let it go right away. It makes you think, and really brings home the idea of a personal concert without the ticket.

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Claim 1:  American's are more willing to give up eating out than media.

Claim 2: More people were willing to give up entertainment now than five years ago.

Claim 3: Entertainment fuels our generation.

open book

My tumblr, the social network I frequent the most, is very open. People read my bio and know what they're getting into with my blog. I mention what I like, my sexuality, and the currents shows ad books I'm engaged in, right in that little paragraph. I feel like it's the one place I can really be myself.
It shows that I am a bit of a nerd. It shows that I like to laugh, or cry when something touches my head. I post some things that I have written, and talk about my aspiration to become a published author.
My girlfriend is mentioned quite often. Unfortunately, if a future employer is looking at my blog, they may decide not to hire me because of my sexuality, but then, I'd rater not work for a homophobe in the first placce.
I like to think that my tumblr shows that I a a good person with positive ethos, and that others see that, too.

Ethos and Inaugurals

                I have always been a fan of President Obama. I feel that, even if he hasn’t been the best president, he is a good man, with morals and ethics that I can stand behind. He loves his family, he’s not afraid to goof around and crack jokes about himself. I am not ashamed to say that I voted for him last November, and am happy that he is our president for another term. Reading through his impressive Inaugural Address, I believe that while he takes advantage of (and properly handles) many ethos, his greatest strength is his ability to connect with the American citizen.

President Obama takes advantage of imagery through words in his address. One piece in particular really stuck with me. “We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.”  He is painting a picture in your head of a common occurrence, something that happens all the time, and using it to prove his point, and show that he is only going to do good for his country. He gives everyone something they can recognize, something every American has experienced in some way, and it helps your confidence in him to grow.

“Vice President Biden, Mr. Chief Justice, Members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens.” That is how President Obama opens his address. I love the way that he says ‘fellow citizens’ rather than the many other ways he could have addressed them. He is showing that he considers himself an equal to everyone else living in this country. He doesn’t think that he is superior. Later on in his address, he starts each new thought ‘we, the people’, giving everyone the feeling of companionship. It’s not ‘what I can do for you’, it’s ‘what we can do for each other’. I think that is an amazing way to grab the audiences’ hearts and really connect with them.

There are many ways to misuse ethos in speeches. Some people are too happy, too sad, and too angry. They insult people, rather that appearing to sympathize with them. The president doesn’t do that though. He is consistent, and trustworthy, and his words reflect his actions every time.

vs.

Computers and phones and other such products are a rapidly growing business, and they have been for years. Companies are always competing at full force, trying to one up each other, through sales and gimmicks and advertisements. These ads come in the forms of television and radio commercials, posters and billboards, and occasionally, a comic. Using two extremes on a style scale, this particular image above is arguing that one computer company is better than the other, more specifically that Apple is better than Windows. It is an older cartoon, which is evident by the style of the company’s logos, and the style of the art. The cartoon is using two extreme opposites to demonstrate its point, one I think comes across very clearly.

The cartoon features two cars, one representing Apple, the other representing Windows. The Apple car is white with blue accents. It is obviously new, with fast and fancy controls, and is in great condition. The hood of the car is lifted, and the engine is looking perfect. The driver is wearing a clean, crisp, white jumpsuit, with blue accents much like the car. He is leaning against the front of the car looking smug and happy. He is young and handsome and obviously carefree. This shows me that the artist obviously believed Apple to be the better company.

The second car, the one representing Windows, is an unfortunate shade of brown. The car is old, and rusted, and falling apart. The hood of the car is lifted, showing the engine to be in complete disarray, with an older design and mismatched parts. The driver is wearing a dirty blue jumpsuit and is slouched against the car, looking miserable. He is older and much less attractive than the smug Apple driver. The artist was trying to show that, at least in his opinion, Windows is the lesser of the two companies, with poor quality items.

The cartoon is sharp, clean, and to the point. You can tell at first glance that, in the opinion of the artist, and quite a few consumers, that if you have to choose between a Windows product and an Apple product, Apple is the way to go. While this might not necessarily be true, I find that the image does a very good job in defending this argument, and that it is good advertising that will probably bring in a lot of business.

By the cover.

The best kind of bookshelf is stuffed with many different books, each of them filled with different information than the last. The books have thick, stiff spines, and are waiting eagerly to be opened. Each one is capable of taking the reader to a different world, a different time and place.

Books fascinate me. I have loved reading since I was a child, sitting next to my night light on the floor, a picture book spread open on my lap. I have always been eager to learn, to fill my head the way an author fills a book with knowledge.

I want to be a writer. My goal in life is to become a published author, to transport people into different worlds, if only for a few hours. I want to see my books on the shelves, and my name on the cover.

I am not one for being shy. Like a book, I’ll answer questions, and give advice. I’m not afraid to be myself.