a better way to sell insurance.

Working on this week's assignment was definitely a little harder than I expected it to be. I feel like I constantly see ineffective and just plain annoying advertisments, but it took me awhile to remember what they were, and decide which one I thought was least effective.

That said, I narrowed down my category to INSURANCE COMMERCIALS. Almost every commercial done by various insurance companies, whether it be Progressive, State Farm, Allstate, American Family, or Geico, drives me a little crazy. I have had my fill of Flo from the Progressive "shopping center" or whatever that's supposed to be, and I feel like the Geico Gecko is getting pretty old and worn out. 

However, I would gladly live with the Geico Gecko than watch this ad campaign from them, which I feel like could not get any more stupid. See for yourself:

1. Not your daddy...

2. A new gecko...

3. Weird animals...

I think these ads are ineffective because their attempts to show what level of stupidity can be reached by a commercial "made in just 15 minutes" were not clever (at least to me), but just ridiculous. The message they're trying to send is very clear--that you can save money on your car insurance in just 15 minutes rather than waste time making a commercial like the one we wasted time on--but watching the commercials is a waste of time on my part...so...what makes any of this wasted time an effective way to advertise?

Now, as far as an alternative goes, Geico can still capitalize on the idea that it takes very little time to save significant money on car insurance when working with them. In my opinion, the audience that is going to be most interested in finding a way to save money in such a short period of time is the type of people that use their time wisely--they are busy, their days are scheduled out, everything is written down in day planners, etc. The people that don't use their time as efficiently could probably care less whether getting insurance takes them 15 minutes versus a couple of hours.

That said, Geico could make a print ad (I only ever see commercials for Geico...not a lot of print stuff) that could just be very clean and simple, and there could be a page shown out of someone's day planner that is just chockful of various responsibilities, errands, jobs, that this person has to accomplish. There could be one open slot that Geico could slip their name into, and a tagline could be something like "Think you don't have time to ensure your safety? You'd be surprised what we can do in just 15 minutes." Geico...it's a pretty unfinished/rough idea, but I think that sort of message could work for them. 

let the games begin.

The time for March Madness has arrived! I was working Dancesport this weekend, and one of the few things I saw besides dancers covered in self-tanner, hairspray, and glitter, was this commercial:

chocolate vs. peanut butter

I thought this was pretty clever when I saw it. March Madness doesn't have nearly the same magnitude as the Superbowl does, but both events spur the creation of sponsor ads that tend to be more creative than the typical commercial. It's interesting seeing what new ways sponsors come up with to connect their product or brand with whatever event they are being associated with--whether it be the Superbowl, the Oscars, March Madness.

Best of luck on your brackets this month!

I'd like to thank...

Kodak Theatre. Red Carpet. Academy Awards. Oscars.

Each year, the Academy Awards (not Valentine's Day) is the highlight of my February. It's such a classy night, and the whole evening represents the essence of glamour: the tuxes, the gowns, the music, the stage, the presenters (well it's hit and miss), even the envelopes, the Oscar itself. All these talented actors, actresses, directors, screenplay writers, costume designers, composers, musicians, come together to celebrate each other's amazing achievements of the year. Aside from occasional red carpet interviews with the latest Hollywood sensations (who was it last year...Miley...Zac...Vanessa...) this night recognizes only the great talent in the film industry. I certainly watch and enjoy my fair share of chick flicks and "fluff" movies, but the Oscars is almost like a breath of fresh air from the endless crowding of movies that now open in handfuls nearly every weekend.

Maybe I should confess that I am not a huge film buff, so I still haven't seen some of the Best Picture nominees (The King's Speech is next on my list, though!), but I think you can still recognize great art even when you just get a glimpse of it.

I haven't seen many movies that really make me emotional...and the ones that have are all pretty different. They range from Life is Beautiful to We Are Marshall (a football movie that makes me tear up...I can't explain it)...Gone With the Wind to The Blind Side. So, knowing this about myself, you would be surprised about how easily watching the Oscars gives me the goosebumps! But in all honesty, watching the opening...the various tributes paid to actors/actresses/directors goneby...the acceptance speeches...the finale...it all gets to me! It's sounds kind of ironic, seeing as this is the biggest night in all of Hollywood, but I think watching all these people accept their awards allows you to see a very real side of who they are--despite how small those moments are. The truly talented people aren't usually found in the tabloids, but endless rumors and pictures still circulate of most of them. This definitely conditions me to an idea of all these big-name people as superstars...something bigger than I am...but when you listen to their speeches, hearing who they thank in front of millions of people, they sound a little more like you and me!

To list my Top 5 from last night:

1. Sandra Bullock--she is always beautiful, classy, graceful, witty--she is who needs to be the next Oscar host.

2. Colin Firth--I can't believe this was his first Oscar! He is one talented man.

3. David Seidler--original screenplay for The King's Speech--"My father always said to me, I would be a late bloomer. I believe I am the oldest person to win this particular award...I accept this on behalf of all the stutterers throughout the world. We have a voice, we have been heard.

4. Tom Hooper--directing for The King's Speech--talking to his mom he said, "with this tonight, I honor you, and the moral of the story is listen to your mother." :)

5. Aaron Sorkin--adapted screenplay for The Social Network--talking to his daughter: "Roxy Sorkin, your father just won the Academy Award, I'm going to have to insist on some respect from your guinea pig." (my sister recently got a pet guinea pig, so this made us all chuckle a little) :)

Besides Melissa Leo's unfortunate slip-up during her acceptance speech (not classy in the least bit, my friend), a mediocre hosting job by James Franco and Anne Hathaway, an okay mix of presenters, and some interesting fashion choices (as always)..

it was an enjoyable night!

new beginnings.

Hey there friends.

I know it's been awhile, but I'm back. And really that's all that matters now.

Right off the bat, I should tell you that the main reason I'm finally writing is not out of my own will. It's actually part of my advertising class this semester. However, it'll get me back into the habit of writing! And then, maybe I'll finally take some time to attempt at making my blog at least half as cool-looking as the blogs that I follow.

It's all about new beginnings though, correct? Yes.

Speaking of beginnings, this post is taking me forever to write, because I don't have a clue as to where I should start! Let's see, since we last talked, I have:

1) gone to college and completed one full semester at BYU. check.

2) done well in all of my classes. check.

3) and found myself a job for summer 2011. disneyworld is all that needs to be said. check.

This coming summer is basically as far ahead as I've thought, but I would say finding a summer job already is quite an accomplishment!

Anyways...

advertising. If you had asked me 1 year ago...6 months ago...even 3 months ago...what major I was interested in pursuing, I wouldn't have had the slightest idea of what to tell you. I liked to tell people psychology for awhile, just because I kind of had a slight interest in it...at one point...maybe. Get my drift? Really, come on, I just used that as my go-to answer when all those adults, friends of your parents, neighbors, etc, start asking you about your life plans...before you leave for your freshman year of college!

I have yet to figure out my 4 year graduation plan. The life plan is going to have to wait a bit!

Okay, I was going somewhere with this...advertising!

My only formal introduction to advertising was one part of one lecture during one Comms 101 class. That is all. An advertising professor came and introduced the program and really all I thought was, "I like this. It's neat." Advertising simply intrigues me. Despite my dad's attempts to train me differently, I have always fallen for an endless array of toys, movies, games, and whatever else has hooked me because of their ads. I was the kid who woke up super early every Saturday morning to watch cartoons, and almost as good as the cartoons were all those commercials for cool new toys or snacks for your lunch! Remember those!? And look what I found...

WATCH THIS!

WATCH ME TOO!

Those commercials were classic, and I fell for every one of them! Each one did its job; they left me wanting that cool new toy or that super sugary cereal.

Unfortunately my parents didn' succomb to the power of these ads as easily.

Despite my intrigue and fascination with this field, I am stepping into unfamiliar territory with this advertising class. It's not anything I've learned before, so I have no background. I don't know that I'll be "good" at it...or get a "good grade"...(because we all know that's what really matters in the big scheme of things), but I'm trying something new. Something that interests me. I can't say that I have a passion for advertising or anything of that sort...yet. That's still up in the air, but I am finally starting somewhere! I'm starting to figure out where I'm taking my life...or where it's taking me...

One ad class at a time.

In the spirit of advertising, I'll leave you with one of my favorite ads. I'm sure almost everyone is familiar with it, but I just think it's genius. Enjoy!

CLICK ME.