Got Milk...Mario???

The "GOT MILK" campaign was a very successful one. Adverts such as those listed above made it into glossy fashion magazines... There were so many celebrities featured, Models- Tyra Banks for example, Athletes, Actors, You name it, they had them. I guess at least one of the celebrities would be someONE'S hero. Copycat syndrome:my hero drinks milk, maybe i should do the same = More Mlk Sold. The target audience depends on the celebrity i guess. for example, STAR WARS fans have Master Yoda, Lord Of The Rings fans have dear old Gollum...The ad with Liz Hurley claims that drinking skimmed or non fat milk can help lose weight as part of a healthy diet. The ad with Jessica Alba informs people that growth occurs during teenage years and milk is partly responsible for this. There were more controversial ones, but these will have do..In my opinion, when it comes to print ads like the ones above, the ad MUST have an edge,it's the one shot, no motion, no voice..BUT.. Watch Mario below..




I had a Nintendo growing up and must say i was an avid Mario and Luigi fan. My worst villain was "Latiku the cloud". Then in later editions, there was the beast(i forget his name) with a castle and seven children. I can only remember Iggy his son. Anyway, any child who sees Mario as a hero, or even just likes Mario would identify with the ad. Quite simply, Mario becomes weak and can't perform as usual and therefore needs a boost. So he endures a mini- adventure to get to milk, and after drinking, he grows- in strength and size. Message for the children... Follow Mario's footsteps, drink milk and grow. Very wise. Celebrity endorsement. Hopefully, copycat behaviour will stimulate an urge to drink milk and boost sales of milk, from the sponsors...DAIRY FARMERS!! Now, we know milk is good for us, but is the purpose of the ad to boost sales or get us to drink milk for our own health?? Your guess is as good as mine.
And what about Nintendo? The presence of their character in this "good for the kids ad"? Very wise product placement??

Coke with Bill Gates

There are two elements to this ad, the use of a celebrity, Bill Gates, and the use of an ironic kind of humour. First of all, Bill Gates without money, no, without ENOUGH money to buy a coke?? How unlikely is that? Perhaps he just didn't have change... Secondly,Bill Gates getting disappointed by a MACHINE?? The man is synonymous with the word!! Anyway, it goes to show that everyone gets the the thirst for Coca- Cola, EVEN Mr Bill Gates.
I wonder what sort of emotions Coke hoped to stir with this ad, should it appeal to the wannabe billionaire, if you want to make billions, Bill Gates as a role model drinks Coke, or to the ordinary person, that well, yes, Bill Gates IS human AND likes his Coke. All i know is if i were in that office that building, i'd have been first in line to give him all the change he needed. WHAT?!?! He did say he would pay it back...

Samsung

This is the phone all of us ladies have been waiting for. Our own personal beautifier... Finishes off the image. The target for this phone is crystal clear, unless there are guys out there who like to paint their nails pink???? Anyway, it's a mobile phone that the manufacturers are trying to use to connect to vanity. For some, the phone could just serve a practical purpose, while for others, it would be seen more as a fashion accessory... Vanity.

Calvin Klein fragrances

Calvin Klein is known for his rather suggestive ad campaigns. Any one remember the Calvin Klein boxer shorts? Mark Wahlberg? Till today, i guarantee CK Boxer shorts are the boxer shorts to be seen in, if you have a hope of channelling sexuality. Ladies?? Anyway, that theme carries on into his ad campaigns for his fragrances. Why fix it if it isn't broken? Man, Woman, Nudity, Sexual tension, all these spell SEX. And quite honestly, sex sells.

Budweiser- True

Apparently, this particular ad spawned the rest of the Budweiser "whassup" commercials. Now if you don't know of these, then i certainly do not know what planet you are from. :-) These ads gained something of a cult following. Everything was "WHASSUP" with tongues sticking out, a lot mad! Anyway, the Japanese word "wasabe" (just visit a sushi restaurant) sounds very much like "whassup", and the guy on the date let go and "kept it real". I guess this brought out the "realness" in the sushi chefs as well. Till his date had simply had enough. She just can't understand "The Bud Effect", but boys will be boys. The expression on his face when she kills his joy does it for me. So sad. So funny. Shame.

Trocaire Lenten Campaign

The cause for female equality is very close to my heart. In a lot of cultures, the male child is valued far far above the female child. Different cultures have different reason for this belief. In the Western world, such things have become to a large extent a thing of the past. But the reality is it's still out there, it still exists majorly as a result of ignorance. This ad is a simple reminder of that fact. I think the use of babies appeals to our sensitive side. No one wants to see a baby in pain or suffering or grow up to be abused...so, good call for using the innocent bouncing baby GIRLS. P.S-This is an ad by the Irish Catholic Charity Trocaire. Their mission is to work with partners to overcome poverty and work for a just world. www.trocaire.org.

Vaseline

The functions of the skin, brought to you by.... Skins!!! Every imaginable colour and texture. The message is the need to take care of your skin, so it can perform its functions properly. This can be achieved with the use of Vaseline Intensive Care. Period. The message is brought to you by other "skins" who happen to agree and demonsrate how the skin fuctions. I wonder if any sexual thoughts can be associated with this ad because of the nude actors...?.