Sexy Burger

                                                                                   

What is Paris Hilton Doing in a Carl’s Jr. advertisement? I could not think of a more bazaar celebrity to try and sell a hamburger.  I understand trying to use sex appeal in an advertisement, however in this commercial the technique did not work. 

            Within the 30 second commercial the hamburger is shown minimally.  Until the final seconds when Carl’s Jr. reveals their logo the audience could mistake this ad for selling a Bentley automobile, a line of Paris Hilton products or possibly selling the song being played.  Not only is this video inappropriate and should be censored to particular age groups, everyone knows Paris Hilton would never put in the manual labor to wash a car. 

            As a fast food chain with significant competition one would think Carl’s Jr. would try to develop a target audience consisting of family values or children’s humor.  If I had children I would turn the channel when this commercial came on the television.  With this commercial the fast food chain appeals to a limited audience consisting of males 15-25 that would enjoy the sex appeal of Paris Hilton.  With that in mind, it is even difficult for Paris Hilton to make eating a hamburger look sexy. 

            Looking at the commercial further, how do washing a car and eating a hamburger mix appropriately?  These tasks seem as if they would be proven very difficult to do together.  The only connection that makes sense is Carl’s Jr. is trying to sell their Spicy BBQ Burger and Paris Hilton’s intellectual tagline is “That’s Hot.”  I personally believe this commercial should not be allowed on air and Carl’s Jr. needs to reevaluate their advertising strategies. 

Ford Cares

Ford has been manufacturing cars since the early 1900s. It would be rare to find someone in the United States that has not heard of the established corporation.  Ford has branded an image over many years and people know what to expect when they purchase one of their vehicles. When a company has established themselves they can experiment with different approaches in their advertising.

In this series of print advertisements, Ford is appealing to the public interest. Checking a phone while driving, whether it be for texting, calling or checking email has increasingly become a problem.  Ford is not trying to criticize Facebook, Twitter or Gmail in these ads but rather point out using these websites while someone is behind the wheel is not a smart idea nor is it legal. It is a smart approach for Ford to use the logos of the social networking websites because of the immense popularity they receive.  

Ford reaches out to a larger audience with these advertisements.  They demonstrate that they are not only trying to sell their cars but they are selling a reputation.  The company displays they care about the people driving the cars they sell, not just the amount of money that is being made.

A Helping Hand: Near & Far

Children are suffering around the world everyday and the number of casualties is drastically increasing.  Global Angels is looking to generate a strong group of people that can respond to the needs of suffering children.  Founder Molly Bedingfield exclaims everyone can be an “angel” and help inspire a new generation. 

                                                                       

The video portrays a creative guerilla marketing strategy.  If someone is in need of assistance right in front of an individual’s face they will most likely help out.  However, most individuals will try to ignore suffering around the world as long as it doesn’t directly interfere with their everyday life.  It is important to look out for yourself but it is also good to realize your blessings and recognize the suffering going on in the world we share.  I am certainly victim of getting caught in my sheltered bubble as well. 

It is difficult to watch commercials that show graphic images of children suffering from poverty and famine. Often people’s first reaction is to turn the channel in order to not deal with the reality.  Global Angels’ approach with this marketing technique may also try to make people feel guilty but I also think it makes individuals think in a different way.  Everyone is busy.  That is life.  We can take a second out of our day to help someone pick up their groceries and we can take a second to donate to people to a community that is suffering in a much greater way.

Check out Global Angels for yourself:  http://www.globalangels.org/

The Magic of Giving

The Peruvian Cancer Society sends a powerful message with this advertisement.  When I saw this commercial for the first time, I did not know what to expect.  As the street performer shows off his tricks, I was intrigued to view what the commercial was advertising.  

This commercial was shown to my Multicultural Public Relations & Advertising class by a woman who studied advertising in Peru.  This advertisement is simple, which is why I believe it is effective.  There are no words spoken yet the music helps send the message the Peruvian Cancer Society is trying to get across.  The commercial is filmed in black and white, which compliments the emotional appeal. 

There is no magical cure for cancer, however I believe this organization is displaying that with support, commitment and donation they can fight the fatal disease.  The Peruvian Cancer Society can bring smiles to their patients’ faces.  I can only hope one day in the future it will be this easy.