Voice in Place EOC: About Me

Designing new concepts or renewing old ones is the great beauty of fashion or any creative career. Since was I was a young girl, I have always been intrigued by the fashion world. I was first introduced to sensual designs of Gianni Versace at the very young age of four. I have been exposed to many influences and techniques involved in the industry. I have learned how to sew, designed from scratch, and developed my own professionalism that sets me apart from the crowd.  It is my upmost aspiration to develop a portfolio of creative careers, experiences, and to help people at the same time. I am and individual with many talents but with also a since of humility that has gotten me this far in my career. I have made many connections, some have turn into successful business relationships, and some into lasting friendships. I love fashion and all that comes along with it.

Week 3 EOC: Tobacco Advertisements

This framed scenario of this tobacco advertisement shows a woman and a man seemingly sharing a cigarette and looking into each others eyes provocatively. The catch phrase is "blow in her face, and she'll follow you anywhere." This represents the times in the 50's when women were considered property and beneath men. An effective ad is driven by the underlying concept. An advertising idea— or concept—is the creative reasoning behind a solution. The concept determines the resulting message: what you say and how you design. Though your concept or idea may be broad, it is foundational. If you wanted to catch a woman's attention you would blow smoke in her face as if perhaps she enjoyed the smell of smoke, but no one would know because they wouldn't ask women for their opinions.  The goal of this advertisement is to attract men into buying cigarettes. Once upon a time, the rich, sweetly pungent smoke of tobacco offered more than dreary old diseases like emphysema and lung cancer. It promised sophistication, sex appeal, even longevity itself. 
Usually men in the 50's needed to find a wife after college, provide for their families, and be successful in their careers. Smoking was glamorized and seemingly successful men were featured on these ads attracting beautiful women by smoking. The box containing a description of what the cigarette features includes taste, appearance, price, and a reword of the ad's catch phrase to solidify the viewers interest.



Here is a current advertisement in 2012 of the famous camel on cigarette boxes. The framed scenario here shows "Joe Chemo" in a hospital hallway holding an ivy machine, seemingly he has cancer from years of smoking tobacco. Meet Joe Chemo, a camel who wishes he'd never smoked cigarettes. Joe is having trouble feeling COOL these days, now that he's lost most of his hair. Worst of all, Joe just realized that he's been manipulated all his life by tobacco companies. Poor guy -- his tobacco IQ never was very high. The goal of this advertisement is to make viewers aware of how damaging smoking can be. The creator of this ad was brilliant to take an icon used for decades that sold millions of cigarettes to people, who some are probably experiencing medical treatment also. Most tobacco agencies usually rely on the fact that there isn't any proof that cigarettes cause cancer, but medical research has proven that cigarettes can cause serious health problems.
Among the 250 known harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke, at least 69 can cause cancer. These cancer-causing chemicals include the following:

• Arsenic
• Benzene
• Beryllium (a toxic metal)
• 1,3–Butadiene (a hazardous gas)
• Cadmium (a toxic metal)
• Chromium (a metallic element)
• Ethylene oxide
• Nickel (a metallic element)
• Polonium-210 (a radioactive chemical element)
• Vinyl chloride

Even though cigarettes are considered the leading cause of cancer, people still smoke. Bravo to the tobacco advertising agencies that have instilled the idea that smoking is cool for generations to come.

http://www.joechemo.org/
www.dumpert.nl 
http://www.chickenhead.com/truth/
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/cessation

Week 4 EOC: Role of Women in Contemporary Advertisements

American Apparel has been known for their inappropriate advertisements. American Apparel is directed to the younger woman (18-25). Their ads display young women posing in provocative poses wearing of course, American Apparel. The CEO Dov Charney would defend these ads by saying the girls are posing to show how the garment moves or is suppose to be worn. American Apparel's advertisements have become infamous for capturing young models in moments of vulnerable sensuality in seemingly causal situations. It's what Charney calls "our look." So by showing what appears to be a young woman posing women’s hosiery, why is there a need for her to have her hands between her legs? Their ads display women inappropriately, especially young women.

The ad beneath is a Dove campaign for women of all sizes. I like this ad and believe it is different from the one above because there is a certain empowerment to this ad. It says that you can be any skin tone, any size and still be beautiful. Certainly, factors other than branding contribute to a brand's success, including the quality of its product or service, public perception and enthusiasm, relevance to people's lives, the time period and culture, and the communities and/or celebrities who adopt it.Most women wouldn’t even consider being half naked in their own homes, nonetheless on an ad! And this ad is appropriate for all ages, even older, more accomplished women. Dove has stated within this ad campaign that all women are beautiful and should use this beauty product that will make your skin softer no matter what age or size you are.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/american-apparel-ceo-dov-charney-tarnished-hero/story?id=16229958
http://www.americanapparel.net/
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2008/05/surprise_doves.html

Week 2 EOC: Health Insurance

To sell health insurance to younger people is to first educate them on the subject of health care. College campuses, secondary institutes, and recreational centers need to hold seminars that will inform young people on how health care works and how to get it. Once the youth population has been informed, health care companies now must attract. They can run all the advertisements a million times, believing all young people do is sat around watching television. These groups of individuals are working and constantly on the move searching for what it takes to make it in society. Therefore, healthcare companies must base their ads of the importance of healthcare and that in their journeys through life, medical assistance will be needed and can be very expensive. According to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA healthcare is broadly defined and includes any care, service, or supply related to the mental or physical health of an individual. It is also defined as the treatment, management and prevention of illness and the preservation of the physical and mental well being of a person with the help of medical and allied health professionals. Young adults have been known to have immense spending power in our country, yet things have changed due to expensive college loans and also medical bills. An advertising agency must direct the young individual on where to properly invest their money and/or savings, which is healthcare. An ad must explain and highlight the best qualities of healthcare plans and that the can be personalized to certain individuals. HealthCare.gov presents extensive information on how the new health care reform legislation affects consumers, but it's served up in a very personalized way. Whether you're a pregnant woman in Ohio or a recent college graduate in Nevada, you can get information about how the law impacts your particular situation. For example, small business owners could visit a page that explains how the insurance marketplace is changing for them in the near future, as well as in 2014, when the final pieces of the legislation will be put into place.

http://people.howstuffworks.com/healthcare-gov.htm
http://whatishealthcare.org/

Week1 EOC: Volkswagen Lemon

The famous Volkswagen Lemon advertising campaign was the first of its' kind to begin the advertising movement for companies. The Volkswagen Beetle was considered an ugly and small vehicle compared to other models sold in the 50's and 60's. Cars were sold as statement, fashion pieces, and mood boosters; where the Beetle was the total opposite. As the 1950s came to a close, Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) and Volkswagen decided to completely destroy the status quo for automobile ads with the “Think Small” campaign. The 50s and 60s were a time when cars weren’t just a way to get the kids to school. Cars were fashion statements, testosterone boosters, muscles on wheels. They were built to be fast, big, stylish and the ultimate way to earn bragging points. In the ad, the concept was honesty. Cars were advertised as products to promote an easier lifestyle; like having a huge truck could provide more "leg-room." The Beetle was advertised as the vehicle that wasn't huge, but easy to maneuver. The Volkswagen Beetle was a small, slow, ugly, foreign car that the folks at DDB turned into an iconic piece of American pride. Keep in mind, this wasn’t just any foreign car either. This was a post-WWII German car, “the people’s car,” a Nazi car whose development was tied to Adolf Hitler himself. The whole concept behind "Think Small," was to provide the consumer with the idea that "less is more." In their ad, they also highlighted the importance of their frequent inspections to reassure the buyer that their desired vehicle had no "screw ups." The ad goes on to describe the rigorous inspection process; one out of fifty does not pass for something as simple as a scratch on the windshield. “This preoccupation with detail means the VW lasts longer and requires less maintenance, by and large, than other cars.” Concluding with a memorable tag line “We pluck the lemons; you get the plums,” it gives the reader a first impression that Volkswagen is calling their own car a lemon, while intriguing them to read further to see that it is really about the rigorous inspection process that Volkswagens go through.

http://www.writingfordesigners.com/?p=1731

http://designshack.net/articles/graphics/the-greatest-print-campaigns-of-all-time-volkswagen-think-small/

http://www.howstuffworks.com/1960-1969-volkswagen-beetle4.htm