I feel as though this week once I am finished cooking one dish I have to start another. This week is Passover and is one of the holiest holidays in the Jewish religion. A group of my friends decided to host a Seder just like we have done in previous years. Everyone picks a dish that they feel inclined to make that is Kosher for Passover aka doesn’t have wheat, corn or flower or anything that is leavened. I agreed to make Matzo Ball Soup, which is basically chicken noodle soup with a Jewish form of a dumpling inside. The recipe that I used has been in my family for generations and is a family secret. Many people think they can remake it but have been quite unsuccessful in matching the perfect taste. All of my friends beg me for the recipe but instead of giving it I tell them I will make it for them and give it to them. Time consuming. Yes, but its worth keeping the family recipe a secret. Blow is a link to a recipe on food network that some of my friends have used before and it is pretty tasty (not as good as mine OBVS!) Happy Passover!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sephardic-chicken-soup-with-sofrito-and-herbed-matzo-balls-recipe/index.html
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Passover
FiRe HoTt QuOtEs.com
..CaNcel My SuBsCrIpTiOnS..
..I'M oVeR uR iSsUeS..
Chelsea, food, and Belvedere.
Trillon Dollar Campaign (for a cause)
In honor of my soon-to-be internship agency, I decided I'd post the creative campaign generation for their campaign that earned them a Gran Prix at the Cannes awards last year. TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS created a campaign to increase awareness about their absurdly inflated currency. Their client was the Zimbabewean newspaper, and their campaign served as a protest against Zimbabwe's president, Mugabe, and his negative impact against the economy.
Hold On To The Night, There Will Be No Shame
Gamers and non-gamers alike: Make it a priority to play Adult Swim Games' Robot Unicorn Attack. Unfortunately, it's quite difficult to describe exactly why I'm imposing this experience onto everyone, but after almost a whole semester of playing this game, I will try my best to capture the essence of this hit side-scroller.
It is astounding how much time you can dedicate to an admittedly simple game that only requires the use of two buttons (Z to jump and X to dash). You begin the game with three wishes (a fanciful word for "lives") and the object of the game is simply to rack up as many points as you can. Your unicorn will run to the right automatically, and your job is to jump from platform to platform and dash through glass stars as your speed gradually increases. If you hit an obstacle you explode and are presented with the decapitated head of your robot unicorn, crying a single, glistening tear drop.
Escapist Magazine's review of the game accurately describes it as "...pretty much the gayest thing ever" (this was, by the way, a good review). If you couldn't tell from the name or the title screenshot pictured above, you will be treated to a magical game filled with fairies, sparkles, rainbows, and the like. It's almost embarrassing how addictive this game is. Your remaining masculinity is basically only preserved by the explosion that results from your death, and some humorous quips that appear as a result.
Without a doubt, my favorite aspect of the game is its perfect soundtrack. Basically, the song "Always" by Erasure is being looped repeatedly, and this undoubtedly lame song somehow only gets funnier each time it loops. I honestly couldn't think of a better fit for a game such as this.
It's quite difficult to convince you to play this game by simply writing about it, but you will just need to trust me on this one, throw caution to the wind, and set some time in your schedule for the majesty that is Robot Unicorn Attack.
Bueller... Bueller... Bueller... Bueller...
My life this week has been time-warped... My sorority's philanthropy event, benefitting diabetes research and education, Alpha Gam Lip Jam is 'Legends of the 80's' themed. As the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, I had to do my research. I have been listening to 80's music, watching 80's movies, and exploring 80's styles all week long! So in light of the decade that was TOTALLY TWISTED, I found a reel of commercials from the time. The lack of technology is apparent with animations involving video recorded toy cars and simple shapes. Music is also plays an important role. The jingles were a definite favorite. Outside of all of the technicalities, however, I believe they were still effective. One of the greatest commercials of all time, "1984", for Apple Computers is from this decade. All in all, enjoy this insight into my life and the flashback to a decade of big hair, bright colors, and great music!
Ultra 13 will be a hat-trick
At Ultra Music Festival 12 in 2010 they announced Ultra will be three days next year. Miami is going to burn out in just one weekend, it only took two days of this premiere electronic music festival to exhaust me. It's already four days later and I'm still not fully recovered. Lately I've been napping every chance I get and my thoughts constantly go back to my long weekend filled with synthesizers, bass drops, high hats, and dancing that left me in a total trance (no pun intended). I recommend Ultra for anyone that loves music and the challenge of making it through two days of constant walking, standing, sitting, and dancing. If you're actually into electronic music on the other hand you NEED to experience Ultra. I saw more artists than I can name off the top of my head and missed out on hearing even more because of competing playing times and my personal stage choices. My favorites from the weekend were Fake Blood, Boys Noize, Adam Freeland, A-Trak, Alex Metric, Benga, and Ghostland Observatory. There is no doubt in my mind as to where I'm spending my 21st birthday next year; Ultra 13.
Pollen.
Despite popular belief, the little green monster is not "envy," actually, the little green monster is POLLEN! Many people are allergic to pollen, for me, it goes past a stuffy nose and sneezing, I cannot breath when the pollen invades Tallahassee. Freshman year it got so bad I had to be shot up with steroids and put on six different medications. Last night, though it wasn't as bad as freshman year, I woke up at 1:00am and I couldn't breath. I ended up having to drive to my friends house at 3:30am to borrow her inhaler. It was pretty scary. This morning I went to Thagard and dealt with their incompetent triage nurse who was not listening to a word I said, so I wasn't able to see a doctor until 11:00. Now I have spent $75 on medication, and I am constantly shaking from all of it, but at least I can breath, right?
Thats Gotta Hurt
Saw this billboard advertisement and thought it was very interesting. The company took the normally very boring 2 dimensional billboard and turned it into something that is 3 dimensional. On top of making the actual muffins in the pan 3-D, I like how to emphasize the fact that their muffins are big, they used the situation of one falling on a car and crushing it. This advertisement not only uses the billboard space but they also make use of the space below. I think stepping away from the boring 2 dimensional billboard is the way to go. Billboards have turned from eye catching advertisements to eye-sores and just simple mile markers on the interstate. The billboards I pass on my way home on I-10 are just simply ways for me tell how far I am, instead of getting me to buy the latest product that that certain company is selling or promoting. Billboards have lost their flare and their ability to grab the attention of the passer-bys. With more billboards like the one in the picture, you can't help but to look and it. That is the whole purpose of having billboard advertisements to begin with, to catch your eye and make you think about the product. Maybe companies should use this billboard as an example and build their ideas around this concept of the billboard. If more billboards were like this, then they wold definitely catch my eye and maybe even do a double take, all while driving my car and attempting not to crash.
Waiting for Summer
While driving to yet another group meeting yesterday afternoon, I spotted a advertisement that really caught my eye. Maybe it's because I am so ready for summer to start and be able to enjoy the occasional Corona myself. With all the alcohol import trucks around Tallahassee, I believe that it is hard to break through the clutter. In my opinion, Corona did a great job making me thirst for the beach and a nice six pack of Coronas. As soon as I saw this ad, I was thirsting for summer break to begin, but then, I realized what a great topic this was to talk about in our blog today. I snapped a quick shot on my iPhone 3gs (not the best camera), but take a look at the picture and let me know if it makes you crave summer, the beach, and maybe a Corona beer to go with it.
5 Annoying Things Guys Do on Facebook
1. They Hide Their Relationship Status
The beauty of Facebook is that we can instantly find out if a guy is available or off-limits. No 30-minute talk in a bar, trying to suss out if he has a girlfriend waiting for him at home. But if that info is kept a secret, we're forced to look through and analyze his photos and wall posts to figure it out — which makes us feel like stalkers. Guys: If you're single, do us both a favor and make that info public knowledge. And if you're part of a twosome, own up to it. Especially when we're one of the two.
2. They Block Their Photos
We can understand a guy wanting to keep certain people from viewing his pictures. But seeing as how we're not his mom, boss, or pastor, it bugs us when we can't see a dude's photos. Here's the thing: We always imagine the worst. So when we're kept in the dark and can't click through a guy's albums, we imagine he's blowing lines, hooking up with two girls at once, or running around naked at a party. Unfair, but true. He's not saving his reputation by blocking his photos. In fact, not being able to click on them makes us think a little less of him.
3. They Ask Us Out…in Front of All Our Friends
Next time a guy gets tempted to leave us a wall post that reads, "Let me know if you want to hang out sometime," he should imagine standing up in front of a room full of our family, friends, ex-boyfriends, and coworkers and then asking us out. Because that's essentially what he's doing. We don't want all 889 of our friends to be a part of the courting. Oh and P.S., we'd appreciate a little more effort. You know, maybe an old-fashioned e-mail or text like we see in those historic romantic comedies.
4. They Detag Themselves in Our Photos
This is the online equivalent of a guy pretending he's just asking for directions when his friends catch him talking to us. There is something strangely offensive about scrolling through your recently uploaded albums and discovering that a guy you tagged has detagged himself. If a photo of the BBQ he ate last Saturday is profile-worthy, we can't help but wonder why the nice shots with us get shunned.
5. They Let Their Stupidity Show
What is it about Facebook that makes even cool, down-to-earth guys post quotes like "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog," write status updates that read, "Matt is giving out free mammograms," and upload shirtless photos of themselves with wannabe-model gazes that they obviously took in the bathroom mirror? Maybe they think it's funny or impressive, but the behavior only makes us roll our eyes.
ohhh how i love Cosmo!
Quirky: Social Product Development
I found this service last year, but I thought I'd share it with everyone, because it's a really great example of non-traditional marketing. Quirky defines itself as Social Product Development, meaning that the source of their product ideas, design blueprints, product name, and other features are... you.
COPYCAT INSURANCE COMMERCIALS
After Advertsing Research last semester, and studying State Farm until my eyeballs rolled in the back of my head, I pay more attention to insurance commercials. The auto insurance industry really is quite competitive! You got your Geico, your State Farm, your Allstate, your Nationwide, your Progressive, even that creepy General...
Each brand has it's own spokesperson. Geico has the gecko, cavemen, AND the money-with-eyeballs...Allstate has that Dennis Haysbert guy from Love and Basketball (whom I do not trust because he always plays the cheatin' ass ladies man in movies!)... Progressive has the funny redhead. And now Nationwide has just this weird, funny verging on corny...uh...guy.
Both the Progressive lady and the Nationwide guy use the same style of humor, and I'll go as far as to say that Nationwide straight up COPIED Progressive! They could've been just a tad bit more creative and unique, but they basically ripped off Progressive's red head lady. That's just my opinion but I'll let you be the judge:
Is Nationwide a big, fat, ugly, COPYCAT?
Passover
In case some of you don't know, Passover started on the evening of March 29. I thought it would be a good idea to let everyone know about this wonderful holiday that Jewish people celebrate each year. I found this article " Don't be ignorant! learn more about the jewish holiday of Passover" by Eric Gillin that asks basic questions that might be the same questions you might be wondering.
If you have anymore questions please feel free to ask me, I don't mind at all!
Jews around the world will start celebrating Passover with a festive meal called a seder. But of all the Jewish holidays, perhaps none of them are as misunderstood and demanding as Passover.
For eight days, Jews are asked to refrain from eating leavened foods made from a wide variety of grains, which for strict adherents means they can eat absolutely nothing that has been prepared in the usual fashion. But while annoying, such dietary restrictions are maintained in order for Jews to feel a closeness with a distant past that's not so far away from the present day.
BT: So, what's Passover all about?
SK: Passover is a holiday the Jews celebrate which observes the historical moment of the leaving from slavery in Egypt and the first steps towards liberation and freedom. But it's both a historical holiday and the celebration of the agricultural time of year. We celebrate the rebirth of spring and the beginning of new life.
BT: What are some of the more notable characteristics of the holiday?
SK: Passover, or Pesach as it's called in Hebrew, might be familiar to some people who are familiar with the word paschal lamb. The word paschal actually comes from the Hebrew word for Passover. So it lasts eight days for many Jews, although some Jews celebrate it as a seven-day holiday. And it begins on Monday night and lasts until next Tuesday night.
The holiday, of all of its notable features, is very focused on observance, to begin with. The first two nights we have a family seder, which is a liturgy and ritual that takes place around a table. A seder also includes the evening meal, but before the meal you have the ritual and then the meal is served and then it's followed by more liturgy. And, some people go all night until the early hours of the morning and others do a more abbreviated version.
And the seder, of course, is also well known to Christians because it was the Last Supper of Jesus Christ. He ate his meal on the Thursday night before Good Friday.
BT: As you've pointed out, there are many similarities between Jewish holidays and those in the Catholic faith. What other examples can you cite?
SK: First of all, central to all Jewish holidays and certainly Passover is a good example of this, is the consecration of the wine and the important presence that ritual wine serves in all of our ceremonies. In the Passover seder, we have four ritual cups of wine that are blessed and drunk over the course of the meal. And bread, of course, is also central.
Passover and the breaking of bread is very important. And at Passover we don't eat bread. We don't eat anything with leavening in it or come in contact with flour. So we eat matzoh, which is what Passover is probably most famous for, which is the flattened crisp matzoh. This is because when the Israelites were leaving Egypt, they didn't have time to let the flour rise, and so they had to take the dough as it was, without given it time to leaven.
So in memory of that rush they were feeling, the experience of terror as the Egyptians were coming and fear and exhilaration of that possibility, we don't eat any bread or leavened products during the entire eight days.
BT: It's understandable that Jews don't eat bread to commemorate the freedom from slavery, but if this is also a holiday to celebrate springtime or harvests, why are there so many things we really can't eat?
SK: Part of it is that a lot of different things can be leavened. That includes all of the different grains out there. Those can be leavened. And then, in Europe, there was this concern that Jews would take what we know as legumes and grind them up and make flour and then by mistake make bread, so to speak. Beans or rice, are examples of what we can't eat. Eastern European people can't eat those products out of fear that they would get mixed up and it would be flour.
BT: What about corn syrup? That pretty much eliminates every food on Earth.
SK: Corn would be on the list of foods you can't eat for the same reason, although many people now do eat corn. There are a wide variety of observances. So many people actually do now do corn and corn products.
BT: What is the most damaging misconception that people have about Passover?
SK: Probably the most damaging one in history of course, was the medieval period when there was the blood libel. People were accusing Jews of killing Christian children and using their blood to make the matzoh.
How YouTube Made Julian Smith Famous
I love the fact that, in todays world, anyone can create their own fame through the use of an oh-so-user-friendly tool called YouTube. Take Julian Smith for example, a striving feature film director Julian is currently getting pretty decent traffic to his YouTube channel by posting several entries of his video blog on the website. Add that to his some five thousand twitter followers and BAM! Every time he posts a new video five thousand people and their friends know about it, potentially. On top of that is videos are hilarious, take "Malk" for example:
Poking fun at AT&T
Although Iphone 4G is yet to be released (but is rumored to be released in the next couple of months) is wasting no time in positioning themselves as the fastest network by mocking AT&T.
Apple iPad Drops On Saturday.
Apple's new and highly anticipated iPad is on schedule to drop on April 5th; just under a week from today. Ironically, however, the sales associates have yet to see it (and yet they are supposed to sell it) and it has been sold out since last Friday when the Demand and Supply curves crossed (http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/03/27/apple-has-run-out-of-ipads/) for opening day sales. If you're looking to walk into an Apple Store this weekend without a reserved one, your best bet at getting one will more than likely come after 3pm.
Now this is huge for college students like ourselves. The iPad, similarly to Amazon's Kindle, is a reading device that can also be used for a lot of other cool stuff...i.e. browsing the net, annotations, pictures, games, notes, time management, TEXTBOOK READING, video watching, and youtubing.
The fact that the iPad can be used for textbooks makes it a huge development for several reasons. Firstly, carrying around 20 pound textbooks is no longer a necessity, you can carry around 5 or 50, 20 pound textbooks in one 1.5 pound device. Secondly, digital textbooks are cheaper! A simple comparison - I paid $180.00 for my Accounting textbook, the same textbook is available as a digital copy for $80, a more than 50% discount - the problem I saw in a digital copy is that I would be resigned to having it on my laptop through a third party. HOWEVER, on the iPad, one will be able to read it right on the device, flip pages, and annotate the book (no erasing required). Definitely worth a look.
The iPad comes in a Wi-Fi and 3G or just a Wi-Fi format, and in 16, 32, or 64 GB capacities (all Solid State, meaning no moving parts, so it won't break anymore than your iPhone will if you shake it). It also comes with an optional keyboard dock which allows for charging and typing (the normal keyboard is a digital touchscreen).
Did you know?
This is a video I stumbled upon a little while ago and remembered how great it was. It is a video full of facts that will surprise you. Some of these are downright ridiculous. ENJOY!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wha wha wine
Every Wednesday starting at 3:30 in UCB, there is a wine tasting class, HTF3806, and a very awesome ADV 3001 creative strategy 1 class that are right next to eachother. As very studious and busy advertising students studying away and learn everything there is to know about the advertising/ communications world, the wine class next door to us is casually drinking wine and dinning on wonderful food prepared especially for them. After several classes deep into the semester, and this supposedly happens every year, the wine and dine class complains about the advertising class next door being too loud for them to "learn". I am just wondering, what could we possibly be doing that is distracting the hospitality students whom are drinking wine an entire class period?......Really? Honestly, what do they have to learn about wine that is sooooo important that they need us to be completely silent for. "Oh, well this bread goes great with this white wine".....Seriously? I think they can handle a little noise as they are enjoying their wine, while we, advertising students are slaving away with our work till 6 P.M. Just saying
Cool (I)kea
I guess that I am sort of late with the Ikea stuff, but this weekend I had a chance to check it out. Most of their stuff is really affordable and really nice as well. I liked this commercial a lot because I like how I was initially confused by what they were talking about, which made me become more interested until the end. I like how modern this commercial is as well. Ikea could have definitely placed a woman alone, but nowadays men are also helping out in the kitchen and I liked how they played up to this standard. Plus it just would have been weird to have the woman talking to her self. Here is the link to the commercial since, the embed feature is acting funky:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkSsOPC4ATk
Breaking Through the Clutter
Okay girls, we've all seen (and for the most part ignored) countless tampon ads all trying to tell us their product will make our period so much better, some even going as far as to say they make the experience enjoyable. FINALLY, there's a company out there that's taking a different approach. Kotex's new product, U by Kotex, is breaking through the clutter and saying what we've all already known. Tampon ads are ridiculous. Their new commercial, which takes a very down-to-earth approach, uses humor to mock all the obnoxious tampon commercials out there that show clips of happy girls (always wearing white) twirling and doing cartwheels, seemingly thrilled to be on their periods. We've seen so many of these that we don't even realize anymore that that is not at all how the experience is. U by Kotex is a "reality check" that makes the brand seem more in-touch with real women and like a product we can trust. Not only are they trying to be funny and get us to notice their ads, they are trying to get girls to challenge the norm and feel more comfortable talking about their periodxs, creating more awareness of the importance of taking care of yourself in that area. I think the whole campaign is brilliant and has a really great message behind it. Check out their website to see more about it: http://www.ubykotex.com/
Awkward Family Photos
a little queasy
Have a break? from Greenpeace UK on Vimeo.
Creative Ideas
We were all advised to compile our favorite ads, to categorize them and understand what makes them so great. After seeing somebody else's favorite ads, I feel much more inspired to actually do it. That's because after looking at all this guy's favorite creative ads, I felt a little more inspired myself. If you need some creative ideas for your Vanity campaign, or just want to see some more cool ads, these are some great ideas. A lot of them are outdoor or guerrilla marketing ideas, and I love that interactivity.
You can find more awesome outdoor ads here and here and here.
have a student loan?
Not trying to start a debate about health care reform, but did you know student loans are a part of the "fixes" being made to health care? I think it's important since there has to be some of us with student loans right now. From now on our student loans won't be given to us through banks, etc. They will be disbursed through the federal government instead. There's pros and cons to each side. Here's the link to a pretty informative video. What are your thoughts?
Google Mania
In just this past week alone, I have learned about two new product launches by the one and only, Google. Apparently their team has been working intensively for the past couple years trying to crank out all sorts of new stuff for the tech savvy generation. Google Wave and Google Chrome are two concepts that I have caught onto this week. I found out about both of them through friends, which is ironic because it doesn't seem to be that Google is doing anything intense to create a viral campaign- it just appears to be happening for them. This is marketing at it's finest.
For everyone who doesn't know, Google Wave is an online software application, described as a "personal communication and collaboration tool." Basically, what this means is this one application combines every application we currently use. It's a combination of email, instant messaging, wikis, and social networking. It supports communication with text, maps, videos, images, and more. It's good for group projects because you can "go live" with your group members and instantly edit and share documents without having to email back and forth. It can also be used for photo sharing, organizing events, meeting agendas, brainstorming, and gaming. It's WAY cool and I highly encourage everyone to use it for their projects!
Google Chrome, on the other hand, is a Web browser. It has only been out since December of 2008 and as of February 2010, it was the 3rd most widely used internet browser. People LOVE it. It works in record speed and doesn't seem to have the common crashes that Mozilla Firefox often does. The layout is unique and it remembers my actions in order to make navigation faster and easier for me. A lot of the navigation reminds me of a Mac which also, in turn, makes it extremely user friendly. It's fun and a nice change from the same old, boring browsers.
It's always good to be knowledgeable about the latest product launches. If you have a free second, try them both out!
http://www.google.com/chrome/?utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-bk-gen&utm_medium=ha
http://wave.google.com/help/wave/closed.html
Pedigree Adoption Drive
Today I was on Facebook and saw some of my friends become fans of the Pedigree Adoption Drive. I thought it was one of those rent a puppy things again but decided to click it anyways. It turns out that its this promotion thing Carrie Underwood is doing with Pedigree to get dog food to animal shelters. Every time someone becomes a fan of the site, they donate a bowl of dog food to a shelter. They have donated over 770,000 bowls already. I think this is a great use of social media and I think everyone should become a fan!!
Yay logos!
Funny State Laws
So here is a lovely website I stumbled upon.
The website lists very silly laws that at one point or another were held in their respected state.
I will dabble into a few of the states to get you excited to read the rest of the site.
Florida (Of Course I Choose Florida...We're In Florida!)
* If an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, the parking fee has to be paid just as it would for a vehicle.
* In Miami, it is illegal for a man to wear any kind of strapless gown.
* Unmarried women who parachute on Sundays may be jailed.
* When having sex, only the missionary position is legal.
* In Sarasota, it is illegal to sing while wearing a bathing suit.
New Jersey (Anyone who knows me knows NJ would be my next state of choice)
* Spray paint may not be sold without a posted sign warning juveniles of the penalty for creating graffiti.
* It is illegal to wear a bullet-proof vest while committing a murder.
* It is against the law for a man to knit during the fishing season.
Now For A Few Other Random States...
Texas
* It is illegal to take more than three sips of beer at a time while standing.
* It is illegal to drive without windshield wipers. You don't need a windshield, but you must have the wipers.
* It is illegal for one to shoot a buffalo from the second story of a hotel.
* It is illegal to milk another person's cow.
* A recently passed anticrime law requires criminals to give their victims 24 hours notice, either orally or in writing, and to explain the nature of the crime to be committed.
* The entire Encyclopedia Britannica is banned in Texas because it contains a formula for making beer at home.
Ohio
* It is illegal to fish for whales on Sunday.
* It is illegal to get a fish drunk.
New Mexico
* It's forbidden for a female to appear unshaven in public.
* Hunting is prohibited in Mountain View Cemetery.
Haha. Did you laugh out loud? I know I did! Here is the link if you would like the check out some more silly laws that have been instated at some point in time in the US.
Monday, March 29, 2010
History of Marketing
I received this link in an e-mail, and found it to be really interesting. By clicking on each segment of time, history on marketing is provided. I'm not a history fan, but this article is brief AND has images of the advertisements and video clips from each decade. Take a look!
From the Great Depression Through the Great Recession: A Brief History of Marketing
A Look at 80 Highlights From Ad Age's First 80 Years, Compiled From Our Archives, Ad Age's Encyclopedia of Advertising and Additional Research
The Production
Hey guys! So, for those of you who don't know, I'm a part of a student organization called Level Dance Company. It is a dance team made up of about 20 girls, and we do everything from pointe to hip hop. I have been dancing since I was in diapers, and when I left my hometown dance studio, Level was a way for me to keep up with the thing I've loved since childhood. This weekend, we have our end of the year show. We have been learning dances for the show since November, and these past 3 weeks have been crunch time and we've been rehearsing every single day (people in my media planning and creative strategy groups can attest to that)! With all this hard work I'm putting in, I'd love it if you guys would come out and support Level Dance Company in our spring showcase, entitled The Production. The show is on Saturday, April 3rd, and it starts at 7:30pm. There are around 24 pieces and I am in 10 of them. The Production will be held in Opperman Theater (in the music school). Hope to see you there!
P.S-The show is free for everyone, so that should be even more incentive to stop by!
The Best of Youtube
This morning, I logged into my Twitter account (follow me!) and saw that TIME had posted a list of Youtube's top 50 videos in honor of the site's upcoming 5th birthday. I was surprised at how many I had actually seen and enjoyed myself, like #1 "Charlie Bit My Finger," which has an incredible 173 MILLION views, #9 "Dramatic Chipmunk," and #50, "Trapped in an Elevator." And if you haven't been Rickrolled by now, it's about time! There were a few videos on the list that were new to me, like #35 "Daft Hands" (a little slow, but it gets kind of crazy!) and #17, "Otters Holding Hands" (self explanatory, but really cute). What about you guys...were there any surprises on this list? It's incredible to me that something as hugely popular as Youtube has really only been around for five years.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Dave
Shhh
Don't tell Sally Page, Alex, or Kellie but I am blogging while I am at a group meeting for media planning. Anyway my boyfriend was showing me some de-motivational posters and there were quite a lot that were extremely sexist. Like go make me a sandwich style. I was able to laugh it off because I knew he wasn't being serious but then thought...those nerdy little guys making those might be. And because I am an ad major I looked some old 1950s US ads and this is what I found.
Funny how we think that we the ad is totally offensice but most of the ladies can laugh off a fake demotivational poster such as the first picture.
The truth is, I am not gonna make you a sandwich. And although I may laugh at these awful displays of sexism, I do not agree. I am pretty sure not one of the women in our creative class will either. 
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Creative Billboards
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Prom King and Queen of St. Pattys Day
Thank you to all of you guys that came to class on St. Pattys day and for participating in our kickstart. I hope you all had fun and enjoyed the different activities. I wanted to post some of the pictures you all took with your dates! 
and prom king and queen were....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_TZfpEvzrQ
THIS MUST END
Friends, family, colleagues, and general readers: It is with a heavy heart that I write this week's blog post, as I must reveal to you a great injustice that has been taking place in our own backyards for decades. Perhaps even centuries. Now, this problem has probably gone unnoticed by most of you, but fortunately, I'm here to lay a few Eggs of Truth into your Skillets of Justice, so that together we can cook up an Omelet of Correctitude.
There was a time when humans and camels lived together in harmony, and the majestic animal would roam our streets without fear or humiliation. This was, of course, before the Great Exploitation. People began to find it convenient to simply hop a ride atop one of the wandering quadrupeds to travel to their destinations when they simply couldn't afford a cab or didn't have change for bus fare. Granted, these people felt some guilt at these "free-rides", so they paid the camels with the only kind of compensation they could offer: cigarettes. This soon became a customary form of payment. This system worked well for a while; the camels did not mind giving rides, having nothing better to do, and they enjoyed the smooth taste, relaxing nature, and the inherent cool-factor that cigarettes provided. Then, as with all things, a big tobacco company executive saw his chance to turn a profit. Camel cigarettes, and their mascot, Camel Joe, were born.
Everything went downhill from there. Smoking camels (which was basically every camel at this point) everywhere lost their identity, as every one of them became known only as "Joe, the camel from the cigarette box", and were required to wear sunglasses and a leather jacket, even on the hottest of days. Sure, they could have quit smoking and lost the image, but the nicotine levels within their bodies had gone through the roof, which made it nearly impossible to quit. Besides, by the time they could have had done this, it would have been too late.
Naturally, a group of Midwestern soccer moms had a few choice words about the state of things. They felt that it was irresponsible to have these smoking camels roaming the streets in plain view of impressionable children. Parents of smokers claimed that their children had picked up the dirty habit from riding camels to school and to friends' houses. They demanded that the government take action. These demands, sadly, were granted quickly and quietly.
Almost overnight, nearly every camel was picked up off of the streets and shipped to various deserts around the world. They were all separated from their families, and due to extreme withdrawal, they all developed a large, agonizingly painful abscess on their backs, which we now know as "humps". This, of course, did not stop any of the ridicule that they had garnered from cigarettes. Fortunately, they had no problem dealing with the heat, due to being forced to wear the jackets in the past. Aside from this, many of the camels developed a condition known as "Sand Madness", which caused delusions of having special abilities, such as flight (as shown in the photo above).
People! We need to stop spreading lies about camels! Their humps are not filled with life-sustaining water, but with the pain of several years of mistreatment, along with several gallons of burning pus. We must educate those around us, and hopefully, gain attention from the government, and tell them that we won't stand for this injustice anymore. We can NOT rest until every camel has returned to their home with their families and easy access to rehab, free to roam the streets, like in the days of old. Join me, brothers and sisters, and fight the good fight on the Camel Liberation Front!
Music is my play doh
I can't create my own music, I don't have the patience or imagination, but love to take other's music and add/take away as I see fit. It's amazing how malleable radio song structures are, I could pick any two acapellas/instrumentals you'd here on the radio, put them together with a little change of speed/pitch and have something that sounds like it was meant to go together. In fact you wouldn't be able to tell it wasn't the original if it wasn't for the fact that you hear it all the time on the radio. More independent music is a lot harder to smash together without having an accident on your hands. It takes thought and a lot of editing, but it always turns out more rewarding. Either way it isn't too hard to combine songs into one if you have a good ear and a little imagination. Here's a mashup of the Beastie Boys and Boys Noize I made, I would call it Beastie Noize or Noize Boys if those didn't both sound so tool-esque, but either way it works. Check it out...
Color Me Curious - Intergalactic Nerve by colormecurious
what do I blog about?
My life IS the Jersey Shore. Now Proven True.
So , everyone and their mother seems to be obsessed with the MTV phenomenon Jersey Shore. Being that I am from New Jersey (born and raised and proud) and go to school in Florida, I am always asked by everyone, "Lys, is that what your high school was like?!?!"
Ok, now it's a bit embarrassing, but yes, I did go to high school with kids like this. How am I going to prove this to you? Well, Here is the brand new show that is going to be airing soon on the Style Network. This show is called Jerseylicious. Sounds awesome, right? Not.
Jerseylicious is all about what it is like to work in a hair salon in New Jersey. Cause everyone knows, in Jersey we do BIG hair. No, for real, I have actually had people tell me that my hair isn't big enough to be from New Jersey. Crazy, I know!t
Here is a link for you to learn a bit more about the show...
http://www.tv.com/jerseylicious/show/78210/summary.html
The main character, Olivia, went to my high school. She was the year above me (she graduated in 2007).
So, Now I can say it. Hello, my name is Ilyssa and I went to school with people exactly like Jersey Shore.
"Off the Wall" Branded Entertainment
As I have mentioned in previous posts, branded entertainment is a huge opportunity for brands to tap into the strong emotional ties that their consumers have for their favorite musician or sports league. Our campus got a little taste of Vans branded entertainment yesterday evening on Park Ave. Upcoming artist Kelley James is on a sponsored Sorority/Fraternity Tour. Who are the sponsors? Oakleys, Muscle Milk, Vans, and Crunk Energy Drinks. All of these are very appropriate brands for the college age target audience. What better way to create the 'warm fuzzies' for your brand than to put on a concert in the street for the campus GreekLife featuring a new sexy artist? While at the concert, Vans gave away free t-shirts, hats, folders, and stickers for those who attended, and they had their huge tour bus for everyone to see. With Kelley James giving shout-outs to the brand for sponsoring the event and to the Greek organizations who worked together to host the event, everyone there was having a great time while Vans brand name was in their face.
Dang, I Wish I Thought Of That...
So I am currently a MAIP (Multicultural Advertising Intern Program) semi-finalist and for our application we had to come up with a print ad campaign for Dentyne Sugarless Gum. I remember struggling to find a great, sexy, clever idea. Then I saw this commercial:
This American Life
If any of you are searching for a fun elective in the Fall, take Nonverbal Communication. I find the information relevant and interesting and I learn something new every class. Here is a little sneak peek into what a regular class day might be like.
The teacher talks... "...blah blah blah..., Now here is a clip I want everyone to listen to. Pin Point the voice cues you hear...
(she opens up a radio clip. "This American Life:Fiasco!".
We listened to the clip and then we talked about it. Class Activity: Check!
What was so interesting about "This American Life" was they made listening to stories interesting and funny. Radio always seems dull and I never listen to it because I am a visual learner, but the way the two narrators told the story left me wanting to hear me. I am a fan of This American Life and I was impressed how they used their voices, music, and co-moderation to grasp the attention of any listener. I hope you will listen to it. The Fiasco was hilarious and my teacher said it was one of group's favorites. The class exercise will help me in the future when I am creating radio advertisements.
Here are some links to get you listening:
This American Life
Fiasco!
Rising Above
We're sick and tired of hearing about how competitive Advertising is. It all starts when you're applying for the major: only 30-something students get in. Now that we're all in, we take a huge sigh of relief. But this is just the beginning. The competition then transforms into not only something you get, but how well you do. I don't know about you guys, but when I heard about all the awesome Whipple's and Kickstarts that the older students have done, I was intimidated. Am I going to be able to reach that level? Why did they have to be so awesome? And it applies to the real world too. When I watch certain commercials or see different guerilla advertisements, I am awed by people's creativity and talent. I hope to one day look back at my life and career an consider myself a great advertising professional, but it's hard when you try to compete with others. Everyone lives in a different moment under different circumstances, you should compete against yourself- as cliche as that sounds. I used to freak out about Ad Team - what if we don't win Districts like all the past years? What if all our hard work and endless hours just isn't good enough? Why did they have to raise the bar so high last year? The truth is, it isn't about them. Both campaigns are different, both teams are different, and I think they are both unique and amazing in their own ways. So keep pushing yourself higher and higher, and if you turn out to be better, it's probably because you have learned from the best.
This commercial is one of my favorite ads and give me chills every time I see it, and it talks about exactly that.
Iphone + Kid's Book
This book is a hybrid which combines the Iphone and an ordinary book. It's is a hybrid which invites interactive actions by touching the screen or tipping the book as you read it. Although iPhone has increasing number of users in the world ranging from teen to adults, it’s generally used by business person for his/her own sake. The “Phone Book” project has started by challenging to make it into the communication tool between parent and child. This application helps to target a more wide ranged target of men or women with children, and further proves that iphones are not for limited targets, but rather attracts almost every target.
My Love Affair with Technology
Me and technology go way back.
Product placement courtesy of Lady Gaga
In the famous words of the Saw movies...Would you like to play a game? Can you spot all the product placements in the Lady Gaga "Telephone" video? I'll give you 10 minutes to watch it and count them up. If you answered 6, then you are correct. Throughout the 9 minute and 30 second music video, brands like Virgin Mobile, Diet Coke, plentyoffish.com, Honey Buns, Miracle Whip, and Wonder Bread all popped up in random but sometimes obvious places. The most inconspicuous one though, would be the cans of Diet Coke rolled up in Lady Gaga's hair, like hair rollers. In an article on Adage.com, it says that Miracle Whip has done nothing but benefitted from the extra exposure in the video. Miracle Whip for the past couple of years has been looking and experimenting with different ways to re-brand themselves and make what seems to us as a boring condiment, into a necessity for any food. Miracle whip has been looking to focus their target to the younger 18-35 year old audience by coming up with new packaging and developing a new "snappier" identity. Whether done on purpose by Miracle Whip executives or just through the unpredictable crazy mind of Lady Gaga, I feel like Miracle Whip couldn't have asked for better advertisements. With over 5.5 million youtube views by mostly teens and young adults, it hits Miracle Whip's target audience dead on. So with that said, I think that Miracle Whip should write Lady Gaga a thank you note or send her a lifetime supple of free mayonnaise for the advertising that she is doing for their company. Next Lady Gaga video that comes out, who knows it might have more product placements, so keep on the lookout for them!
Tabletop Technology...WOW.
I'm sure you've all heard of the insanely innovative emerging technology over the past couple of years. First it was the ipod, then smartphones, and now this; the tabletop that is sure to keep guests coming back to your home over and over. If you have not seen this video, I suggest you do. This information was actually released about 3-4 years ago, meaning that this should be hitting the market soon. This revolutionizes the way we obtain information and go about our daily activities. It's incredible to see how drastically the world has changed since 50 years ago. What most of our parents probably believed to be impossible is now apart of our daily routines. We are so consumed by the new technology that we almost forget what our lives would be without phones and the internet.
Now the real question here is, who will release this first? Microsoft or Apple?
Artsy Fartsy
Every once in a while, there's nothing better than sitting down and doing an art project. I don't normally like to make full size paintings or anything because that usually just gets frustrating, but I love a little arts and crafts, do-it-yourself creativity! Luckily, one of my best friends feels the same way. She called me yesterday to hang out, and asked if I'd be down for making friendship bracelets or something. Of course I was excited. Don't get me wrong, I don't do this with all my friends. She doesn't do it with 
all her friends. We just know we can go to each other and not be made fun of for wanting to do little kid projects or whatever kind of art we're in the mood for. However, it was surprisingly easy to decline AJ's invites last night, although nobody really understood why I thought "craft night" was so much more fun.
So we made it over to Michael's and ended up settling on a bunch of bright strings, a coloring book, and a tye-dye kit. When we made it home, my friend went straight to work picking out a color palette and found an easy template for making a bracelet. I picked through my closet for all the white things I don't n
ormally wear that could be improved with a tye dye job. I settled on two shirts, a pair of socks, and a sports bra. Unfortunately, we have to wait 24 hours before I can unwrap the clothes to see my beautiful designs, so I can't post a finished picture. But they look really cool even now, twisted up in rubber bands and soaking in multicolored dye.
If any of you all are into the DIY, arts and crafts projects, and even some creative ways to cook, instructables.com and craftster.org are really good websites to browse. I could click through these for ages, and have already found plenty of summer projects to get my hands on...only six more weeks of school!
Law Obliges Chains to Report Calorie Data
Nationwide in 2011, chain restaurants will be obligated to provide health information on their menus. What does this mean? Restaurants with 20 or more outlets will be required by law to provide calorie data on all menu items (based on a 2,000-calorie daily guideline).
