What Should I do? -LeBron James Nike Commercial

If you wish to see LeBron James ask you what he should do for the 450th time, click on the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdtejCR413c

And thus fell the Roman Empire. With a Nike logo on it.

This is obviously a Nike commercial. I don't think anyone could miss that from seeing LeBron James and noticing the various Nike symbols located throughout the ad. The picture above shows us that Nike is somehow associated with a need to achieve. There is a man facing towards what most people would presume is heaven. And then the phrase, "We are all witnesses." Without the conveniently placed, sky-ward facing man, I would have been at a loss. A witness to what?

And to conclude....wait. Where has everyone gone?

Here is an interesting scene, though I'm not entirely sure of it's significance. LeBron is supposedly about to give a speech to the waiters and waitresses because no one else found it beneficial to come. It shows his lack of friends, fans, or sponsors. Perhaps it plays on some recent event that happened to LeBron, like a loss of the championship or something.

I'm not a role model. Just a really good actor when it come to sad faces...

We get a nice clear view of LeBron and guess what? It's in black and white! This creates a feeling of tradition or how things were in the olden times. It seems to be an appeal to tradition. Then, things start getting funky. LeBron goes from a serious looking face to this:

MMMM! DOUGHNUT IS GOOD!

Humor is added in this scene. Not only does LeBron take a big, fat bite out of a doughnut, but he winks at you too. I almost want to add my own voice to that section, "Nom. Nom. DOUGHNUT TASTY. MMM. CREAM FILLING!" The doughnut also marks the beginning of happiness and fun, because all after that, LeBron does a variety of fun things to show a transition.

Someone is going to need Tylenol...

LeBron James: Former Basketball Player. Now: Desperado in the Wild West.

I'm a cop now, too. No messing with me...

These selections of clips and more humor to the video. Additionally, the Miami Vice show can appeal to older viewers of the commercial. It was a cop show featured on television during the 1980s about two cops in Miami. Because I haven't actually watched the show, I can't tell you much more about it, but you can check its Wikipedia article for information.

Also, the main thing you hear coming out of LeBron's mouth is "What should I do? Should I do insert action here?" Nike appears to be the solution at the end of the clip because it says:

Again, with the vague command! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Just do it. Just do what? What should I just do? And why? It leaves me with many unanswered questions, leading me to believe this is gestalt. I could compose a plethora of questions for the Nike company. Who made you the boss of me, Nike? (Hey, that rhymes!)

One final feature is the Nike symbol that appears everywhere. You are exposed to it at least three times, like on: the falling poster with the happy man, on the shoes LeBron looks at in the commercial, or this-

It's even certified! See the logo? Bow before it!

That is all for now! Thank you for reading and if you found something else interesting about the ad, please leave a comment below!

KONY 2012 Part II

Here I am again! And guess what? I'm bringing Part II of KONY 2012 to you. This section will cover 9:00 to 17:30 of the KONY 2012 video from YouTube.

"I don't like being interviewed, Daddy. Let me create a pouty face for you so you can post it on YouTube."

We return to the KONY 2012 scene a week later. Funny, but this part is chock full of emotion! Our favorite parts. The ones we get "inspiration" from. Like the picture above.

His name is Gavin and he is the narrator's (Jason Russell's) child whose birth we supposedly viewed at the beginning of the video.

Doesn't he look cute and cuddly in that photo above? His face and age makes women want to croon over him and pinch his cheeks. There is a need to nurture here. He also looks very innocent so people take an instant liking to him.

Ready the sad puppy dog eyes in three....two....one.....go.

Gavin is the perfect weapon to use, especially since the society is encouraged to treat children in a better manner than they would other humans like themselves. An example? A woman may ask a scared looking child if they need help searching for their mother but steer clear of scared looking men or women. It is the reality assumption that all children need guidance and will not be able to harm you in any significant way. Pretty smart of Jason to use his kid in the production. Just one look in those eyes and Jason's talk about Kony kidnapping people who are just like Gavin makes you want to stop those "monsters".

Screaming won't save you. But it will get more people to want to donate...

Now, not that I approve of kidnapping, but this photo is ridiculous. If someone tried to wake me up, I would hardly start screaming and yelling. It is exaggerating the actions of the LRA (Lord's Resistance army) to an extreme: See? Even the kids know from the moment the man steps through the door who the man is. This picture, doesn't it make you feel sympathy, pity, outrage? Maybe something else as well...who knows?

He needs eye drops, desperately...

Then, we are shown Joseph Kony from the worst angle possible. We zoom out from his clouded eye and it invokes a feeling of repulsion in the viewer. I thought: "Wow, he looks pretty bad."

But what if this is what the producers are trying to make you think? Why would they want you to feel repulsed? Likely answer? So you feel more attached to the cause against Kony. Simple as that.

Who did this? We don't really know, now do we?

Another card they play. Look at the guy who suffered minor mutilations to the face (sorry, wasn't fast enough to catch any of the more serious ones). The problem with Jason Russell's assigning the blame, is he blames it on Kony without showing us any hard evidence. I mean, I could claim that my bruise stretching halfway across my body is a result of being beaten by some rebels in Libya. I'd even show you the final result but how would you know if the person responsible was really a Libyan rebel? You can't. Not without live evidence that it happened. Some people are just unfortunate in their birthing or gained these scars through accidents. I'm sure that accidents cause deformations in the face or body everyday. Birth defects occur frequently as well. Who's to say that the person responsible for this man's scar is Joseph Kony?

More Facebook references..... They're everywhere...

Here are the raised hands again. Repetition, much?

As you probably know, if you have read my previous KONY 2012 posts, there has been an ongoing theme of social media and togetherness. Repetition of the same thing will catch more people's attention and fixate a certain something in their minds. In this case, Jason's trying to encourage the use of Facebook and uniting as a group to stop Kony. He has encouraged it during the entire film, from short clips to longer monologues. Additionally, he uses Testimonial heavily throughout this section.

Hello.....I'm over here! Not where you are staring, friend.

I have absolutely no idea who this guy is nor do I really care. But you hear him talk about Kony (or what you think is Kony), and just add in a floating name and association he participates in. Done. His credibility is established with the viewer. On to the next clip!

Oh, on a final note....Look at this picture:

Either this is photoshopped or Kony has a big family. Who are these girls?

When I first saw this, I thought immediately: fake. I don't know why, but it seems the light doesn't hit the girls right and the background looks entirely out of place. Perhaps it was photoshopped...perhaps not....

But anyways, despite that picture, Part III will be coming out soon! Please vote in the poll, comment, or just enjoy yourself. Thank you and may you have a nice day.



Kony 2012 Video Analysis Part I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc
I am only putting the link here because I assume most of you have seen the KONY 2012 video or at least heard of it, but at the same time, some of you may want to view it again. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you do and form your own opinion on the KONY 2012 "issue". Also, it is good to do your own research and pay attention to recent news articles as some questionable events involving the narrator, Jason Russell, have been publicized. Like his public nudity in San Diego...

We commence.

In just 2-5 minutes, don't you feel more connected to the world? The magic of advertising says all... 


Upon starting the film, the mood is very calm with a piano playing in the background. Then, you hear Jason Russell's voice saying: "Right now there are more people on Facebook than there were on the planet two hundred years ago." Immediately, when many of us hear the term Facebook, we think of our posts we put up on our walls or what your best friend shared. This speaks to the need for affiliation that we have within ourselves.

We then meet Jacob, a child from Uganda. He is one of the children who have escaped the rebel groups in the country allegedly kidnapping children.

He looks either really stressed out or like a thug in this picture. I blame my bad timing.

This guy will cause you to feel sadness and guilt. If you're of the white racial group, you will feel what is called the White Man's Burden. He is the person who needs to be nurtured, therefore you'll want to help him when you see him crying late in the video. When he talks about his brother (who was supposedly taken into the rebel army), he breaks down into tears. A few moments later, Jason is heard promising Jacob that he will stop the rebels from kidnapping the children.

But who is the culprit behind the abductions?

Peek-a-boo! I see you!

Jason says that Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (aka LRA), is the culprit, giving us a target to attack. A face to hate. But, the sad thing here is most people mistake Carl Weathers for Joseph Kony.

Can you see the resemblance here? Because I can't.

Carl Weathers is a well-known actor for his part as Major George Dillon in the movie Predator. He is not a leader of a rebel group. As far as we know...

Now is when Jason Russell offers a simple solution to the whole mess. He tells us what we can do to stop Joseph Kony.

United we stand....until our bladders all break.

The first option is to join forces with our peers and make the word known. Make Joseph Kony famous. The most unique looking sign in the campaign: KONY 2012.

The candidates: Obama, Romney, Palin, Hillary, Santorum, Newt, and...Kony?

You can see it is that big logo in the upper left corner. "KONY 2012". Look now at all the candidates ads for the upcoming election year. What is one of the most common thing shown in each mini logo?


The other connotation with 2012: END OF THE WORLD.

And here is where I'll end part I. There will be three more KONY 2012 sections as this is a long ad/campaign video.

It's election year! Vote on who you think will win. See the poll.

The Vet and the Noob: MW3 Ad

Well, what do you know? A Modern Warfare 3 advertisement. Let us analyze it for advertising techniques.

Add stubble to any guy and he immediately looks like an expert.

First, we are brought into a huge battle-ground. We see "The Vet" (aka Veteran) preparing his gun for the fight. He looks like he knows what he is doing. Can't you tell from his stubble and faraway look in his eyes that he is a professional?

And then there's this guy:

Yep, he's a nOOb alright.

One thing I dislike is the people who whip out a grenade and explode next to me. Not very pleasant. This picture and title "The nOOb" plays on many gamers old memories from when they were that inexperienced. It relates to the more experienced gamers out there.

I certainly remember when I did that. Sometimes I still do...

How low can you go? Don't get hit with that rocket, now.

Like my previous post on the Old Spice Commercial, this advertisement for Modern Warfare 3 also has many moments of explosions and action. Such as the above picture. How many places have you watched a guy limbo underneath a speeding rocket? Based off of just these few pictures, we can make an educated guess that the target audience is young males, ranging from teens to late twenties.

The landscape starts with a war-torn New York, then a half-destroyed Berlin, coming to a decimated Paris, and finally riding on a plane under siege from Moscow. It seems to be futuristic at moments such as the zero-gravity scene in the plane:

Ha ha, NASA. We have zero-gravity too! Whee!!!

One of the memorable parts of the entire commercial is in this section. The Vet is awesome at shooting in midair, but the nOOb's facial expression is priceless.

I think I may lose my lunch!

You can see the face and start giggling as the nOOb is slack-jawed with amazement. It creates the feeling that this game (Modern Warfare 3) will create feelings of amazement and thrill for you. Additionally, for those who have played the game realize that this airplane scene is from the time when you must secure/capture the Russian president. Later, when you actually play the mission, you'll be like, "Oh! I remember this! It was in that commercial!"

Of course, there's also more explosions.

AND...add another building to our growing list of property damage.

Finally, the Finale arrives. At the very end of the ad, you see the nOOb is no longer a beginner, but a master.

The nOOb becomes professional...just by putting on sunglasses.

The host of No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain, also uses this tactic to appear smooth or cool. Put on a pair of sunglasses and stare off somewhere. BAM! Instant cool factor.

See what I mean? Sunglasses make you that much cooler.

I found this advertisement entertaining but I noticed that, if you have no idea what Modern Warfare 3 is or what it is about, you might not understand the message the advertisers are putting out in this clip. If I didn't play it, I know I wouldn't understand what the commercial was trying to say to me.

Good luck, bon voyage, and if you play MW3, I fully approve.

Mr. Quiggly: A last minute entry

Want to see a dog with four cute little shoes on?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo-B-cnMDzQ

In every dog race you've ever seen, how many dogs do you see wearing little Skechers shoes to run? Believe me, if every dog you see needed to wear shoes, Skechers would never run out of customers...

A formidable name.

You start off the commercial with the Silver Prince introduced. Nope, he isn't royalty, but a racing dog. He seems to be an important dog who will win the dog races. Would you bet your money on him?

NOPE. Hold your cash, people. There is a new contestant.

Mr. Quiggley: cape-like outfit and running shoes! The perfect combo.

Welcome Mr. Quiggly. This little dog is competing against the Silver Prince! From what we have seen so far, the target audience appears to be young adults to older folks who are of a low/middle class level and are male. The funny thing is the trainer's faces are obscured or cut off. We see the crowd in the bleachers (albeit briefly) and the owner of Quiggly. Those are the only faces we are exposed to. Why are the trainers' faces missing?

They match. Not only is Mr. Quiggley wearing running shoes, but he is color-coordinated too!

We get a close up on Mr. Quiggly and it makes sure you note the running shoes he has on. My first question: How does the dog tie shoes?

Then the music. First, it's some kind of trumpet sound. Next, it goes and becomes some kind of achievement music. Then, this happens.

That's right. Moonwalk. Across the finish line.

Humor is added here. The dog literally moonwalks across the finish line. I don't know what this is used to establish but it is funny. How many dogs have you seen do the Moonwalk across the finish line?

Another humorous moment is when the owner of Mr. Quiggly says to the dog: "What do you mean, you want a new contract?" I don't think I need to explain that one.

For a finale:

BINGO! Smile for the camera!

Additionally, a need fulfilled in this commercial is the need to dominate. The small dog is essentially the underdog of all the other dogs, being small with short legs. But Skechers gives him the power he lacks, so he can outdo all the grayhounds at their own game. It also is a simple solution: wear Skechers and you can run faster than ever before.

Good job, Mr. Quiggly. I wish you the best of luck in negotating your contract.

Want to be Big, Beautiful or Strong? Try Milk!

Milk Fun!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wya3Za9Zjk&feature=related

Did you know that milk can make you big? Beautiful? Strong? I certainly didn't...that is, until I watched an overly exaggerated milk promotion.

Is that a glass of magical milk I spy in your hand?

The commercial begins with a rather depressed looking basketball team. They say that it's the "big game". To solve the issue where they might lose, the guy in the pic above says to drink milk because it makes you big. Simple Solution? Yes. Does it work on, say, people like me? No. I've been drinking more milk than any of my younger siblings and yet one has surpassed me in height. Milk isn't going to make me big like the basketball players are after drinking the magical milk. Just look at the size difference:


Why aren't these guys in the Guinness World Record Book?

Just note the difference. The boys are now twenty-something feet tall! The exaggerated height is  unbelievable. Why are they letting such giant people play against small people? Someone might get squashed! Another question is how did they get in the gym in the first place? Magical Ingredients in the milk teleported the players there? Who knows..........

Another milk ad shows up about a girl who wants to be told she is beautiful and to land her crush, Jun. She dreams about a ton of boys sending her love letters, eventually causing a river of correspondence. The "need" addressed here is the need for attention. The girl (Yuko) wants to be looked at and salivated over by the boys in her school. The milk fulfills that need, but to an extreme.

How many people have drowned in a river of letters before? Hmmm.... I wonder.

Look! There's Yuko, drowning in the sea of the letters that she wanted in the first place. Quite sad. But this scene where she is being swept away by the letters keeps the viewer wanting to know what happens next to the girl. Is she going to die?

Wait! There is someone coming to rescue Yuko!

Not everyday you see a guy swimming in a river of letters.

It happens to be Jun, her crush! He rescues her from the letters and the girl wakes from her daydream. Then, the final milk commercial begins.

All hail the milk bottle!

This one is my personal favorite because it involves gestalt. The friend tells our hero about milk's magical properties, only this time it makes you stronger. The hero then daydreams about fighting a lion over a girl.

Ninja lion? Anyone?

You see the lion fighting with the boy and what is your first impression? I thought, "Why is there a lion fist punching and kicking like a humanoid would?" It seems so very odd, yet it adds to the humor all throughout the ad.

That looks like it hurts!

Finally, this happens, marking the conclusion of the commercial. As you can see, the two guys from the last clip are drinking milk in awkward positions. It looks really painful or difficult but it certainly draws your eye, doesn't it? Repetition also works in conjunction with this snap. After the end of every segment (the giant basketball team's ad, Yuko's drowning in letters promotion, and the ninja lion commercial), they show the actors/actresses drinking milk in an uncomfortable position.

Very interesting to see how Japan does their ads differently from the United States. These ones seem like mini stories and have some kind of humorous plot or dialogue. But, in my opinion, foreign clips have been far more interesting than most American created ones (except a rare one pops up from time to time).

What do you think? Are foreign or American-made commercials better overall? If you wish, leave a comment below.


Bud Light or Digestive System Malfunction?

The link to double meanings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlEO6qt69cs&feature=related



What kind of cheese does Dave mean?

The ad starts off with the boss (having what I believe is a Chicago Mafia member's accent) telling his employee Dave that the work hours are over. He offers Dave a Bud Light, but Dave refuses saying he must "cut the cheese". Normally, we associate "cutting the cheese" with farting. If someone lets out a toot, someone nearby will groan and say, "Ugh, did you cut the cheese?"
I don't know where this saying comes from but maybe it has to do with stinky cheese and the smell that rises off it. The funny thing is, in the video, Dave is really trying to cut the cheese wheel!
This double meaning is an example of the Wit and Humor advertising technique. 

Pinch away!

Later, we get another employee who says he is going to "pinch a loaf" or essentially, have a bowel movement.

A few more digestive system jokes later and we come back to what the ad was advertising: Bud Light. The entire commercial was very humorous and kept my attention on the video but there is only two mentions of Bud Light: In the beginning and at the very end.

I found the jokes to be very entertaining but it had no relation to Bud Light unless Bud Light is a sandwich store in Illinois. Which we know it to be not. This ad also seems to be directed at young adult males. They would probably enjoy the jokes and want beer besides.

Post Hoc- I pull your finger, you can cut what you couldn't before...

The one fallacy I found was when the boss pulled on Dave's finger and suddenly, Dave could cut the cheese wheel with ease. POST HOC is the fallacy here. Since Dave was able to cut the cheese after the boss pulled on his finger, then the pulling of the finger caused Dave to be able to cut the cheese.

I suggest that you try watching the video. It is very funny and short.

Leave a comment if you liked the video or have something else to add.

Justin Bieber Music Video-Analysis

*Disclaimer: I claim nothing.

One of the many cars Justin is seen driving.

 Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GuqB1BQVr4

The Justin Bieber Music Video. It is filled with various eye catching things that even I did not notice until I watched it five times.

In the video, Justin Bieber is singing his new single "Boyfriend" while driving around in cars, dancing with a bunch of guys, and getting comfortable with the many women featured in the video.

But there is much more to this video than what you see the first time you watch it.  

A Ford Mustang 2010. Not too shabby.

First off is the multiple cars Justin is shown in. This yellow car looks like a Ford GT but I'm no master at identifying cars from the behind. Sportscars like this tend to be quite expensive so it is a sign of wealth when Justin has not one, but four cars of similar caliber or better.

Like this one.

Or this car.

They seem to be beyond the average person's price range, but have a feeling of being cool cars. The car technique appeals to those who don't have the fancy cars sitting in their driveways. I think if I owned one of the cars Justin has in his music video, I wouldn't care less about the cars. But since I don't, I think they are a symbol of status.

Other ways this video attracts interest: the actors. Teenagers or at the very least, young adults, clutter the scene. They all appear to be having a good time, dancing, riding in cars, and messing with members of the opposite genders. From this, I gathered that the target audience is teen age, perhaps from ages 12-20.

Girls lean on cars, guys ride on skateboards, and there is a hint of mischief in that couple. You also notice that the females are wearing very revealing clothing from short shorts to midriff tops. The feeling is heated yet intriguing. It gives the viewer a feeling of anticipation.

See what I mean about the revealing clothing?

Overall, I think this video was interesting. It's fascinating to watch an older version of Bieber try new tactics on us, the audience. But, personally, I like the song better than the video. I don't want to look like those dancers nor will I ever want to. But then again, this video was not targeted at me, but rather the general teenager. It is meant for those who wish to be part of the "In" crowd.

Good luck to those who are sold on the idea that owning expensive cars, skimpy clothing and having a boyfriend/girlfriend will make you part of the "In" group. It doesn't.