Cheese

I just hurried over to Facebook to like Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Why in such a rush, you may ask? Well, because I just had the most earth-shatteringly delicious batch of mac and cheese, of course. Actually, that isn’t true, although it sounds fantastic and that may be my next step. The real reason? This article. I’ve always loved Kraft, and their mac and cheese is pretty much a staple in my kitchen for when I’m feeling less than creative. Let’s surpass my swooning over these new delightful flavors, and get right to the point of the blog: advertising. This campaign covers everything. From video and radio to social media, Kraft has it covered; it even has its own website (a pretty cool one, I might add)! While the ads may seem a little cheesey (insert chuckle here), that’s entirely the point. They have even given it a name: “new-stalgic.” They have created a whole history for these brand new flavors so that their customers will feel a timeless connection to the new products just as they feel for the 75 year old brand.

Sweet Advertising (Pass it On)

(So I managed to lock myself out of my WordPress account for a period of time due to Google Authenticator in combination with some phone troubles. Minor oops, but I’m back!)

I know I’ve missed sharing plenty of great articles since my last post, but I’ve had this one saved on my computer for a couple of days. I love chocolate, so this caught my attention right away, of course, but I was also really impressed by the creative here.  I have been searching for anywhere selling them online since I stumbled upon this, to no avail. But, in reality, I love the idea behind this and the way it was communicated.

Honda – “Hands”

Do I need to say anything?

What I love about this advertisement is how much it gets across with so few words. It is creative and inspiring, and it would remain so even if I did not speak a word of English. That’s impressive.

Less Talking. More Doing.

Fighting back while remaining classy. This Windows 8 commercial actually made me laugh out loud.

Blurring the Lines: Fine Art vs. Communication Art

I’m a little bit of a French buff. Come into my dorm room and you’ll see that my walls are covered with French photographs and artwork. What’s interesting, though, (and perfect for me as an advertising major) is that many of these posters of French art were originally made as advertisements. I use these as inspiration for drawing as well as my advertising work, which leads me to wonder, where is the line between fine art and communication arts?

By definition, commercial art is separated from fine art because it is created for commercial use. Many people try to define characteristics that draw the line between the two: typography, page layout, even medium. However, in my opinion, communication art differs from fine art simply in usage. Both are done with a purpose: to convey something, whether it is emotion, a new idea or an innovative product. Both invite a response. Communication art differs in that it is done for commercial use. Even at this point, the line continues to be blurred. Otherwise, why would I have these “commercial” advertisements hung on my wall as artwork?

I don’t believe that there is a line between fine art and commercial art. Fine art can be incorporated into commercial art, and good commercial art can later be displayed just as fine art would be. They are interchangeable. An artist is an artist, and the purpose is to create art − simple as that.

(RED)

Chris Rock – “Uncensored”

Dakota Fanning – “Discovered”

Mary J. Blige – “Empowered”

Christy Turlington – “Adored”

Don Cheadle – “Admired”

Jennifer Garner – “Assured”

Apolo Ohno – “Powered”

Penelope Cruz – “Desired”

Steven Spielberg – “Inspired”

Here’s to the start of a very well-known, universal campaign. Since this series of advertisements ran (I believe in 2006?) with its many celebrity endorsers and ingenious copywriting, the color red has come to represent support for HIV/AIDS victims. The campaign was so strong that many other big brands such as Apple and Starbucks have run similar campaigns to support the cause. They still run today.

Internet Explorer – Child of the 90s

Internet Explorer knew their target audience here, and they didn’t hesitate to reach out and grab us by the heartstrings. Way to go, IE, now I’m going to go buy a Tamagotchi for my dorm room.

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Speaking of outdated brands attempting to make a comeback, have you seen the new Blackberry ads?

Even in twice the amount of time, I’m just not feeling it.

Apple – Here’s to the Crazy Ones

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

I’m not an Apple user, but talk about relevant. I don’t know what could be more effective at creating an emotional and inspiring message than a tribute to people that have affected all of our lives. It’s from 1997, and it’s still a strong ad.