Am I the only Sour Cherry on your fruit stand?

So, there's this show Gossip Girl that has had consistently great advertising, imo. The spots always portray the show in the most favorable light, given its content. The music is always excellent, as well.

Season 2 just recently started and there's print ads for it that are really great.






The ads use a racy image from the show and a line from seemingly negative reviews. But, the negativity of the line only helps the ads. This is so well thought out. Lightyears better than Microsoft's attempt to discredit negative reviews of Vista with the Mojave thing.






Later

Wanted Posters Banned in UK

Apparently, a lot of complaints were made about the posters "glamorising the use of guns and violence".

The story is kinda shocking to me. I've seen some pretty out there advertising from the UK (in terms of content that may not be suitable for children) and ppl are upset about Wanted posters?

I saw the movie when it first came out and thought it was surprisingly really good/entertaining/worth-the-money. I don't think the movie or posters glamorize anything. That word 'glamorize' kinda irks me because many films/TV shows/ads speak to our understanding of fantasy. We enjoy watching something impossible/improbable/exaggerated because it's not the mundane, it's not something we [can] do. We don't walk around curving bullets. So, whenever I spot that word 'glamorize' I automatically feel that the complaining party has lost touch with their sense of fantasy and reality.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

In its adjudication, the industry watchdog ruled: "We acknowledged most viewers would understand the posters reflected the content of an action film. However, we considered that because the ads featured a glamorous actress, action poses, several images of or related to guns and aspirational text, they could be seen to glamorise the use of guns and violence. We concluded [they] could be seen to condone violence by glorifying or glamorising the use of guns."

This whole thing just bugs me. Things like this make me feel that "industry watchdogs" feel the public is too stupid to make responsible decisions for themselves and that the watchdogs themselves are afflicted with a serious case of boredom.

Later

Moments in My Life I

So, I had quite the weekend. I could be certain that many people had interesting weekends, with the holiday and all.

So, in an effort to let a little more of me shine through this blog, I'm debuting some crazy moments in my life.

6. Good Moment - Surprisingly, having no problems getting into and out of Canada this weekend.

5. Good Moment - Discovering the duty free mecca in Canada.

4. Weird Moment - Getting trashed on shitty boxed wine at my cousin's open house.

3. Disgusting Moment - Convincing myself, "That's not puke on my tie."

2. Calming Moment - On Labor Day with the fam, eating lots of good food, kicking my shoes off, and watching the seemingly endless U.S. Open.

1. Funny Moment - In the car (en route to Ohio where the fam gathered), reading my bible, GQ Magazine, while my brother sits next to me reading his bible, as in the actual Bible.

Later

I Don't Want to Work for Diddy

Don't you hate when something makes you really angry yet you still indulge? That's how I feel about a lot of television shows, particularly VH1's I Want to Work for Diddy -- a reality show in which people compete to work for Sean "Puff Daddy... Puffy... P Diddy... Diddy..." Combs.

Why do I hate that I love this show? The show kind of makes me sick to my stomach yet I DVR it every week. First, I'm not the biggest fan of Diddy. I don't have any real hatred for him. I just feel like he's put up on this pedestal. Yeah, he's really successful for exploiting facilitating the talent of others -- but, correct me if I'm wrong here: he's not God!

Second, last night's episode (where his mother and children's mother decided which team were better slaves assistants during the challenge) just made me wonder if there's an inverse relationship between wealth and humility. Is it necessary to be arrogant or rude because you make lots of money... or you're somehow connected to someone who makes lots of money?

Third, the assistants are so subservient and so ecstatic to be put through ridiculous things. I'm not naive. I'm sure that Diddy and many other successful people need assistants, but I'm also certain that there's a line between assisting and doing something simple you could easily do for yourself or doing something incredibly ridiculous to abuse your celebrity and/or assistants.

But, hey, it's not my dream to work for him and I'm glad so. I've been fortunate enough to not have any difficult bosses. And I'm not saying I won't. I just hope they won't have the attitude that they're God's gift to humanity -- or God Himself.

Later

"Holy shit, I got to live through that"

Got this post idea from Shaun (or his friend, Maya, rather) at Prostituted Thoughts.

Basically, I'm listing the things that I'm grateful that I got to live through/experience.

1. Daria - Probably the best MTV show ever. Daria (as a show) was so funny, so culturally aware, and very deep for a cartoon. I can still watch Daria and tear my sides in laughter. The characters are classic, the jokes are timeless, and I'm glad I lived through its 5 year run.

2. 9-11 - Obviously it's a major part of history. It's already being written about in history books (so that proves it!). I remember exactly what happened that day. I was in 7th grade, doing some assignment a substitute teacher had given as a busy work. There were whispers in the classroom that "something happened in New York." The substitute teacher knew exactly what had happened (not just in NY) but wouldn't tell us anything. Soon, there was a storm of kids leaving with their parents -- a group which I was among. My mom took me home and I watched the TV in horror and fear. It's grim, but that was a life-changing moment.

3. 2000, 2004, 2008 Elections - Each election for the past 8 years has been memorable for me. In 2000, I'd done a research project (for my 6th grade class) about Gore and Bush. Then, came the recounts and all that fun bullshit. In 2004, I remember sitting in my 10th grade English class, watching a newscast and feeling so doomed when Bush was re-elected. The 2008 Election has been nothing short of epic. I mean, it seems like there's been campaigning for 3 years. Obama is making history. And this will be the first year that I can vote!

4. The Era of Changing Media - Yeah, I just invented that name. Basically, I'm talking about everything from the digitization of our lives to the rise of reality television to the fall of the newspaper to the rise of the blogger. Yeah, we're in the early stages of this era, but it's going to be interesting on the forefront.

Later

Mad Men

Such an amazing show. So smart, deep, entertaining, funny at times. Everything a television program should be.

Speaking of funny at times: I LOL'd at Peggy call Don by his first name. The looks on his and her faces were so weirdly funny.

And ouch, those flashbacks of Peggy in '60 are brutal.

I like the way they connect the sponsor spots to the show by displaying the ad facts during commercial breaks. The BMW X-series safety commercials are good in a weird, still-not-as-good-as-Fallon kinda way. I pay a lot of attention to BMW advertising, since it's the only luxury/foreign car I'm infatuated with -- well, car at all. Is that the creative director in me speaking?

Later

I Don't Get It

I really don't get the Maytag spot that's running right now. I can't find it on youtube, but during the commercial, a bunch of ppl are standing in line waiting to vote.

They're angry because there's obviously a hold up. Suddenly, the Maytag repairman emerges from the voting booth and has fixed the problem, a jammed lever. Two seconds later, he says "Here's your problem," and presented a bunch of raggedy ballots.

Meanwhile, the would-be voters are looking on. One even says, "The Maytag man?" with discernible confusion in his voice.

And I'm experiencing the same confusion. What is this commercial saying? The Maytag man is so skilled that he could even fix a voting machine? Maytag washers and dryers are so great that the Maytag man doesn't need to work on them?

The Maytag man says, "Gotta go. Busy day."

Busy day doing what? Fixing voting machines? Fixing washers and dryers? Starring in poorly executed commercials?

The concept is crazy for no reason I can surmise, I can't understand the sloppy copy, and I feel like I waste 30 seconds every time I see this.

Later

Dispelling Some Myths

This is entirely a knock-on-wood post. A lot of the things I'll say have never happened to me personally, actually could -- here or anywhere.

Here, being Detroit, MI. Detroit has quite a reputation. I've met a lot of people who have really crazy notions about the city and beliefs that have none, little, or a lot of truth to them. I just wanted to explain my views, experiences, blah blah, on the city.

1. There are NO cars on fire. I hear this a lot. Why? I have no idea. I don't drive around and just randomly see cars ablaze, ever. I saw a car (the only one I've ever seen on fire) in flames in [a city next to but not actually] Detroit. It was a couple blocks from my school at the time and it was on fire because Eminem was filming a scene for 8 Mile. Completely staged, not-at-all random. I don't know where this myth came from, but I hope it goes away -- it's just crazy.

2. Crime doesn't consume the city. In all honesty, Detroit is no stranger to the list of dangerous cities in America. It is dangerous just like a lot of other cities are. But, not every part of the city is dangerous. I've lived in a few places in and around the city; I've worked and gone to school all around the city, as well. I've never -- thankfully -- been assaulted, carjacked, been offered drugs, shot at, had my house broken into.

The biggest brush with crime I've had was when I was about 7. I was riding my bike and a bunch of kids stopped me at the corner, ordering me to let them have my bike. I laughed at them and rode away.

3. Our mayor is a gangster. A whole book series, a movie, a sequel and a reality show could be made about Kwame Kilpatrick. People like to eat up how quickly he fucked up his public image (and worsened Detroit's). I don't believe he's a gangster; he's just a young, dumb, stubborn liar. Kinda like a little kid. He gets into trouble, won't admit guilt, and makes everyone endure his stubbornness. And unfortunately, he's our mayor. :(

I hoped that those explanations open a few eyes. You won't see flaming cars on the road here, you don't have to fear for your life, belongings, etc here, and our mayor is a childish idiot, not a gangster.

Later

Randomness

Just a hodgepodge of things today.

First, I really don't like the use of Lux Aeterna (the unforgettable, extremely powerful composition by Clint Mansell for Darren Aronofsky's amazing film Requiem for a Dream) in the Babylon A.D. -- the new Vin Diesel movie -- trailer. Maybe ppl feel that you can just throw that song into your trailer and immediately make it more dramatic.

It's a weird reason to be ticked off, I admit. But, Requiem is one of my favorite movies of all time; Aronofsky is one of my favorite directors. And I associate that song with that movie. It was so powerful, so moving, and so memorable. And it seems wrong for it be used in promotion of any other movie.

Second, I know some ppl really like the Hillshire Farms spots -- the "Go Meat!" ones. It irritates me. I mean, it's a memorable commercial, but it doesn't at all make me wanna try Hillshire Farms. I knew that I completely hated it once my mom said, "Go meat!" in unison with the spot. [sigh]

Third, I'm actually not in a bad mood... although I'm bitching about commercials. The Dior Homme Spring/Summer 2009 show has made my day. Not only is the collection amazing. I love the weird looking sunglasses; I want 'em badly. But, it's fifteen minutes of an amazing Justice mix!





That is all.

Confessions of a Consumer I

I was thinking of some things that I could make regular featues on the blog and this "Confessions of a Consumer" thing kinda popped into my head. My basic idea is just to list what I bought, the price, what persuaded me to buy it, and how I feel about my purchase afterward.

1. Black Skinny Tie, ($28, Macy's, Monday) - I feel that I can say I'm pretty well dressed. It's actually one of my defining characteristics. I get compliments constantly, my friends talk to me all the time about fashion because they know it's something I'm really interested in. Sometimes, I feel that my style is so noteworthy because I don't dress like most kids my age and race. I'm a black kid from Detroit who doesn't wear oversized shirts, baggy jeans, etc. I do appreciate a cool sneaker, but my taste in sneakers doesn't revolve around Nike Air Force Ones.

Anyway, getting to the point: A friend of mine asked to borrow a black skinny tie from me. And I suddenly realized that I didn't own one. I was kinda shocked. So, I decided to add the black skinny tie to my collection of ties and next time someone asks to borrow one, I won't have to explain, "I don't have one... I should, though."

I feel good about the purchase. I haven't worn the tie yet. I hate to overwear things that are sorta trendy, so I'm waiting for a good event/day/whatever to debut it.

2. Djarum Black Clove Cigarettes, ($7, Wednesday) - Smoking is really bad for you. It's terrible. But, as my internship coordinator says, "We gotta have one vice to keep us humble."

I really hate the taste, harshness, and smell of cigarettes. I've tried a few Marlboros and some Camels; I couldn't handle them. Djarums, or my cloves as I affectionately call them, are very smooth, are flavored, have less tobacco (more clove spice), and smell a lot better. They even have eugenol, which numbs the throat making smoking more enjoyable.

I'm not quite addicted. I go long periods without them and I haven't smoked all that long anyway; I started when it was legal for me to do so. So, Djarums are kinda like a novel thing in that I don't smoke them all that often and people don't see them all that often. Maybe I'm a pretentious bastard, but I don't like to do/use whatever everyone else does.

A guy a couple weeks ago asked me, "Why do you smoke those? You don't like Newports?" I laughed a little bit inside.

I feel okay right now about my purchase. I'll probably be pissed at myself when I need that $7 for gas. :(

3. Details Mag Subscription, ($10, Monday) - I'm sorta addicted to magazines. I love the ads, I love the articles, I love reading. I kinda love just having them. It's the only thing that I religiously collect (besides clothes). I have bins full of GQ, Esquire, and Details magazines. I even have a couple years worth of Electronic Gaming Monthly from when I used to be into video games.

I purchased the subscription because I got tired of paying a significant amount more at the bookstore or drugstore for Details. I hate that they still put the stupid subscription cards in the magazines...

I feel good about the purchase. I'm saving myself money in the long-run.


I'm sure there's more confessions to come, but those are the only interesting things I've bought recently.

MTV + Britney

The summer has given me the opportunity to watch a lot of TV, which means I get to see a lot of ads... as well as re-runs, reality shows, and weird Olympic sports. No offense to table tennis players, but really?

So, I've seen a couple ads for the VMAs featuring Russell Brand and Britney Spears. The ads are good. I can't help but smile whenever I see them. Maybe, Russell Brand is very subtly hilarious? Maybe, it's nice to see Britney doing well? Maybe, a combination of both?

I can't quite decide. It could also be that it's nice to see MTV embracing Britney after the tragic performance of 2007 and the tragic months that followed Britney afterward. It's kinda heartwarming... MTV kinda gave birth to the superstar that is Britney Spears. The station helped launch her to mega stardom as she grew as an artist over the years.

Then, the 2007 VMAs happened. It's like a kid fucking up astronomically in the eyes of their parents. But, those parents still love the kid; MTV still loves Britney.

Lost in Music

So, I'm lost in my music, right now. I like to get that way most of the time. Helps me focus -- which is good when you're at work, right?

Some things I'm listening to right now:

Modern Guilt, Beck
Fave Tracks: Youthless, Volcano
I can't wait to go see Beck and MGMT when I get back to school. I have a feeling it's going to be extremely awesome. I've always found something I liked in every Beck album, song, verse, whatever. I have a friend who always says that "his voice sucks," but it's never been about his voice, really. Is it ever really about the voice, anyway, today? Throw a fucking digitizer over it and you can be a millionaire artist. *cough*t-pain*cough*

Heart It Races, Architecture in Helsinki
I just recently discovered this 2007 track. There's something very infectious and catchy about it. It sticks with me for a long time after I play it.

The Bedlam in Goliath, The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is always an experience. I recall when I fell in love with their music. It was a few years ago when I had a bit of writer's block. I listened to them for hours and it went away. I just recently got this album which has been out for a while.

Good, Memorable Advertising

I've always liked how an ad can be memorable if it's really great or really bad. Of course, I think ad agencies set out to to make great, memorable ads. And some really hit the mark while some completely miss it.

One of my favorites right now is the Converse Century campaign with Pharrell Williams, Santogold, and Julian Casablancas.

[Picture from Converse.com]

I'm a fan of Converse. I bought a cool pair of lumber-patterned Chucks when I was in NY a couple months ago. The campaign makes me wanna buy a new pair. It's funky, the song (which I'm listening to right now) is infectious, and you've got cool celebs. Couple that with simple yet effective creative (the campaign is styled to look like the people are paper cut-outs and there's a sense of unity created between Chuck owners, since the shoes connect the three stars) and you've got a memorable campaign by Anomaly.

In other parts of the ad world... Sex sells -- supposedly, anyway. I support it. If sex helps to establish an intimate (in the most literal of ways) relationship between the brand and the consumer, then great. Someone did a great job.

Since I was about 10 or 11, I've been obsessed with magazines. I have hundreds of them because I feel like I can't throw them away. They represent, in some ways, my past and my knowledge. Reading mags was one of the ways I started analyzing advertising consciously. I remember Dolce & Gabbana  ads very vividly. A bunch of staged, uber-beautiful people staring at you through the ad. There've been some variations, but that's basically how they've been for a while. And a lot of luxury clothing brands have similar styles of advertising.

One company that's selling sex in a way that I really like is Tom Ford. His S/S 08 Menswear ads are extremely memorable. The ads are pretty raunchy, but I can't help but love them. Everyone I've discussed them with (mostly guys) like it.

Later

Social Networking...

...is a monster. It's taking over my life -- and I'm sure, the lives of others.

I'm old enough to remember when sites like MySpace and LiveJournal (which were my first encounters with social networks) first took. Both of which I no longer (or very rarely) use or even check.

My main social networking site has been Facebook, for many reasons. Most of my "friends" are on it and it's pretty simple. (I always hated MySpace's complicated/cluttered-ness). Facebook lately is turning into MySpace itself, growing in numbers and cluttered-ness unfortunately. But, it still seems to be most apropos for a college student.

Reading a bunch of ad blogs, I discovered this new (to me) place: LinkedIn. It looks like it could be more helpful to me than Facebook, as it's geared toward career networking. As I write this entry, I'm signing up. I have a feeling that it will be very helpful down the line to me, in terms of internships and eventually landing my dream job since networking helps a ton in getting hired.

Hopefully, this will be one of the last social networking sites I have to join. I don't think my gmail account can take too many more email updates on who wrote on my wall or who wants to be my friend...

Later

My First Agency Tour

So, I worked at the Detroit Free Press last summer. My former boss there made a career switch sometime after my apprenticeship was over, from journalism to copywriting.

I was excited to learn this because I was sorta making the same switch from wanting to write for a magazine to wanting to be an art director. We talked via email this summer and she invited me to her new job at Wunderman for a tour.

The tour was great. The interior of the agency was really nice. I've seen the funky designs of agencies online, but it was cool to see it in person. We went to the art department. She showed me some things she'd worked on, talked about the transition and the differences, and introduced me to a couple art directors she works with. I got to take a look at some comps and learn more about the process of creating an ad.

I was hoping to meet someone in HR, but apparently, the guy had been difficult to get ahold of during the summer and a while before I came for the tour, he left for a job in Chicago. But, I left a couple resumes with my former boss. Maybe when I start applying for internships, she can put in a good word there for me. :)

Later
-TJ

Obligatory Introduction

So, I'm finally putting this blog to use. For those that don't know me, here's the brief bio:

My name is T.J. Johnson IV. I'm from Detroit, MI. I'm a student at Northwestern University, studying journalism and integrated marketing communications. And my goal by 2011 is to land a job in art direction.

Advertising is something I've always admired. Brands are an essential part of life. How and why we are influenced to buy those particular brands fascinates me.

I realize that I have a bit of time before 2011 arrives, but I'm very dedicated and always felt that my planning gives me an edge over people I may be competing with for that first job. I plan to use this blog like many people use their own: to express feelings/opinions, track what's going on in my life, and maybe even, provoke conversation.

I think that's enough for my first entry. Many more posts to come in the years...

Later
-TJ