References

Shakil. "Bad Advertising", 2012. 

http://www.badvertising101.com/category/racist-ads/ (Accessed September and October 2012.)

Dan Evon. "Apologies", 2012. 

http://www.inquisitr.com/266505/mary-j-blige-apologizes-for-burger-king-ad/ (Accessed October 2012) 

"The National Post's Anti Transgressor", 2012. 

http://www.hawkblocker.com (Accessed Ocotber 2012) 

Mary Elizabeth Williams. "Who Deserves to Die?", 2012. 

http://www.salon.com/2012/06/29/who_deserves_to_die/ (Accessed September and October 2012) 

"Amnesty International Launches Butterfly Effect Ad Campaign", 2012. 

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=20094. (Accessed October 2012) 

Amnesty International. "Does Mental Health Discriminate?", 2012. 

http://www.amnesty.ie/content/end-mental-health-prejudice-and-discrimination-campaign-ads. (Accessed September 2012) 

Summary

I chose the themes of racism, sexuality, politics and prejudice because I believe that those are things in society that influence the way we make meaning of what surrounds us in this world.
They frame our thought process and influence everything, whether we are for or against racism, prejudice, etc.

They are also themes that interest me, for they are all equally interesting and ever present in the world of advertising. The ads I chose were just ones that I believe were very intriguing, interesting, and of a topic of common interest in public opinion.  

Who Is Obama?

Another thought provoking ad campaign. This would be mostly to boost the personality side of the Obama campaign, pushing people to see his humanity and make him a relatable character to the audiences.

The captions make you feel bad if you hate him, and make you feel sorry if you do to know that some people out there despise him. It's a win win scenario.  The personification of "Obama's America" also sets this sense of American pride because American is for every American citizen and it doesn't mean that you're being dictatorial if you apply the same rules for the president. I quite enjoy this ad because people don't even think of presidential candidates as relatable people. That is the aim of this ad, and I believe it does it well.

Doubt

Political ads in general are simplistic, because it makes you draw a meaning and sense of intelligence, which is necessary in politics. What this ad is trying to do is create some level of doubt in people's minds. By making them question what life would be with a leader like Romney, they are triggering all sorts of thinking mechanisms in one's brain in order to have impact.

The picture chosen is also key, as people would pay special attention to how they make meaning of an ad when it comes to politics, because politics essentially influences everybody's daily life. They therefore chose a picture that brings a sense of security and seriousness, without alienating audiences with expensive clothes and fancy photography. Just the blurred out face, blurred out so that attention is given to the caption. Simple, smart, and to the point.

Yes We Can

The idea for this ad, drawn from a close observation of American history when they wanted to empower women and minorities, is a great way to boost audience morale.

The idea behind it is smart, and it calls and makes connections in one's mind in all the right places while interpellating just the right way. Michelle Obama is also being exposed in the ad campaigns, which is a great way to make audiences make a good meaning President Obama. A very clever as that can appeal to the target audience, and the majority.

Obama Campaign

The simplicity and meaning of this advertisement really caught my attention. First of, knowledge (semiotics) is necessary to make meaning of this ad, which is always good. Secondly and contrarily, the simplicity makes it easy to understand.

Blue- a color on the American flag, and a color Obama has taken to use because of the political party he supports. A punch line to ask the audience whether they are in or not really works in drawing them in and making them feel involved- something people are quick to spot and connect to if they can spot it in an ad. It can guarantee more effectiveness, which is what this ad is trying to do. The simplicity of it all doesn't make you feel like they're trying to push you and persuade you int anything ridiculous. Just information. Brilliant.

Safari

Michael Kors, a designer brand that creates mostly handbags, came up with this latest advertisement. What this ad is trying to portray is clear, in the eye of the innocent- a warm environment of adventure and fun to capture the shopper's attention. However in the eye of the beholder who knows how o make intelligent meaning, this ad is hiding hints of racism. While it can very well be argued that placing a black man in the background as the safari guide and the white models in the front is completely normal, placement of importance like that should be avoided at all costs.

Racism and the sensitivity surrounding this topic are bad enough without an ad like this to arouse more conflicts. I believe it is important that the creators of advertisements in today's industry should learn more about what we learn in making meanings, of the culture that surrounds each of us and how that influences the way we draw meaning from the things we see. It can be quite helpful.

Who Eats Burger King

The common stereotype is that African American people like to eat at fast foods such as KFC or Burger King. Who knows who spread this racist belief or why, but the point is that sometimes by going along with it, you reinforce the racism and stereotype.

Mary J. Blige is an African American rapper and singer who accepted to do this advertisement above for Burger King, sort of to spice up their notoriety I guess. But my question is this; why did they choose an African American? The marketing techniques here are clear, as they are trying to focus on a very specific audience, thus reinforcing the stereotyping and (willingly or not) using racism as a means for advertising.

All these things intrigued me about this ad, but I also was intrigued by the lack of information on there. This ad has literally nothing to do with what Burger Kind offers in its meals, costs of meals, or something new they are adding. It is just a famous African American person posing with the logo.

Made in Japan

Obviously this ad was banned. Obviously. The pitch for the idea of a beer made in Japan was that they had to take an angle of humor and that they (non Japanese at the head of this project) really never intended to hurt anyone.

It can all be jokes and laughter id the object of your amusement is ok with it. Racism at its worst is when it is expressed on such a grande scale as beer advertising- something that would have obviously ended up on a lot of billboards in a lot of different countries, had it not been banned.

This kind of thing doesn't just upset people who can spot racist tendencies in ads, it also soils a company's reputation. When audiences see this, they come to a conclusion in their mind that will be far from what you had initially wanted to express. They will not take the company seriously, jeopardizing any chance of them to come back with a better ad. Racism is a dangerous thing, it can lead people to do terrible, hurtful things. Don't promote it, not even involuntarily, like this advertisement.

We're Lucky We're White

This ad I found actually speaks against racism instead of acting blithely unaware of the prejudice and double standards that exist between races, especially whites and blacks. This ad campaign is for an organization "Un-Fair" that actually fights against racism still being manifested today in the workplace or any other place where it would be most likely.

The scribbles found on the Caucasian person is actually doing a great job in making meaning of what  is going on under the radar. It points out the double standard of how differently people can be treated just because of their skin color by reversing the roles. I believe it is very effective. Sometimes that's what it takes to get an audience's attention to issues this delicate- shock and blatant honesty.

Racism and Sexism

"My secret to beautiful skin? I swallow." That tag line is obviously filled with sexual innuendos that could be deemed as very inappropriate, especially when the model is a woman. They also chose an Asian woman, which is a very interesting choice.

Just because the ad is promoting a product that has Asian medicinal ingredients does not mean they have to choose an Asian looking model. But of course, this is all part of the human brain process, and how the advertisers and audiences make meaning of the advertisement.

This ad intrigued me because not only do you not see ads with this kind of tag line very often, you also don't see Asian women in adverts in these kinds of poses. It is very unusual but does somewhat capture the attention of the viewers.

Is White Hotter?

This ad for L'Oreal products depicts a Beyonce that fits the stereotype of the beautiful white female. She is shown with a lighter skin tone, and blond lighter hair. The very fact that it is so far from what she actually looks like is a demonstration of the (maybe unintended) racism.

The reason I say "maybe unintended" is because sometimes these racist stereotypes are so ingrained in our every day life that we don't even realize it. This ad doesn't realize the meaning women can make about beauty- that it takes a white, light haired lady to show real beauty. The US is the leading force of advertising, and because they are of a white majority, that is why most people believe that the fake Beyonce portrayed in the ad is the way to have real beauty.

Sex Sells

This ad intrigued me the minute I saw it. American Apparel sells fashion basics to both men and woman and have also recently included children in their market plan. What concerns me that, while this ad is very interesting and appeals to people in a sexual manner, why are they so determined to make sex sell? We've all heard that term all too often to justify this type of advertising- sex sells. While this is true, sometimes a line is to be drawn. There are two sides one can argue. The first, that sex should be more in the open and therefore the use of such sexually explicit pictures in ads are acceptable, or that sex is something we all know about and therefore shouldn't be used out of context just to create a buzz and capture people's attention.

It all really depends on the audience and what the company is trying to sell through their advert. If the ad is to be released in a country that is more uptight and has regulations on what is acceptable or not, that is their call to make. American Apparel is a store for basic fashion clothing, and there are not many options available to them to make their ads interesting. I do not necessarily believe that they are trying to pass on a complex message- all it really is is a way of saying "American Apparel is sexy; wear it!".