Sunday, June 16, 2013

June 16th: Sex Appeal, Focus Forward, Celebrities, and the Women's Rights Movement



Today was the first official day at the Cannes Lions Festival. The festival’s appearance is just what the festival aims to discuss: innovative, digital, creative design, bold, and bright. I started my day off early and continued later into the evening with seminars, screenings, and meeting interesting people. I finished off the night at the Cannes Heineken Bar, sponsored by Adobe, for free drink and networking. Take a glimpse/snapshot into some elements of my busy, yet incredibly interesting day (If I include everything, I will never get to bed):


Cosmetics and Beauty (screening):

This was a different type of event. The Debussy Auditorium was very quiet at 9 a.m., as the screen filled with one commercial at a time. The products were extensive, from perfumes to hair coloring formulas to men hygiene products. The products were from various countries including United States, Japan and France. Though all the ads were different, they were all appealing whether visually, humorously, or factually.
Out of all the commercials, two ad campaigns really caught my attention: Axe and Old Spice. Both brands sell deodorants and share the same target market. Yet what makes the brands’ campaigns so interesting are the ways they choose to represent themselves and the type of campaign each created.
Axe prides itself on being a ‘sexy’ brand. All of the commercials focus on a guy (usually topless with an amazing body) doing something manly and surrounded by women who bat their eyes in trance at the manliness.
In Axe’s Young/Mature deodorant, Axe used 3D glasses to convey two different realities at the same time. The realities depict attracting a younger woman, through the blue lens, and a more mature woman, through the red lens. It is a virtual story from shopping with a woman to relaxing with a woman to sex with a woman. Each event overlaps to compare and contrast the different experience a man can have with a young woman verse a mature woman.
The commercial ends with the man standing in front of his cabinet faced with the decision of which deodorant to apply. The concluding question is “What mood are you in today?”
This commercial, like the rest of Axe’s commercials, suggest that by applying Axe’s deodorant, a man will instantly attract a female. The commercials depend on the sex appeal of men and the objectifying of women. These two elements go hand in hand. The beauty and cosmetic industry uses opposing features to contrast men and women. If a man is on display, the woman is then portrayed as weak and defenseless, while the man gets to be the hero.
This works for Axe. They reach their target audience appealing to a male fantasy, sex. Old Spice, however, grabs the audience with an appeal to humor. Old Spice Champion’s campaign focuses on NFL wide receiver Greg Jennings and the exaggerated feelings of being invincible and being a champion. In one add, Jennings is doing pushups with a jet ski on his back, in another his body is completely discombobulated and stuck in cement (but he is so happy because he smells good) and in another, he is on a Hollywood set where he explains “you feel like a Hollywood star in your own life.”
With a slogan of “Believe in your smelf,” it is pretty clear that the Old Spice campaign is intended to make people laugh, smile, appreciate the brand, and ultimately buy the product.
I think both advertising styles are effective. People enjoy a good laugh and the appeal to sex never goes out of style. It is very interesting that two distinguished brands have such strong ways of marketing themselves.

Sex appeal in advertising:

I am well aware that sex appeal is a useful tactic in getting a bystander or passerby to observe a product and eventually become a consumer. Sex sells. It works. However, I think I was oblivious to how big of a concentration advertising places on the body and sex. Once I was in a room watching consecutive advertisements from different brands that use sexual appeal, I realized how prominent it is in consumerism.
Playboy Limousine for Her and Playboy Limousine for Him did not even try to hide their agenda of sex. The commercial discussed the possibilities of ‘hooking up’ with the limousine driver. However, this is expected from a multi-million dollar corporation that was established on the exploitation of sex. Yet companies for soap, like Cinthol (Alive is Awesome) and Bruit Cologne (Late) stressed the importance of sexual behavior. Cinthol features both men and women in the wild (in both hot and cold climates) on elephants, on the ice, and in a forest in little to no clothing washing themselves in a sexually appeasing manner. Bruit Cologne highlighted sexual dominance with the slogan “Let your man out.” As soon as the husband put on the cologne, his wife immediately became nine months pregnant.
Sex sells. That is all there is to it. It excites, attracts, and possibly even inspires. If sex did not sell then these advertisements would not have been selected for the Cannes Lions Festival.

Here are a few of my favorites from the screening:

Cinelan: GE Focus Forward The Creativity of Reinventing Everyday

“Behind ever innovation is a story. Watch. Share. Get Inspired.” This quote on the first slide of the presentation really set the tone for the rest of the seminar. Cinelan creates “brand affinity for clients by building audiences around powerful content. “ It allows award-winning filmmakers to create an authentic and genuine three-minute video. Though Cinelan produces the video, the filmmaker has full control on the style, tone, and voice he/she wishes to engage. The purpose of the videos is to inspire and ultimately, make a difference.
Jack (more commonly known as Mr. Toilet) created a film with the assistance of Jessica Yu about sanitation activism. Mr. Toilet aims to help create a sanitation system that will allow the 40% of people in the world who do not use proper toilets to have toilets and be educated on the need for these devices. Mr. Toilet has taken great measures to make his vision a reality. Through UN support, Matt Damon’s toilet strike, Google, World Toilet Day, and educating those around him, Mr. Toilet has helped to begin creating a world with less disease and death. Jessica Yu’s three-minute Cinelan film has really helped share Mr. Toilet’s project and increase world knowledge.
            In a world full of tech-savvy people in the digital era, it is mind blowing to me that people are still dying from diarrhea, and teenage girls are dropping out of school due to the lack of toilets in school during menstruation.
            Mr. Toilet discusses a serious issue. Though he jokes about “shit,” he believe that turning a taboo into something humorous is important, though it is a great media challenge.

Celebrities in the Media:



Yes, I sat three rows in front of Martha Stewart, Mel B, and Nick Cannon 
(who now follows me on Twitter)!

Martha Stewart:
Amount of Followers: approximately 3 million followers
Social Media Use: uses social media professionally to engage with her audience
Amount of Time on Twitter: Never spends more than five minutes on Twitter a day

Nick Cannon:
Amount of Followers: 4.3 million followers
Social Media Use: Connect with fans in an authentic way
Amount of Time on Twitter: Unknown—he tweets when he has something to say

Mel B:
Amount of Followers: approximately 800,000 followers
            Social Media Use: Connect with fans and get exposure to new jobs
            Amount of Time on Twitter: Posts around 5-6 tweets daily

Aol: Makers

            Emmy documentarian winner, Dylan McGee wanted to reverse the documentary model. She wanted to tell an important story, Gloria Steinem’s civil rights movement story. However, Steinem responded with “You can’t tell the story of a movement through one lens.” With this thought in mind, McGee got PBS and AOL on board to create a three-hour digital documentary of the women’s rights movement.
            With over 185 American women’s stories, each woman reflects on a moment, which shares their personal antidote. By telling our personal truth, this helps the community learn.
Gloria Steinem, explained this digital storytelling as the futuristic campfire. “Campfires have been storytelling platforms for centuries. Media is the new campfire and must include everyone.” She explained the importance of sharing your personal experiences, because though you may assume the experience only applies to you, it may apply to many other people who are also afraid to speak up.
The documentary features women who inspired change and create/d opportunistic advances in their life. This includes Oprah, Billie Jean King, Katie Couric, Hillary Clinton, and Ellen DeGeneres, just to name a few.
All of the stories are inspiring. With the expanding interest in the project, AOL is now working on a way of creating an app that allows women to tell their own stories and share them with Makers and others around the world. Gloria Steinem believes that women are entitled to share their personal experiences, their stories. Women need to know “you are not crazy. The system is crazy."

Other events I attended:

Follow the Hashtag #NewhouseIDSM for more live tweets on the Cannes Lions Festival.
Follow me on Twitter @Mona_LisaP



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