Category: advertising

  • valentine’s day, postsecret style

    I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of the PostSecret thing, now ported to YouTube for Valentine’s day as a video montage complete with hipster ‘home-made’ animation: [the video is an advertisement for the books, btw, which is entirely appropriate for this made-up ‘holiday’] Happy Hallmark Card Day. Update: I didn’t realise how many Postsecret […]

  • can haz viral video?

    The other day I had the pleasure of participating in this week’s episode of Spark, a CBC Radio One show on tech culture news and ideas. It was a lot of fun being part of such a smart show – yay, public service broadcasting, long may it reign. The full show and related info, links […]

  • it’s new, it’s now.

    Kodak-au-go-go!

  • large and in charge

    This is not the parody I was looking for, but at least this very obviously calculated-to-provoke-youtube-responses fan ‘ad’ features women. I’m proudly reading very much against the grain here, but as much as I love cheap and nasty, the PS3 is way, way, sexier. Go Karaoke: Yeah, like the young people say, we don’t need […]

  • more on the ‘get a mac’ ads and stereotypes

    In response to a bit of discussion going on about the ads reinforcing stereotypes, mainly started by Jill, who kindly linked to my last post on the topic: The Mac is one sort of instantly recognisable, vaguely urban, effortlessly cool white American guy, the PC is another, deeply unattractive, old economy nerd sort of (much […]

  • my computer is just like me (not)

    Just in case I was too subtle last time about the race and gender politics of the personification of technology in the ‘Get a Mac’ ads, here are two new ones (one, two). I’m speechless. Thanks Anne. There are about a bazillion spoofs of these ads, of course – in fact, they positively beg to […]

  • In my letterbox today

    This is the second time I’ve seen this ad, the first time was on a traffic light pole near my house. I have always been intrigued by the stories behind the ads and notices people put up in public places. I remember one at UQ that was scrawled in big felt pen lettering and said […]

  • generating ‘enthusiasms’

    I captured this ‘event’ in my morning commute for Glen (well, and a little bit for me re: gender and the mastery of technologies). Current thesis word count: 26,733 (URGH).

  • spot the difference

    Apple’s new ads run a line familiar from my research into 80s advertising (speed, ease of use, corporate vs. ‘everyday’). But this time, the brands are personified. And they’re kinda funny. But just in case you were in any doubt, yes, it’s true. Technologies are made in their creators’ images. And they wear the pants […]