Happy Birthday, Now Come Buy Something

So, as my readers know, my 30th birthday has come and gone.  Eeek.

Something I noticed this year (beside the greetings on all forms of social media):

It started mid-March.  A store I frequent sent me a card - Happy Birthday, Jaime - please enjoy an additional $5 off the next $25 you spend.

Then the emails started.  Happy birthday - enjoy 10% any item in the next 90 days.  Enjoy $10 your next purchase during the month of your birthday.  Enjoy 25% off at checkout - enter code 'birthdaygirl'.

Everyone does a birthday coupon these days.  Which is, in theory, genius.  Because we all feel like we're getting a treat.  Only, we have to spend money to receive said treat, and it might be money we weren't planning on spending in the first place.  And, is a part of this preying on our vulnerable emotional side?  Maybe we're feeling a little sad, getting older and all, then all of a sudden we get a message from an old 'friend' (or store), and suddenly we want to go feel the love?  They wished us a happy birthday, it made us feel good for a bit, so maybe it's ok to go spend a little something on ourselves there.  Ok, maybe I'm being cynical here.

Have too many places adopted this practice?  Is it becoming white noise (i.e. daily deals)?  It's starting to feel that way.

Have you all bought yourself a birthday gift with a coupon?  No judgment if so.  I'm curious how successful these efforts are.   I prefer Sephora's free birthday gift.  Just sayin'.

The Coca-Cola Polar Bears

Ok, so I first noticed an ad for these lovely Coca-Cola polar bears during the superbowl.  Actually, 'first noticed' is inaccurate.  I know this is a really old campaign.  And by really old, I mean like 15+ years.  I remember back in the 7th grade having a sweatshirt with these bears on it and thinking it was the coolest thing ever.  I kind of wish I still had it right now.  My mom probably has it as dust rag.  Tear.  That just hurts me too much to think about.

Anyhow.  I am curious why Coca-Cola chose to revive this ad campaign.  Was it for the sake of nostalgia?  Has it always been around over the past 15 years and I just didn't notice?  I'm sure if I really cared, I could do some research.  There's probably a very thorough wikipedia page on the matter.  

Anyhow.  I love all things 'nostalgia'.  I love things that remind me of my childhood.  I think this was good decision on Coca-Cola's part.  Who doesn't love a good polar bear?  These guys are so cute and cuddly.  If anything, these ads make me smile.  Maybe it's time to go grab a coke.

I Find This Ad Hilarious

....and very relevant to modern society.  Bravo!

I kinda love when she says 'I'm kinda into it!'  - is the modern online dating woman a little desperate?  I kid....

Strange Discovery

Isn't it strange that a restaurant would have this when said restaurant does not accept the discover card?  How is this legal?  Your thoughts?

Online Dating Commercials

Whenever I'm watching a TV show and dating website advertisement comes on, I feel compelled to change the channel.  Not because I don't want to look at the dating website ad, but because I feel like I must be watching something shameful.  Like, the media buyer who bought this ad space must have viewed the typical demographic for said show as sad and lonely and on the edge - like I imagine those watching QVC at 9:00PM on a Saturday night in pajamas with a cookie dough roll in one's hand to be.  These people are on the verge of asking themselves "what the hell am I doing right now?  somebody help me!"  Enter the eharmony commercial.  So whenever I see and e-harm or match commercial come on, I'm tempted to jump for the clicker - not because I think there's anything wrong with online dating (cough, cough), but because it makes me think something's wrong with THIS SHOW.  

This Reminds Me....

...my favorite academic (or, perhaps, 'boring') book:

Read it; it's a good one.

I got it my senior year of college for an advertising class.  I liked it so much, I didn't sell it back during book buy-back week, probably much to my parents' chagrin.  Mom & Dad, I owe you $8.

They Strike Again....

So some of my readers might notice that I haven't blogged much on the subject of the Old Navy mannequins.

I've decided to treat them like the annoying kid back in junior high.  He or she is only acting out for attention - the worst thing one can do is give it what it wants.  I'm using the method of ignoring it with hopes it will go away.

I'll let you know how it goes.

(Yes, they are getting worse than ever.)

From Eric....

I do not pick the ads on the side of my blog.  However, Jaime's blog does not discriminate.  I think we all need some love.  I am curious how this came up - was it because of the 'it starts with a wink' post?  Was it the online dating?  Are there good gay online dating sites?  Should I start one?  Is that the next million dollar idea?

Old Navy Supermodelquins

Just a quick moment to revisit these worst commercials ever - the Old Navy mannequins - or supermodelquins, or whatever you want to call them. Yes, I still hate them. More than ever. I especially hate the one where they are pretending to be on "America's Next Top Model' (or so I've been told that's what that commercial is, since I don't watch that show). I also really really hate the one where they pretend to be the Radio City Rockettes. And the one where they block out the naked mannequin. The list goes on and on and on....

Are Old Navy's sales up? Do people like these commercials? Does anyone like the Old Navy mannequins? Inquiring minds want to know!!!

Sushi

Is it just me, or do they put crack in sushi? There is some addictive component to it. I crave it. Constantly. If I don't have it for a period of time, I get cranky.

That leaves me to ask this question: what's the BEST place in Chicago for sushi? Anyone have any thoughts? As of right now, I'm gonna have to go with Coast in Wicker Park. Honorable mentions go to Sushi Samba, Sushi Mura, Oh Oh Fusion (formerly Katachi - although they are docked points based on the loss of the Samurai roll) and Jai Yen.

Anyone have any sushi recommendations for me? Your thoughts? Who has the best sushi in Chicago? Why am I giving Coast free advertising?

For the Sixteenth Time, no, I do not Think You're Obsessive!

As I was surfing the web for reviews and critiques of various ad campaigns to see if my views are in line with the general public, I came across a site that refers to my least favorite campaign as 'the Old Navy dummies'.

He. He. He.

Old Navy Mannequins, Part 467

Ok. The Old Navy mannequin commercials are GETTING WORSE. It's like a train wreck, only I have no problem looking away. Pregnant mannequins? Naked mannequins? Mannequins losing body parts? Yuck, yuck and triple yuck.

A lot of people are afraid of clowns. I lump these into the same category. They are nightmare inducing for small children and people like me.

Again, perhaps there is something successful about these commercials because they are noticable, memorable and identifiable for their specific brand. Sometimes bad commercials are great for business. I am curious to see Old Navy's sales reports after this campaign. Does anyone know if Old Navy's sales are up the past couple months? Does anyone ACTUALLY LIKE these commercials? Anyone not hate them? Thoughts? Please discuss....

The New Pepsi Logo

So it seems Pepsi has a new logo (at the top). It clearly is an evolution of some of the previous recent logos (directly above).\

I don't like it.

I don't particularly know why. I guess I just don't get it. Why? I don't like the new lobsided-ness of it. I liked the more balanced red and blue so much better. What was the need for this change? What is the purpose of it? Is this supposed to be modern? Is this supposed to pull me away from Coca-cola? Is this something that would make a person switch teams, if you will? I know, I was an advertising major, I know - keeping the name out there, yadda yadda yadda (speaking of - Staples sure got their money's worth out of the Staples Center yesterday, didn't they?). Anyhow - I don't like this design. I liked the other one better. Not that it matters. But I move it was a bad decision. If they were ready for a change, they should have gone for something more drastic. Or they could have stuck with what they had. I don't think this will do anything, other than cost Pepsi the fees of putting new creative out there.

Your thoughts? Do you like this new logo? Did you like the old one? Like pepsi, in general? Pepsi or coke?

Where to Meet Someone, Part 2

Ok, so once, I did have an experience of meeting someone/getting asked out on the street. However...here's how it went.

I was walking down the street with a coworker/good friend (and regular blog reader). It was just after New Year's, I believe, and I had made a resolution to be more open-minded toward men who ask me out (it was "The Year of the Yes" for me, if you will). Anyhow.

A random jogger guy ran past us at some point. I saw him briefly. My friend and I happened to separate because she had to go to her car and I went back into the office. A couple minutes later, said friend calls my cell phone.

In short, this jogger guy approached her and asked for my number. A.Page, being the savvy friend that she is, told him she would take his number down and give it to me.

Long story short, it was the year of the yes, I was single, I gave him a call. I'll give you a brief synopsis of said phone conversation. (I have summarized for your sanity, dear reader.)

(A brief 'Hi, how's it going, etc.' takes place.)
Me: So what do you do? Where do you work?
His name was Phil: I work in advertising, at an agency.
Me: Oh cool, I work in advertising too. I work at XXXX. Which agency do you work at?
Phil: Uh, it's on Michigan Avenue. I'm not supposed to say.
Me: Huh?
Phil: They don't like it when we tell people where we work, you know.
(Ooookkkk....)
Me: So where do you live?
Phil: Chicago
Me: Which area? (All I was lookin' for a was a simple 'Lincoln Park' - not a specific street address.)
Phil: The city, in general.
Me: Uh, this is kind of weird.
Phil: You have to understand where I'm coming from, I don't really know you, my last girlfriend was the psycho....
Me: (Since I was getting irritated at this point, I figured I'd give him one final chance to strike out.) What's your last name?
Phil: Oh, there's no way I'm gonna tell you that.
Me: You think I'm possibly going to agree to meet you when you won't tell me the first thing about yourself?
Phil: Well, we can meet at a public place.
(LIKE THERE WAS EVER AN ALTERNATIVE OPTION.)
Me: CLICK.

Anyhow - long story short - something was obviously shady. So, I guess that brings me back to part 1 of this series - is it possible to meet a NORMAL person who turns into a legitimate relationship in this way? Does this happen?

Editor's sidenote: However unrealistic, I do believe that his employer is, for obvious reasons, ashamed of the individuals it hires and that hr may have, indeed, pulled him on the side and asked him never to divulge that he is, indeed, associated with them.

Old Navy Commercials, Part II

So I wrote earlier about the Old Navy Mannequin commercials and how I absolutely abhor them. Well, honestly, they just keep getting worse and worse. Pregnant mannequins? Mannequins overboard? (Does this put me in the mood to shop/have sex appeal/elicit any positive feelings?)

Anyhow. I happen to notice there are quite a few other hits on google for old navy mannequins/old navy's worst commercials, etc. I know I am not alone in feeling this way. Are Old Navy's sales up? (Actually, despite it all, I think they might be, because they are more reasonably priced in these hard economic times. That, and regardless, there advertising is ever-present, so they are getting noticed, for better or for worse.)

Let me ask this again - does anyone like the Old Navy mannequin commercials? Are they getting any good feedback? Does anyone not hate them? Is this blog post deja vu? Are they getting better or getting worse? Do they put anyone in happy buying mode?

Apple vs. PC

So, as you know, I am an Apple user. I am in no way shape or form a computer expert (shh, don't tell my coworkers), however, let me say this:

I bought this apple four and a half years ago. Knock on wood, it has never once had a virus, crashed, or lost anything of value (or, for that matter, anything not of value). Going 'Mac' was a decision based on three factors:

1) I had just acquired an ipod a couple months earlier and I really liked how it operated.
2) I'd had a bad experience with my college computer (every roommate I'd ever had made fun of it - I somehow ended up with a lemon).
3) Honestly, I was impressed with the aesthetics and marketing of Apple. I, as an advertising major, would tell you firsthand that this is not a good reason to buy something, but, I did have some backing with reasons 1 & 2.

Anyhow - as I said earlier, despite the fact that I don't do video-editing or various other Mac-specific activities and that I probably paid $200 more for my computer than say, the PC equivalent, my Mac has given me peace of mind, and one can't put a price on that. I am very happy with my decision and, honestly, I don't forsee myself needing to buy a new computer any time in the next couple years (knock on wood...), but if everything continues as is, my next computer will for sure be a Mac.

What is Google Trying to Tell Me?

Your Dream Is No Accident
See why your dreams are really you
www.Life-Answers.com

The above is the google ad on my blog today. I know it is in relation to what I blogged about earlier (recurring dreams), but still, I am interpreting this, too, as a sign/symbol. They keep coming and they keep getting weirder and weirder....

Worst Commercial on TV

Is anyone else truly creeped out by the Old Navy talking mannequins?! Yeesh! For me, it's not that the mannequins talk, it's what they say! The fingers breaking off? The spare set of legs in a trash bin? The woman getting stripped of her dress??! WHY, WHY, WHY? This doesn't put me in a happy shopping mood. It leaves me with a weirded-out, what-the-hell feeling inside.

However, I do 1) remember this commercial and b) remember it's for Old Navy specifically, so maybe there's something right with it. I suppose it's better to be hated than forgotten in the advertising world (see also: Hey Whipple, Squeeze This).

Wait a second - editor's sidenote: I have the tv on in the background. The 'Viva Viagra' commercial just came on. Scratch this. The Old Navy mannequins are the SECOND worst commercial on tv, but not by much.

Just Wondering....

Does Pepsi still, you know, exist? I remember them making many frantic efforts to get ahead of Coke (Pepsi Blue, Pepsi Holiday Spice, Clear Pepsi, the blind Pepsi/Coke taste-test, Britney Spears as a spokeswoman, the list goes ON AND ON). I feel like I still occasionally see Pepsi in stores and restaurants, etc., but I feel like I haven't seen an ad for them in forever. And more importantly, are they even trying to get ahead of coke any more? Or have they just weakly accepted defeat? Hmm.

Random Question

How come every infomercial offers a free product with the product it's selling?  It's failproof.  Call now and you'll get this random sometimes completely unrelated product!!!!   Often times the included product is not necessarily miniscule wherein there has to be some cost to it itself.   Does anyone ever miss out and not get that extra prize because they didn't "CALL NOW"?   One can't really argue it might have something to do with measuring advertising results because the calling in itself does that.  Seriously, what's the point of the throw in - there has to be one since they all consistently do it.  Anyone know?  Hmm.