DIGITALnicholas

Trying to build a new site...

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:36:35 -0600

For anyone that has stumbled upon this blog, it is rather dormant recently because I am working on building a blog into my official site. As such, I haven’t been blogging much here. Just wanted to clarify!

http://nickholle.com/

Thu, 05 May 2011 23:39:36 -0600

http://nickholle.com/:

Go check it out! I think I got the design pretty much set up the way I like, for now at least. I will be adding a lot of new content over the next few days/weeks. Not really sure how I will market it as something that anyone should care about, but I did put quite a bit of time into the site design and think it looks pretty slick.

Google Web Fonts

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:59:50 -0600

Google Web Fonts:

So I have been working on a lot of web design stuff recently, trying to update my html and css skills while learning some javascript, and I came across a pretty amazing thing. For a while I was frustrated about the lack of fonts available in standard browsers.

Not anymore. Check the link and have fun!

Designing Presentations

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:43:27 -0600

Designing Presentations:

Everyone who has to make PowerPoint presentations should really take a look at this article. Seriously, designing a good slide isn’t very difficult, and Joshua provides some great tips in this article. Especially with presentations coming up during finals week/the end of the school year, this advice will help you make something the class can actually enjoy.

Websites, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:05:57 -0600

Being the president of a fraternity, I get to know a lot of new members pretty well. Last year I managed their new membership education program. This year, I am also trying to assist my vice president set up a substantial member education system that includes real world training. Topics include etiquette, study habits, financial education, etc. But most recently, we discussed employment practices.

Interviewing and resumes are always important in hiring decisions, but I think the application process is changing dramatically with the digital environment. From what I can tell, networking has always been probably one of the most important aspects of who gets hired, and with social networking moving online, our generation has to be ready to take advantage of any of the numerous channels that connect people.

LinkedIn is probably the most obvious professional networking tool out there right now. I set up a profile just this last month. It was easy, took about 15 minutes, and already has connected me to about 30-40 friends and contacts. Many are alums of the fraternity or coworkers of my parents. Others are current colleagues from the Greek community, classes, or employees at the State Capitol, or are professors at the university. Whether or not these people will lead me to a direct job offer is still unknown, but why not increase my chances with such a short investment.

Similarly, why students don’t use the Husker Hire Link set up by the university is beyond me. There are tons of jobs posted, with about 20 just set up over this last weekend. And these range from career positions to summer availabilities to internships and co-opts. Finding work at college should not be an issue…

Twitter is a little bit less obvious; I see a lot of people using it definitely as a social tool, like a Facebook status update. But I feel like if Twitter is used correctly, it should be something applicants tell their interviewers to check out. Why not put that information on your resume? It should give others another level of connection to your life, something that can only be partially achieved in interviews. So many of my friends disregard Twitter as being too “hipster” or “nerdy,” like it is some techy-fad. Maybe it is, but again, why not just set up an account and start making some original content?

Finally, people should be considering setting up their own personal website. Our generation (as this blog has discussed several times before) is very much a digital one. Whether it is true or not, our future employers are going to expect us to be tech-savy. Having a personal website is probably the best way to prove this. html and css are not hard to learn; I taught myself the basics in junior high. It wasn’t until the beginning of this semester and through a JOUR class that I realized I should be putting these skills to use (even if just as a hobby). Again, being able to put nickholle.com down on a resume, even linking additional information to the site, will probably be a decision I make when applying for jobs in the future. I can link school coursework, artwork, design projects, essays, accomplishments, pictures, whatever I want, all on a domain that is completely my creation. Even if this stuff isn’t necessarily related to the job I am applying for, they are still skills I have…

This rant more or less is directed at anyone who thinks having tools like this isn’t necessary. You might be right; you can probably get a job without these profiles. But then again, if there are two competing similar applicants, same qualifications, but one with professional social networking skills, who do you think is going to be hired?

Weekly (Monthly?) Ad Review - Week 2

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:47:00 -0600

So maybe “weekly” wasn’t such a good title for these ad reviews, seeing as how the last one was clear back in late February. Each week I have been collecting advertisements I want to discuss, but when the time to review these cases comes along, I end up doing something else (sleeping, web design, fraternity work, or school stuff… usually in that order). Anyways, I have a few good ones to discuss and I also have some free time, so lets do it!

Skittles “Touch” Videos.

Skittles has always had some interesting campaigns; one of my personal favorite commercials is their Midas/Skittles Touch short, depicting a man trying to pick up a phone and frustratingly slamming his hands on his desk, causing both to transform into Skittles.

So that Skittles has developed this new online campaign is not surprising. First off, the commercials are definitely designed as online content; you have to be near enough to the screen for the ad to work. This shift to the digital environment is becoming more common, and any brand without online content is likely to be left in the dusty world of traditional advertising. Online content is nothing new; rather it is now a staple of campaigns.

But Skittles one-ups most other digital advertisements. Many other companies have already developed campaigns that force audiences to participate, but this is generally just limited to mental-involvement. Skittles gets people to physically interact with the brand. Whether or not this leads to direct sales is unimportant; viewers are voluntarily choosing to participate with Skittles. Unfortunately, I only found these videos because a friend viewed them randomly. Doesn’t seem to be much awareness for the campaign.

I only linked the “Skittles Touch: Cat” commercial, but there are about four others posted to Youtube.

Idea - fits with brand identity, but that identity is a bit strange - 7/10
Media Use - new use of the medium, creating interaction; lacks awareness so far though - 8/10
Execution - short and bizarre, like most of their stuff - 7/10
Value - unsure how much people will want to buy the candy after being licked by the cat guy - 7/10
Overall - 7.25/10

HP and Intel’s “The Lebrons.”

http://www.the-lebrons.com/hpintel/?/dm:_N5823.Youtube_62286545_239699316_0

I have not had much of a chance to fully look into this campaign yet, but it definitely is interesting. After watching the preview clip of the show, from what I gathered, it’s basically a cartoon about LeBron James’ childhood. Produced by HP & Intel, the cartoon will shamelessly plug their products.

“Get on like the LeBrons with HP and Intel” the site claims, linking all sorts of products. While this celebrity endorsement draws viewers to see the show, its true value is in its ability to bring additional viewers to the HP products.

Celebrity endorsements have all sorts of interesting effects on ads. But this campaign seems to be more than just a quick 30 second “buy this product” strategy. HP is probably trying to build a younger, more diverse audience. What better way to do that than by showing their brand is connected to one of the coolest, most popular NBA superstars currently in the game?

Idea - product placement and celebrity endorsement, to the next level - 7/10
Media Use - by paying Youtube big money, this show guarantees top video spots and its own custom page - 7/10
Execution - they made a full new web-show - 7/10
Value - hopes to build a new audience base - 7/10
Overall - 7/7

Crysis 2.

http://www.ea.com/crysis-2/videos

Crysis 2 is the second installment in a future/super-soldier video game. While the original Crysis passed without any substantial advertising (even though it was critically-acclaimed), this second game is trying to infiltrate a Modern Warfare-dominated market. In particular, they have steadily released more and more videos (up to nearly 30 now). Aside from just gameplay and E3 teasers, several impressive trailers have been made.

I particularly love the “New York, New York” campaign of gameplay trailers. Each of these feature cool footage that demonstrates the in-game graphics. But more than that, they each have the same song, covered by 3 artists.

First came this one, by Polly Scattergood (haunting, eh?):

(and here is a sweet making-of video for this trailer!)

Then there was an adrenaline-pumping, sci-fi eye-candy trailer, with Rob Grave’s version of the song:

Finally, the official release trailer, with popular hip-hop artist BOB:

The campaign also has the common slogan of “Be Strong, Be Fast, Be Invisible, Be the Weapon.” Options for everyone. Crysis 2 released early demos and is now fully released in the US for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Finally, there is a cool video of the Crysis 2 team driving throughout London with super powerful projectors; setting up in highly populated areas, the team would then allow bystanders to play the game on giant building walls. It seems this turned out to be a successful guerilla marketing event.

The game is living up to the claim of being the most graphically advanced game out there, and with extensive advertisement this time, it will likely do well in the market.

Idea - multiple creative messages, but still connected - 8/10
Media Use - tons! of media for people who are interested; clubs, Facebook pages, demos, etc.; only lacks strong television presence - 9/10
Execution - some of the best looking video game advertisements - 10/10
Value - lots of publicity, especially in Europe - 9/10
Overall - 9/10

Too Many Blogs?

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:29:01 -0600

Too Many Blogs?:

I thought this article was relevant. I agree there are probably too many uninteresting blogs out there, and mine probably falls into this category for most internet users. The biggest problem I see with most blogs is that they lack new content, something I at least try to avoid. So many people today opt to simply re-post an article or video, or more commonly, retweet a short fragment. While this content might not necessarily take up much storage space (as it is just linking in other content), it does seem to clutter the web with unoriginality. When web-surfers then go looking for something cool and new, they have to sort through all the other stuff.

All the statistics out there seem overwhelming and given that I probably come no where near the thousand visitor mark, maybe my blog will be one of the millions that simply drops off after this class finishes. I hope not; while my topic may shift slightly, I personally enjoy the blogging experience. I may shift from a media-related blog to a simply creative, possibly short fiction, focused site. As I mentioned a few posts ago, this content will also probably fully manifest once I transition over to nickholle.com, my own website I hope to build soon (summer 2011?).

And if anyone disagrees about the idea that blogging unoriginal content isn’t fun, creative, or cool, feel free to keep doing it, as I will probably continue not searching for it.

Who says Lincoln has nothing fun to do? This spring break, one...

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:09:00 -0600

Who says Lincoln has nothing fun to do? This spring break, one of my weekends was spent downtown at The Zoo Bar, Duffy’s Tavern, and The Bourbon listening to some of Lincoln’s best local music. I think someone said it was the 6th annual recurrence of the festival? Regardless, for $7 a night or $15 for three, ears were treated to some great sounds. While primarily hipster alternative rock, there was everything from poetry plus acoustic guitar to heavy (which apparently means loud) metal rock, plenty of country and bluegrass, and even some electronica (if that’s what you would label it…). I’ve recorded and posted 15 videos of several bands, now on YouTube. Please note, these recordings are via a Droid, but still provide decent audio and video; sorry for any name, date, location mistakes. The worst thing about recordings is the bands would play a really cool song and then I would record a less cool song; so basically know the shows only got better than as displayed here.

The first night I got out later than I hoped, only catching 3 or 4 bands. But still, I knew right away that this was going to be a great event. Crowd sizes the first night were less, given that it was a Thursday. Still, this actually probably made for better atmosphere. Not having to struggle to get a drink and seat (or at least decent place to stand) was nice and you could actually hear the quieter bands.

The second night my friend ran into an unforeseen problem: while Duffy’s was clearly just 21+, the Zoo Bar also switched to this policy for the weekend. Thus a lot of the night was limited to the Bourbon. Still, the Really Rotten’s energy and Solid Gold’s groove were awesome. I also caught a lot of solo acts which were impressive; I didn’t like these groups as much, but definitely recognize how difficult it would be to hold down a larger audience with quieter (yet still quality) music.

Night three was my favorite. My friend was allowed back into the Zoo Bar (even if that was a misunderstanding) and we got to see a lot of my favorite bands from the event. South of Lincoln (a solo act) had probably the most meaningful and interesting music that I heard that weekend. Drinking some Empyrean Chaco Canyon Honey Ale, we stuck around at the Zoo Bar for a while to see Lloyd McCarter and The Honky Tonk Revival. This group was probably most organized; they had great sound and knew what they wanted to play. The musicians were talented and the group got the crowd up and dancing, even if this was often dangerous in the limited space.

But nothing could prepare me for The Show is the Rainbow. If you’ve never had a chance to see this guy, you are missing out. I honestly can’t do the show justice with words. Expect a lot of energy, body sweat, and strange sounds. Personally, I thought a lot of the chaos may not have sounded the best, but who cares!? The show was wild, a definite great ending to the 2011 Lincoln Exposed. I’m already looking forward to next year.

For a complete list of all who played, click here!

nickholle.com launches (purchased, at least).

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:29:00 -0600

Probably will be moving content over to my new domain name soon, but until the end of the semester it will also serve as my JOUR 165 homework website. So expect some strange content up there for a bit.

Still, exciting. Now I own the rights to a webpage of my name. Strange to think it could be otherwise.

Rage Like Its Spring Break

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:18:48 -0600

Rage Like Its Spring Break:

Made by a friend and fellow Beta Sig at Epsilon. As I just finished my Midterm due prior to break, I am officially free for a week and thus have these beats pumping. Have a fun, safe, and full Spring Break friends.

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Episode III - Backstroke of the West

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 01:31:34 -0600

Episode III - Backstroke of the West:

While discussing how many students in foreign language classes simply use online translators to finish their homework, one of my friends tipped me off to the Chinese pirated version of Star Wars (or, as the like to call it, Star War). As many Western movies are banned in China, bootlegged versions of popular films are pirated into the country all the time. And generally, it isn’t too big of a deal.

But due to Star Wars’ popularity, the bootleggers decided to add a little extra to increase sells. Usually, the imported copies include some sketchy Chinese subtitles that do a decent job of translating the film. In this particular case, the DVD included the special feature option to watch English subtitles (like their American counterparts do, right?). Unfortunately, in their attempts to add this feature, the bootleggers decided to listen to the movie in English and translate it as best as they could into Chinese; these transcriptions were then run through an online translation program, producing some of the most humorous subtitles I have ever seen. Check out the link for snapshots of the best. Apparently the people working on this film also just decided to add random little bits when they couldn’t figure out the dialogue. Thank God for Asia!

The Oscars & Social Media by the Numbers

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:48:00 -0600

The Oscars & Social Media by the Numbers:

I got pretty busy the last few weeks working on my thesis, school work, and Beta Sig stuff, but after watching some of the Oscars, I was interested in how the social media sites were monitoring traffic related to the event. Hopefully the link will work, but if not, several companies and analysts have gathered all the data (primarily from Twitter or Facebook) and described some of the cool trends.

For TV ratings, the numbers were down compared to previous award shows, although the event definitely pulls some impressive numbers, with 37.6 million people tuning in. I thought it was interesting that the specified ad-targeted demographic was 18-49 year olds; seems like quite a range there… Not sure if that can’t be narrowed down more?

Twitter was definitely something I wanted to check out. Just recently starting a Twitter account (the same day this blog began), the media is still relatively new to me (although I got a crash course in the system during the UNL gunman incident; more on that later). When I watched the most recent State of the Union Address, many news stations covered the various tweets sent out by politicians at the event. Once I get over the fact that this behavior is rude, it is kind of cool to get live updates from many important people, along with the chance to connect with them during the event. During the Oscars, estimates range from anywhere between 400,000 to 1,300,000 tweets being sent out related to the show.

Most interesting is how the tweets can be graphically displayed based on frequency and time; this allows people to see when people are tweeting the most. Some of these patterns are predictable. Melissa Leo’s F-word generated around 11,000 tweets immediately after the speech. Big wins (King’s Speech, Toy Story 3, The Social Network, Black Swan, etc.) all scored around 9-10,000 tweets. Interestingly, Oprah seemed to take the night, as her appearance coincided with nearly 12,000 tweets.

As for content, both The Fighter and Inception had the most tweets (depending on which study). James Franco’s hosting seems to be the top tweet topic, with nearly 60,000 tweets. Pretty impressive!

On Facebook, the numbers were similar. King’s Speech and Franco were the most reported status updates. Nearly 1.9 million updates had some relation to the night’s show.

Just another interesting way that social media is capable of doing cool things. Almost makes you think there should be an award for most tweets or updates, huh?

Wisconsin Protesters, Freedom Fighters or Terrorists?

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:44:00 -0600

So I honestly don’t care too much about what is going on in Wisconsin. Maybe that is just my generation’s general disconnection or apathy for events that only appear on TV. If it doesn’t get our attention then it doesn’t matter, right?

But seeing as how this story isn’t going away (just like the protesters), I figured I would make my comments about the situation. I assume the title might offend some people, but then again, I don’t really think anyone reads this blog besides myself, so who cares? Plus, just to clarify, at best, it’s an exaggerated metaphor. But to get things started, I thought I would post a video/picture of some fellow friends in the middle of the action in Madison. Just for clarification, they marched with the Tea Party, although I think they could care less which side they were on and mainly wanted to just be part of the insanity… Since it basically is a big joke up there.

If you can, check out this Facebook video link, although the profile may be private: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1616276324860&oid=111615612250098&comments

Again, the last I heard, the person holding Reagan honestly didn’t care. One day he was just running around with a sign saying “Haters gonna hate.” The video posted, if you were unable to view it, was of protesters dancing in the Wisconsin capitol building, with Todd Rundgren’s “Bang The Drum All Day” dubbed in. Works perfectly.

Now I understand that teachers and other public workers are important. They do a lot of work for our country and deserve to be fairly rewarded. But honestly, their protesting seems absurd. Signs that state this bill hurts the children are stupid; the teachers not showing up to work is what will hurt our children! All the witty statements about literacy seem immature, like something a high-school student would turn in instead of the required essay.

First off, some stats out there show that Wisconsin teachers actually get paid pretty well, better than many other public officials who have gone through more education. They get pretty good deals on benefits as well. These statements are based off a conversation I was having with a Lincoln capitol worker, but I’m sure the comparing facts are out there if anyone is interested.

But more importantly, isn’t our country doing terrible in education tests when compared to other competitive countries? Well who is to blame for this? Aside from parents, I have to think teachers. I mean no one else has a more direct role in inspiring students to succeed than our educators. And when year after year they seem to be failing at this, maybe they shouldn’t be paid as high as they would like. I know society in general is responsible for a lot of these trends, but teachers need to be more accountable for undereducated graduates. Show us improvements in international standings, and then we can talk about pay (just like every other job…).

We all know how the democratic system works; people are elected to represent and then policy is made. Well Wisconsin’s politicians were elected and have made the choice to make these cuts. When the majority presented its arguments and decided to vote through laws, the minority democratic party decided to flee. That is not their job. How many other laws could have been debated in the time these officials have been MIA? It just seems bizarre and immature. I understand you have an obligation to adamantly present your opinions, but there are rules in the game. If something is unconstitutional, then the courts will strike it down, right? Just like republicans had to sit and watch as the health care bill was forced through the system by the majority, so to do the democrats have to put up with the opposite. Deal with it.

That so many union workers are shocked by this seems stupid. Their reaction then is obviously to hold their state hostage. Look, all professions can do what you are doing when stuff doesn’t go their way. If farmers disagree, they could cut off food supplies and we starve. If doctors disagree, they could stop treating patients and let thousands die. If lawyers disagree, then citizens are without legal defense. Think of any profession and imagine they simply cease to provide their services. The repercussions could be terrible. Thankfully, some of the more vital professions don’t do this shit and the world keeps on turning. Union workers in Wisconsin need to realize sometimes the pocket is only so deep and if they want to change things, they should make smarter use of their voting rights.

One last disturbing topic. Plenty of young students, children, are involved in these protests. A lot of the teachers involved are clearly younger. Marching, yelling, and holding signs, this event is probably awesome! But do they honesty know what they are even claiming to support. “Yeah, my teachers should be able to force the nation to do what they collectively want!” Children, as much as they may claim to understand the situation, generally get enthusiastically caught up in the charisma, excitement, and drama. While it is okay for young students to have an opinion, I hope teachers are being unbiased (as their job requires) in their education of this situation. Because give them twenty or so years, and most of these now susceptible protesters will be on the side of the majority. Once you have lived a little life to know things aren’t always fair and whining doesn’t help the situation, understanding why budget cuts need to be made might influence their opinion a little more…

But then again, I myself am just a kid, so maybe I don’t know anything. If you ask me, though, people should grow up and go back to their jobs.

Weekly Ad Review - Week 1

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:33:00 -0600

As an advertising major, I thought it might be interesting to review a couple ads each week. A few preliminary comments:

I may post more or less frequently than the weekly mark.
I will review ads of all forms (TV, online, non-traditional, etc.).
I may review some older ads, depending on any influences.
I will try to rate, but don’t take any rating system too seriously.
I welcome any suggestions on ads I should take a look at.

Without further ado, Week 1 Ad Review…

First up, Dodge’s All Wheel Drive “SNOWPOCALYPSE.”

Having worked in a grocery store for several years, this ad frighteningly accurate. If the weather man says the “S”-word, people begin raiding stores like nuclear holocaust is minutes away. Even if it is just flurries with a chance of 1 or 2 inches, plenty of customers will stock up on 7 weeks’ worth of food. Add on rudeness—because they need to get home to beat the snow that is coming in less than 24 hours—and it makes for a long night.

Playing on this craze, the first half of Dodge’s commercial is well produced. Most notably, Bernard Herrmann’s “Cape Fear” theme song is well suited, juxtaposed with the humorous imagery. In the end, the three Dodge AWD cars boldly drive through the snowpocalypse. Dodge’s flag, title, and motto then roll. Even though this commercial doesn’t promote a specific car, it is success at selling the brand as safe.

My only real trouble with this advertisement is the multiple shots of cars abandoned on the side of the road. It may not be a big deal, but it seems to downplay the often scary and sometimes tragic accidents that happen during snowstorms like this. I mean, people die in many of those accidents. Hard to tell where the line of mocking people in that situation is drawn.

Anyways ratings (first time doing this… hmm…):

Idea - everyone knows that feeling - 8/10
Media Use - great music selection - 10/10
Execution - good production, but fatal humor is strange - 6/10
Value - sells the brand - 8/10
Overall - 8/10

Next: MINI’s “Countryman vs. Monster”

I don’t know the details on this one, but I do know there are several versions out there. I saw a short (0:30) version on Comedy Central today; there is also this full length (1:30) version and several short (0:15) clips of the various characters and MINI’s information.

After seeing it on TV, I wanted another look at it. It’s funny and funny usually works (especially on Comedy Central). Probably the best part of this is when “Bleeding Heart” (by N. Berings and J.A.W. Brouwer) really kicks in mid-flight. Slow-mo gets really pronounced and we have all these shots of manly fans weeping in excitement/fear/joy? Ahhh, such a beautiful sight. I especially like the driver’s final yell, as I have always wondered what must be going on inside these trucks.

But at the end of the commercial, we don’t know much about the product. The MINI makes great obstacles to jump over? People don’t want to see them crushed. I think they are trying to say that with the additional, new car (the Countryman), the monster truck can’t jump the entire collection. I don’t know… This ad might work for a select market but I can’t imagine the ad will have much repeat value.

Idea - not sure what the message is - 5/10
Media Use - funny music, funny expressions, funny editing - 9/10
Execution – it’s funny, but not very informative - 6/10
Value - why should I but this car again? - 4/10
Overall - 6/10

Lastly (for mature audiences only), Ubisoft’s “We Dare - Have a Spicy Evening!”

Finally, someone is realizing the sexual possibilities of the Wii! You may have missed this commercial because the game is only being released in Europe now, but rumors are a North American release isn’t too far away. Don’t worry though, our children are safe from this game… Oh, wait, never mind. It’s only Pegi +12 rated.

To be honest, I don’t know how risky any game using the Wii characters can get. I mean what was with the spanking game? While you spank your real life partner, Wii characters fly around through loops? Must be some hip new sex thing today’s kids are doing…

The commercial doesn’t seem much better than the game. The sound quality seems dull and the music selection is obscure and quiet. The scenes are cut like the actual Wii commercials, but here we have some sort of awkward sexual tension/untension? I mean these players are all over the foursome, swapping partners and such. I can’t imagine them playing this game much longer before they abandon it for what is really on their mind: much like I think any real audience will end up doing.

The one interesting quality is the ending of the ad, where users can select their “parental code.” After selecting one of the YouTube links, viewers are then taken to an extra 15 second scene (for instance, the two guys trying to eat the apple, as the girls dance behind the fogged glass behind them). This interactive quality is nice, but far from redemption. I guess they also do show some cute girls and handsome guys, something that at least gets a few points when discussing anything sexual.

Also, this product/video will probably get quite a few controversy points, as some major news groups are already discussing it. Not to mention the viral videos already posted. Take the video clips; add Inception theme music; already a vast improvement.

Idea - not really working with much here… - 2/10
Media Use - poor sound, okay visual editing - 3/10
Execution - tried to do interactive, but didn’t bring much - 3/10
Value - surprisingly might get some media attention - 4/10
Overall - 3/10

That’s all for this week, but I’ve already seen some good ads I want to discuss next. The rating system, for clarification is like this:

Idea - is the creative strategy sound
Media Use - how do they make use of the format to promote their message; this will obviously change based on what medium is used
Execution - is the message sent; overall production quality
Value - are people going to want to act on the ad; what is the ads worth to the client?
Overall - the average of above

Hope all enjoyed, see you next week. Now I’m off to try to find a copy of “We Dare.” :)

Why Watson Wagered $947, and Other Intel on the Jeopardy Supercomputer

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:00:00 -0600

Why Watson Wagered $947, and Other Intel on the Jeopardy Supercomputer:

The computers are going to take over the world… Once they figure out their puny mechanical arms need to be replaced with machine guns and flamethrowers. Jennings himself admitted defeat, saying “I for one welcome our new computer overlords.” I can only imagine how much more Watson would have won if it was connected to online databases, rather than the finite (but still large) reference base that was stored internally.

For a more in depth article about why IBM’s new computer is important, check out http://blogs.forbes.com/markpmills/2011/02/21/ibms-watson-jeopardy-stunt-unleashes-a-third-great-cycle-in-computing/ . Aside from being a successful PR stunt, this Jeopardy winner might be the next new technology to continue the digital age.

I just saw this big, bright ad banner at the top of YouTube that...

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 01:56:00 -0600

I just saw this big, bright ad banner at the top of YouTube that makes use of an interesting advertising strategy (which we are seeing used more frequently); what does Lebron breakdancing have to do with State Farm insurance? Well to figure out, you have to click through, follow the links, and actually be engaged in the company’s Facebook site. Once you get there, you also need to “like” their page, building a further connection. When I got to the page, 286,534 people had already liked it to view the content.

Liking the page leads you into a new State Farm commercial with their jingle. While the commercial is funny, I wonder how effective it is at actually bumping sales. I mean just because I’ve clicked a few links doesn’t mean I am going to buy insurance from this company, right? If anything, this campaign at least gets the State Farm jingle and image in viewers mind. I just am unsure about how much clicking through a few links effects the average YouTube user. Our generation seems to be very good at jumping from page to page, and though we may be “liking” something on Facebook, it is often just to get access to something, not necessarily actually liking the product.

It would be interesting to see some of the figures this campaign is generating. Like I mentioned, Lebron has nothing to do with the company, but I figure he must be a client if he is doing an endorsement. The Facebook page also includes bloopers and extras, a little more additional content The original banner at YouTube also had a big notice and image on the side linking viewers to a chance to win a trip to Vegas (equally unrelated).

One last strange note about this advertising, there doesn’t seem to be any official links to State Farm’s actual website that clearly visible. I may be missing it, but it seems weird that if I did want any actual information about their product, I wouldn’t actually have easy access to it.

So what do you think? Is this type of advertising effective?

Beta Sig broomball is done this season. Good effort this year...

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:36:34 -0600

Beta Sig broomball is done this season. Good effort this year guys, but for some reason, I have a strong feeling we can improve next year.

Facebook To Hit 100 Billion Uploads by Summer 2011 [Inforgraphic]

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:29:18 -0600

Facebook To Hit 100 Billion Uploads by Summer 2011 [Inforgraphic]:

Pretty amazing stuff. I personally have just under 400 pictures related to my account, although most of them are posted for Beta Sig. All I know is I would love to see the servers that handle all this information…

http://wwwery.com/12069-facebook-photos.html

Want to print your own posters?

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 02:13:00 -0600

Want to print your own posters?:

Pretty cool program with some awesome designs. I’m going to try it out soon and will post the results.

Are The Kids All Right? The "Digital Natives"

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:57:00 -0600

Are The Kids All Right? The "Digital Natives":

When making this blog, I chose the title based around the concept of “digital natives,” the generation born into the digital era. Born in 1989, I have been around for most of the online technological developments. Computer software, file sharing, and smart phone applications all seem very familiar and usable to me. But honestly, even younger kids are going to be even more embedded in this world.

Working in the Attorney General’s Office, I see dozens of cases each month about cyber-bullying, sexting, or childstalkers. I’ve heard stories about Facebook profiles gone wrong. If we truly are digital natives, why does this happen so much? (Check out Gagnier’s article, posted at the top of this entry). Is it our generation’s fault or are adults to blame? Maybe they just don’t understand the intentions of their children. I honestly don’t think either group can claim innocence in this issue. While some kids make stupid mistakes, this is nothing new that is specific to our generation; the only thing that is different is that our mistakes are now permanently accessible once they go digital. While kids these days may know how to instantly post pictures or videos to social networks, they don’t necessarily make the distinction between which pictures can be problematic in the future.

At the same time, I think “responsible” adults who turn away potential employees based on these revealing photos sometimes act abusively. Just because a person may have photos posted from a weekend with friends doesn’t mean their entire existence is corrupt. There is always some separation between work and play. When you leave the work world and enter someone’s play life, you shouldn’t be surprised when you see they have their own preferences, behaviors, and beliefs. I’m sure these bosses have plenty of their own personal moments they wouldn’t want put on display; what is different is that they just have more business/life experience that holds them back in showing their complete lives. And though kids may sometimes make the mistake of originally posting images or stories in a public forum, I don’t think it is appropriate for employers to then threaten or simply dismiss individuals for living in an online, connected, open world. As a business owner, they are entitled to make choices about their hiring policies; but as an aware citizen in the 21st century, they should know better than to hastily generalize a person’s character around a glimpse at their profile. And if they are going to view the profile, instead of stalking through the internet to quietly peak into someone’s personal life, maybe having a discussion with the person would be more helpful and appropriate for both parties…

A few years ago, employers didn’t have the option to do this type of investigation. Though this tool is now widely used, maybe bosses should afford individuals the same respect and opportunity previous generations were given.

Lastly, even the idea that someone is afraid to post something seems a strange idea about the world we live in. As I’ve discussed above, everyone has stuff they might not want others to see. Honestly, I think our generation is more open and free with our thoughts and personalities. The only thing we are concerned about, in regards to employers, teachers, and parents, is that we will be judged unfairly.