Melissa asks: What’s with UW’s 50th Anniversary campaign???

This marketing document should be of interest to my fellow students in this course as it contains UW’s positioning statement, style guide, and strategy for the 50th anniversary: http://anniversary.uwaterloo.ca/documents/50guidelines7.pdf

It’s the kind of document that says a lot without really saying anything. For a school that prides itself on “innovative culture”, I wonder about whether the branding actually reflects the attitude. Personally, I don’t think this ad campaign is effective or innovative at all. The copy: “the spirit of “why not?”? C’mon?? Seriously!??! That’s all they could come up with? That sort spirit evokes disturbing images within me. Like scientists creating bombs or virus strains, kids pulling the legs off of spiders or stomping frogs to see which way the guts will come out. Basically, for me it makes me think of people doing things just because they can in an immoral sort of way. I understand they mean it in a George Bernard Shaw way, but it leaves some much room for personal interpretation. What’s worse is the hideous image for the campaign. It certainly does not correspond with the text. I’m sorry if I sound traitorous, but what does the mace, staff, specter thing have to do with anything?

On page 7-8 of the pdf file, you can see the lengths in which they have gone to launch the campaign. Money spent on items such as pins, podcasts, stickers, balloons, all letterhead and envelopes, etc. and ad nauseam. I only imagine the end price tag, but whatever was spent, it was too much. They could have done something much more effective to celebrate the school’s 50th anniversary. I bet that as a class, based on everything we have learned, we could have come up with an idea far better to invest resources into. But that’s just one person’s opinion. What do you have to say?

Do you like this ad campaign?
Do you think the qualities in the distinguishing traits section (Connected to the world, Future oriented, Innovative, High quality ) represents our school accurately?
How much of your decision to come to UW was based promotions and marketing efforts?

Radiohead - Reckoner

This is somewhat random, but I felt like posting a video of one of my favourite songs off of the new Radiohead album entitled "Reckoner". It's footage from a webcast they had a few nights ago.
For those of you not all that familiar with Radiohead... they are awesome. Go download their album for free.

I guess I posted this because it ties in somehow with our Radiohead discussion a few weeks ago...

but ultimately I blame Professor O'Gorman for playing the album at the beginning of class and getting their songs stuck in my head.
Hope you all enjoy and eventually partake in their controversial dissemination of free music.

- Alicja

REMIX of Melissa's Moral Meter logo

Based on Dane's comments, I un-busy-ified the logo.
I also played around with the figure and ground to add some more visual interest.
It was beyond great to get his feedback.

Sarah's Thoughts on Branding

I think I had been peripherally aware, at least, of the media's tendency towards "branding" rather than advertising a product. I clearly remember in the 80's preferring to drink Coke over Pepsi because I liked Coke's much more inclusive image better than what I perceived as Pepsi's "cooler than thou" approach. I couldn't tell the difference by taste, but I could by corporate image.

Although I knew on some level that companies promoted brands over products, I didn't think they were all that blatant about it until I watched some tv last week. There was an ad for some pet store or other that came right out and plainly said they were having a "Brand sale". Brand name pet foods, all on sale.

We see the interior of a house, at the front door. A man walks in and looks around. He calls "Mister Barky Von Schnauzer?" No answer. He tries again: "Mister Barky Von Schnauzer!" Still no answer. Voice over: "GIVE YOUR DOG A NAME HE ACTUALLY LIKES!" And then it launches into its pitch for their Brand-name sales event.

I find it ridiculous that my dog would care what name brand her food is, but the ad clearly urges people to take their pet's opinions into consideration (and it conveniently lets us know what those opinions are, how thoughtful of them). I doubt I even would have noticed this had it not been for the Klein readings of last week, but like a film course will destroy a person's enjoyment of movies, this course is at least making me much more aware of advertising and what they're actually doing.