The Eco Scale

Whole Foods is a store devoted to customer excellence. They like to provide their customers with the most organic and clean groceries possible.

A new thing that the company has come out with is an Eco-scale.

This eco-scale uses three different scales (pictured above) that rate household cleaning products sold in their stores.

Most grocery stores don't offer this. But Whole Foods wants to keep the trust of their customers.

The breakdown goes like this:

Orange-rated products:

- No ingredients with significant environmental or safety concerns, such as phosphates, chlorine, or preservatives that have the potential to release formaldehyde.

- No artificial colors

- No animal testing

Yellow-rated products:

- No ingredients with moderate environmental or safety concerns, such as DEA, TEA or MEA surfactants (surface acting agents that can act as foaming agents) that have the potential to contain nitrosamines and other impurities

- No synthetic thickeners made from non-renewable petroleum-derived sources

- 100% natural fragrances

Green-rated products (highest rated):

- Meet all of the standards of both orange and yellow-rated products.

- Only 100 percent natural ingredients

- Contain no petroleum-derived ingredients at all

This is used to help customers not contaminate their home with the harmful chemicals that are found in cleaning supplies. Any products that do not meet these standards will be taken off the shelves.

Photoshop Mania?

Magazines have been known to photoshop for the longest time. But people have never noticed because are too consumed in the fake beauty that we see on covers.

Britney Spears was the spokeswoman for Candies, a clothing and accessory line. She was a spokeswoman for them when she was going through a bad time in her life.

Since she had to do a photo shoot, a lot of photoshopping had to be done.

Below and above are results of the images.

This photoshopping is what is getting Americans to buy what is advertised. We believe the beauty in these photos so we pressure ourselves to become just like them.

Britney Spears is aware of the before and after pictures.

She has allowed the pre-airbrushed images from a shoot she took part in to be used ALONGSIDE the digitally-altered ones, so people can see the difference.

The 29-year-old singer made the extraordinary move in order to highlight the pressure exerted on women to look perfect.

What do you think?

Youtube Gurus

Youtube has been a site that has blown up in last few years. Anyone can post a video about anything and get many many views. Some people actually get paid for the amount of views they receive. Something that has been on the trend for the past year are "Youtube Gurus".

Youtube Gurus are people who are self-proclaimed "experts" that give demonstrations, tips, advice on a specialized subject via series of youtube videos. Most gurus are makeup gurus.

They also do things called "hauls" where they show off what clothes or new makeup products they bought.

These hauls can be considered as advertising. The gurus show the new makeup products that they bought and they brag about how AMAZING the product is. Or it can be reversed and a guru can talk about how they hate a product.

Either way, it is a form of advertising that has been more common.

Some gurus even get sent free products to review or get paid to review certain products.

Here is an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsbWOVvnjyo&feature=feedu

New is Now!

So the gym I go to in my hometown Chicago is called Lakeshore Athletic Club. Now I was very satisfied with this gym and loved it a lot. As I came home for break, I decided to take a trip there and work out a bit. To my surprise... nothing was where it used to be. Everything was changed, the cardio room changed, the whole facility changed!

I am not one that likes change. But for some reason.... I liked this change.

As I inquired about it I learned that the company went under new management.

The new management turned LSAC around in a 180.

The company changed their logo, their name, the inside color scheme, and so much more.

They also have new gym equipment, food & beverage section, and new locker room furnishing.

To see ALL the new improvements check out the "New is Now" campaign.

I think that this new management will increase customers and excellency within the company.

I just hope they don't increase my membership fee!

Shop with MAC

So of course I LOVE MAC and as I soon as I heard MAC cosmetics was coming out with a new program on their site, I was all over it.

The company has decided to put a program on its website called "MAC Shop Together."

All you have to do is log onto the website and you can instantly have a chat with up to 4 or 5 of your friends and talk about the MAC products.

This program launched April 22nd.

MAC Shop Together was created to be a platform so that all MAC fanatics can come to one place to discuss products, launches, and enhance the overall consumer experience.

I believe this is a great marketing and advertising tool because it not only allows one person to be online, but it convinces their friends to be on line too.

This will then force the other friends to look onto the site and see what they can buy and which will then lead them to buy products.

This is a great way for friends and the company to be in a win-win situation.

All the consumers can shop together on an online experience.

Will you try it out?

For the love of Animals

So I bet if someone saw a PETA ad, they could spot it right away. But these ads (above and below) I did not recognize. They are PETA ads and I have never seen them before. They are very intriguing and they definitely caught my eye. Now if PETA ever tried to get a message across... this for sure would win.

I like these ads because they are bold, edgy, and taking a risk. These ads almost seem inappropriate for the public.

PETA is known for risque advertisements. The are mostly known for their

"I'd rather go naked than wear fur" campaign.

These advertisements however, I am vert unsure about.

Even though I am unsure, I think it is powerful.

It is almost a slap in the face to meat packing companies.

They are saying "Image packing human flesh and then eating it."

PETA is also getting very clever in their advertising. They are starting to have games on their website that involve what PETA is trying to tell the world.

Play the game yourself. I been playing it forever.

COOKING MAMA

The Feathery Flight

Yet again, MAC cosmetics is coming out with a NEW collection. Yes you heard me... a NEW one. This is the third collection in line to be released.

The thing about this collection is that I am IN LOVE WITH THE ADVERTISING!!

^^ So look above... just look... right now ^^

This is the image that is being used as advertisement for the collection. What I love about this image is the eye in the middle of all the colorful plumage.

The eye is mysterious and captivating. It makes me want to know what is so mysterious about this collection and why is it luring me to buy it??

Great marketing scheme I think.

I also think the color choices are great. They are bright and vibrant and it captures the consumer's eye.

I absolutely LOVE it.

Here is a picture of what the new eyeshadows from this collection will look like:

Yay or Nay?

MAC Fashion Flower

Everyone knows the saying "April Showers brings May Flowers."

Well this April MAC cosmetics is coming out with a new collection called Fashion Flower.

Now before I throw a rant about this collection, I must say that I am happy collections are coming out more frequently. The change in collections are keeping women on their toes, they are always wanting know what comes next. It keeps them interested and keeps them coming back to the company.

Now about this collection, I hate it. I am not a fan of the color choices and the advertising.

First off, the advertising is kind of bland and boring (as you can see above). There isn't much to it. It is just a woman wearing a flower hood... not attractive.

This single photo as advertising isn't worth it.

Second, I am not a fan of the color choices for this collection. If you see the other eyeshadows, all the colors are pastel. Which is totally understandable since it is spring, but the colors are too young and immature.

I do have to say I like the little imprinted flowers in the eyeshadows and blushes. It gives it a little va-va-voom.

What do you guys think?

Taco Bell wants an apology

An advertisement that I absolutely LOVE is the new Taco Bell one. Not that long ago, there was an issue with the company. They were being sued because they were accused of falsely advertising their 'real beef.' Apparently, the people suing this company didn't believe they used real beef. Over time, the law firm that was suing against Taco Bell withdrew the case. Taco Bell didn't ask them to, there was no settlement agreement, the company didn't change their advertising or ingredients. They stood by their products and quality the whole time.

Now they sent out these ads, stating that all they ask for is is an apology.

These ads are so bold and edgy, I love them. It is also a slap in the face to the law firm that was suing Taco Bell.

Way to be edgy.

A Neon No No

So I was walking through my grocery store... and while my mother we was looking for groceries, I naturally hover towards the cosmetic section.

As I am looking through the new 'drug-store' makeup collections, I was surprised when I came across Maybelline New York.

Their new spring display actually looks atrocious. I hate it. The pop neon colors for a spring is a a huge no no. I mean, of course you are allowed to wear blue, green, and yellow eyeshadow. But ONLY if it is done correctly. These colors, as shown above, are obviously not attractive.

You can also see the nail polishes hiding in the back... the colors are awful. Bright orange and an ugly green... not my cup of tea. Lastly, the lipgloss tubes and colors look like something I received as a gift when I was 8 as my first makeup item.

Overall, I am not happy with this collection.

Like I said before, It is okay to wear these colors, but not this obnoxiously ant ONLY if it is done right.

Operation Beautiful

So I was exploring the internet... the usual thing I do when I am bored... and I came across this campaign that I think is amazing.

Operation Beautiful

The point of this campaign is to end negative self-talk or “Fat Talk" by posting notes around public places (school, stores, in books, etc.) that are positive and uplifting.

I love this campaign because I feel like there is a lot of pressure to look a certain way in the society we live in. The media is expecting us to be a size 0 and they want us to do everything in our power to accomplish it. In reality, this isn't possible. We are who we are and we were made a certain way.

This campaign is great because it is always great to have positive inspiration. Imagine going to use the bathroom in a public mall and as you close the stall door, you see a post-it that says

"You are gorgeous."

Of course this would make you feel good about yourself because it was an unexpected note... but I am sure it made your day.

I feel that more people should be aware of this campaign. It is a great way to remind ourselves that we are perfect the way we are.

You can even join the mission. All you need is a pen and paper!

My Philosophy on Philosophy

I am a sucker for packaging. I will buy anything that looks cute or would look good in my beauty collection. Philosophy cosmetics has the most adorable packaging for their shower gels, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, etc.

What makes the products so appealing are their simplicity.

If you look at a shower gel (like below for example), there really isn't much to it.

It just has an image, a cute lengthy description of what is in the bottle, and a quirky definition of Philosophy, based on what image is being featured on the bottle.

These bottles can almost act like collectors items because they are just so fun to keep around and look at.

Here are some examples of the bottles:

Jelly Bean shower gel.

Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream lotion

Fresh baked apple pie shower gel.

Vanilla Birthday cake lipgloss and lotion set.

Philosophy is a great example of a brand that uses simplicity in their packaging.

They get the point across while not being obnoxious.

I love this brand.... maybe you should check it out.

The Skinny Pepsi

The newest thing that has come out is Diet Pepsi's skinny can.

This can is slimmer and skinnier than the normal Pepsi cans.

These new cans came out during New York Fashion week and that alone is sparking a controversy. Some critics believe that the reveal during fashion week is reinforcing 'dangerous' stereotypes about women and body image.

Personally, I love the new sleek can. I am a big fan of Redbull, and part of it is because of the sleek can. The new sleek can is more stylish and will attract more female customers.

I do not think that this can should spark controversy. A can is a can. It is a marketing ploy. I don't think Pepsi intended to make a controversy over the new can. I think that they did strategically plan to reveal the can at New York Fashion week because of all the designers and all of the celebrity hype.

Some designers like Betsey Johnson even supported the reveal.

Bottom line, I love the can... Great P.R. move in revealing during Fashion Week.

Surf's Up Baby!

Obviously I am in love with MAC Cosmetics. So I will keep blogging about them.

What a coincidence that they are coming out with a new collection.

It is called the MAC Surf Baby Collection. This collection will be out to the public May 28th.

I am absolutely in with the packaging and the pictures that are promoting the products.

They are perfect for the upcoming summer season.

Down below are pictures of some of the packaging:

The Lipgloss is made to look like a surfboard.

The lipstick.

Cosmetic Bags.... The typical cosmetic bags are black, but these are fun summerish colors.

I like the packaging on these products because it steps aways from MACs typical sleek black packaging. This is aiming more towards the summer season. It is also very eye catching.

If you look at the other products, like the bronzers or blushes, they have hibiscus flowers imprinted into the product.

As stated before, I love this collection.

I think everything about it was well thought out and the advertising was on point.

This collection will make money and be a HUGE hit.

Hatching the LV

So this is a window display in New York City. It is a display for the Louis Vuitton store.

I am in love with this display because it is the Easter season.

The idea of shoes hatching out of eggs is so adorable and very creative.

It makes me want to go easter shopping and spend money.

It makes me feel like I need to buy an easter outfit!

I think this display is very eye-catching because it is not something you see everyday...

well if you walk by the display everyday you might... but not all displays are intricate like this.

I think all the window displays in New York City are amazing!!

Walking down the street in the beautiful city is like walking through a high fashion museum, all the window displays are decorated to the T and are always perfect.

I think I need to buy a new pair of shoes now...

Quite Cute

MAC Cosmetics has launched a new collection this April called Quite Cute.

It is a mix of girly, cute, quirky, and fun. The color palette contains many pastel colors that are perfect for the spring. This collection reminds me of Tokyo Glam meets American Sweetheart. The way the advertisement is made, it looks like the model is a harajuku girl from Tokyo. Her hair is in 2 giant, over the top braids and she is wearing pink from head to toe... literally.

The model is also wearing the makeup that is being advertised... or so we hope.

I think my favorite part about this collection is the packaging of the products.

If you look below you can see the mineralize skin finishes (which are also known as mineral blushes). The blushes have little hearts baked into the center of the product. I think this is so adorable and makes every makeup junkie's mouth water.

Here is the Quite Cute collection:

I love this collection and I think the advertising is perfect. I just wish they would have added more pictures to advertise it, instead of the 1 harajuku girl.

I also think that MAC should have taken the color palette into consideration. As much as I adore the color palette, I don't think some of these colors are wearable in public. Only a few are wearable in an everyday look.

Lastly, I do love the names choices on these colors. I personally own a lipstick from the collection. It is a creamy white peach pink color that can be worn with anything. The name of this lipstick is called Playing Koi.

Other adorable names for the lipsticks are Quite Cute, Saint Germain, Candy Yum-Yum, and Play Time.

Overall, I think the company did a good job advertising the collection. My only con is that they should have included more pictures than just 1. This would have drawn more people into buying the product. Or it could also be a good thing. Maybe they are so confident in the products that the company didn't feel the need to make more advertisements.

What do you think?

She didn't make a comeback... She started a revolution

So my guilty pleasure hands-down is Britney Spears. I am a huge fan, and despite everything she has been through, I still remain loyal. She is the only artist I am willing to pay on itunes for, in order to support her career.

In one of her newest music videos "Hold it Against Me", she has many product tie-ins. You may not be able to see it at first because you might just be watching the glory of Ms. Spears, but if you look closely and watch it again, you can see many different companies being advertised through out the video.

I have no clue to why she does this and when I researched more about it, I still couldn't find a real answer.

Some of the products that were 'slyly' put in the music video are:

Sony... which is understandable because she is signed to Sony Music

Radiance ... which is her own fragrance

Plentyoffish.com .... an online dating website... why is it in the video? I have no idea.

Makeup Forever Professional PARIS ... a high-end, expensive makeup company

Even though this advertising is very annoying, especially for a Britney fanatic, I think it is very smart. The little blurbs of hidden product advertising is almost genius. It is like subliminal messaging. This might encourage a consumer to go out and buy the product or service that is advertised so they can be 'just like Britney'. Now don't get me wrong. Like I said before, this form of advertising is very annoying because it takes away from the actual music video. It seems like I am watching a commercial rather than a video.

I wonder if more music videos will start containing advertisements. I know Britney Spears isn't the first artist to do this in her video. Since she is such an iconic artist to the pop world, her actions are more noticed than others.

Either way, endorsements or not, her video is great, it was on the top 10 list on itunes, and I am sure it made her tons of money.

More power to you Britney.

I Love My Job!

So everyone knows that social media is a major tool to advertising in this generation. With facebook, twitter, and other social networking sites, people are able to get the word out about anything. I am an intern for AKIRA Chicago, which is an upscale trendy clothing store. They are known for having in-store fashion shows and many other events in their store. They recently expanded into men's clothing and now have a separate store for shoes.

My job as an intern is to raise awareness about the AKIRA brand and direct traffic to shopakira.com through viral and in-person marketing assignments.

Some of the assignments that I do would be considered as advertising.

For example, my assignment this week was to create an online collage using items from the AKIRA website. The collage had to be 'must-haves' that I would wear in college for the Spring season. Once I created the collage, I had to post it online through facebook and twitter. Then I would send the collage to my boss and she would check my facebook to see how many people 'liked' or commented on the collage. Once people see this, it gets them curious to see what other items the store might offer....hence advertising. Basically, I am my own ad agency.... kind of.

Here is an example of one of the assignments I did this week. This collage contains 5 items that I believed would be spring 'must-haves'.

Spring Romance by apeper featuring crop tops

Below the collage I was required to add the AKIRA website so people know where to go if they wanted to look more into the clothing.

I love this job because it gives me the opportunity to do 'hands-on' work with advertising and marketing in the fashion industry.

Below is a picture of what the inside of an AKIRA would look like.

I think this a great form of advertising. It allows people to send a message out to a larger audience. This form of advertising also isn't limited toward the local audience of Chicago or New York. If it is online, people from all over the world can check out the site and order things that they like. Also, the fact that these assignments are posted on facebook or twitter, it makes it more personal because someone isn't seeing the advertisements on TV or in a flyer. They are seeing these advertisements on someone's personal page, which I think makes it more believable.

Makeup for a Cause

In my first blog, I practically declared my love and obsession for MAC Cosmetics. So I am going to keep blogging about them because I am absolutely in love with almost everything they sell. One of their longest campaigns that has been going on for a while is the Viva Glam campaign.

This campaign was started in 1994 to support men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS. How do people contribute? Well it is fairly easy, all women have to do is buy a lipstick that is a Viva Glam color. Every cent of the proceeds from the lipstick will go to the MAC AIDS FUND.

Below is a picture of only a few of the Viva Glam lipsticks:

All Viva Glam lipsticks have a red tube metal tube with a sleek black bottom. In order to get the word out about this campaign, MAC asks celebrities to create their own color and sell them in all stores nationwide. Some celebrities who have been apart of this campaign are Lady Gaga, Fergie, Cyndi Lauper, Dita Von Teese, Pamela Anderson, and many more.

This campaign is a great way to raise awareness, raise money, and have women all across the nation have the same lipstick as their favorite celebrity.

So ladies, next time you are looking for a new lipstick, try these.

It is a win-win for everyone.

Time for a Change?

Since everyone is jumping on the the Starbucks new logo change bandwagon, I figured I would add in my 2 cents.

First off, I hate it. I don't like the logo change at all. I understand that Starbucks is trying to be cool in proving a point that their green siren is so recognizable that they don't need the company name on products, but still. I think the logo makes the company look 'eco-friendly'. Why? I have no idea why. But this logo looks like it should be put on the front of a fertilizer package.

I liked the old logo. It was classy, had the green siren, and still said the name of the company. What if someone from a different country, who didn't have a Starbucks, came to the United States and saw just a green siren on a cup? They wouldn't understand what company it was from because they aren't from the United States.

Below is a picture of the Starbucks logo through out the years.

As stated before, I am not a fan. I was hoping Starbucks would stick to their "old-fashioned" looking logo. The old logo makes the company look timeless. The new logo looks like they were trying to copy Seattle's Best Coffee since they just had a new logo change. This new logo also looks more modern.

What do you think of the new logo?

Say No to Drugs? or Dirt?

This advertisement is for CWS Self Cleaning Toilets.

I remembered seeing this ad along time ago somewhere on the internet. When you watch the first few seconds you wonder to yourself, What is this whack job model doing?

Then after watching it, you finally figure it out. Next question you think to yourself, What the hell is being advertised?

That part isn't revealed until the last few seconds, which makes this commercial so great.

The commercial starts with a model stumbling into the bathroom, surrounded by many more models. She gets into a stall and falls to the ground. At first I thought she was going to purge or do something of the sort because she is a model. Then she takes out a small folded paper and pours the contents on the toilet seat. After putting it together, we finally realize she is a model doing drugs at a party.

Last we see the toilet starting to make noise and changing out its seat cover. This then leads the model to losing her cocaine. The model cries and the last words on the screen are

SAY NO TO DIRT

This seems like a play on words with the "Say no to drugs" campaign. Very clever. The ad is killing two birds with one stone. They are selling their toilet and trying to prevent drug use at the same time.

I think this commercial is brilliant because it is interesting right from the start. After watching it, we become curious and our eyes are glued to the screen. Then at the end is where the product is revealed. The content of the commercial may be controversial due to the drug use that is shown and it also my be stereotypical because the main character is a model.

But you have to admit... It is very well thought out.

Here is the video link to watch the whole commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaHtA89RHUQ

Always a Grey Area

When I saw this ad, I had mixed emotions. At first I thought this ad was eye-cathing. Then I thought this ad was very fashion forward. The idea of simplicity then followed and after that I flat out thought of racism.

Now which emotion should I follow? No idea. But I do know that Sony was scrutinized for this ad, which is displayed in Amsterdam. They were accused of being racist because of the African American that is blended in with the background. Then a white woman, dressed in all white, is pulling on his face.

This ad is for the new portable playstation. I am assuming that the first portable playstation was black and now Sony is coming out with white one that might be "better" than the first. Looking at it from that perspective, someone can say racism is involved. But overall, I don't think Sony was really going for the racist idea. Like I said earlier, this ad is displayed in Amsterdam. There is not a large amount of racism present in Europe. I think the company just wanted a sleek and simple billboard that would get the message out. In my opinion, I think they successfully accomplished that.

No Doubt, Sex Sells

It is no surprise that I love fashion. I look through all the high-end magazines and go on all the latest style sites. When I was researching fashion advertisements, I came across this interesting ad by Dolce & Gabbana.

It seems like this ad is depicting gang rape.

There is one model laying naked on the floor, one model unzipping his pants, and all the other models are staring.

I find this ad very intriguing because it is not a normal ad that I would see on a billboard while driving on the highway. It is definitely edgy and pushing the limits. I am not too sure if this ad was ever released, but either way, I think it is great publicity.

I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as bad publicity, because either way, attention is being drawn from the consumer. It gives them something to talk about.

Dolce & Gabbana does another as giving a spin-off in a female version.

This version depicts gang rape, once again. The female is pinned to the ground by a man while the other men sit and stare. As stated before, I don't think this should be considered 'bad advertising'. These types of issues spark peoples curiosity. Of course the ad is not saying that our society feeds off rape and violence, but our society is interested.

The female ad can also be depicted a different way. It can just depict the act of sex, and as everyone knows, sex sells. The woman is thrusting her hips towards the man, waiting in anticipation. I am sure this ad would entice men and get their attention. Sex is a part of nature. It is normal for people to be curious and become interested. Question of the day:

Did these ads spark curiosity in you?