Advertisement

Tom Brady is argued to be one of if not the most successful athlete playing in the NFL today. He has led the New England Patriots in winning Super Bowl’s XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX. This advertisement is portraying the message that if you drink milk, then you too can be a winner and be as successful as Tom Brady.
The Got Milk? ads are an American advertisement campaign encouraging the purchase of cow’s milk. These ads are created by the advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners for the California Milk Processor Board in 1993 and later licensed for use by milk processors and dairy farmers. The reason for these campaigns is for the past twenty years the sales nationwide of milk have not been that high (Gifford 1). The target person used to help them advertise milk is a person that can easily be recognized by the average American.
The target market for this particular Got Milk? ad is to sports fans but more specifically football fans. This ad came at the height of Brady’s fame following his third Super Bowl win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Therefore, he is a highly recognized figure in our society. Since he is so highly recognized to this target market, this ad probably did not get overlooked by the readers of the magazine he was in.
The creator of this ad put a milk mustache on Brady meaning that he just took a sip of this advertised produce. He is also resting it on his leg on top of a bag of ice. Just seeing the ice underneath the milk instantly made me carve a nice cold glass of milk. So the propaganda did work on me. Furthermore, the print underneath the words “Got Milk?” read that milk gives you nine essential nutrients that your active body needs. If the ice cold glass of milk did not convince you to get the produce then that statistic promoting a healthy lifestyle probably did. Brady is also wearing shoulder pads showing the fact that he just got done playing a game or got done with practice or he is about to play a game or start a practice. So the ad is also saying that Tom Brady drinks milk as a post game or possibly pregame drink. The game of football is also viewed as a tough manly sport. The message of this advertisement is if you drink milk, you will also be tough and more of a man.
Color is not a big part of this advertisement. It seems to be in a dark locker room. However, the white milk did stand out. Positioning is also not a factor. He is sitting in the center of the ad on a stool with the glass of milk on his left knee. The expression on his face is that of an ideal “game face.” He looks serious and tough. When I first took a look at the ad I instantly noticed the milk mustache. I was then lured to look at the glass of milk. I think the white in the picture stood out the most and it caught my eye. I next noticed the phrase Got Milk? and then the nutrient facts about milk. Then after that I came to realize that Tom Brady is the one behind the milk mustache.
Overall this was a very effective advertisement. I now have that idea that if I continue to drink milk then I can be a stud like Tom Brady. Besides just being a stud, the nutrient facts are also convincing to drink a nice ice cold glass of milk. Another effective use of this advertisement is including a milk mustache on Brady. I assume that many people will drink a glass of milk just so they can copy Brady. I know next time when I venture into the BLUU right after I get my card swiped I will immediately head to the section with milk and pore myself a refreshing glass of milk.

Reference for image: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2241/2405012399_1487d23aa8.jpg

Reference for cited source in my second paragraph: Gifford, Amy. "Got Milk?" Wikipedia. 28 Nov. 2008. .

Plans to revise my first two essays

Essay 1

• In the first paragraph I mention that the only thing to do is eat and go to school. Later I mention shopping. This contradicts the fact that there are only two things to do. There for, I need to include from the beginning that shopping is also an activity in Flower Mound
• In the first sentence of paragraph two, I use the phrase "accumulate some slumbe." I need to take that out and add a less awkward phrase like "went to bed."
• In the forth paragrah, I have two main ideas in it. As a result, it is a very long paragraph. I need to break it up into two.
• In paragraph five, I need to specify like bring up a specific turn of events that lead to my change in becoming a more greatful employee. Also in this paragrah, clearify who "there" is in sentence six. I need to go deeper in this paragraph. Talk more about how this changed me.
• In paragraph six I switched tenses way too much. Clear that up.
• Paragraph eight I need to get a better centralized main idea. Have one main idea and expand on it.
• Overall, better organization is needed.

Essay 2

• Paragrah two clearify what I am talking about.
• Paragraph four is extremely long, shorten it or break up into two seperate ones. Make a point how soccer is cheaper to play therefor more people can play it.
• Do not bounce around from topic to topic.
• Clear up controlling idea. Focus on a few sports.
• Put more of me in the paper
• Also touch on a common theme throughout the paper to tie all my points together

Kyle Morales
Ms. Sowa
English 10803
16 November 2008
Commercials: The best way to advertise
After taking a tough test at school or needing something to do to relax, watching television is the best way to find that comfort zone. On average, Americans spend four and a half hours a day watching television (Avery 1). While viewing the assortment of channels there are always commercials inserted in a show to interrupt ones favorite program. I always hate when a commercial is used to keep you in suspense of what will happen next. Despite our hate for these interruptions, we still stay and watch these commercials as they are a source of entertainment. The people behind making and paying for these sometime comical commercials are using their money wisely. Advertising on television is the best way to advertise a product versus other forms of media.
Attracting customers is always a tough proposition. Businesses need customers in order to stay around and generate a profit. In order to attract these customers, advertising is essential. Most entrepreneurs do not even think about advertising on television. They think it will cost too much (Sanders 1). It has been estimated that producing and paying to air a thirty second commercial on national television is $350,000. This price seems like a price only big businesses like Verizon or Dr. Pepper can afford. But to produce a decent commercial can cost as little as $1,000. The price of a commercial varies. It all depends on the number of viewers that are expected to watch the program. For instance to advertise during the Super Bowl will cost a lot more than advertising on the local news. To advertise during the 2005 Super Bowl, a thirty second commercial cost $2.4 million. To advertise on a less-watched program only cost about $100,000 (Sanders 1). The standard half-hour show contains about twenty two minutes of programming and eight minutes of commercials. These eight minutes of commercials are divided up where six minutes are dedicated to national advertising and two minutes are for the local business. That way the hometown guy has a chance to advertise their product. The small to medium sized businesses might prefer to advertise locally than nationally. A thirty second commercial in a medium-sized market is $5 per 1,000 viewers meaning it is possible to pay less than $100 per commercial slot locally (Sanders 1). A medium sized market is defined as a city with less than one million people like Charlotte, North Carolina or Nashville, Tennessee. It can be even cheaper to advertise during off hour programs.
But why would someone choose to advertise on television then advertise else were? Millions of people daily drive past billboards on their way to work. Also going to work, the radio might be on and commercials flood the air waves. Even sporting events have advertising. A penalty at a Dallas Desperadoes indoor football game is not a penalty. It is a Boothe Eye Care and Laser Center penalty. In college football it is not just the Fiesta Bowl or the Cotton Bowl. It is the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the AT&T Cotton Bowl. The reason is television still remains the dominant medium in most households (Avery 1). Ever since the emergence of cable television, the cost of production has decreased. Also businesses are now able to reach a smaller more targeted market making advertising on television a good option for small to medium-sized markets. However, it can be argued that internet is the best option mainly because it is a service that “never sleeps,” targets the right buyer, and you get fast results (Chan 1). But when advertising on the internet, it is hard to find an internet company that will give you quality advertising on their web page without being concerned about taking your money (Hanson 1). This concern is not evident when advertising on television. You know how your advertisement will look to the public, how many times it will be shown, how long it will be, and when it will be shown. It is a more organized method than the internet. You know exactly where your money is going. Another disadvantage for advertising on the internet is it is hard for local companies to advertise locally (Hanson 1). This is not the case on television.
Another option businesses can turn to advertise is the newspaper. When I open the newspaper, surrounding the articles is just a huge clutter of a bunch of advertisements put together. Therefore your advertisement won’t stick out amongst the other competing advertisements. On television, during your thirty second commercial spot, there are no competitors. It is just your product and the viewer. All you have to do is use that spot in a way that you think will be best fit for the company. Also with newspaper advertisements, the photo productivity is also poor. Therefore, the chance to get creative and catchy with a product is limited. The life span of you advertisement is short. I know that I do not save newspapers. I just skim it, read articles that are interesting to me then I throw it out. Newspapers are also a source that is highly visible everywhere. This is a disadvantage because competitors can quickly react to you products price and do price comparisons (Pleshette 1). Another form of advertisement that I stumble upon that is of paper is direct mail advertisement. From observing my mother, when this type of advertisement comes, she sometimes does not even open it. She would immediately throw it away. I also assume that her actions with direct mail advertisement are the same with other people. The yellow pages is a another advertisement businesses can use. Like the newspaper, ads in the yellow pages are also cluttered. The ads of a business are placed right next to its competitors (Pleshette 1). Another disadvantage similarity with newspapers is they have limited creativity. They have to follow a pre-determined format.
Advertising on the radio is also a source someone could use. It too has many disadvantages. The radio is a background medium. Most listeners are doing other activities when listening to the radio. As a result, the advertiser has to work extra hard to get the listeners attention (Pleshette 1). Radio listeners are also spread out amongst a variety of stations. You may have to broadcast the advertisement simultaneously on several stations to reach your target audience (Pleshette 1). Like the newspaper, Ad clutter is also high causing your ad to not stick out and distinguish itself (Brassil 1). Radio ads are also limited. On television, your message can be conveyed with sight, sound, and motion. On the radio, the advertisements are only audio messages. It might take as much as six times for someone to listen to the ad to before the message sinks in (Bassil 1).
Advertising on television is the best way to advertise a product rather then choosing a different source. It is the most looked at form of media in America. The average person views four and a half hours of television. Of that four hours and thirty minutes, about 45 of those minutes is spent watching commercials.

Reading Response 4

Reading Response 4
In the argumentative essay "Putting a Price on Nature," by Mangu-Ward, Joh, Quarmby, and Drenner, the central claim is that we should save the wildlife instead of drilling and ruining it for oil exploration and extraction. "Oil is not a renewable resource and will disappear in the future (B67)," is one of the claims set forth on why drilling should be abandoned. Some very good points are scattered throughout the entire essay. The essay further argues that since oil will be gone, we should use our money and resources to find other alternative energies. Primary research is evident throughout the essay. Most of the primary research is accumulated through interviews. From personal experience, Kathy Svitil states, "If we required automobile owners to replace their used tires with ones as efficient as the tires that originally came on the car, we would save more oil than there is in the Arctic refuge (B66)." Through research and firsthand experience, she has become very knowledgeable on the topic of oil and is used as a subject matter expert in the essay on what might happen if drilling persists. Statistical information is also used in aiding the pro nature argument the authors have on the issue. "They estimate that there is a 95% chance that we could extract and use 4.3 billion barrels of oil…Americans use 16 million barrels of oil per day (B66)." The authors argue that a lot of oil is consumed. Therefore, mass quantities of oil drilling needs to take place. This then affects the wildlife. This is an example of secondary factual research conducted for the better good of the essay.
A specific example of drilling mishaps was even used to support the writers’ claim against drilling. The claim was secondary research that was factual statistical evidence about the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. "The Exxon Valdez was an oil freighter in the ocean that wrecked of the coast of Alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of oil into the ocean (B64)." This statistic gives a real world example of the dangers of oil drilling. A specific example is a good way to support one’s argument. Examples help the reader relate to the issue and gain a better understanding for the position. Illustrations allow readers to see firsthand the effect an actual event had on the world. The event helps place the problem in perspective and form better understanding of the author’s position.
I believe that statistical, factual research is the best, quantifiable research available to us in analyzing a paper. Numbers are always the convincing factor for me. Numbers gives more credit to the writer in a way that shows that they have done their research and they know something about what they are talking about and have research to back up their position.
Personally, I am pretty easy to convince about a topic that I am not too knowledgeable about. I have not done much research on the effects of drilling on wildlife. Therefore, I was easily swayed to be against drilling. If I have a great understanding for a topic then it is harder to reverse my opinion. I think this can be said about anyone. I know when I read a paper I try to read it with an open mind. Then I decide if I am for the argument or against it. Once I start reading something that is against my prior values or beliefs, I do not dismiss the paper. By looking at all sides of an issue, I gain a total understanding of the issue and can discuss it intelligently.