Today
was the first official day at the Cannes Lions Festival. The festival’s
appearance is just what the festival aims to discuss: innovative, digital,
creative design, bold, and bright. I started my day off early and continued
later into the evening with seminars, screenings, and meeting interesting
people. I finished off the night at the Cannes Heineken Bar, sponsored by
Adobe, for free drink and networking. Take a glimpse/snapshot into some
elements of my busy, yet incredibly interesting day (If I include everything, I
will never get to bed):
Cosmetics and Beauty
(screening):
This was a different type of event.
The Debussy Auditorium was very quiet at 9 a.m., as the screen filled with one
commercial at a time. The products were extensive, from perfumes to hair
coloring formulas to men hygiene products. The products were from various
countries including United States, Japan and France. Though all the ads were
different, they were all appealing whether visually, humorously, or factually.
Out of all the commercials, two ad
campaigns really caught my attention: Axe and Old Spice. Both brands sell
deodorants and share the same target market. Yet what makes the brands’
campaigns so interesting are the ways they choose to represent themselves and
the type of campaign each created.
Axe prides itself on being a ‘sexy’
brand. All of the commercials focus on a guy (usually topless with an amazing
body) doing something manly and surrounded by women who bat their eyes in
trance at the manliness.
In Axe’s Young/Mature deodorant,
Axe used 3D glasses to convey two different realities at the same time. The
realities depict attracting a younger woman, through the blue lens, and a more
mature woman, through the red lens. It is a virtual story from shopping with a
woman to relaxing with a woman to sex with a woman. Each event overlaps to compare
and contrast the different experience a man can have with a young woman verse a
mature woman.
The commercial ends with the man
standing in front of his cabinet faced with the decision of which deodorant to
apply. The concluding question is “What mood are you in today?”
This commercial, like the rest of
Axe’s commercials, suggest that by applying Axe’s deodorant, a man will
instantly attract a female. The commercials depend on the sex appeal of men and
the objectifying of women. These two elements go hand in hand. The beauty and
cosmetic industry uses opposing features to contrast men and women. If a man is
on display, the woman is then portrayed as weak and defenseless, while the man gets
to be the hero.
This works for Axe. They reach
their target audience appealing to a male fantasy, sex. Old Spice, however,
grabs the audience with an appeal to humor. Old Spice Champion’s campaign
focuses on NFL wide receiver Greg Jennings and the exaggerated feelings of
being invincible and being a champion. In one add, Jennings is doing pushups
with a jet ski on his back, in another his body is completely discombobulated
and stuck in cement (but he is so happy because he smells good) and in another,
he is on a Hollywood set where he explains “you feel like a Hollywood star in
your own life.”
With a slogan of “Believe in your
smelf,” it is pretty clear that the Old Spice campaign is intended to make
people laugh, smile, appreciate the brand, and ultimately buy the product.
I think both advertising styles are
effective. People enjoy a good laugh and the appeal to sex never goes out of
style. It is very interesting that two distinguished brands have such strong
ways of marketing themselves.
Sex
appeal in advertising:
I am well aware that sex appeal is
a useful tactic in getting a bystander or passerby to observe a product and
eventually become a consumer. Sex sells. It works. However, I think I was
oblivious to how big of a concentration advertising places on the body and sex.
Once I was in a room watching consecutive advertisements from different brands
that use sexual appeal, I realized how prominent it is in consumerism.
Playboy
Limousine for Her and Playboy
Limousine for Him did not even try to hide their agenda of sex. The
commercial discussed the possibilities of ‘hooking up’ with the limousine
driver. However, this is expected from a multi-million dollar corporation that
was established on the exploitation of sex. Yet companies for soap, like Cinthol
(Alive is Awesome) and Bruit Cologne
(Late) stressed the importance of
sexual behavior. Cinthol features both men and women in the wild (in both hot
and cold climates) on elephants, on the ice, and in a forest in little to no
clothing washing themselves in a sexually appeasing manner. Bruit Cologne
highlighted sexual dominance with the slogan “Let your man out.” As soon as the
husband put on the cologne, his wife immediately became nine months pregnant.
Sex sells. That is all there is to
it. It excites, attracts, and possibly even inspires. If sex did not sell then
these advertisements would not have been selected for the Cannes Lions
Festival.
Here are a few of my favorites from the screening:
Cinelan: GE Focus
Forward The Creativity of Reinventing Everyday
“Behind ever innovation is a story.
Watch. Share. Get Inspired.” This quote on the first slide of the presentation
really set the tone for the rest of the seminar. Cinelan creates “brand affinity for clients by building
audiences around powerful content. “ It allows award-winning filmmakers to
create an authentic and genuine three-minute video. Though Cinelan produces the
video, the filmmaker has full control on the style, tone, and voice he/she
wishes to engage. The purpose of the videos is to inspire and ultimately, make
a difference.
Jack (more commonly known as Mr. Toilet) created a film with the assistance
of Jessica Yu about sanitation activism. Mr. Toilet aims to help create a
sanitation system that will allow the 40% of people in the world who do not use
proper toilets to have toilets and be educated on the need for these devices.
Mr. Toilet has taken great measures to make his vision a reality. Through UN
support, Matt Damon’s toilet strike, Google, World Toilet Day, and educating
those around him, Mr. Toilet has helped to begin creating a world with less
disease and death. Jessica Yu’s three-minute Cinelan film has really helped
share Mr. Toilet’s project and increase world knowledge.
In
a world full of tech-savvy people in the digital era, it is mind blowing to me
that people are still dying from diarrhea, and teenage girls are dropping out
of school due to the lack of toilets in school during menstruation.
Mr.
Toilet discusses a serious issue. Though he jokes about “shit,” he believe that
turning a taboo into something humorous is important, though it is a great
media challenge.
Celebrities
in the Media:
Yes, I sat three rows in front of Martha Stewart, Mel B, and Nick
Cannon
(who now follows me on Twitter)!
Martha
Stewart:
Amount of Followers: approximately 3
million followers
Social Media Use: uses social media
professionally to engage with her audience
Amount of Time on Twitter: Never spends
more than five minutes on Twitter a day
Nick
Cannon:
Amount of Followers: 4.3 million
followers
Social Media Use: Connect with fans in
an authentic way
Amount of Time on Twitter: Unknown—he
tweets when he has something to say
Mel B:
Amount of Followers: approximately
800,000 followers
Social
Media Use: Connect with fans and get exposure to new jobs
Amount
of Time on Twitter: Posts around 5-6 tweets daily
Aol: Makers
Emmy
documentarian winner, Dylan McGee wanted to reverse the documentary model. She
wanted to tell an important story, Gloria Steinem’s civil rights movement
story. However, Steinem responded with “You can’t tell the story of a movement
through one lens.” With this thought in mind, McGee got PBS and AOL on board to
create a three-hour digital documentary of the women’s rights movement.
With
over 185 American women’s stories, each woman reflects on a moment, which shares
their personal antidote. By telling our personal truth, this helps the
community learn.
Gloria Steinem, explained this digital
storytelling as the futuristic campfire. “Campfires have been storytelling
platforms for centuries. Media is the new campfire and must include everyone.”
She explained the importance of sharing your personal experiences, because
though you may assume the experience only applies to you, it may apply to many
other people who are also afraid to speak up.
The documentary features women who
inspired change and create/d opportunistic advances in their life. This
includes Oprah, Billie Jean King, Katie Couric, Hillary Clinton, and Ellen
DeGeneres, just to name a few.
All of the stories are inspiring. With
the expanding interest in the project, AOL is now working on a way of creating
an app that allows women to tell their own stories and share them with Makers
and others around the world. Gloria Steinem believes that women are entitled to
share their personal experiences, their stories. Women need to know “you are
not crazy. The system is crazy."
Other events I attended:
Follow the Hashtag #NewhouseIDSM for more live tweets on the Cannes Lions Festival.
Follow me on Twitter @Mona_LisaP
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