OUGD601 Practical Research (Adbusters)

Research:

Adbusters
'We are a global network of artists, writers, musicians, designers, poets, philosophers and punks trying to pull off a radical transformation of the current world order.'

The Adbusters Media Foundation publishes the reader-supported, advertising-free Adbusters, an activist magazine with an international circulation of 120,000 by the late 2000s devoted to challenging consumerism. Adbusters also launch campaigns such as 'Buy Nothing Day', 'TV Turnoff Week' and 'Occupy Wall Street'. They are well known for their 'subvertisments' which spoof popular advertisements. They blame advertising for playing a central role in creating and maintaining consumer culture. This argument is based on the belief that the advertising industry goes to great effort and expense to associate desire and identity with commodities. (Wikipedia)

UNTITLED (I SHOP THEREFORE I AM), 1987. BARBARA KRUGER.

NOTHING BILLBOARD, FROM ADBUSTERS #37. FIONA JACK.

TABULA ROSA, 2004. BORJANA VENTZISLAVOVA, MIROSLAV NICIC & MLADEN PENEV.

HEATHER ANNE CAMPBELL, THE MIDNIGHT SHOW. THIS SPOOF AD APPEARED IN ADBUSTERS #96.

Adbusters create shocking images which capture the viewers attention, but whether it has any real impact to promote change is questionable. This is something I will need to think about when coming up with my own campaign message - it needs to be clear and understandable as well as having an impact which makes the viewer more aware of devious advertising. 

OUGD601 Practical Brief

Client: 

WE'VE GOT ETHICS

A group dedicated to ethical advertising, seeking to promote honesty, fairness and responsibility in all advertising. 

Brief:

Create an advertisement campaign to highlight to consumers and drive awareness of the negative impact of advertising within society.

Negatives include:
- Enhancing insecurities e.g. body image
- Promise of happiness through consumption
- Everything thing you need is for sale
- Identity solution
- Misrepresentation
- False images
- Unrealistic expectations
- Promotion of harmful products

Aims and Objectives:

- Drive awareness
- Professional 
- Clear message
- Thought provoking
- Create conversation

Target Audience:

16 - 25 year olds

Requirements:

- Include logo

Deliverables:

- Posters

Relation to essay:

The persuasive advertising methods talked about within the essay will be used to show how it can impact consumer behaviour negatively, and it is important to show the reality behind the advertisements.

OUGD601 Time Plan

Time Plan:
Over the Christmas period I need to plan my time effectively to make sure that I get the work done in time for the deadline. Hopefully this will keep me on track and I will be more organised with my work.

Red - Essay
Blue - Practical

OUGD601 Practical Ideas and Crit

Initial Ideas:
I really want my practical and my essay to have a clear succinct link that connects the two, as I don't think this has been successful within my other COP practicals. I decided to do a quick mind map to help to get some initial ideas.

The main idea would be to create a branding campaign that utilises some of the persuasive techniques that I have talked about within my essay. Picking a brand which already has an established association / message, will make it easier to apply the persuasive techniques. The idea is still quite broad at the moment so will need more refinement to make it a workable brief.

Crit:
Today we had a group crit to help us start formulating ideas for the practical. I found this useful to really start thinking about what it is that I am going to produce. However, I think due to the broad nature of what I could do, I think it was hard for people to give me appropriate feedback until I had determined more about what it is I wanted to do.

Notes:
- How should I best produce? This will all depend on what brand I decide to do as this will impact on production.

- Where would you display? Billboards, interiors? This is something I again need to think about later in the process when I have decided more coherently what I want to do.

- Brand with negative connotations? Lynx? Use more positive persuasion to help attach new associations to the brand.

- Use packaging and the explained theories of advertising to reinforce a pre existing campaign.

- Should it be packaging? I had mentioned that my interests are within packaging rather that advertising, suggesting I'd enjoy doing packaging and get more out of it in terms of portfolio.

- Advertising can be broader and might have a better link with essay.

- I need to choose a brand to study and compare so that persuasive methods can be implemented with the brand meaning. 


- Focus on Identity and lifestyle? Basic vs Luxury? 

The crit for me raised more questions than actually providing me with any answers, but I think these are all things I need to consider in more depth. Focusing on packaging would be more in line with what I want to do as well as potentially being more fun, so it was suggested to go down this route. My main concern however is that the link might not be obvious as I haven't talked about packaging within my essay, maybe this is something I should try and include to give a clearer synthesis. I need to choose a brand as soon as possible with a strong identity/message that I can communicate through the packaging.

The next crit will be on Monday 8th January at 11am, however I think that I need more support before Christmas to finalise an idea so I know exactly what it is that I have got to do.

OUGD601 Tutorial 3

Tutorial 3:

Todays tutorial with Simon was really useful to hear some feedback on what I have written so far for my essay.

Introduction:
- At the moment the style is like a documentary - isn't necessary
- Don't say aims - outline what areas I am looking at and what it does - include authors

Main content:
- Don't say advertising 'helps' consumers
- Differentiate between persuasive advertisements and others 
- Are there any references for Benetton
- Elaborate on meaning for Gosling experiment - products as a signifier for identity
- Don't use first person - say 'individual'
- Dictionary definition for lifestyle try to find someone else to define - expand on Giddens definition.
- Pavlov experiment needs to have better linkage - could be used to show repeated / consistent exposure to advertisements. Consistent brand message - constant reinforcement?

Areas to look into:
- Positive advertisements - positive reinforcement - such as sports brands - positive self improvement.

Overall the tutorial that I had with Simon was really beneficial as I was able to see that I am heading in the right direction as well as referencing correctly. I was encouraged to start thinking about what I am going to be doing for my practical as we have practical crits next week.

I really want to try and get my essay finished so that Simon can give me any edits / advice before we break up for Christmas, then I can focus fully on the practical.