Why We Should NOT Ignore Advertisements

Nowadays there are so many different types of advertising and we are coming up with just as many ways to ignore each one. A lot of people record TV programmes they want to watch, like The X Factor, and then fast-forward through the ad breaks. In magazines people often skip the first couple of pages because they know they're normally 'just the advertisements'. Billboards and poster boards (especially the small ones on escalator walls in London tube stations) are so commonplace that most of us don't even need to ignore them - their constant visual bombardment creates a blur. But advertising is all about consumerism and obstructs our daily lives, so it's right to ignore it, yes?

No. That's my simple answer but if I stop with just that this will be a very short post. Advertising is important in many different ways and it can add a lot more to your life than you think. You might be thinking, she's just saying this because she wants to be in advertising or maybe she just weird. But hopefully after reading this you will start to consider the uses of advertising and will have a more positive view of the industry.

Firstly, not all advertising aims to drive sales. There are actually lots of different motivations behind different advertisements. For example, public services commonly use advertising to instruct others or create changes in behaviour. In November 2012, Metro Trains in Melbourne, Australia commissioned the campaign 'Dumb Ways to Die' to promote rail safety. They wanted to remind people how important it is to be careful around trains. They were not trying to sell more train tickets. This campaign reports to have contributed to a 30% reduction in "near-miss" accidents which is clearly a positive outcome and a great use of advertising.

Similarly, at the end of 2011 the British Heart Foundation launched a TV advertisement staring Vinnie Jones showing viewers how to perform hands-only CPR. This has saved at least 40 lives and has a really worthwhile purpose. Advertisements like this prove that there is more to advertising than people realise.

However, lot advertising is about sales. But, so what? If it's a great product or service that could improve your life or someone else's, does it really matter if you were persuaded to buy it? Without advertising there is no way you would know about all of your possessions or would have bought them. A lot of advertising can be really awful and annoying. With so many different TV channels and YouTube, advertising space is certainly becoming more widely available. But just because there are are some rubbish ones out there doesn't mean you should ignore the rest. If you went shopping for trainers, there might be loads if styles or colours you don't like, but that doesn't mean you'd stop looking for them and never buy a pair again.

Some advertisements are truly inspiring and amazing. Even if you decide you're not interested in the product or brand, the advertisement can still have an impact on you. Nike's branding is an example of this. Their tagline, 'Just Do It' resonates with many consumers. They believe in seizing the moment, going for something big, doing more than you ever have before. They aim to motivate people and being motivated is always a positive thing. Their ' Just Do It - Possibilities' (2013) advertisement inspires you to take things to the next level. After watching this advertisement you feel positive and empowered. The marketing is unobtrusive which allows you to enjoy the advertisement without feeling like you have to love Nike as a brand.

The 'GoPro HERO4: The Adventure of life in 4K' advertisement takes this idea of ads that inspire to a whole new level. Visually there is so much going on in the 4 minutes of this video (clearly it's meant for YouTube not TV). It is perhaps one of the best advertisements for a product that I have seen in ages. It shows you things you have never seen before, from a behind the scenes angle. The footage is simply breathtaking and gives you so much more than the idea that you should go and buy this camera. This is a fantastic example of why you should not ignore advertising. If you ignored this one, you'd be missing something great. It really give you a chance to be a part of their adventure.

Good advertisements aren't thought-up in a 5 minute brainstorming session. They can take weeks to reach their final concept and this is before they even start to be made. There are people in creative departments worldwide who dedicate substantial amounts of time to making their ideas great. There are loads of really good advertisements out there, it's just that they are swamped by the irritating, unoriginal ones. But the truly creative advertisements deserve to be taken notice of, especially the ones which make you laugh. Evian's 'Baby&Me' (2013) is really cute and funny.

Watching these babies dance like their adult counterpart is a unique idea and the costumes really make this advertisement. If you let it, this advertisement can really brighten your day and change your mood. It's not forcing you to buy Evian water right this second. It just trying to make you happy, so why are you trying so hard to ignore it?

Likewise, O2's 'Be more dog', although is clearly promoting is brand, attempts to make you laugh while doing so. It's inventive and quirky, and like Nike's advertisements, motivates you to try something different. It's especially entertaining if you have a cat because you know it's so unlikely for a them to do these things. 

Basically what I've been trying to say is, not all advertising is bad, annoying, forcing you to buy its product or love its brand. There are different purpose for different advertisements. They can teach you something new, inspire you, show you things you've never seen before and above all they can entertain you. I'm not suggesting we should love all advertisements and never fast-forward through ad breaks ever again. All I'm saying is we should give advertisers a break, because some of their work deserves our attention. 

Blogtober - The Whats and Whys

Today is the 1st October and the start of Blogtober. Most people nowadays have heard of Stoptober (to help quit smoking) or Movember (to raise awareness of men's cancer), so I thought I would do something similar. But no, I'm not going to grow a moustache.
 

Since my last nostalgic post about university life, Freshers' has started and everywhere I see students living the life I used to live (on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat). At the end of that post I said that next I would write something positive about graduate life and what I am doing to get my career going. This is what I came up with.

Blogtober is going to be a special month of blogging with aims and targets. I will have new posts every 5 days - 8 posts in total throughout the month. Most of you know I want to pursue a career in advertising, so for this month will be writing about, media, marketing, advertising and graduate life. It won't be like reading a textbook or a boring news article though I promise. I will be expressing my opinions and hopefully you will in your comments as well.

You might wander why I am doing this. There are quite a few reasons. Firstly, it will build upon by existing experience and prove to employers that I can write in a creative and precise way. Secondly, I know that a lot of people, especially those who are my age, are turned-off by advertisements. People are fast-forwarding through them, skipping past them in magazines or just plain ignoring them. But there are some fantastic advertisements out there and I want them to receive the appreciation they deserve.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, I am doing this Blogtober to motivate myself. It's hard work applying for jobs, waiting to hear back and taking rejection. At the moment I have two part-time jobs and another casual one, none of which are what I really want to be doing. With this Blogtober I have a target to achieve 1000 pageviews this October. Last November I started writing this blog serious and made it to 825 pageviews in a month. I want to beat that. In writing this blog I will stay focused on the career path I want to take and I will stay motivated.

At the moment I have some ideas about what I am planning to write about for the remaining 7 posts but I am also opening this Blogtober up to suggestions. Is there something you would like me to write about? Let me know in any form you like, Facebook, the comments section of this blog, Twitter or face-to-face (see my new contact page for details). I want to engage as many people as possible in Blogtober and show that blogging isn't just for experts, it's for everyone. You have to take control of your own life and make your own opportunities. 

15 Things Graduates Miss Most About Student Life

I'm slowly starting to realise the truth that I am no longer a student - even though my student ID card says otherwise. I am now a graduate. But what does that really mean. I don't feel any different to how I did this time last year. Other than knowing a bit more about certain authors and understanding the real meaning of hard work, I still feel like the same person. Graduate life is supposed to be even more exciting than student life. I don't have to go to lectures or write essays any more, I can read whatever I want and I am about to start my career. But the reality is, for me at least, that I'm in a similar situation to where I was before university, except for now I have a massive student debt as well. The summer was good, taking a break to relax from all my exams (well actually just one exam..), free-time to meet up with all my friends and sort myself out. But now seeing some of my friends going back to university and everyone getting prepared for Freshers', the brutal truth is hard to take. I am not going back. That chapter of my life is over and it's time to start the next one.

Some of my friends have already found great jobs, moved to London and started earning a real salary or they're going to travel the globe and discover their inner self. I'm not quite there yet shall we say - living at home with my mum and two dogs, and working at a local pub. But I believe that everyone's journey is different and if I keep working hard, my time will come (sorry for the cliché). I thought that the best way to get over being a student is to make a list of what I (and hopefully others too) miss about student life, that way I can come up with replacements sooner.

So here is a list of 15 things graduates miss most about student life: 

1. Student loan - I'm pretty sure everyone will be able to relate to this. Having money in the bank when you've done absolutely nothing to deserve it's great. The only problem is when you have to start paying it back.

What are we even doing here?

2. Student nights out with all your friends - When you're a student there's always an opportunity to go out with your friends, have a good time and worry about the money you spent in the morning. The unknown adventures are what make student nights so amazing.

3. Living in a student house - Although a lot of people complain about living in student houses and how dirty they can be, it's actually really nice to have somewhere of your own where you won't be hassled about washing up or shoes left lying around.

4. Sports facilities - I used to complain about spending £200 on a years gym membership but it's actually a fantastic offer, especially when I lived a 5 minute walk away. Now I have to spend £5 per group class and even more for using the gym equipment. I definitely regret not going more when I had the chance.

Freshers' Fair last year

5. University sports teams - Being part of a sports team is the best thing about university, or at least it was for me. You make some really great friends, learn new skills, keep fit and have events organised for you. Again the cost is dramatically less than joining local clubs and most of the other members will be just like you - young students rather than grannies or school kids. This is definitely what I will miss the most.

6. University societies - Similar to number 5. Societies at university are great. There's so much choice, you meet new people and have the opportunity to take on responsibilities which benefit you. Never again will you find so many clubs provided for under one group.

7. Being part of a student community - Living within walking distance of all my friends was something new for me. I absolutely loved it. Walking to the shops, around the supermarket, and to and from university, you are continually bumping into friends. It's certainly hard to feel lonely.

8. Free time - As a student I had a lot of free time (I know that some subjects don't get as much but the majority of us aren't in university from 9-5). I have free time now but I'm expected to be doing something worthwhile. At university you have free time when you're actually allowed to do nothing.

9. Freedom - Some graduates still have the same freedom as they did as a student but quite a lot don't - including me. At university you are completely your own person, able to do whatever you want, pretty much whenever. If you're at living at home with your family like me, you have to continually plan your day around others. Luckily I have my own car, otherwise I'd probably be pulling my own hair out.

Halloween costumes

10. Students themselves - Not only do I miss my friends, whether they're still at university or doing their own thing now, I miss being surrounded my like-minded people.

11. Fancy dress - Wearing the most unusual costumes for nights out is okay because you're a student. You can express your creativity in so many ways and it's legitimate to have spent your whole day creating an amazing outfit. Also, what are you supposed to do now with the collection of fancy dress you've accumulated over the last 3 years?

12. Spending all day in bed under the pretence of reading/studying - Especially studying English, the chance to stay in bed all day and still be productive was the best. Now I have chores, family meals, work or the gym to go to. I definitely can't get away with 'working' in a same way.

Tour 2013

13. Sports tours - Hockey tours were crazy. The saying 'what goes on tour, stays on tour' definitely applies here but if any of us did those things, or saw the same things when we weren't students we'd probably be appalled.

14. The support - I don't think you realise it until you leave but you have so much support around you at university. From lecturers and tutors to help you with your studies, careers advisers, your parents and your friends. But once you leave everyone suddenly expects you to be a grown-up capable of doing everything yourself, and sometimes it's a big step up.



15. Last but not least VARSITY - I cannot stress how much I loved varsity. It's the one day when the whole university comes together in support of one another. It's like a sports extravaganza and my life will not be the same without it.

VARSITY WINNERS 2014

Hopefully this list didn't come across as entirely negative, and it should prompt some of my friends who are still at university to make the most of student life and the opportunities it brings. Next I'll write about being a graduate and what I'm up to in my search for a position to start my career.