John VanNostran Blog Post 10

 

Throughout the semester I feel that I had many ideas with what I wanted to portray, but most of them just did not click. I felt that I could have always taken the easy way out with an ordinary advertisement analysis or research paper, but I always felt the need to express something I could relate to, something that I could really enjoy writing about. For instance with my advertisement analysis started with a multitude of different advertisements. From dumb ways people die to Nike campaigns I just could not find that special advertisement that motivated myself to even write upon until I was convinced it was the Dos Equis most interesting man alive. I grew up worshipping this guy, and felt that others needed to see this man in the same light as myself. Although while writing about the most interesting man alive I feel that I had incredible possibilities . There was just so much to portray, whether it was the actor himself and his amazing story, or the other ads he was presented in. The most interesting man alive was truly that to me, and I can only wish that I described him better as a character of motivation and inspiration then just a normal symbol of a pretty cool guy that drinks a certain type of beer. I also believe that I have ran into this problem with my latest submission of my research paper that was based around sneakers. I have always grown up loving sneakers, from waiting in crazy lines for just a chance at owning a pair to selling them for some extra money. While within my paper it just felt that again I was going in way to far about the details apposed to the sheer enlightenment that was actually present. Although it was difficult to find the scholarly to support my views, so I felt the need to almost change it along with the voice of other, and that is where I feel like I messed up. Writing a research paper involves annotations and citation, but it truly needs a motivated voice within it to keep readers entertained. While that is why  I really wish if I had a second chance at that paper that I could portray my own appreciation better within my voice throughout the paper.

John VanNostran Blog Post #9

 

One instance where I encountered a remediation within contemporary culture was about three years ago when The Great Gatsby was set to release in theaters. Now this was overjoying news to me I loved the book. Then I found out Leonardo Dicaprio was starring as Gatsby, and my anticipation for the film was crazy. Although as I find myself sitting in the theater I am truly marveled at the visuals, the sounds, and especially Dicaprio’s swagger, but I just don’t get quite the same feeling I did when I read the book. The book felt like something real, almost as if it was a perfect tragic love story. While the movie felt like it was almost overburdened with substance such as visuals, and the music. While all of these things appeared really well in the movie they didn’t translate well along with the story. The true story just didn’t feel right. I believe Dicaprio nailed Gatsby with the script he was given, but he didn’t have that much support. Daisy was a lame character that I really couldn’t understand why Gatsby was even obsessed with her, and just the emotions of the characters was seemed very poorly portrayed. While in the book everything was detailed in a way in which that really propelled F. Scott Fitzgerald’s characters to feel real. I feel that it was through her long descriptive sentences that gave one a true feeling for the books characters. While reading the book I felt emotional, I was shocked, and could turn each page with excitement of what was going to come next. While with the movie I did not all to care much about the characters and what they did. I feel as if I was more inclined to just hate them, along with the movie. In addition to this the movie also failed at portraying the genuine symbolism within the book. One can never forget the whole debate between old money and new money within the book, but when it came to the movie that is something that can easily be forgotten. While it seemed as if the sound and visuals were the priority in the movie they did not translate with the symbolism that Fitzgerald had presented within the novel.

John VanNostran Blog Post #8

One store in which I have become accustom to is my home town Foot Locker in Wilmington Delaware. Ever since grade school I always felt like the man just by walking into the store whether I was buying something or not. There was always such a cool tone associated with the store. From hearing the wicked rhythm and beats to the mesmerizing wall of shoes.  Foot Locker was able to present themselves along with their product in a way that could suck you right into the store. It was like a museum for shoes. First your eyes would catch the limited shoes displayed in glass boxes  surrounded by lights that could just draw you right to them. Then there is the almost intimidating wall of shoes with everything from old school air maxes from the 90’s to this years newest sneaker.  Although what really made Foot Locker special was that it was more than just a shoe store. With every sneaker they had there was always something to go with it. They always had something that could satisfy your needs as a customer. For instance athletes were able to acquire just about anything  for their desired sport. Fans could come in and acquire just about anything they wanted to support their favorite teams. Even adults could come in and feel a place of belonging. Whether it was their shoes, socks, shorts, hoodies, hats, even shoelaces Foot Locker always met its customers expectations. They made it hard to walk into the store without buying something. Along with the most genuine employee’s Foot Locker just felt like a good place to be. Whether it was helping you out with a product, or just talking to you just to get to know you The employees could really make one feel welcome. They always seemed so cool. I remember growing up, and it was just a dream of mine to be one the those guys. They completely personified a truly immense experience for the customers. Every Time one would step into the store it was just a wonderful experience. Foot Locker was able to make its customers feel good about being there and buying their products. That is what a real retail store should be a true experience, and Foot Locker has captured that. Not just through their collection of shoes, but through the sensation and attention they deliver to each and every customer.

John VanNostran Blog Post #7

There are a few questions that I have been interested in exploring. My first idea I wanted to shine light upon soccer and the international soccer corporation FIFA. I developed this interest through a John Oliver episode, where he exploited the company for the corrupt business that it actually is along with the international love for the game. This interested me because I have grown up loving soccer. Whether it  was playing the game or even watching I loved the sport. Which is why I feel I could write a very interesting research paper. I passionately want to further understand the corporation that dictates the sport I love. In addition to that I want to be able to argue for the sport in an effective and persuasive way. I want to present readers with a strong message that shows why people love this game so much, and how the corporation FIFA uses that love and turns it into a dirty business. I feel as though I seek to inform readers about the beauty of the game, and how FIFA is actually destroying the idea of it. Another idea I developed through this interest was to exploit the business side of sports in general, and why it is damaging the sports we love. For instance depicting the NFL with football, or the NBA in basketball. I feel as through I can make effective argument with this by portraying college sports and how they contrast to professional sports. I believe that there could be a good argument developed here. However that is just an idea I am still very unsure what I actually want to write about. For example I have also considered portraying student debt. I am interested on how students deal with it? or how students actually pay it off? I believe student debt can be an interesting piece considering I am a new student who will be facing similar circumstance in the near future. I believe I could identify students situations and analyze throughout my paper. Presenting a multidimensional paper that can depict how to actually pay off student debt.

Although at this point I am excited, yet nervous for this paper. I am excited to effectively depict  topic, but nervous for I am still unsure for what I believe I can truly argue for as a multi page research paper.

John VanNostran Blog Post #6

When I first started brainstorming ideas for this paper, I wanted to find the perfect advertisement, that went above and beyond any advertisement. This lead me to choose the Dumb Ways to Die campaign for my first rough draft. While I was writing the paper I felt an urgency to describe how great this ad was, through its success, back story, and even where it is today. Although in doing so I never truly made an argument a reader would even care for, I basically just wrote a bunch of facts down and through them on a piece of paper, with little voice or examples to support my unheard argument. After this realization came to me I felt defeated, and had no idea what to do with my essay. Furthermore I decided to pitch the Dumb Ways to Die idea and start fresh with a newly formed argument for my second draft. I still wanted the perfect advertisement that I could truly write about and enjoy. This lead me to choose the Dos Equis campaign for The World’s Most Interesting Man. I grew up loving the idea of the commercials, and how ridiculously interesting this guy was. Now this is where I felt like I actually had something. Something I could truly write about and grab someone’s attention. Although for my second draft I seemed to have fallen under similar circumstances with my first rough draft, but this time I actually felt I had a solid introduction and argument. The problem I was having was building upon that. I kept wanting to describe every aspect of Dos Equis and this interesting man to my audience I started to stray away from what my true argument was. Now after this realization I decided I truly need help, because now I’m just making the same mistakes over and over. At this point I felt frustrated with myself and just lost in what to do. I needed help, so I decided to talk to Ms. Nystrom and see her point of view on what to do, and within the five to ten minutes I spoke to her she spit the realest knowledge to me. For the first time I truly knew what I needed to do and how I was going to do so. It was great going home that night opening a microsoft word document developing my third draft, and not repeatedly erasing and adding each bit of description I decided to throw into my essay. I guess the third one is always the charm. I finally felt like I was doing it right, and am truly excited to see what my final draft will present.

John VanNostran Blog Post #4

To me I feel it is very hard not to judge a book by its cover. I understand in life it is imperative to look beyond just the face of things, whether its with books or even people themselves. For there is a lot more to life then just images and faces, but for myself I seem to be a complete sucker for eye candy. I enjoy being able to look at something beautiful, something that I can look at for hours and never get bored with the. Which is why the book cover I wanted to portray in this post is The Alchemists’. I never forget the day when I somehow wownd up at the local Barnes and Nobles in search of a genuinely good book. I have never really been much of a reader, but on this day there was one book cover that caught my eye. It was beautifully mesmerizing. The bright scarlet orange detailed with a radiant yellow drew my attention to the book immediately, and with every step forward the book started to appeal more and more to me. With every little detail edged on the cover from the colors, to the unique designs, even the impression when I picked the book up was dazzling. The book was already amazing and I haven’t even read the book yet. In that instant I felt as if I had to get this book, and once I did I felt determined to read it as soon as possible. I have never been so happy to spend fifteen dollars on a book in my life. I brought that book everywhere with me whether it was to class, or driving somewhere, I felt that I needed to read the book at any moment I could. The words were just as mesmerizing as the cover. Every chapter held a standard of beauty and sheer life perception to it. I was in love with this book and all one hundred ninety seven pages of it. I felt like a new person after reading the book, and just as I flipped the last page to the back cover my mind was blown. I saw a quote, it stated, “To realize ones destiny is a person’s only obligation.” Every story, every event that occurred in the book all came together to me. I had the craziest realization within myself at that moment. Although I was sad the book was over, I was able to take the morals and life lessons within the book to my everyday life. To me there is no cover that could have portrayed that book. As fascinating as the cover was the text behind the cover was for more powerful then any image could describe.

Continually Renewed

“Publicity images also belong to the moment in the sense that they must be continually renewed and made up-to-date. Yet they never speak of the present. Often they refer to the past and always they speak of the future” The advertisement I choice that epitomizes this quote is a Nike soccer commercial refereed to as The Last Game. Now this was a commercial that was aired on top of the hype of 2014 FIFA World Cup. Within this ad portrays the brilliance and the beauty of soccer. Whether its young kids having the time of their lives running through the streets of Rio frantically, or professional players doing the amazing things they do on the big stage with thousands of people watching. Nike seemingly sheds a beautiful light on the game of soccer with this. Although as the ad unfolds so does the main antagonist a futuristic looking doctor. Now the doctor in this ad see the game as soccer as flawed and imperfect, so his evil genius idea to make flawless robotic clones of players. His idea Is that there will be no more mistakes, and will truly bring forth what people want in sports. Within the development of the clones the world seemingly disposes of all the former stars of the game, but as time goes on and the domination of the clones continue so does the embellishment of the game of soccer. With this controversy brings upon a winner take all stars vs. clones match. Now throughout the game the clones seem to be unbeatable until the notion that nike presents that there is no greater danger then playing it safe. Through this message you see the players develop and play with no fear risking everything, and finally win the game putting the clones out of sports forever. I feel that this Nike ad really struck to publicity and how its demand to be kept up to date. I say this because Nike really showed the beauty of soccer, but at the same time presented and oh much better option within the evil doctors mere perfect clones. But even then you start to see the freshness of a perfectly cloned player die down, and the revival of the power within people to be fearless no matter whats on the line. I feel that this story truly portrays publicity in sports. No matter how good things may be people are always going to want something more or what was. Which is why advertisement set their stages up for the past, and mostly the future. They do this to try and satisfy the unquenchable thirst of humans.

Thai Life Insurance Ad

The advertisement that greatly impacted me is a small three minute advertisement presented by a Taiwanese life insurance company known as Thai Life Insurance. Within this ad is a simple man who portrays the elegance of life, and the impact taking just a little bit of time out of his day to simply do the right thing. This man is an anonymous character that is depicted as one not to just do things for money or wealth, but out of the sheer kindness of his heart. He is a man that lives for much more then money. He is one that is driven by true emotion and love for life itself. In every instance in this advertisement he seemingly gets nothing in return, but with every act of kindness his hearts emotions are pouring out of the television. This ad uses brilliant visual prowess to present that the road of love and life will prevail over any dollar amount. Whether it is helping out an old lady move her food cart, or giving the last few dollars in his wallet to a homeless mother and daughter or even simply moving a dying plant into a spot where it can grow strong and beautiful. I feel that this advertisement really touches upon the unsung heroes in everyday life. This advertisement truly shows value of being a good person. Which is why the Thai Life Insurance ad not only portrayed a beautiful story, but subliminally sold their product just as well. I say this because as beautiful as the ad is there is still the fact that this is just another company setting up a false scenario in order to make a financial gain, and they do it beautifully! The Thai Life insurance  impacted the hearts of millions with their manipulated belief that if everyone acted like the man in the commercial then our society would be perfect. Utterly selling the fact that everyone should forget about the dollar signs, and buy their product thoughtlessly out of the sheer kindness of their own hearts to preserve this artificial love that their advertisement depicted. I really choice this article at first, because it hit home to me. The made me feel good about life, and the people that live in this world. Although despite the emotion coming out of this ad after four to five times watching the advertisement one starts to see through the beauty of it all with every slogan or phrase about life.