TOW #23: Hand Sanitizer Advertisement (visual)

Writing Goals:

     1)   Make stronger word choices

     2) Try not to repeat words so frequently   

     3)   Focus more on the analysis than the summary

  

             

Germs are everywhere and nearly impossible to avoid. Hand sanitizer companies, such as Dettol, use play towards the viewer’s emotional side by showing everyone what they are touching. Dettol’s ad in particular focuses in on the germs that are on public transportation. Many people use public transportation daily and know how unsanitary it can be; so this advertisement can be see as relatable and a wake up call to avid users of public transportation.

            Firstly, the Dettol advertisement pictures a girl on what looks like a bus, holding on to a hand. This hand and the other hands hanging from the bar represent the germs that lie inside buses and also how unsanitary public transportation is. This image alone can convince viewers to go and purchase Dettol’s hand sanitizer in order to keep ones-self germ free and health.

            After noticing the hands in the advertisement, most people would read the words at the bottom of the ad: “Whose hand are you holding?” Phrasing like this makes the audience wonder who’s germs they have acquired throughout their day and if they should start carrying around the Dettol hand sanitizer to prevent bad germs from spreading. Underneath the bold wording, there is a statement that says, “Dettol instant hand sanitizer kills 99.99% of germs.” Statistics like that make the audience even more compelled to purchase Dettol’s product.

            Finally, an image of a mini Dettol sanitizer bottle is placed on the advertisement. The image will allow potential customers to know what the bottle looks like so if they end up purchasing the hand sanitizer they will know what they are looking for.

            Although it is not stated in the advertisement, most germs are seen as bad, especially those found on means of public transportation as depicted in the ad. By appealing to this idea of germs and how unsanitary public transport can be, the Dettol hand sanitizer company is able to successfully lure viewers into purchasing their product; which as we know is the goal of almost every advertisement.

TOW #22: Day by Elie Wiesel (IRB Part 2)

            Every day must come to an end; but in this case I mean the conclusion of the book, Day, by Elie Wiesel. The book main focus is around the accident of Wiesel. After being struck by a cab, Wiesel is hospitalized for weeks in a full body cast, so close was he to meeting his life’s end. He has so much to live for, but Wiesel only cares about one thing, Kathleen.  Much of the book revolves around Wiesel’s experiences with Kathleen and the others he has encountered through his life. All of these people are from different events of his existence, both past and present.

            Wiesel wrote Day to continue to tell his saga. All readers of his book can easily become addicted to the text due to its interesting topic and brilliant author.  One way Wiesel keeps his readers hooked it through the organization of the book.  He is constantly switching between different points in his life. He could go from his recover time at the hospital with Doctor Paul Russel to the years of complicated love him and Kathleen have for one another in one chapter alone.  He also switched between dialogues with the people around him to conversations he has with himself in his head. His organization keep readers hooked to the end because all the events he recollects come together in the end.

            But one cannot help but feel sorry for Wiesel and all he has had to overcome throughout his life. Fans of Wiesel’s memoir Night already understand the struggles he faced as a child in Nazi concentration camps; but Day allows his readers to see that his struggling at yet to cease. Appealing to his reader’s emotions is just another way that makes Wiesel’s book impossible to put down. The whole book revolves around him being struck by a cab. But, Wiesel’s story is far from over, and one can tell just from the end of the book that thing are finally starting to turn around for Elie.

TOW #21: Inside the Pixar Braintrust by Ed Catmull (Article)

           Pixar is known for its endless amounts of animated successes, but none of these movies would have made it big if it wasn’t for Pixar’s Creativity inc. and their Braintrust.  Ed Catmull, a Pixar employee who emphasizes the importance of candor while collaborating, recently wrote an article explaining the importance of the Braintrust. The Braintrust is a meeting that occurs every few months at Pixar studios to help improve the up-and-coming movies. At theses meeting, people from all areas of the company come to evaluate, criticize, and help movies become a beloved classic.

            Catmull stresses the importance of candor throughout the entire article. Candor is the quality of being open and honest in expression and is what makes Pixar’s Braintrust so successful. By including the idea of candor at the beginning and end of the article, Catmull is able to show how candor is not only important for Pixar, but for any form of collaboration. He emphasizes how candor is the reason why Pixar is triumphant in what it does and is what keeps Braintrust functional. Candor is also brought up many times through out the article, especially after Catmull gives examples of how Braintrust works.

            To fully allow his Pixar loving readers to understand how Braintrust works, Catmull uses examples from meetings about old and new Pixar movies. His first example was about a new movie entitled Inside Out (which is planned to be released in 2015). In the Braintrust meeting, Catmull recalls how the creator of the movie, Pete Doctor, starts by introducing his idea and plays a short clip; after it is finished, other members begin questioning parts and brainstorming what the audience should get from viewing the film. Other examples of how the Braintrust works including helping write a new ending for Wall-E and creating a reason for the Big Baby to turn again Lotso The Bear in Toy Story 3.

            Pixar movies are well known around the world, but would they be as successful as they are if Braintrust did not exist?  Catmull reveals the importance of candor and how it helped make Braintrust tell unforgettable stories.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3027135/inside-the-pixar-braintrust?src

TOW #20: Miley Cyrus Wreaking Ball Music Video (Visual)

Writing Goals:

     1)   Make stronger word choices

     2)   Summarize less in the beginning (I usually use more than 100 words!)

     3)   Focus more on the analysis than the summary

            When most people think of Miley Cyrus they think of the innocent Disney Channel star who has turned into a poor role model for children today. One of the most controversial topics involving Cyrus is about her music video for the song "Wreaking Ball". Many see it as inappropriate and scarring, but underneath all the nudity and hammer licking is powerful story.  

            Cyrus wrote the song Wreaking Ball about her break up with ex-fiancé, Liam Hemsworth. The video’s purpose is to express the distress of her loss love. Each individual element incorporated in her video reveals a deeper feeling of Cyrus’.

            When fans first tuned in to watch the Wreaking Ball video, many were anticipating the appearance of an actual wreaking ball. But what a good deal of people do not know is that the wreaking ball is meant to reveal the destructive nature of love. Although love is not always destructive, Cyrus uses this piece of construction equipment to express how wreaked she felt after the collapse of her relationship.

            One of the most questionable props in the video was the sledgehammer. Cyrus begins the video by licking, kissing, and caressing the hammer and concludes the video by using it to smash the concrete walls that hold her emotions in.  This may come across as strange, but with a closer analysis of the item, one can see that Cyrus uses the sledgehammer to represent how she is in love with the pain of her break up.  The use of the hammer is a unique way for Cyrus to express how her love for Liam is still present even through her suffering.

            Why is she naked? This is a question that has been asked by many viewers. What comes across as unnecessary and scandalous is actually a way for Cyrus to show how stripped and naked she truly feels after her break up.  Her nudity also indicates how exposed her personal life is to the public. Media has exploited her heartbreak for everyone to see.  If one takes a second to realize the true intentions of the music video, they will agree with me when I say that Cyrus was able to achieve her purpose in a unique, revealing way.