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This advertisement is an attempt to appeal to “everybody” with it’s suggestive wording and celebrity endorsements ranging with popularity from the 50s, 80s, and modern era. However, the target audience overall would appeal to those interested in “pop culture” who enjoy music by these celebrities (most likely teenagers, young adults and middle aged individuals.)
The general ambiance of this advertisement recollects a sense of nostalgia for it’s older audience and comes off as reliable to it’s younger audience by using it’s endorsements. When people see a product advertised by a celebrity, it enhances it’s credibility. It also uses “togetherness” to bring together different age groups and people with one singular product.
The advertisement is completely in red, white and blue (Pepsi’s logo colors) with Michael Jackson being the only celebrity in regular color (most likely because he is the most recognizable for every age group out of the three.) The colorful/vibrant aesthetic makes it’s “main attraction” (Michael Jackson) stand out, and the words are bolded in red and blue on the only white space in the ad.
The relationship between the pictorial elements and written material tie together the message by promoting the “togetherness” of each generation and use the faces of the celebrities to demonstrate HOW Pepsi is attempting to bring each generation together.
The only space in the advertisement is the piece of white background to the left of the advertisement, which is used for the wording and an image of Pepsi cans with the celebrity endorsements faces on them.
The symbols used are the celebrities faces on both the Pepsi cans and in the background, which helps demonstrate the importance of their role in selling this product. The main idea of this advertisement is that the celebrities drink/drank Pepsi, and so should it’s audience.
While Michael Jackson and Ray Charles are seen singing, they are also smiling while doing so. Britney Spears is also seen in the corner smiling. Their facial expressions associate the product with happiness, and the “singing” poses are probably used to remind the audience of their songs/make them think of their music to associate Pepsi with their possibly favorite songs by the celebrity.
The background signifies the important of the celebrities, and is used almost as a “timeline effect”. The top right presents Ray Charles, who was popular around the 1950’s. Britney Spears is in the top bottom, and is popular in the present time. Michael Jackson, however, is in the middle and stands out the most (as he is the only one in regular color), and although he was his most popular around the 1980’s, he is most likely well known by each generation.
The action taking place is their “most iconic” celebrity endorsement singing in the front with well-knwon celebrity faces in the background.
The theme of the advertisement is celebrities and how they relate to Pepsi products.
The language used is simple, yet is trying to elicit an emotional response. That emotion can include nostalgia, interest, and familiarity.
The typeface used is a vibrant and bold text in blue and red (the most memorable colors.) They convey importance in the message and make it easy to remember.
The item being sold is Pepsi’s soda cans. The role being played in American society and culture is the emphasis America places on it’s celebrities/famous singers and soda consumption (which is one of the countries with the most highest carbonated drink consumption worldwide).
The best way to describe the photo angle of this advertisement is “Bokeh” and a “close-up shot” (Bokeh is used when the background is blurred to make the main attraction stand out more.) Although the background isn’t blurry, this type of technique is being used to make Michael Jackson stand out the most. The significance of a “close up shot” is how it draw’s attention to what matters most. The lighting is also faced towards him, to emphasize his characteristics. He is angled in a sort of “side profile” manner because it was used from what seems to be a live performance.
The cultural attitude of this advertisement is that celebrities are important, and if they advertise a product, it also means the product is important. Our culture places a significance on the use of celebrities, and sociologically, furthers this belief.
Type of industry: Animal Rights and Welfare/Pet Industry
I chose the ASPCA and PETA organizations, as both of them have an overlapping social media presence.
Organization 1: ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)
Describe the tone and language used: The tone of their social media posts is direct and personal, and the language used is simple. They’re “straight to the point” and speak directly to their audience/make a personal connection, using words and phrases that the average person can understand.
Who do you think their audience or audiences are? How can you tell?: Their website specifically states that they’re mission is to aim at an “affluent and compassionate audience.” More specifically, I think their audience consists of fellow animal advocates, and adults/families who have pets or are looking to adopt a pet. This organization promotes the protection of animals and fight to decrease animal cruelty, as well as posts about animals for adoption; they also keep their followers updated on news pertaining to animal welfare and job offerings in their industry.
What do you think the primary purpose is on social media?: I think their primary purpose is to inform the public about the amount of animal cruelty that takes place, and how it can be prevented. I believe they also want to appear empathic to animals/”an organization who cares” about the welfare of animals. They tend to go “above and beyond” with their posts and seem to intend on covering everything related to the subject.
Find a post that you think is particularly successful or unsuccessful; Describe the post and why you think it succeeded or failed: This post on their Instagram from October 15th seems particularly successful. It received a lot of positive feedback and engagement (over 6000 likes) and appeared to be a “different approach” compared to their previous, more serious posts (which seemed to be a good thing).
Organization 2: PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)
Describe the tone and language used: The tone of their social media posts is honest and humble/thoughtful , and their language is simple. Throughout their posts, they don’t “shy away” from the gruesome details of animal abuse and cruelty. Rather, they describe the subject matter and not only describe how their audience can help in making a change, it also tells them how to take better care of their pets to ensure their health and safety. Their language is simple and uses basic language making it easy for everyone to understand.
Who do you think their audience or audiences are? How can you tell?: This organization’s audience is similar in how it appeals to animal advocates, but I also believe this organization could also appeal to vegans/those who want to become vegan. While ASPCA advocates for mostly pets, PETA’s social media mainly advocates the use of farm animals (such as cattle and sheep) in products such as clothing and leather. They also post a lot about “going vegan”, sharing vegan recipes and gruesome details about how meat and animal byproducts are treated and packaged.
Find a post that you think is particularly successful or unsuccessful; Describe the post and why you think it succeeded or failed: This post from their Tik Tok on October 16th is extremely disturbing and heartbreaking, however at the same time it was very successful in getting their message across. The post shows animals screaming as their hair and skin are removed for the making of animal-based products, such as cashmere. This post had over 1000 shares, 13 thousands likes and was viewed over 212 thousand times. The engagement on this post shows how it was successful in reaching it’s audience, and just this post alone could demonstrate what this organization stands for. (The caption also makes the post even more successful in it’s raw and honest attitude.)
Which organization (organization 1 or organization 2) do you think is more successful in achieving their purposes and reaching their target audiences? Why?: Overall, I believe Organization 2 (PETA) is more successful in acheiving their purposes and reaching their target audience. Compared to Organization 1 (ASPCA), their posts have more engagement, and their platforms have more followers. Furthermore, their types of posts play a vital role in how they are viewed: while ASPCA is informative and provides more oppurtunity for people to help, PETA takes a more “gut wrenching” turn and plays more off of emotional appeal than oppurtunity. ASPCA does better commercial/advertisement wise, while PETA is more relevant in social media. For example, on Tik Tok, PETA has 212.9K followers with 5 million views overall; ASPCA has 174K followers with 172.5K views. On Twitter, PETA has 1 million followers, compared to ASPCA’s 505.7K followers.
The mechanical premises that seperate humans and animals are easily distinguishable; the minds and bodies of both organisms exhibit obvious differences from our consciousness to rationality. Although both experience suffering, the comparison of animal slaughter to the historical genocide of the Holocaust contributes to the exact dehumanization the victims of Nazi persecution faced. Throughout this time period, Nazis would refer to the Jews as “less than human” by comparing them to animals, specifically rats. Although both animal slaughter and mass murder are unethical, so is comparing both forms of butchery.
The 2003 campaign launched by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals intended to create a “pathos” approach with this comparison, which received necessary backlash due to its unethical comparison. The slaughtering of animals (which are mainly used for nourishment) and the murder of approximately 6 million Jews (which was only done through discrimination) are not the same things. In other words, killing for food is not the same as killing out of hate. As a matter of fact, comparing the two only contributes to the ideology of anti-Semitism as well as desensitizes the events which occurred during this time period.
In comparison to the total of 11 million people killed in the Holocaust, approximately 9 billion animals are slaughtered yearly. Many argue that because of these statistics, as well as the suffering that took/takes place in both scenarios, that the two are comparable. Despite the truth of these arguments, however, these analogies are both unnecessary and potentially offensive especially to Holocaust survivors. Comparing these two is similar to comparing their propaganda motives: the use of guilt tripping and negative emotions in order to make change occur. Not only are these methods ineffective in creating a positive difference, but these analogies can also fuel the pre-existing and increasing ignorance of events of the Holocaust. As more and more people are seemingly unaware of one of the most important events in global history, these sort of remarks desensitize those with no prior background knowledge of the Holocaust. The supply-and-demand system of animal consumption is incomparable to the rape and torture that other human beings have experienced.
The saying that “history repeats itself” cannot be farther from the truth. Yes, both of these events include an endless chain of suffering, unnecessary torture and unethical behavior. While both of these events can/could have been easily avoided, we cannot change the past, but rather we can learn from it; rather than testifying for empathy comparing the loss of human life to the loss of animal life, awareness should be raised for the humanization of practices in meat consumption. The awareness of suffering and value of animal life is indisputably important in changing the way we view our sources of meat and how they are obtained. The life and emotions of an animal should be just as prioritized as it is with human life (we are all living, breathing organisms after all). However, in my opinion, comparing these two is like comparing apples to oranges: they’re both fruits, but one is completely different than the other. There are different, more effective, and less offensive ways to get this point across.
“Hero Photo”, depicting the social impact of COVID-19, beginning in 2020.
A societal fight for our lives has recently become a battle for youth in their minds. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescent and young adult mental health/wellbeing has drastically declined, with a surge in anxiety, depression and stress. According to the American Psychological Association, Gen Z adolescents and adults have both reported having worsened mental health due to the “social side effects” of the pandemic. To further my understanding of this epidemic, I interviewed two people in which make up this generation, 1 of which is age 12, and the other at age 22.
I first spoke with Heather Ortega, my representative for Gen Z adolescents and student at Fieldstone Middle School. I began with the obvious question: how has your mental wellbeing changed since the impact of COVID-19? She began to tell me about the anxiety that would come from going into the outside world, with depression setting in due to lockdown and isolation. While being torn between the two, she also felt stressed- the weight of changes in schooling, lack of socialization, and the unsettling thought of life as she knows it being changed for good has taken a toll on her emotionally and mentally. She describes feeling depressed, numb, fearful, and hopeless- overwhelmingly feeling nothing at all and everything at once.
My next thought was: why? Why do you think your mental status was impacted the way it is? “In the beginning, it was hard adjusting to being around people”, she stated “[and] being stuck inside, seeing the same things with the same people every day was definitely stressful.” Along with the struggle of procrastination within online school, and a sudden lack of interest in things she used to enjoy, the start of this new life was not a good one.
Almost 2 years into the pandemic, I was also interested in looking at how Gen Z teens cope with these newfound emotions. For an optimistic spin on things, I asked Heather: Have you began to feel these symptoms less often/as severe compared to the beginning of COVID? When did you start to feel this way? Fortunately, she reported feeling slightly less depressed and anxious, as life began to reach some sort of normalcy. As the vaccine became approved by the FDA, and students were able to finally proceed to in-school learning, she reported feeling a lot more hopeful for the future of the pandemic, which led me to my next question- where do you see the status of the pandemic in the future?
“Hopefully, almost everyone will get vaccinated, and life will return to normal in the future.” As for now, she has found different coping mechanisms for dealing with the remaining conditions and symptoms of the pandemic. What do you do to cope with these feelings? She listed different ways to relax, including listening to music, drawing, and talking with her friends. Surprisingly, she also reported that the best way to cope is on her own, providing a sense of irony throughout this historical context. However, this also goes to show how time heals all wounds- she reports finding a balance between socializing and isolation, thanks to the timeline of experiences she went through this past year. For my final question, I wondered: who has helped you cope the most throughout the pandemic? Her answer: “you and my friends.” Aw! She continued, by telling me about her support system of people being there for her, and giving her someone to talk to; reminding her that her fight was not a lonely one.
CDC guidelines for coping throughout the pandemic.
My next interviewee was Caleb Adair, Gen Z young adult and essential worker. I began to ask him the same questions I asked Heather, starting with: how has your mental wellbeing changed since the impact of COVID-19? He responded feeling mostly stressed, with firsthand experience of watching the world get worse and worse. As he realized that more and more people were getting sick and dying daily, he also began to feel fearful for himself and his family.
In an attempt to elaborate on his previous answer, I asked my second question: Why do you think your mental status was impacted the way it is? “I couldn’t go out as much and it made me feel weird not being able to hang out with people [outside of work]”, and being put into quarantine was also another stressor. Furthermore, what added even more stress was how the pandemic did not hit home until March, while COVID was announced on December 31st. It was like waiting through the calm before the storm, and three months later, that storm finally hit.
With progress being made since the beginning of COVID-19, I asked: Have you began to feel these symptoms less often/as severe compared to the beginning of COVID? When did you start to feel this way? He reported feeling less and less stressed and anxious as the pandemic *seemed to* get better; however, he still remains somewhat stress and worried about the current and future states of the pandemic.
Where do you see the status of the pandemic in the future? “Hopefully over”, he stated. As many other’s, he hopes that with progress being made, such as the vaccine, we will continuously return to the state of normalcy we were at pre-COVID. “However, with the way things are now, I can also see us going back to Square 1, and going through another lockdown. It can go one of two ways.” With the underlying symptoms of COVID remaining, I asked- What do you do to cope with these feelings?
He described using music and talking to his friends as ways to cope with these feelings throughout the pandemic. For my final question, I asked: who has helped you cope the most throughout the pandemic? He responded with his friends and family being the most helpful throughout the pandemic.
As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to arise, levels of depression, anxiety and stress follow suit. However, the power of this pandemic has had some benefits- studies show that people have been able to spend more time with their families and pick up new hobbies. Most of all, mental health is starting to get the recognition it deserves, with multiple resources being released for those mentally impacted by COVID. For the 92% of Gen Z impacted by COVID-19, we can only keep making progress and continuing to look forward.
The impact of COVID amongst Gen Z adults.
Sources:
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Stress in america™ 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis. American Psychological Association. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2020/report-october.
Jones, E. A. K., Mitra, A. K., & Bhuiyan, A. R. (2021, March 3). Impact of covid-19 on Mental Health in Adolescents: A systematic review. International journal of environmental research and public health. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7967607/.
The generational impact of covid-19. COVID-19’s impact on each generation | Blue at Work from Wellmark. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://www.wellmark.com/blue-at-work/healthy-employees/generational-impacts-from-covid-19.
CAMERA TRACKING SHOT following a (Caucasian, middle-aged) businessman walking down the street; notices a homeless man (old, disheveled) leaning against a building. Businessman reaches into his pocket.
CUT TO ZOOM SHOT, zooming in on a cold Pepsi and money, as he hands it to the homeless man. CUT TO THE HOMELESS MAN, zoom shot.
HARD CUT to a woman at work, sitting at her desk, appears stressed. Leans back in office chair, holding her head.
CUT TO TRACKING SHOT as the businessman from earlier appears in the scene.
CUT TO ZOOM SHOT, zooming in on Pepsi, as he places it on the woman’s desk beside her. CUT TO THE WOMAN, zoom shot.
HARD CUT to the businessman at home, eating dinner with his family. He leans back in his chair.
CUT TO TRACKING SHOT as a woman (depicting the man’s wife), walks up to him, holding a liter of Pepsi. CUT TO ZOOM SHOT, zooming in on the Pepsi as she pours it in his cup.
*beginning instrumental music from Lean on Me by Bill Withers plays in the background*
Homeless man: Thank you. *smiles and drinks Pepsi*
Businessman: Here, you look like you could use this.
Woman: Thank you. *smiles and drinks Pepsi*
*Lyrics begin to play, starting with “Lean on me…”
Businessman: Thank you. *smiles and drinks Pepsi*
*ZOOM SHOT to Pepsi being placed on the table*
Narrator(man’s voice), talking as the song fades out: Pepsi, the brand you can lean on.
Drive time: 3 PM-7 PM (I picked this time because this is usually when parents are picking their kids up from school or bringing them to activities, so this advertisement can be a “conversation starter” for parents and/or children to talk about suicide.)
(somber, low piano music begins to play followed by the soft voice of a young female) Every 11 minutes, a life barely lived is lost due to suicide, and every day, a friend, a family member, takes their own life. One of these lives could be someone you know. Why not try to prevent what can be prevented? Learn more at suicide-prevention-lifeline.org, or call 1800-273-8225. (piano music begins to fade out.) You’re a call or click away from saving a life.
