9-30-09 Fry Design Shape

I was searching on Google and was searching for “funky buildings” and this picture of a McDonald’s caught my attention. I thought it was an interesting design because the normal image of a McDonald’s a regular white building but this one was different. The shape of the fries is what made me interested because it was not how I picture fries in a fry container. I think it is interesting the shape of the fries because there are very few of them but it gets the point across that it is fries. Also the windows are not straight up and are angled along with the windows which add to the affect. Another reason I liked the design is that the red container the fries are in have a little square design. The fries are all equally spaced on the wall and I think the design is really neat because the fries are square rectangles, but people still can tell it is fries. Lastly I think it is interesting that the designer put in little square windows that are rotated. Overall I find this design very interesting and really like the way it was designed.

9-30-09 Sandwich Creations

I found this picture of the fish that looks like Nemo from the Disney movie when I was searching for “funky designs” on Google. I thought it was very creative and how it is aimed towards little kids. I think it is neat how they incorporated vegetables to look like something all little kids can relate to which makes it “fun” for kids to eat instead of being picky. I know all my little cousins love Disney movies and I think they would be a lot less picky if their sandwiches were something they could relate to. I believe the sandwiches could be a big money maker for the Disney movies and all other children’s movies and shows because the kids like to be able to relate to something and would make them want to eat. On the website there were more than one type of “animal creation sandwich” and I think it is a great design idea to catch a kid’s attention.

Here is the website of the other sandwich creations: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/pictures/2009/08/13/funky-sandwiches-designs-115875-21593762/

9-30-09 Campbells Soup

I was searching on Google for food advertisements and found the Campbell Soup can. The ad caught my eye because it has the little Campbell Soup girl on the ad which I have seen in commercial and it has been around for many years. People can associate that when they see the little girl that it puts the image of the Campbell soup can. I think it is important for a company that can use an ad in current times that was used many years ago. Also the commercial with Orville Redenbacher popcorn that actually has the original guy in the commercial. I think little children would be more interested seeing a little girl with the soup because they will maybe want to eat it more. I know this advertisement is old but I have seen it a couple times while watching television.

9-26-09 Progressive Insurance

While watching television I can’t even count the number of times I have seen the commercial for progressive insurance company. I really get annoyed by the ladies voice who says “discount” during the commercial. I always want to change the channel, but the company does a great job with hiring the lady for the part because the commercial is always in my head and I am sure it is in other people’s head. I find it interesting that the company can use the lady for all different progressive insurance commercials without it getting old. I think the company must be doing well because it seems like the commercials is on constantly. I believe it is important to be good at selling the product or item just like if a designer was trying to sell a logo or website to a company.
Here is the youtube video of the "discount" commercial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrtMM5suUCg&feature=PlayList&p=9BDD0ABADEA54CC2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=8

9-26-09 Snickers

I have been to Chicago many times and have always seen the ad for snickers on busses down town. The catch is that the snickers bar does not say snickers it has different words in it like Satisfies, but it is in the same color and shape of a Snickers. I think this is really cool how the company can advertise without it saying Snickers, but people relate and can figure out that it is an ad for Snickers. The marketers of this idea were thinking because it always makes a person think of a Snickers bar without saying it. I looked online for the Snickers website and I could click on a certain link that would allow me to write a word and it would transfer it into a word like what they put for the snickers bar advertisement. I think it is important when people can figure out what a product is without any words like the Nike, adidas, underarmour, and Pepsi logos just to name a few. This journal kind of relates to our assignment for this week because we are supposed to use a metaphor without making it obvious, but a person can figure it out.

Here is the site where you can make words into "snacklish" as they call it http://www.snickers.com/default.htm

9-26-09 Square Design

I searched on Google for designs and kept searching and finally found one that caught my eye. The color caught my eye and it looks like the square in the center is raised and floating and has depth. Also the color variation that the center square is darker colors and the bigger square has bright colors. The bright colored square looks like there are multiple layers of the little colored squares. Every time I look at the design I notice different views of it. I also noticed that the stripes in each square do not go the same way; some are straight up and down and some are sideways. In the center circle I see four longer rectangles in the middle all going in different directions. Also there are only four white stripes in the whole design and it makes me curious. Lastly I think the black edging around the center circle makes it pop and draws my eye to it. Look and see what you can find.

Chicago 9-17-09

I really enjoy taking photographs and last summer I went to Washington Park with a few friends to Lake Michigan which is in Michigan City, Indiana. When I got out of the car to walk along the beach I couldn’t believe how clear it was to be able to see Chicago. I live about 45 minutes from Chicago so I thought it was amazing how I was able to see Chicago over a beautiful sunset from that far away. Also I think it is neat how you can see the shape of each building and it is not a blur. I think it is neat how it does not look that far away because it was so clear out. I think the shapes of the buildings like the tops and how it’s the skyline but you can’t see any other buildings besides those. I think the bright orange sky adds to the effect and it was a perfect sunset/ night to see Chicago.

Wassily Chair 9-17-09

In N-100 during lecture we talked about Marcel Breuer and how he invented the Wassily chair. I thought this chair looks very comfortable so I wanted to find more information about the inventor. Marcel Breuer was an Architect and interior designer. He graduated from Bauhaus carpentry workshop in 1924. In 1925 Breuer was asked to come back to Bauhaus workshop to experiment with extruded steel and created an array of light, metal furniture. Breuer got the idea of the chair from his bicycle and used the same material and build of the bike to make the chair design. After many tries Breuer finally got the chair the way he wanted it. The name of the chair “Wassily” comes from a friend of Breuer and a former instructor he had. After Breuer got called back to the Bauhaus he was there for three years. I think this chair looks very comfortable and the design of it looks neat because it is shaped for a person. I think it would be cool if I could sit in the “Wassily” chair.

Website I found information on: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bauh/ho_1988.256.htm

Museum 9-17-09

I am in N-100 and the lecture was about culture. We started talking about art and we were shown a picture of the Whitney Museum of American Art building in New York City and the building really caught my attention so I wanted to find out more about it. I think it is neat how the shape of the building is not a perfect square and it almost looks like a tetris piece. Also we discussed how if a person were to stand under it; the building would look like it was falling down on you. The founder of the building was Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and it was founded in 1931. The museum only had 700 art objects when it first opened. Mr. and Mrs. Whitney made the most of their money by buying artwork from living artists and not well known artists. Also in 1932 the Whitney would buy artwork from the "Museum’s Annual and Biennial exhibits.” The Whitney Museum had been devoted to having a selection of artwork that gives an overall image of “twentieth-century American art.”

website where I found information from http://www.whitney.org/www/collection/history.jsp

Coffee 9-13-09

I always see coffee commercials and ads for coffee but I thought this ad was very eye catching. It always seems like McDonalds, Starbucks and Dunkin Doughnuts are in competition to get more people to drink their coffee and so I started looking on the internet for coffee ads and found this one for Starbucks that looks like a coffee bean bag that coffee comes in. Also how the catchy words Starbucks wants to stick out they made it a different color. The letters that they used were look like vintage and it works well because the coffee bag looks older too. I like how the font style is the same except for the word PERFECT is in all caps so it sticks out since the point of the ad is to say Starbucks wants their coffee to taste perfect for their customers. Also I like the saying at the bottom and how the font size is small and then the word Starbucks is larger in size and green.

Fat being poured in cup 9-13-09

The obesity rate in America keeps increasing especially in kids and teens. I did a research paper last year of how the rate of obesity keeps increasing. Social income plays a big role in childhood obesity. I was looking up food advertisement and found this picture of a pop bottle pouring pop into a glass, but it is not pop it is fat being poured into a glass. I think it is kind of gross, but it gets the point across of how pop is not healthy. The website I found this on stated that this ad will be posted on subway cars in New York City soon. The cost of this ad was expensive and the website stated “the ads cost about $277,000” to make and the cost of the ads to be put in the subways, about $90,000 was paid for by the private Fund for Public Health in New York.” I think this is a great way the company spent their money because I think it will really make people think twice when they have the choice of water or pop. The image of the fat being poured in the glass really sticks in my head and hopefully the ad will affect other people in the same way.

The website I found this on http://calorielab.com/news/categories/government-obesity-actions/

Running Shoes 9-13-09

I enjoy running and always like to see different advertisements for running when they catch my attention. While I was driving down to Bloomington last weekend I saw an advertisement while driving and the billboard had 3 different size feet and it said we fit your feet. The ad was for Indiana Running Company, but I could not find that billboard online so I found something similar. I ran cross country in high school and went to a similar running store that fit my foot for my running shoes which is a great feeling when the shoe fits properly. This picture I found online made me think of the running store where they fit a person’s foot because it show three different size feet and then three different shoes. Since everyone’s feet are a different size and shape this is a great ad for running shoes.

Loan 9-5-09

I dislike this billboard because I think it is too busy and hard to figure out what the message is saying. I think the red and a little black background look good together. I do not like how the “MY” is in white letters because the adjustMY loan.com is a website then it all is one word and there is not a need to make a certain word stand out. Also I think the size of the letters for the website needs to be a smaller and all in lowercase or capitalized. I would put the “Attorney Based Loan Modifications at the very top of the billboard and then put the website underneath that. I would leave the black background with the phone number and Lower your monthly payments where it is. Also I would make all of the website letters yellow and keep the “Attorney Based Loan Modifications” the same color. Overall I would make the letters medium size so the words do not look like they are all crammed on the billboard and a small picture could maybe be added.

Clever Jewelry Company 9-5-09

I really like this billboard because I think it is simple and to the point. I think it is catchier with showing a picture of the earrings and then the benefit of kisses rather than the billboard just showing jewelry in general. I think this is humorous at the same time so it will catch attention by people because when I first saw this I chuckled. I like the red on the far edges of the billboard and I think it is just enough color and brings people’s eyes into the center of the advertisement. Also the size and type of font is easy to read except I think the address and name of the jewelry store should have a little bit bigger font. The kiss at the bottom of the billboard makes movement which makes the eye look at the name of the jewelry store and the address.

Chick-fil-a 9-5-09

I really like this billboard advertisement because I think it catches people attention since all the letters in the words are not there. I think when some letters are dropped in an ad or billboard it will catch people’s attention more because they notice there is something missing. I like the shapes of the letters because it looks like “chicken scratch” as some people call it which chicken is what the company is advertising. I like how the “Eat Mor Chickin” words looks like the paint is just drying and dripping down because the two cows look like they are just painting the letters on the billboard so it is a great idea. The one thing I do not like about the billboard is the all white space in background, but I think it makes the words stand out more so I dislike it and like it at the same time.