Extra Credit Blog Evaluation

- Had you ever used a blog before attending RTF 305? IF SO, WHAT WAS ITS FOCUS?

• Yes.  An online psychology class I took at a previous college required us to give our input on various topics we covered in a blog format.
• I also published one for a while that covered different ideas and ramblings that I came across

- What were the positive aspects of using the blogs in the course?

• They help reinforce concepts discussed in lecture/readings
• They forced me to organize my thoughts on the class concepts in a more structured manner

- What difficulties did you encounter in using the blogs? (both technical and conceptual)

• The prompts were quite straightforward and the blogging platform easy to use.

- If you had difficulties in using the blog, how were you able to overcome the difficulties you encountered?

• I found it useful to remind myself with visual reminders of deadlines/ print out the prompts so I didn't miss them or forget to write them on time

- What types of blog prompts were more or less interesting or difficult? (provide an example and rationale)

• The studio system and radio industry prompts were less interesting, mostly because it seemed like a verbatim regurgitation of facts / a list of things read.
• The ones about Film structure, types of shots, and advertising were more interesting to me, because it seemed more inviting to open ended thought/discussion type writing instead of just a list of facts

- Would you recommend using a blog in future course, either in RTF 305 and other undergraduate courses at UT-Austin? (explain why..)

• I believe the blog was a useful tool, but could be revised/improved upon.

- What would you suggest to change or improve the blogging experience in the future?

• Make the blogs more involved, less about simply regurgitating information, in order to make them even more useful as a study tool. Also, I feel students would be more on time with the blogs/interested in them if they were more involved

Yes, you can use my blog in a paper or report.  

Blog Post 9

Advertising pervades the life of every person living in the developed world.  With the ever intensifying spiral of intensity and density of advertising present, advertisers must seek out ways to "cut though the clutter" to make sure they are effectively getting their message across.  I recently came across a campaign put together by the firm TJDR for Nulaid eggs that I feel is an exemplary use of aesthetic appeals (in this case, to humor) in order to grab the viewers' attention.

  

I believe this set of ads is powerful because it sets itself apart.  It has an interesting combination of visual aesthetic appeal, (a sort of nouveaux art aura that many ads contain) and appeals to humor.  Such a combination is useful when the goal is to get the viewer to remember your brand.

The advertisements also bring in an appeal to curiosity - after all, it's not every day that one sees an egg guised as Kim Jong-il.  This drawing in effect of the curiosity appeal paired with the impressions left by aesthetic appeals help set the platform for an effective advertisement.

Many times in campaigns like this, viewers will take up an interest in the ads and follow the ads themselves, in this case, perhaps to see what infamous figure the egg will caricaturize next, which leads to even more impressions for the Nulaid egg company.

In overview, these two appeals work because they strike a chord within the viewer.  People are naturally curious beings, so an ad that contains a curious element will naturally strike an interest in the viewer, which has the obvious advantage of increasing the attention the add gets.

In general, advertising appeals work because they strike a harmonious chord with the viewer.

• ads with appeal to curiosity are:
• something out of the ordinary
• juxtapose seemingly unrelated objects and/or situations

Aesthetic appeals work on the same level, for the same goal.  Humans naturally find certain patterns, shapes (i.e. the golden rectangle) and colors, wether obvious, or abstract appealing.  Ads that aim for aesthetic appeal try to catch the reader's eye by through visually attractive content.  

• Aesthetic appeal ads:
• are pleasing to the senses (most notedly visual)
• appeal to taste, fashion, humor, etc
• are often used (along/paired with sex appeal) in clothing and car ads,