Monday Monday
Alright, it’s Monday morning and I’m not sure what to talk about (but have to get that birthday entry off the front page). I figured some links were in order.
First and foremost, however, is some exciting news for me. As of yesterday evening, if you search for ‘noah’ in Google I am the final result on the homepage. I’ve taken a screenshot to prove it in case it doesn’t last. Ever since the other noah made it I’ve been jealous of his noahness, but now I share a piece of the glory.
Okay, now onto the good stuff . . .
- At this point we all know my stance on this JetBlue thing (by the way, is it one word or two?). Well David Nottoli has been kind enough to break down the lessons of apology marketing from the airline’s fiasco.
- A fascinating take on religion today and what Jesus might have thought of the whole thing. (For the record I’m not really religious.)
- On President’s Day I was hanging out with some friends (the other’s don’t have blogs . . . yet) and we were discussing how funny a set of greeting cards that corrected stereotypes would be. This isn’t quite it, but McSweeney’s Mildly Disturbing Greeting-Card Messages is worth a read.
- Excercise equipment maker Life Fitness announced iPod integration on their new equipment. It’s getting kind of scary how everything has an iPod plug at this point. I can’t remember where I read it but some absurd amount of cars created today come with one (though it may just been an 1/8″ headphone plug . . . which is fine). Have we already hit a point where we can’t turn back from the iPod? Is there a business opportunity for Apple to sell it’s adapter to other companies to use with their products (including MP3 players). I bet that would be worth a boatload of cash.
- Possibly the most absurd of all the SNL music videos this year.
- Grant McCracken breaks down the seven branding lessons of the Dove campaign.
- Why expensive hotel mini-bars are good for you.
- And last, but not least, I highly recommend this great piece on blurriness from Russell Davies.
And that wraps it up . . . Have a great Monday and thanks to everyone who contributed to my birthday book, came out to party, sent me stuff in the mail and just said hello, I can’t thank you all enough for making me feel special.
Hi, I'm 
Your Russell Davies link just comes back to noahbrier.com. Is that how you made it to the front page on Google? (Just kidding … congrats on that, I’m proud of your noahness … it’s not likely any of this would have happened if we’d gone with my first choice, Paul :)
Moment of silence….I love you!
Fixed the link . . . and thanks for not naming me Paul . . . definitely wouldn’t have worked out as well.
It’s a Noah lovefest.
the user-created commercial for the Dove campaign was aired during the Oscars last night. This lady introduced it, and the whole thing just felt…weird. The commercial was cute, i guess, but the whole intro-by-random-lady thing felt very talkshowy and uncool.
I know that the Dove campaign has been praised by just about everyone there is, but as a female consumer, I don’t really like it. And it doesn’t make me want to buy Dove. Since these are “real” women, are other women supposed to aspire to look like them? What if you already look better? Then you don’t need Dove, right?
I know everyone hates the beauty and fashion industry, and how they mess with womens’ self-confidence and everything, but even though i know buying some beauty product won’t make me look like a model, it’s the image of something to aspire to that motivates me to buy. Sad, but i guess that’s how the human psyche works.
While the women in the Dove campaign are fairly okay looking, I don’t really feel the need to compete with someone like that, or aspire to look like them, so I sort of dismiss the product that they’re associated with.
But hey, maybe it’s just me.
Amber, that’s a very interesting point. If Dove’s campaign was ultimately successful they would eliminate their own product from the market . . . People would no longer worry about loose skin or anything else . . .
Makes me wonder what other things Dove is doing to support this cause other than running an advertising campaign. Seems like they’re just trying to change the conversation, not end it (which of course they are).
Need to give it some more though, but I really appreciate the thoughtful response.
Also, highly recommend checking out one of Grant’s newer pieces on the Dove campaign and the end of the zero sum game.
i’m not going to lie – i’ve recently bought some dove soap strictly because of the ad campaign.
does that mean i might unknowingly aspire to be an average looking woman? hope not.
hahaha
That must be it. Or maybe you’re jealous of your Wii doppleganger’s perfect skin.
yes, that’s exactly what it means Chet. and I’m not going to lie either – I’m concerned. ;)
Wow – Grant’s piece, as well as the Virginia Postrel article it references, is really good. I do like and appreciate the fact that Dove is trying to change the conversation about beauty in our society, since it is such an issue, especially among impressionable young girls.
However, I have to agree with Virginia Postrel when she points out that our brains are sensitive to aesthetics, and we are predisposed to prefer a conventionally beautiful face over one that is less so. The cosmetics industry has been built around this predisposition, in addition to catering to often subconscious feelings like jealousy, inferiority, and aspiration.
I guess what I’m saying is that logic might tell me to buy Dove, because of it’s efforts to make a change in the way we think about beauty, but my heart (and by heart i mean emotion and instinct) will always tell me that I like the brand with the gorgeous model better.
It’s interesting that Dove chose a campaign that went against all of the psychological and emotional elements that make the average beauty product consumer tick – a campaign that essentially asks this consumer to make their brand decisions with their heads, and not their hearts.
I really agree with a l lot of that amber (except maybe your conclusion about my own beauty aspirations!)
One of my favorite books: “Survival of the Prettiest.” Peep it. I would share it to you, but I once lent it to a pretty girl and she never gave it back.
Even though it says “Monday” on top, and it’s tuesday and I was sick monday..I am responding today :) I really liked that article on the end of the zero sum game..very interesting. I I appreciate that Dove is trying to start the dialogue and change the concept of “beauty”. Having a 9 year old niece I am really seeing how different things are now from when I was younger. The problem is that like amber said, i buy things because i aspire to be something else. I know that I am not a supermodel, but I will buy the cosmetics, shoes, purses, etc…that I see people I think are beautiful have. The women on the dove commercial are beatiful in their own ways, but I don’t strive to be the “everyday beauty” , that campaign does not make me want to buy the product. I admit as a consumer that I buy into the dream that a lot of products sell….well these are just my thoughts with a 103 fever so they might not be that coherent :)
I think it’s strange how everyone seems to think “oh, it’s different from when we were kids.” Is it?
I dunno. I seem to remember that being the 80s, when things were just as screwy as they are now, body-image wise, just with different details.