5. Subliminal Advertising

I've always wondered if subliminal advertising really works. If the messages are hidden from our direct sight, can they still influence our subconsciousness? And if they can, how does it benefit the company? There are a lot of ads that are thought to contain subliminal messages, most of which are linked to either sex or power. Here are some examples.

Image via CBS

Looking at the Camel logo closely, you might see a figure of a naked man on the camel's front leg and shoulder.

Image via CBS

The ice on top of the can resembles an outline of a nude female body lying on her side.

Image via Business Insider

Flipping the image reveals the sexual implication of the Heineken ad.

Image via Business Insider

Some people see a racist message in this Intel ad.

Image via Business Insider

Having soft and smooth heels can bear a sexual connotation.

The scooped ice cream reveals a naked female body.

Image via Business Insider

One might spot a dollar bill hidden in the sandwich in this KFC ad.


As you may see, some hidden messages are more obvious than others. But I'd say most of them require a close inspection, and even then it's not clear if the message really exists or if it's just a result of your imagination. There are a lot of people who try to see things that are not really there.

By definition, subliminal means something "below the threshold of sensation or consciousness; perceived by or affecting someone’s mind without their being aware of it." So true subliminal messages are not meant to be seen. However, The Federal Trade Commission claims subliminal advertising to be a deceptive and ineffective practice, while multiple studies demonstrated that it has never worked.

So if you see something and consider it a "subliminal" message, it's most likely just your imagination or the intentional attempt of the advertiser to manipulate your emotions so that you associate their product with something that will ultimately make you buy it.

4. Ethics in Photojournalism

Journalists are faced with ethical issues all the time. The choices they make are often determined by their personal morals or societal norms. However, in some situations it's very hard to determine what is ethical and make the "right" choice as everyone has different standards, so it's not possible to draw a clear line between right and wrong.

This short film called One Hundredth of a Second really got me thinking about ethics in photojournalism. The main character, Kate, is a war photographer. She is faced with an ethical dilemma that needs to be resolved literally in seconds: if a person you are taking pictures of gets in mortal danger, what should you do? Should you stay committed to you profession and continue taking pictures or should you risk your life and intervene to help?


Kate makes her choice and witnesses the girl's death. It may seem obvious that she has made the wrong choice and we are inclined to blame her for being inhumane, but if we look at the Code of Ethics of the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), point five says, "While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events."
Of course, Kate could have tried to save the girl, but that would mean altering the event and thus violating the NPPA Code of Ethics. And in fact, the situation was most likely irreversible - even if Kate did intervene, I doubt she could oppose the armed man and save the girl's life.

This film reminded me of Kevin Carter's photograph that won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1994. It depicts a starving girl struggling towards a feeding center during the Sudan famine. The vulture in the background is waiting for the child to die. Kevin Carter left the scene soon after taking the picture, so the fate of the girl remained unknown. Just like Kate from the short film, Carter got a prestigious award for his picture, but couldn't enjoy it. He blamed himself for not helping the girl which caused him to fall into a deep depression and commit suicide shortly after.

Image via Iconic Photos

These examples demonstrate that sometimes it's really hard to make an ethical decision and choose between documenting reality and being humane. As in most cases connected to war or natural disasters you can't do both, would you choose to be a good photographer or a good person?

3. New Media and Advertising

In the modern world, new technologies continue to emerge at a fast rate, providing new media channels for advertising and other fields of mass communication. Nowadays, people spend a huge amount of time on the Internet browsing news, socializing, shopping, and working. Social media has become one of the primary methods of communication online, while mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, allow people to stay connected 24/7. To stay contemporary and to reach more consumers, advertising has to explore and employ these new technologies and media, and the key terms here are digital and interactive.

Chris Graves, one of the top 24 creative people in advertising according to Business Insider, is an expert at both. As chief creative officer at Team One, he has done outstanding work for Lexus. In 2012, Graves invented CinePrint technology, which allowed the readers of Sports Illustrated to place their iPad behind a print Lexus ad to animate the page. This ad unites new and traditional media in an innovative way, allowing for not only visual, but also tactile and auditory experiences.



This year Graves collaborated with over 200 Instagram users to create a stop-motion film for the new 2014 Lexus IS using their Instagram pictures. What a creative way of utilizing the popular app in advertising!



Both campaigns are digital and interactive, which appeals to Lexus' tech-savvy core consumer. Good job, Chris Graves!

2. Building a Brand

Every lecture of the Creative Strategist is precious. Last week we had an amazing guest speaker, Scott Bedbury, former marketing executive for Starbucks and Nike, talk about brand building. He touched upon a few principles for creating a successful brand that are covered in his book, A New Brand World, but the aspects he emphasized on and that stuck in my head were customer experience and humanity.

Image via PhotopediaPhotos via Flickr

During his career at Starbucks, Bedbury discovered that the core of the Starbucks brand was not so much about the coffee sold as about the "warm" atmosphere of the place that provided positive customer experience. I liked the quote he used to explain this idea, "We are not in the coffee business serving people. We are in the people business serving coffee." He pointed out that this concept, "it's not about the product; it's about customer experience," is true for every company, and that people are the most important part of any business - if you screw up with your people, you will fail, no matter how great your product is. I totally agree that in order to build a successful brand you have to truly care about your clients and even your employees.

Image via Sporting Judgement

Humanity is another integral element of a brand's prosperity. Some brands appear to be cold and devoid of the ability to connect to their customers emotionally, which in turn negatively affects the company. A brand should remain empathetic, compassionate, and respectful toward its customers at all times to stay valuable, respected, and trusted. Part of Nike's "Just Do It" campaign's success was due to the brand's humanity: it inspired people to be what they wanted to be without pushing them or limiting their opportunities. Bedbury mentioned a video that helps draw a parallel between people and brands. I watched this video a couple months ago, but didn't think of this connection then. Watching this video now (and weeping all throughout) I realize that whether you are a person or a brand, being kind, caring, genuine, and compassionate will always be universally appreciated and respected.

1. First Day of the Rest of My Life

This is it. I am taking my first little step into a huge industry, the industry of adverting. It’s still pretty dark out there, and I was a little scared to step out, but now I’m confident to start exploring the new surroundings as I have a beam of light guiding me on my way – Idea Industry, a book that highlights all the possible career paths in advertising. I’m not yet sure what position I’d fit in best, but account planning sounds the most interesting to me. I love doing research and analyzing stuff. But the best and most enjoyable part is seeing random puzzles form one coherent picture. Bam! 

So how did I get here? Why advertising? Well, I have always been interested in anything art: painting, photography, writing, music, design, fashion...and advertising. Yes, I believe advertising is a true art form. It's the art of expressing and communicating certain ideas, values, and emotions in a creative way. I don’t know if it’s a good or a bad thing, but I’m a victim of good advertising. Whenever I see a great ad, it stirs so much emotion in me: I laugh; I cry; I contemplate; I get inspired; I get excited. It makes me respect the brand and its product. Then, I ask myself, why do I care? Why am I reacting to it this or that way? What is this ad’s secret ingredient that makes it so fascinating?

This is the reason I'm here. I want to learn about strategy in advertising and what the process of creating a successful ad or brand is like. Advertising is powerful. It can move and inspire people, change social attitudes and create new ideals, while being persuasive and prompting consumer action. It knows how to read and influence people’s minds. That’s what I want to be a part of. I want to get in the minds of people and find out what makes them tick. I want to make a difference. 

This is the beginning of a grand journey. 



This Toyota ad is one of my recent favorites. It's entertaining, inspiring, and ingenious, with a smart strategy behind it. Here, see it for yourself!