U just Gotta Get 'em (UGG boots)

There are hundreds of brands of shoes out there, and thousands of styles/types of shoes. I myself have over 100 pairs of shoes, and my collection grows on a weekly basis it seems like. However, I would have to say, my favorite pairs of shoes are definitely my UGG boots. I have 3 pairs in my collection! How did I hear about this brand or what made me decide to fork over my entire piggy bank to purchase these high-priced shoes? Well, I had never seen an advertisement for UGGs before I bought my first pair, but I did HEAR about them. When I was in highschool, a few girls had gotten UGGs as a birthday present or a Christmas present and word was going around about how awesome these boots were. People were not only talking about how stylish they were, but about how expensive they are. Once I saw them (on the other girls) I fell in love. I started researching the fabulous boots online, and found that I couldn't buy a pair for any less than $150! Wow, what kind of high school student could afford these with a part-time, minimum wage job? Well, I saved up for over a month and I finally was able to buy my very own UGGs.

I completely believe that Word-of-Mouth is the best strategy for most brands. It is one of the most credible strategies and someone spreading the word about a brand passes on a positive and powerful message, and its completely free! Although the above variety of print ads for UGG Austrailia are quite attention grabbing and appealing, for such a high quality, well known brand that is universal, such advertisements are almost unnecessary. In my opinion, the advertisements that UGG Austrailia puts out are to inform current customers of new styles and the variety of products that are available. People who do not already own UGGs may not be intrigued by the simple print ads, but they will be hooked on the product once they see them and feel them and try them on for themselves. I mean, they must be totally amazing if they make people like them so much they are willing to pay such a high price for them. But the sky-high prices are understandable, because the materials are high-quality, durable, and extremely comfortable. To find out more about these perfect boots, visit the brand's official website: http://www.uggaustralia.com.

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

During the few weeks in November that lead up to Thanksgiving, there are tons of advertisements. The advertisements mostly focus on food products such as turkeys, stuffing, potatoes, etc. and spending time with your family. Well, food and family is what Thanksgiving is all about, right?

For some people, besides the big 'turkey day" meal, the most exciting part about Thanksgiving time is... BLACK FRIDAY! The Friday that follows Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the entire year. Many big retailers mark down products for the special day, and even have special hours, open at 4am or even at midnight!

The advertisements that I automatically think about when Thanksgiving week approaches are the Target commercials, featuring the "Christmas Champ". This middle aged lady is Crazy about the 2-day sale at Target that starts on Black Friday at 4am. She prepares for the big event for weeks, by physically training (in red stilettos and a red and white jump suit), practicing wrapping presents, and scoping out the store ahead of time. You can even follow her on Twitter for exclusive tips for preparing for Black Friday! @ChristmasChamp

This character is a mix of comedy and relativity. Many people can relate to this character because they know that the "stereotypical" Black Friday shopper is just as crazy as the Target Christmas Champ. Target does a great job at consistently bringing back this character and creating new ads each year. I believe that this holiday campaign definitely sets Target above other competitor retail stores during the holiday season.
Below is one of the television ads that debuted this year for Target's Black Friday 2-day sale.

Coca Cola; an American Icon

This holiday season, 2011, for the first time in it's history, Coca-Cola is changing it's iconic red can to white! Why would Coke decide to make this startling change in it's distinguishable packaging? Well, the polar bears need our help. The polar bear has been a mascot for Coca-Cola for decades. The cute white bears were introduced in Coca-Cola marketing in 1922, and has remained as the image coca cola during the holiday campaign ever since. "The polar bears stand for ice cold refreshment and family and friends together," says Bea Perez, the Chief Sustainability Officer for The Coca-Cola Company. This campaign is an excellent way that Coca-Cola is using their already identifiable polar bear icons and special product packaging to promote a philanthropic cause.

Coca-Cola, along with WWF (World Wildlife Foundation), are joining together to launch "Arctic Home", an initiative to help protect the polar bear's home! The white Coke cans are a marketing tool that will help spread awareness of the "Arctic Home" initiative. Over five years, Coca-Cola will donate TWO MILLION DOLLARS to the Arctic Home initiative. Anyone can also donate to this fund, and Coca-Cola is encouraging people to help by agreeing to match any donation that is made up to one million dollars. Anyone can donate by purchasing a Coke product that has a white cap or one of the white can products, and texting the code to the specified location and choosing the donation amount. 

If you wish to learn more about this amazing initiative, or to donate yourself, visit this link: https://www.arctichome.com/web/index.html#/home/?WT.srch=1