Week Eleven EOC - Final Evaulation

I think walking away from this class that I have learned a lot. It has really opened my eyes in the world of advertisement. It made me realize that maybe advertisement is not in my future career path because I would like to focus more on the graphics and designs of things. I did enjoy the class though and took a lot in.  I am now more advanced in using social media and I understand how advertisement is tied into it.  I enjoyed learning about people think behind the scenes of the advertisement business and learning about some of the greatest leading advertisers in the business. I believe the blogs we posted were very structured and organized and it helps me learn in a more efficient way.  This allowed me to keep up with the class and always know where I stood.  Honestly my favorite part of the class was the final project. Being the one to set up and run things the way I wanted was interesting. I like how we hit every aspect of the campaign and were able to change things at our own discretion.  It gave me a real feel for advertisement. This fortunately made me realize that maybe I want to stay in advertisement but only narrow it down. I want to work with the creative side of the business, maybe conducting commercials or art print in magazines. I think overall I put a lot of time and effort into this class and received a lot out of it. I was extremely vocal, gave opinions, and participated with the class and always made sure I had my work turned in on time. Although I unfortunately had to miss two classes for medical reasons, I think my work speaks for itself and that I have definitely earned an A.

Week Ten EOC - Action Agenda

Action Agenda

• > Ideas: My ad campaign is supposed to promote safety and reliability while still giving the driver the excitement of driving a beautiful classy car.
  
• > Brand Identity: Visual i want to point out the safety features that other cars do not offer.
• > Media: Every car commercial has an ad of the car driving down a twisted road, I want to change the road. Make it out of the ordinary.
• > Unity and Variety of Messages: The story behind the ad campaign is obviously reliability and safety. I want it to be clever and fun.
• > Unity and Variety of Design: I hope to use a bowling alley lane as the road. The car needs to look stylish so I will be using a upgraded fully loaded Lexus.
• > Style: Colors will be very bright and vibrant. Lettering will stand out and catch the viewer. Nature will be thrown in there but with brighter colors than usual.
• > Brand Experience: The ad will be fun and catchy. It will be tasteful and really get every demographic involved. It will make you want to drive a Lexus so you can get the feel and safety of the driver in the ad.

Analysis of Project in the Real World

Summing it all up!Time to wrap things up on my game-changing Lexus campaign.


1ST BLOG POST: "Where safety and reliability meets the road." My catchy slogan that gives a very brief idea of what Lexus has to offer. It says it all in the slogan. Safety and Reliability are my two main focal points in my campaign besides the fact that owning a Lexus really can be affordable.

2ND BLOG POST: My competition, the Ford Fusion. It points out why the car is so falsely loved, what it has to offer, and why it is not the best choice.  I list everything on it's safety features so that later on i can really impress you with how much safer a Lexus really is!

3RD BLOG POST: The Big Idea. This post gets more involved with what I want to accomplish with my campaign, what I am hoping to achieve and get consumers to understand. It goes over the features of the Lexus and gets in detail with why it's the safest car on the road. It also highlights it's reliability. It goes over the demographic groupsI am trying to reach out to and why this car suits them. It explains in depth what Lexus stands for and why.

4TH BLOG POST: My magazine ad i created. A fun ad that in just a few short words along with my slogan gets a great message across to the viewer. It goes into detail why I used the graphics i used, and how i selectively chose my wording so that I wasn't drowning the viewer in words.

5TH BLOG POST: My detailed commercial. Gives you a scene description of the commercial. Explains the characters and the music i use. Portrays the what the brand of Lexus means that will be create the new face I plan to develop.

6TH POST: 4,311 words, 26, 862 characters, 20 quotes.

Creative Content

The Commercial 
My commercial is really going to hit home. Home is keep those you love safe. It's going to touch the hearts of everyone. It won't contain the regular young, hot rich people that Lexus usually uses. It will portray normal life, normal people, normal houses, normal activities.

"Part of what differentiates a brand or group is “owning” a selling point, benefit, attitude, or any characteristic that contributes to a distinct construct." -Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley  pg. 52 Par. 4

Characters:
- young mother
- young father
- infant
- 5 year old
- 11 year old
- 40 year old mother
- 40 year old father
- teenager
- young adult
- older mother
- older father
- twin infants

The Scenery: Bright and beautiful. Very colorful and fun.

Music: Safe and Sound by Capital Cities

"Many people are annoyed by those interruptions. Others just zap around for two minutes until their program comes back on or skip ahead. Many people head for the refrigerator. Some stare blankly. A television commercial has to do several things to get people to watch and to keep them from zapping or texting or retrieving a snack or checking their e-mail or doing something else." -Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley  pg. 219 Par. 2

Singing along to a song helps prevent distractions to some degree!

Scene 1: A young mother and father leaving the hospital with their brand new bundle of joy. They get into their beautiful Lexus. They look back in the backseat to check the safety of their baby and smile contently.

Scene 2: The young father is taking his daughter to her ballet recital while she fusses with her ballet shoes in the backseat. He looks back and smiles and laughs at his daughter.

Scene 3: The young mother is dropping her 11 year old daughter off at a sleepover party. It suggests that she is growing up and is hard to let her go.

Scene 4: The parents are handing the teenager her the keys to their first Lexus that they brought her home in. The screams in excitement and joy, hugs her parents and drives off. This suggests that freedom and trust the parents have put into her and the car, as she drives away there in a content feel to the scene that lets you know the parents feel she is safe.

Scene 5: The older couple are pulling up to the hospital in their newer Lexus to visit their daughter who has just given birth to twins. The scene ends with the new family getting into the daughters Lexus.

Each scene coexists with each other. The entire commercial is supposed to convey a cycle of safety and of life. The fact that the story starts with an older model and progress into a newer model and the fact that it shows that the car is affordable to the point that it can be handed down generation to generation shows that price should not really be an issue.

Style is a visual look and feel based on the particular characteristics that contribute to the overall appearance (figure 10-9). In any media, typefaces, color palette, textures, patterns, compositional modes, kinds of images (illustration, photographs, etc.), the nature of the imagery, and graphic elements all contribute to the look and feel of an advertisement or ad campaign." -Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley  pg. 204 Par.2
Throughout the scenes there will be colorful paint-like drawings like a yellow sun dancing in the sky or flowers blooming up as they drive down the street. Music symbols dancing in the background the way to her ballet class. This will the commercial a fun and hip advantage.

"An effective ad is driven by the underlying concept. An advertising idea— or concept—is the creative reasoning behind a solution. The concept determines the resulting message: what you say and how you design. Though your concept or idea may be broad, it is foundational. Essentially, the idea drives your design decisions—how you create, why you select imagery and typefaces or lettering, and the reasoning behind your color palette selection."-Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley  pg. 68 Par.1

With this being quoted from our book, I would like to point out that my commercial does give a sense of home and a feeling of safety and reliability. It says that this car has driven them through life and has been the foundation to their activities and experiences. The imagery is happy and leaves the viewer with a smile. It makes you feel at home, and reminds you of the ones around you that you love and care for. It reminds you that you want them to feel as safe as family in the commercial. It really leaves you thinking about life and what is important to you. The catchy song also says it in the lyrics, "safe and sound" and is a very popular song that will more than likely have the viewer singing along with the commercial.

"Throughout the life of a campaign, which can run for a short (months) or long period of time (years), you create and maintain a visual look or framework. We do this so that people will recognize each ad unit within a campaign, feel familiar, and make connections among the various messages." -Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley  pg. 201 Par.3

The campaign will run as long as Lexus does. I want Lexus' brand to represent it's two key points, safety and reliability. Even though the commercials will change with time, the message will always be the same. I want to change the face of Lexus, so the Lexus brand is known as the safe luxury choice that will get you through all stages of life and will never let you down.


Promotion Events will be held consistently. Now that we are changing the face of Lexus, I want to get the word out there. I don't want to lose the luxury feel but I want it feel more welcoming to every demographic group. I want to get the word out there about the Pre-owned vehicles as well to show that pricing comes at different levels but safety does not. Marketing the older used vehicles as certified with warranties from the dealerships gives Lexus a voice on the what was really left unsaid in the past. Just because because there are lower priced vehicles, available financing for those who don't make a six figure paycheck does not speak on the value of the car itself. It is still a luxury car, it still is one of the classiest and most elegant vehicles around. I don't want to change the luxury point, just the highlight features that have gone unnoticed.


"If everyone in a room is wearing a blue denim shirt except for one person who is wearing a green satin shirt, who would stand out from the crowd? "-Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley  pg. 207 Par.1


This says it all. You can be the same in the world when it comes to affordability but what sets Lexus aside are the two main points, safety and reliability.

I also want to incorporate social media into my advertising campaign. Use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat.
#drivesafely
#safetymeetstheroad
#reliabilitymeetstheroad
#lexus

As well as change the face of Lexus' website. Highlight key points like I said before.

Billboards aren't safe, you are reading while you are driving, I'm against them. But if I had a billboard it would read exactly that. "Are you safe while reading this? -LEXUS" Remember that one of Lexus' safety features is an alert that adjusts you car back into the right lane if you start to veer off. This may happen while reading a billboard!
"Outdoor boards must be understood quickly and read from a distance, as people drive or walk by. Also, in many cases, the board will need to be interesting and arresting enough to grab the attention of the many motorists traveling the same roads daily. Outdoor ad boards are used to support other media, such as TV, and they can help drive people to the Web."-Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley  pg. 216 Par.1

Promotion

Magazine Ad.

Graphics: I decided to place the two cars on a white background so that it really stands out. Most car ads are placed on a road in the middle of the mountains or driving through the city streets. I wanted to make a statement much like the famous "Lemon" ad.

I of course used my slogan, "Where safety and reliability meet the road." Because I used a brand new Lexus ES350 and an older Lexus in comparison, I wanted to briefly explain why i mirrored the two. "Safety can be measured, we are all the same" is what I can up with. This suggests that no matter what year, make, model, or color, every Lexus was made to be driven in peace of mind, knowing that safety will never be substituted. It also shows that an older make and model may be the alternative to any pricing issues and that you are still getting the same benefits as a newer Lexus.

"Change perspective or eccentric points of view. Looking at things—at life—from odd angles, both literally and conceptually, can be a great point of departure for ideation." - Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley pg. 82 par. 5

Older cars in ads may come across in a negative matter. I didn't post the older Lexus because half of the audience would look at the ad and wonder why I was posting a car that was considered brand new ten years ago. This is why i mirrored them.
"The problem is the solution. At times there are products with features that may be perceived as disadvantageous. For example, in the 1960s, when the Volkswagen Beetle appeared on the American market, small, atypically shaped cars were viewed negatively." - Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley pg. 84 par. 1

The Big Idea

WHAT SETS US APART?
I asked myself what do driver's really want? What do they really care about? What gives them peace of mind?

"Finding a relevant insight into how people think, what they need or desire, and how they act, termed a consumer insight, is paramount for idea generations."- Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley pg.68 par. 4

According to The Association for Safe International Road Travel, nearly 1.3 million people died in road crashes each year. On average, a near 3,287 deaths per day. In addition, 20-50 million people are injured or disabled. More than half of all road traffic deaths occur among young adults. 

I believe safety has become the first priority when adults above the age of 25 are looking for a new car. Driver's carry important cargo: children, loved ones, family, friends, pets. 

I also believe driver's today look for convenience.  Everyone is looking for the easy road and way out.  Living such productive full lives with a million other things on your mind, the last thing you want to worry about is your car.

Lexus is the full package. It provides a luxury that sets you apart from other driver's on the road that makes you feel good. It is rated the No. 1 car in reliability and safety. It offers convenience and style all in one. These are the most important points i want to focus on throughout my campaign."An effective ad is driven by the underlying concept. An advertising idea— or concept—is the creative reasoning behind a solution." - Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley pg.68 par. 3

Demographic: EVERYONE!
Yes i know that a brand new Lexus can be considered a higher-end vehicle with a bigger price tag. I want to focus our new Lexus Models on ages 25 and up.

As for those ages 24 and under, a Lexus is still within budget. Most teen drivers and early twenties drivers buy used cars anyways because it falls within their price range. I am 26 and bought my first Lexus at the age of 25 for only $20,000. You can find older models with the same safety features and benefits as a newer model for a great price. Another plus is that most of these pre-owned cars still have great warranty's in tact and are certified.

"A Certified Pre-Owned Lexus offers all the  benefits new Lexus owners enjoy. From our 2 year warranty/100k miles total vehicle mile warranty, to financing and leasing offers that are similar to new-vehicle offers, you'll find our program- and the vehicles themselves- reflect the exceptional quality you expect from Lexus. Discover the benefits of Lexus CPO, only at your Lexus dealer." - Lexus official site.

With that being said, this is a great option for parents to by their younger teen drivers to keep them safe on the roads. It is also a great choice for our younger generations to be able to afford a beautiful luxury car that also keeps them safe and in style.

I think price is the one thing that scares consumers, but that is only because they see the newer models on TV commercials and think, yes i want reliability and safety, but i just can't afford it. Well thats not true. I'm going to highlight the face that Lexus does not only produce new expensive cars but our older cars are priced for those who want the same benefits.

The one campaign i was extremely impressed by was Subaru. There commercials reflect not only their new cars but their older cars as well. Stating you can drive a Subaru forever, that you can pass these cars down from generation to generation. I plan to use somewhat the same idea but incorporate that safety is the key to keeping drivers more alert and aware when purchasing a car.

"Do you ever walk into a business establishment and think, Boy, if I owned this place, I would handle thinks differently! That type of commentary points to the advantage of seeing a product, service, or group “from the user's point of view,” and that can lead to an insight into the advantages a brand (or a group) has over other brands (or groups)." - Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley pg.70 par. 4

I want to get everyone involved and educated on what Lexus stands for. I want Lexus to be known as the safest luxury vehicle that is also affordable without losing it's value!

In the past, Lexus has branded themselves as luxury styled and with that comes a very narrow demographic. Their commercials consisted of young 25 year old models driving in the nighttime city streets without a car in the world. This really exerts the rest of society. Not everyone wants that feel. Why would a 34 old mother of two think, 'Hey, thats what i want to be doing!' Her first thought is actually her children. Is is safe as well as stylish? YES IT IS. Then Lexus tried another approach by throwing children into their ads. A gorgeous model couple and their two kids walking out of their mansion to find a beautiful luxury car in their driveway. This was the wrong way to go about getting the safety issue out there as well. This gives the viewers the idea that you have to literally be rich in order to afford a safe car like this and sends them looking across the street at their nearest Ford dealership.

This YouTuber quotes "Where rich people give each other cars for Christmas." Thats not a good look. This is exactly why I want to focus on the norm in society. 

My campaign will focus on the normal people in society. The mother, the senior citizen, the children. I don't want commercials to portray a certain demographic of young pretty people with money because society consists of so many other groups. Thats the one thing Ford does right and thats the big things i will change for Lexus in my campaign.

Another thing I am going to change is the website. When you visit the Lexus website and click on features, it gives in bold sub-headliners links to why the vehicle is important and beneficial. A list of these sub-headliners consist of:
CRAFTED ELEGANCE
GET MORE, USE LESS
THE ULTRA LUXURY PACKAGE
AGGRESSIVELY STYLISH
EXCEPTION COMFORT
ASSERTIVE HANDLING
HANDS-FREE TECHNOLOGY
DRIVER'S SUPPORT

"In advertising, when you draw upon common experiences—funny, sad, bittersweet—people usually relate to them. The response from people should be something like: “Yep, that's how it is!” An ad can make an experience a communal event, making us feel that we've all participated. Their reality is our reality, and we feel a kinship with the brand or cause being advertised."- Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley pg.82 par. 4

WHY is safety and reliability not one of it's biggest features? If you scroll down to other links it gives you in full a description of it's safety features. I just feel they should really be highlighted.



SAFETY:
- ADVANCED Airbag System
       -front passenger's twin-chamber airbags (SRS)
       -Front and rear seat-,punted side airbags (SRS)
       -Driver's and front passenger's knee airbags (SRS)
       -Front and rear side curtain airbags (SRS)
-Lane Departure Alert - using camera's to monitor visible lane markings and is designed to warn you if you are drifting so that you steer back into the lane.
-Traction Control - senses the onset of wheel spin, the selectively apples the brakes and automatically transfers power to the driving wheel with better grip.
-Backup Camera - placed above the license plate to give a better view of rear objects unlike regular backup cameras. It also beeps when you the driver is getting to close to an object.
-Intuitive Parking Assist - sensors integrated into the front, rear and corners of the bumpers for extra precaution.
-High-Intensity Discharge Headlamps
-Automatic Projector Beam Headlamps
-Vehicle Stability
-Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
-Electronic Brakeforce System
-Smart Stop Technology
-Whiplash Injury Lessening
-Child Restraint Seat
-Rigid Body Structure with Crumple Zones
-Seat Belts - Three-point seat belts for all seating positions, pre-tensioners with force limiters for front and outboard rear seats. Emergency locking retractor and locking retractor.
-Rain-sensing Intermittent Windshield Wipers
-Water Repellant Glass
-Vehicle Theft-Deterrent
-Lexus Enform Safety Connect

NOW THATS MORE LIKE IT ON SAFETY!!! Blows your fully-loaded Ford Fusion out of the water for the same price. How impressive and it comes on STANDARD models!

Competitive Analyses

                    The Competitor - The 2015 Ford Fusion

Ford offers a variety of makes and models. It is also one of the leading American-made care companies.  What sets Ford apart from other companies definitely stands out.

Ford has a certain appeal that can almost relate to anyone.  From the struggling college student, to the stay at home mother all the way to elder lady across the street and the hard working father.  Ford has something to offer to everyone. They use this to their best ability.  Since they have so many different makes and models, and because they are affordable to almost anyone, Ford has been a leading manufacturer.

Ford gives off that all-American feel and is known as "the most loyal auto brand." Made in Detroit, Michigan, most American's find it necessary to buy an American-made car. Doing otherwise makes them less patriotic, as if they are supporting a foreign countries push to take over the automotive industry. This gives Ford the extra advantage. Also, because the cars are made on home soil, they have the ability to knock the prices down since there is no overseas shipping involved. Almost everywhere in American you can purchase a Ford within 2000 miles on ground.


"effective advertising could persuade you that a particular brand is better or more appealing than the competition." -Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley pg. 3 par. 4
Easier said than done.  Ford says a million things to make them sound like the number type of vehicle to purchase. It is the safest car, the most reliable care, the best bang for your buck. It's definitely easier said than done though. Nowadays, every car no matter what brand, has to go through extensive testing to make sure the car is "safe." 

Breaking it down to a certain make and model, I chose the 2015 Ford Fusion to compare.

MECHANICAL:
-Engine: 2.5L iVCT
-Transmission: 6 Speed Automatic with SelectShift
-Transmission with Driver Selectable Mode
-Front-Wheel Drive
-3.07 Axle Ratio
-500CCA Maintenance-Free Battery with Run Down Protection
-Gas-Pressurized SHock Absorbers
-Front and Rear Anti-Roll Bars
-Electric Power-Assist Speed Sensing Steering
-16.5 Gal. Fuel Tank
-Single Stainless Steel Exhaust with Chrome Tailpipe
-Strut Front Suspension with Coil Springs
-Multi-Link Rear Suspension with Coil Springs
-4-Wheel Disc Breaks with 4-Wheel ABS, Brake Assists, Hill Hold Control and Electric Parking Brake
-Brake Actuated Limited Slip Differential

EXTERIOR:
-Wheels: 17" Paint Aluminum
-Tires: P235/50R17
-Clear Coat Paint
-Power Heated Side Mirrors
-Chrome Grill
-Speed Sensitive Variable Intermittent Wipers
-Trunk Rear Cargo Access
-Fully Automatic Projector Beam Halogen Daytime Running Headlamps w/delay-off
-Light Tinted Glass
-LED Brake Lights

ENTERTAINMENT:
-3 LCD Monitors in the front
-Radio AM/FM MP3 Single-CD with 6 Speakers
-SYNC Communications and ENtertainment System
-911 Assist
-SIRIUS Satellite Radio

The Interior of the 2015 Ford Fusion offers a 5 person seating arrangement. Manual air control. Your standard vehicle has full cloth seating and headliner along with door trim inserts. Metal-looking shift knobs and handles.


SAFETY:
-ABS Traction Control
-Side Impact Beams
-Low Tire Pressure Warning
-Dual Stage Driver and Passenger Airbags
-Curtain 1st and 2nd Airbags
-Rear Child Safety Locks
-Rear Camera - Standard
-Audio Volume Control
-Early Low Fuel Warning

IS THAT IT?!?!


"Once competition is introduced in the form of another brand, then a brand or group has to “own” benefits, differentiate, or make grander claims than the others."-Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley pg. 108 par. 5
benefits, differentiate, or make grander claims than the others.Ford states:The Ford Fusion is a mid-sized sedan and must therefore compete in an incredibly competitive segment, going up against HEAVYWEIGHTS such as TOYATA."

STARTING PRICE - $22,000
Ford also states: "On the other end of the price spectrum, the Fusion can be outfitted with a variety of luxury equipment, providing a sensible alternative to the entry-level cars sold by several luxury marques."

My opinion, if you are going to spend the money to get a fully-loaded Ford Fusion, why not just by an actual luxury car that gives you these options on a standard entry price? Plus it is 10x's safer!

Ford Fusion (standard) -$22,000 (fully-loaded) - $32,000 - $36,630
Lexus ES 350 (standard) - $34,000 - (fully-loaded)$40,065

*Prices found on official Ford and Lexus website.


Lets talk reliability. Lexus was rated #1 in reliability, and Ford was near the bottom. "If reliability is the No. 1 trait your next car must have, you may then opt to visit your nearest Lexus dealership before considering anything from the Ford dealership across the street as far as Consumer Reports is concerned." (http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/10/lexus-no-1-in-reliability-ford-near-bottom/
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/10/lexus-no-1-in-reliability-ford-near-bottom/)

The Ford Fusion was rated No. 26

"Fully understanding the strategy and the competition before conceptual design is critical. It is also helpful to state the strategy in one or two sentences and keep it in front of you while you develop a concept. "-Landa, R. (2010). Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Wiley pg. 73 par. 2

MY PLAN: I plan to note in my campaign that the standard Lexus ES350 not only offers everything that comes on a fully-loaded Ford Fusion, but more!