IMC Hawks Blog

Blog

  • Watch Out Influencers, There’s A New “Girl” In Town: Why I’m Thinking Twice About Supporting Outdoor Voices

    Outdoor Voices, an athletic wear brand that believes in #DoingThings together, has received acclaim and praise for posting photos on their social pages that aren’t edited. Outdoor Voices mission is that they, “believe in going out and Doing Things. Moving our bodies and having fun. Let’s let go of our expectations, rules, shoulds and should nots. Let’s have fun, be free, make discoveries, make friends, and make progress. Let’s start #DoingThings together”. Similar to brands like Aerie, Outdoor Voices’ celebration of all body types made them appealing, and their trendy workout sets are a plus too.

    Screen Shot 2019-02-25 at 1.45.48 PM                                                                                                 Photos from: @Outdoorvoices

    Outdoor Voices has recently partnered with a CGI Instagram influencer @Lilmiquela, which is where my problem lies. Created by a startup company in L.A. called, Brud, Lil Miquela depicts a 19 year-old girl who is very much “on trend”. But that’s just the thing she DEPICTS a 19 year-old girl—Lil Miquela isn’t real, but if her followers don’t know that, she’s creating a false hope for younger girls who aspire to be just like her.

    Why would Outdoor Voices, a company that celebrates the realness, diversity, and authenticity found in body types partner with something that is fake? It seems a little paradoxical to me.

    Screen Shot 2019-02-25 at 1.37.04 PM                                                                                                     Photo from: @Lilmiquela

    Outdoor Voices partnered with Lil Miquela in a recent Instagram campaign that has Lil Miquela repping an Outdoor Voices athletic dress. Tyler Haney, Outdoor Voices CEO, in a recent interview with CNN says that her company likes to be “experimental”, but partnering with a fake influencer is a little too much.

    What’re your thoughts on Outdoor Voices partnering with Lil Miquela?

  • My RA Doesn’t Know What the BAFTAs Are… Do You?

    A couple nights ago, my RA was doing her door-to-door checkups when she came across my roommate and I discussing the BAFTAs (aka the British Academy of Film and Television Awards). We were talking about the typical stuff such as who was there and who we think had won when my RA interrupted and asked puzzledly, “The BA-who?”

    IMC Blog

    For her, she hadn’t heard of the BAFTAs and didn’t know what they were. Even when I explained what the acronym stood for, she still didn’t understand. Eventually, I referred to them as the ‘British’ Oscars.

    Although this explanation gave my RA a better grasp on what the ceremony was, it led me to wonder just how popular the BAFTAs were in the U.S. To be honest, the only reason why I knew about the ceremony was because some of my favorite celebrities, Prince William and Kate Middleton, advertised it on Twitter. Does social media always attract the BAFTAs’ viewers?

    To find my answer, I first had to watch their most recent show which were the British Academy Film Awards.

    The British Academy Film Awards were held on February 10, 2019 at the Royal Albert Hall, London, UK. The show featured notable (and nominated) actors like A Star Is Born’s Bradley Cooper, Black Panther’s Letitia Wright, The Queen of Scots and Suicide Squad’s Margot Robbie, and many more. Some of the film industry’s biggest winners were movies such as The Favourite and Roma which together won 10 BAFTAs.

    The awards were televised on the British network BBC One, but for North Americans, it was on the American network, BBC America. Although having them broadcasted on BBC America was a great tactic to bring in an American audience, not that many people have access to that channel. This led the BAFTAs in recent years to heavily rely on social media platforms to advertise their show.

    According to BAFTAs’ 2017 annual report, they create awareness by paying and partnering with Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter to increase social engagement. This includes streaming live footage from the event along with hashtagging #BAFTAs or #EEBAFTAs. I have to say this strategy is smart since according to Edison Research, about 80 percent of North Americans had an online presence by 2017.

    Thanks to BAFTAs’ tactics and others, their 2017 online engagement totaled in 104,509,190 people. These engagements also include visits to BAFTAs’ website, organic visits on Facebook, and organic impressions on Twitter. This was an increase of 96 million from 2016.

    Another strategy the BAFTAs use is posting videos from their shows on to YouTube. Currently, their most popular video from the British Academy Film Awards is Dev Patel’s Supporting Actor acceptance speech for 2016’s Lion. It has about 820,000 views.

    The BAFTAs are killing their social media marketing and I hope by then end of 2019, they gain an even a bigger audience.

    Have you watched the BAFTAs this year? What do you think of their marketing strategies?

    Let me know in the comments!

    ⎼ Aliyah Harris

    Sources: Bafta.org

  • Who Will Win: The Oscars…or The Controversy?

    Oscars1

    First and foremost, we can all agree this past year was filled with its fair share of exceptional movies. However, this has not guaranteed a smooth journey for the 2019 Oscars.

    In fact, over the last few months, the Academy found itself entangled in so much controversy, it has many viewers worried for the upcoming awards show. From the Kevin Hart host conundrum, to the commercial break madness, and the immediate scrapping of the new (but not improved) “Popular Film” category, there is a possibility the 91st Academy Awards will not be one for the books.

    Oscars2

    Without a doubt, the largest controversy surrounding the Oscars was the Kevin Hart situation a few months back. All plans were set to proceed for the comedian and his hosting gig, until a homophobic tweet he wrote a decade ago unearthed itself and went viral. Naturally, this left fans divided, and led to Kevin Hart’s permanent removal from the show.

    Not long after this decision, the Academy stated there would be no host at all for the awards- a move that has not been done for 30 years.

    There was also a public outcry when it was announced that four categories would be aired during commercial breaks. More specifically, these categories are: Cinematography, Editing, Live-action Short, and Makeup and Hairstyling. According to the Academy, the idea was to shave 30 minutes off the original program length of three and a half hours (a choice made after many viewers stated the show was too long).

    Only question is, will it be a worthy trade-off?

    But one of the most puzzling parts of this year’s controversial Oscars was the announcement of the new category “Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film”. Thinking it was just another way to hype up mainstream films and bounce back from 2018’s record low ratings, the public reacted negatively to the news. This further prompted the category to disappear without a second thought.

    Alas, it seems the Oscars has many expectations to stack up to. Perhaps we are the true critics this year.

    -Kristen Weiderman

  • Is this real life? Is this a fantasy?

    Are you caught in a landslide of pop culture, feel like this is no escape from reality? Open your eyes, and look to the skies and you will see… We’re just poor in our clothes getting ready to watch another award show. Celebrities need no sympathy. If you haven’t caught on by now this is a tribute to Bohemian Rhapsody, one of the 2019 Oscar nominees for Best Picture. This movie is dedicated to the record breaking, time changing, foot-stomping band Queen.

    If you haven’t seen the movie it follows the journey of the lead singer Freddie Mercury played by Remi Malek. We are shown the difficulties that he faces with finding a band and achieving the visions he has to what ultimately become a huge success. This has been one of the most talked about movies of 2018-19. This movie comes with original songs and along with songs that have never been released. Also with a live recording of their original performance for Live Aid in 1985, one of the final performance of Freddie Mercury. If you are a young millennial like myself, movies like this are so great to see. Growing up and hearing these songs you never truly gain the understanding of the band themselves because they are no longer together. I grew up listening to what might be referred to as “hair bands” and wouldn’t have it any other way. Queen was a band truly before their time. Understanding and learning more about the background of this band only makes it that much more enjoyable.

    OK, you heard it here first Bohemian Rhapsody will win Best Picture, and if not then Black Panther will. However, if neither of those win than you can tell I’m not a fortune teller. I’m calling this 3 days earlier than the awards.

    bndqu.jpg

    The Oscars are a wonderful time to sit back and admire the true art of film and the work that goes behind it.

    Also honorable mention to Shaofu Zhang a UNCW ’06 Alumni. Who produced One Small Step and is nominated for an Oscar for Short Film (Animated). Zhang is the founder of TAIKO, an award winning animation studio. This short film is the story of a young Chinese-American girl, and her journey of growing up and facing different adversities. We look forward to seeing the outcome of the 2019 Oscars and wish the best of luck to Shaofu Zhang and his studio. Wings Up!

    MV5BYjgyOTM2NzYtODM2MS00ZTYzLWI2NmUtNWQ3NzdlOGUzY2I2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjI1MzcwMTM@._V1_.jpg

    Link to a preview of One Small Step

    Link to a preview of Bohemian Rhapsody

     

    Looking forward to Sunday!

    -Shauni Bird

  • A Meme Is Born

    History repeats itself, we all know that. In our everyday lives and especially in the movie industry. Many movies we see now are remakes of originals, which either came out when I was a kid, or even before my time. I give props to the original, simply because they obviously did something right the first time, making people want to slightly revamp allowing for relatability to present day.

    A Star Is Born is a thrice-remade movie expressing the instant connection between a peaking, addicted musician and a newly discovered, soon-to-be rock star. The ins and outs of this film all sought out by Bradley Cooper himself, and I think we’re all grateful for that considering he showcased his singing ability, on top of his incredibly good looks. One notable difference from Cooper’s version is that he personally asked Lady Gaga to co-star in the film with him, leading them to countless numbers of nominations and awards, one including the most memed movie all time.

    It’s no secret memes have become a large part of our communication tactics. They’re a creative way of sharing and expressing, while trying to promote our name. Through Cooper’s efforts with A Star Is Born has been incorporated to many media pieces we have seen in the past.

    Dl5BOr7XoAATQ2u

    I would like to thank Bradley Cooper first for the incredible accent he had in the film, and second for recreating a movie that really hits every emotion. I would also like to thank the people who take time to create memes for basically everything we see nowadays. Memes really have provided us with a different way of revisiting monumental moments in history and allowing them to never die.

    -Laiken McManigal

  • Worlds To Be Explored

    Video games…the staple of my childhood. From Banjo-Kazooie to Apex Legends; video games have been a part of my life since I can remember. The stories told, visuals seen, and music heard has all accumulated into the so-called adult writing this.

    If you have played video games most of your life you may have heard either a family, friend, or peer say, “Why are you wasting your time playing that game?” Hopefully, this did not result in you quitting spending time exploring the vast worlds video game developers have created. Instead, I hope this made you question why you truly enjoy spending your time racking up gold coins and virtual armor.

    For me, it was the sense of accomplishment and escape it offered. During middle school and early into high school I often found myself spending hours playing World of Warcraft. The expansive world and stories that Blizzard created drew me in and I spent six years playing every single day after school and on the weekends. I made a lot of life long friends through the game and created amazing memories. Of course, there are other games worth noting and that is exactly what the DICE awards were made for.

    wow-baf-fanart-contest

    Hosted by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, a non-profit organization recognizing interactive arts, the DICE awards allow for amazing video games to be noticed. This awards show recognizes not only the game itself, but the people who made it and the development teams who have led advancements in the massive interactive entertainment industry.

    It distinguishes the people who have spent years creating this one experience to be enjoyed by people around the world. The artists who pour every resource into this one entertainment piece that allows people to escape and experience accomplishments for a couple hours every day. The DICE awards are important because they recognize the people who take their time to make someone else’s life enjoyable. This year, God of War was awarded game of the year.

    ps4-june-refresh-god-of-war-three-step-banner-01-us-17nov16

    They also recognized Bonnie Ross, head of 343 Industries and a strong promoter of STEM and diversity efforts across the video game industry among women and other minorities. You might recognize the name if you are a massive HALO fan.

    So, next time someone asks you why you are “wasting your time” playing games, tell them you are experiencing interactive art. Explain to them the work that goes on behind the scenes and about the stories you have experienced and achievements you have made. At the end of the day if you enjoy playing video games as much as I do it will not really matter what others think. If you have made friends online you are surrounded by like minded and passionate individuals, who recognize the enjoyment video games can bring. So, keep on playing and enjoy your time exploring.

     

    – Christian Lombardi

  • Celebrate SAD

    You did it! You scrolled through all the sappy captions on Instagram, saw all the stories of flowers and chocolate on snapchat, and even withstood the surprise proposal video on Facebook. As a member of the single’s club, you survived Valentine’s Day.

    new girl

    So, what’s in it for you?

    Every year, February 15th is known as Single’s Awareness Day (that’s right, the acronym is “SAD”). On this day, single people everywhere celebrate their singleness by exchanging gifts with one another, mingling, and appreciating each other’s friendship.

    Here are some simple ways to celebrate Single’s Awareness Day:

    Go see a movie with friends! Whether you stay in and find a Netflix original or go to your local theater, spend time laughing (or screaming) with your fellow single pals. Let it serve as a reminder of how great your friendships are. It will leave you more thankful for your friends than pitiful about your love life.

    Show someone kindness or love who needs it. Pay for the person’s coffee in front of you, hold the door for the person behind you, or compliment a stranger. Small acts like this go along way. It could be just what a person needs who may have had a rough Valentine’s Day, just like you.

    Allow yourself to indulge. Buy the shirt, eat another cookie, sleep in the extra hour, etc. Whatever you choose to do, keep it within reason and see it as a way of acknowledging your singleness. Give yourself some grace and celebrate your independence!

    Lastly, affirm your friends and the people you care about through words, gifts, time, etc. Let them know how much they mean to you. Even though you may not have a valentine, hopefully have people in your life who you love and trust. This is the perfect opportunity to show them appreciation.

    Don’t let February 15th become a pity party. Celebrate the non-romantic relationships in your life and let gratitude be your guide! Happy SAD…how will you celebrate?

    -Brooke Sanderson