IMC Hawks Blog

Tag: postmodernism

  • Big Brother is Watching You FaceTime: 30 Years After “1984”

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    On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like “1984.”

    On January 22, 1984, what is widely regarded as one of the greatest television advertisements of all time aired during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII. The one-minute spot is a postmodern representation of George Orwell’s 1949 dystopian novel, 1984, which depicts a futuristic totalitarian society stripped of all freedom and individualism.

    In 1983, Apple and IBM battled for market share as the two giants in the computer industry selling over one billion dollars of PCs that year. In 1983, at his company’s keynote address, Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs made clear that IBM is a fierce competitor gunning to dominate the industry.

    “Dealers initially welcoming IBM with open arms now fear an IBM dominated and controlled future…they are increasingly and desperately turning back to Apple as the only force that can ensure their future freedom.”–Steve Jobs, 1983

    During his address, Jobs unveiled the ad to an exclusive audience for the first time, to thundering applause. The ad, created by Chiat/Day, ultimately positions Apple and Mac as empowering, liberating, and individualistic, unlike the IBM view that computers are nothing more than tools. IBM is gray, cold, mechanical. Apple is colorful, creative, independent. This ad separated Mac to start the “Mac versus PC debate” that is still relevant today.

    mac-pc

    Which of these guys do you picture in an office at IBM?

    In 2009, Hunch did a survey to analyze personality traits between Mac and PC users. They found that Mac users are more likely to see the existing world as the same all the time and want to be seen as different and unique. They are more apt to call themselves “verbal”, “conceptual”, and “risk-takers”.  The Mac brand is still as relevant today as it was 30 years ago at its introduction, and its consumer base reflects it.

    The “1984” ad has also found itself injected into American culture. In 2007, Phil de Vellis used the visuals from the Macintosh ad and made it into “Vote Different”. It uses sound bites and images of 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to put her in the role of “Big Brother”—the role IBM took in the original ad. The woman with the sledgehammer that represented Mac became equated to Barack Obama. The video went viral and is a great example of using appropriation to communicate a message.

    From “1984” to “Think different.” to “Get a Mac”, Apple’s advertising for Macintosh has continued to embody the individualism Steve Jobs envisioned for the brand. Now, 30 years after it was introduced, what does the Mac brand mean to you?

    –Nathan Evers

  • Persuasion Through Customization: Moto X

    “If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings, and speak my words. -Cicero

    Spoken nearly 2000 years ago, this statement still rings true today. Philosophizing rhetoric and the art of persuasion, Cicero understood the importance of connecting with an audience at the mental and emotional level.

    The above quote points out three of his main claims. To persuade an audience one must “think their thoughts”.  People are more likely to be persuaded when the rhetorician communicates in a way that embraces the individual’s own point of view. Focusing solely on changing point of view results in discomfort and suspicion. Rhetoricians must also “feel their feelings”. To do so, one must ask themselves what the deep-seated feelings are that drive the listeners. Asking this question and reflecting on the answers is an essential part in the pathway to connecting. Finally, according to Cicero, to persuade an audience, one must “speak their words”.  People need to understand what you have to say in order to care about it.  If they don’t care, they won’t do the ultimate goal – act.

    In the age of advertising, these classical concepts are still prevalent as we transcend into the postmodern era. In postmodernity the “self” becomes the ultimate selling point. Marketers strive to persuade their audience that their product does more than whatever its mechanical purpose – the pitching point becomes that their product is an extension of oneself. As a result, individualization and customization are reigning themes. Furthermore, because individuals are immersing themselves as an object, consumers become an actual participant in customization. Products are increasingly less of a finished object, allowing consumers to provide direct input – ultimately and simultaneously becoming a producer as well.

    Therefore, it is no coincidence products today are increasingly individualized. An example of this is the new Motorola Moto X phone. Check out it’s commercial, Customize below.

    After watching this how do you feel? This is a pretty cool phone, right? You can make it however you want! Notice how this commercial mentions nothing about tech specs, mobile web speed, or how the phone will be used in your every day life. Its persuasion strategy focuses on “you” – “your ride”, “your pet”, “your body” and now “your phone” – the idea that you can be in charge of customizing your phone, just as you do everything else, as an expression of your self. You are the producer. No longer are the only options either black and white. Your options are whatever you think brands yourself best.

    This commercial is the essence of Cicero’s idea of persuasion combined with post-modernism ideals. By knowing what its postmodern consumers think and feel about individualization, Motorola has created a product that speaks to every thing you as a consumer expects and wants – customization. Not only do you become a buyer of the Moto X, but a producer of it. Their persuasion hook is that you can directly produce their product as a means of your own expression.

    Has this commercial persuaded you? What other brands and products use customization and self-expression as a persuasion tool?

    –Savannah Valade, Caroline Robinson