A Change Is Gunna Come...

I wanted to do this yesterday, but unlike most people, as well as most media outlets, I didn't want to declare a premature victory for Barack Obama. I would not even accept his defeat of John McCain until Obama actually acquired 270 electorial college votes. Now that it's all said and done, and I am not afraid of jinxing it, I am ready to discuss. 

The passion that I felt for supporting Obama in this election cannot even parallel anything I have ever felt before. For the first time, I cared deeply about the direction of this country. Maybe it was because I could actually make a difference. Maybe it was because I have seen my family and friends time after time go to war. Maybe it was because I was more educated. Regardless, for the first time I wanted to know what could be done for this country, and I saw a person who I could unconditionally place my faith in to lead. 

At first, I was unsure of what I thought of Obama. I liked him, I thought it was educated and driven, yet I was unsure of what the country would do because he is black. Now, I know people voted for him because he is the right choice, and that people were able to look past his color, and see what he can accomplish. 

I would be lying if I said I was skeptical of Obama's lack of experience in comparison to McCain. I was, at first. But the first time I heard his "Yes, we can." I knew it didn't matter. Experience was not an issue in this race. This country needs change. Our people want change. Change cannot be brought about by someone so heavily influenced by our political system. I know that Obama's changes will take time, as anything worthwhile does, but he will do it. He will be the man to make people, for the first time in a long time, stand up and say "I am proud of my country." 

Obama has already begun this change. He is the first black president of the United States, for crying outloud. Whoever thought that was possible? In his acceptance speech, he spoke of that 106 year old woman who voted today. She saw women receive the right to vote. She saw black people gain the right to vote. And she lived through the Civil Rights Movement, in the South. If there is anything that I feel guilty about in this election, it is that I have no idea the multitude of feelings that African Americans are feeling right now. 

Although there are few ways in which I compare to Mr. Obama, there are two that stand out in my mind. The first, is the unbelievable pride that I am feeling for this country right now. That we were able to look past color and adversity and vote for who we put our trust in. Secondly, Obama has worked so hard to get where he is. The son of a Kenyan immigrant, there are so many things that could have not worked in his favor, but he refused to accept defeat. He worked to get into Columbia, and he worked to get into Harvard. He was the first president of the Harvard Law Review. And now he is the President of the U.S. 

Although my accomplishments are obviously not as great, I have worked very hard to get where I am. At a school where so many kids are here to please their parents, I worked my ass off to get in here and stay here. I not only gained admission, but I gained admission from the wait list to a top public communications school. I worked hard my entire year to still look good while my peers slacked off, and every effort put in to gaining admission, I did entirely on my own. Not to toot my own horn, it is just my proudest accomplishment. I believe that it is my time here, studying at Newhouse, which has made me so passionate for events such as this election. 

In a communications school, a heavy focus is placed on appealing to demographics, and how we segment people in the country. If one were to study this, they realize that although we are all in the same country, we are all very different. President Obama (it just sounds so right) somehow found a way to break down these barriers that segment people and appeal to such a vast selection and majority. It really is mind blowing. This was the largest voter turn out since 1920- when the 19th amendment gave women the right to vote. The fact that he could reach out to young voters, who up until now were virtually non existent in politics, and say to them "I know, I understand and I will work for you." Something about his message just struck a chord with young voters, and these voters will continue their political involvement now. Even Obama's speechwriter is only 26 years old. 

This morning and whole day was just a life changing experience for me. I woke up this morning and watched the "Yes We Can" speech, which is one of the most inspirational, if not THE most inspirational speech I've ever heard. Then I remembered a song, which I was surprised Obama's campaign had never used before, called "A Change Gone Come" by Sam Cooke. Originally written about the Civil Rights Movement, it can obviously be applied to Obama. I cried listening to it. As I walked through campus and saw all my fellow students with "I voted" stickers, Obama t-shirts, and even McCain t-shirts, I was just so inspired that my generation could finally be acknowledged for something positive- breaking barriers and a willingness to say "something needs to be done, and I want to help." Seeing the outburst of joy after Obama was declared the winner just strengthened this warmth, like nothing I have ever felt before. 

Even now, I can't get that song out of my head. 

"It's been a long, long time coming. But I know a change gon' come." 

Congratulations Barack Obama, you deserve it. 

Advertising

I never began to really watch commercials until I started taking an advertising class this semester. As I have previously said, I was sitting at home a couple weekends ago when I saw this ad on tv for the 150th anniversary of Macy's. 

The ad, created by JWT, New York, is the epitome of what a good ad should be. A good advertisement should create an emotional connection with the viewer. After seeing this, I would undoubtedly choose to go to Macy's over any other department store. Just to say that Macy's has been in business for 150 years possibly could be enough to persuade someone to go there on the basis that if they have been here for that long, they must be a great place to shop. However, this ad not only forms that emotional connection, but it shows the cultural significance of Macy's- it's pop culture status that has kept it a familiar favorite for its entire existence. 

The clips incorporated into the commercial are not just clips in which Macy's in mentioned- it is used as a pop culture reference by major figures of pop culture, past and present. From Lucille Ball, to Johnny Carson to Kanye West, these major figures relay the message that Macy's is a time honored tradition, and that they are the biggest and the best. 

If you are like me and you love the upcoming holiday season, this ad strikes a chord with you. As cliche as it sounds, there really is nothing like a department store at Christmas time. The decorations, the lights, the music and the buzzing of people- they all blend together perfectly to form a feeling that remains unchanged from the first time you sit on Santa's lap to present. Perhaps this feeling I get in a Macy's at Christmas is from a favorite movie from my youth- Miracle on 34th Street. Although I was a fan of the remake starring Matilda aka Mara Wilson, every child connects Macy's with that movie. Macy's made a child's dreams come true - even if it was vicariously through a man playing Santa. 

Perhaps it is Macy's self-association with the holiday season that draw its customers there. Who can imagine a Thanksgiving morning without watching the Macy's parade? Macy's perfectly pairs itself with the holidays both in this commercial, and with any other marketing campaign it has done. There is a certain personality to the holiday season; A certain feeling that anyone can feel in the weeks approaching Christmas. The Macy's tagline certainly plays on this- whether intentional or not. 

"The magic of Macy's." 

I will never shop at J.C. Penny again. (Sorry, Lovemarks). 

"Advertising makes the world go round."

My next post will be on this commercial for Macy's.

It's a great piece of work...take some time to watch it and think.

Caught me like an electric eel, turn me on with your electric feel.

20 Watts music magazine article.

The New College Rockers           

By Rachel Gruber

 

            It’s not uncommon for college students to bond over their love of music. A lot of us have similar tastes in music to begin with. But what happens when you take college students, who like the same kinds of music, and put some instruments in their hands? You get bands like Ra Ra Riot, MGMT, Vampire Weekend, Chester French, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and The Whigs.

 

Ra Ra Riot

            You may have recently seen Ra Ra Riot at Juice Jam, but it definitely wasn’t the first time the band has played on the Syracuse campus. Ra Ra Riot formed right here on the SU campus in 2006 and within 6 months of their formation, they were already playing the CMJ Music Festival after which they gained acclaim for their high energy performance. The band however, faced a roadblock when their drummer, John Pike, was found dead after a show in Rhode Island. The band acknowledged that they had lost a great talent, yet they pushed on and signed to V2 Records. In May, the band released their debut album, The Rhumb Line, and met critical acclaim.

Listen to: “Dying Is Fine”

Personal Style: Salvation Army meets American Apparel

 

MGMT

            When Andrew VanWyngarden met Ben Goldwasser during freshman year in 2001 at Wesleyan University, they were not trying to start a band. Goldwasser has been quoted saying “We were just hanging out, showing each other music that we liked.” It was in these jam sessions that the Management, now known as MGMT, created a unique blend of music known as psychedelic pop. In 2006, MGMT signed to Columbia records and recorded their debut album, Oracular Spectacular. Their first single “Time to Pretend” has taken over the indie radio airwaves and MGMT dominated the line-up of various festivals this summer including SXSW, Bonnaroo, Coachella, and even over-seas at Glastonbury. Continuing in their unique tradition, MGMT is making plans to record double-disc for their next album- one disc pop, and the other psychedelia.

Listen to: “Electric Feel”

Personal Style: Dirty hippie - Tye-Dye head to toe, topped off with a bandana and Ray-Bans

 

Vampire Weekend

            By far the preppiest band on the music scene, Vampire Weekend formed in 2006 at Columbia University. It was in part to their time in New York City, that the band soon created a sound that they refer to as “Upper West Side Soweto” – a Paul Simon-like mix of western classical with rock and Africana. Later that year, the band signed to XL Recordings and released their self-titled debut album, which debuted at #17 on the Billboard charts in its first week of release. Spin magazine named Vampire Weekend the best new band of 2008, while Rolling Stone named their calypso-esque song “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” #67 on their Best Songs of 2007 list.

Listen to: “Oxford Comma”

Personal Style: Purely Preppy - Loafers, Khakis, Sweater vests.

 

Chester French

            Once described to sound like “Brian Wilson singing over Motown tracks with a rock edge,” Chester French is one of the most interesting up and coming bands out there. Getting their start at Harvard, bandmates D.A. Wallach and Max Drummey recorded their debut album in the basement of their dorm. They were named one of the top bands to watch this year by both Rolling Stone and Spin with their razor-sharp lyrics and catchy melodies. When it came time to sign to a label, hip hop moguls Jermaine Dupri and Kanye West were just two of the producers battling to sign Chester French. However, N.E.R.D.’s Pharrell Williams ultimately won the battle and signed the band to Star Trak/ Interscope records. The band is currently on tour with N.E.R.D. and Common as their upcoming album, Love the Future, becomes undoubtedly one of the most anticipated albums of the year.

Listen to: “The Jimmy Choo’s”

Personal Style: Classy – Suits and clean cut all the way.

 

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

            Social networking sites and blogs are now a major form of band promotion, but when Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (abbreviated CYHSY) formed at Connecticut College in 2004, it wasn’t as common. The band become one of the first to use self-promotion on the internet and quickly gained popularity. After self-releasing their debut self-titled album in 2005, which debuted #26 in the UK, CYHSY signed to Wichita Recordings, on which they would release their sophomore effort, Some Loud Thunder in 2007. CYHSY is a band known for their live performance with strong drum beats and the unique vocals of frontman Alec Ounsworth. Having previously toured with indie favorites, Architecture in Helsinki, the band is playing a few upcoming shows in major US cities while Ounsworth records a solo effort.

Listen to: “The Skin on My Yellow Country Teeth”

Personal Style: Totally laid back, vintage tees and jeans.

 

The Whigs

            The Whigs are known for their no-mess, kick your ass rock. Unlike most other bands formed in colleges that we see, they stray from an indie sound to revive both a 70’s rock and 90’s grunge to sweetly and seamlessly blend the two together. Their first album, released in 2005, Give ‘Em All a Big Fat Lip, was recorded in an abandoned frat house while attending the University of Georgia- the perfect venue to capture the band’s gritty, no-frills sound. In 2008, the band released their sophomore effort Mission Control, which has received critical acclaim for the band’s ability to revive a sound rarely heard from today’s young bands. The band is currently on tour with the Kooks, Kings of Leon and We Are Scientists.

Listen to: “Like a Vibration”

Personal Style: Revival of grunge – Lynard Skynard tshirts…possibly with cut off sleeves.

 

The XYZ Affair

            With their band name taken from a 1798 historical event between the United States and France, it figures that The XYZ Affair formed in college. The band formed in 2000 while attending New York University. Described by SPIN as a mix between Modest Mouse, The Killers, and The Decemberists, the band creates clever and catchy melodies that they have managed to release independently on various EPs. However, even though these rockers have shown the world their intelligent lyrics, they claim in their song “All Of My Friends,” that “dare I say, my education was less than I hoped it would be.”

Listen to: “Little Fool”

Personal Style: V-necks and corduroys…calm, cool and collected.  

 

 

Time would not exist for us at all.

Current Obsession: "Caves" by Jack's Mannequin from The Glass Passenger

Now there was a time not too long ago in which I was obsessed with Jack's Mannequin. However, it took Andrew McMahon so long to come out with a sequel to Everything In Transit, my faith in them started to slip. This lapse in time from album to album was more than understandable, considering Andrew was recovering from leukemia. When he started back touring and playing new stuff, I was only slightly impressed. Then, I head a live version of the song "Caves," and I had to hear more. Finally, I got the studio version, and I have since been in love with it. 

I may love this song more than "Konstantine," which has long been my favorite song of Andrew's. Whereas "Konstantine" is similar to a symphony of sorts, with the main riff over 7 minutes of McMahon crooning over his lost lover, "Caves" is just as intensely emotional, but for another reason. It starts off with McMahon's simply beautiful, melodic, classical piano, and continues on the same sweet riff for 3 minutes. Over this divine melody, McMahon sings about his battle with cancer and his girlfriend (and now wife) supporting him through it all. 

"Caves," upon continuous listening, is a euphemism for the marrow of McMahon's bones. In case any of you were unaware, McMahon was 23 when he was diagnosed with leukemia and battled for months before finally receiving a bone-marrow transplant from his sister, Katie. 

The poetic nature of McMahon's lyrics is absolutely breathtaking. 

"And she sings, my bird dressed in white. And she stings my arm in the night. I lay still, still I'm ready to fight. You have my lungs, but you can't take my sight." 

Clearly the bird dressed in white stands for McMahon's nurse throughout his procedures. How he can make such a terrible topic sound so rawly beautiful is beyond me. 

The height of emotion in the song comes in the middle after an instrumental solo when the tempo picks up, guitar riffs are added, and harmonies echoing McMahon's poetry are added. The guitar riff is especially catchy and picks up just as McMahon's lyrics reach an emotional high as he speaks about what it was like to have a companion, yet feel so alone in his tragic situation. 

After the breakdown, McMahon returns to the original piano riff with a light percussion, fine-tuning the listener's experience and emotional journey with the song. 

The album as a whole speaks of McMahon's battle with cancer, yet "Caves" so clearly defines an emotion with its beauty and power that it's unparalleled by any other song on the album. 

I'm growing to like advertising.

My article today in the Daily Orange. This man is inspiring. 

CEO of global advertising firm to speak about brand loyalty

By Rachel Gruber

The T-Mobile "Fave 5" campaign. Yoplait's "Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" commercial. The Wendy's "Where's the beef?" campaign.

These ads were all launched by the advertising firm Saatchi and Saatchi. Its global CEO, Kevin Roberts, will speak at 11 a.m. today in Newhouse 3's Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium. His talk will be about communications, brands, advertising and relationships.

Edward Russell, assistant advertising professor in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and former Saatchi and Saatchi employee, said the company transformed the advertising business. 

"It grew from zero to No. 1 in the industry in just 14 years through acquisitions," he said. "In some ways, they made advertising more of a commodity than it had been before."

The list of Saatchi and Saatchi clients is extensive. 

"Any Toyota advertising you have ever seen was Saatchi," Russell said. "They've had the Toyota account since the start of the company." Saatchi also works with Johnson & Johnson and the Campbell Soup Company. 

Roberts worked for Procter and Gamble and Pepsi before joining Saatchi and Saatchi. Brian Sheehan, associate professor of advertising, has known Roberts for 13 years. They first met working for Saatchi and Saatchi in Australia. 

"He quickly became my boss," Sheehan joked.

Sheehan joined the Newhouse school staff this semester, after working for Saatchi and Saatchi for 25 years in Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and Los Angeles. 

"I've been reporting to Roberts for years, and even though I'm here, I still report to him on the Toyota account," he said. 
When Roberts joined Saatchi and Saatchi in 1997, it was called an advertising agency. But Roberts redefined it as an idea agency, Sheehan said.

"The creativity was highly uneven, especially in New York City, which has clients like Procter & Gamble and General Mills," he explained. "Kevin got big agencies to start caring about creativity … He got companies to see that creativity creates an emotional connection, which ultimately helps you sell more product."

Roberts is most known in the advertising world for his philosophy of replacing brand loyalty with Lovemarks.

"The core of Lovemarks is all about how brands can emotionally connect on a much higher level and go from being brands to 
Lovemarks - from being respected to loved," Sheehan said.

Sheehan said Apple is a good example of a Lovemark. 

"If people have a high enough degree of emotional connection with your brand, they can't imagine a world without it," he said. "They can't emotionally substitute your brand for any other."

Consumers who feel a connection with the product will tell other people about it, which is invaluable advertising, said Russell, the advertising professor.

Saatchi also faced financial difficulty before Roberts became CEO, Sheehan said. 

"The company teetered on the edge of bankruptcy time and again. So Kevin brought a substantial amount of discipline - both strategic and financial."

Now, the company is a "hot house" for world-changing ideas, Sheehan said. 

"You always felt like anything could be overcome, if it led to a great idea. There's a passion at Saatchi. Even if it's impossible, you find a way to do it. Part of that is that Kevin is just such a passionate man, and it rubs off."