UF AD SOC

We’ve all seen the Dove Evolution campaign, followed by the Beauty Pressure and how Dove exposes the unjust pressure the beauty industry puts on girls to look beautiful through unrealistic means . But after viewing Fotoshop by Adobè, made by California-based filmmaker Jesse Rosten, it poses the question: how should we as advertising students react to this negative perception?

We could flat out deny that this is being done by professionals – but we know we’d be lying. We could say, yeah it’s being done by advertisers that are evil, but I’d never do such a thing – is that something you even have control of? Or we could admit point blank that it’s happening and will probably continue to happen – but something that can be changed. I personally would choose the latter because it speaks the truth with a hint of optimism.

The beauty industry is about making people believe that they too can become beautiful like the models, actors, and musicians they idolize. The keyword: believe. Photoshop can be compared to as the same outcome as makeup. I’d imagine when makeup was first created, people huffed and puffed that it no longer shows how a person really looks. Well, makeup didn’t go anywhere and neither is Photoshop.

While it sounds like I’m endorsing Photoshop’s use in morphing people into robotic, perfected versions of themselves, I’m not. While I think it may be wrong to change a person’s race or weight size for a magazine cover, I don’t think it’d kill anybody to remove a blemish or wrinkle when your face is blown up for a billboard.

I believe as students in advertising, it is important to make boundaries as to what Photoshop should be used for and where it crosses the line. That will alter for each individual, but that is what I believe is a step in the right direction. However, if you’re one of those people who think Photoshop shouldn’t be used at all, whatsoever, then I dare you to go a week without makeup or taking a shower or doing your hair and then take a professional headshot. Then send it to me and I’ll get it online for everyone to see. Then we will see if you change your mind.

Netflix’s Hasting makes hasty move in schism

By Cameron Philipp-Edmonds | Publicity Director

If you haven’t heard about Netflix before, then you have most likely never been on the Internet or you’re a poster child for forever alone. However, if you aren’t an active subscriber and you don’t pay attention to rants on your Facebook newsfeed then you may be unaware of Qwikster.

On September 18th, 2011, Reed Hasting, the CEO and co-founder of Netflix, decided that he had a great marketing opportunity on his hand. He wanted to have one business solely for streaming media and the other for media rental. Thus, he decided to split his Netflix juggernaut into two separate entities with all DVD rentals being handled on a separate site known as Qwilster.

From a purely numerical standpoint, the move makes phenomenal sense because it allows Reed Hastings to maximize his profits, cater advertising and brand to each brand, and better fir the needs of his customers.

From a public relations standpoint, many Netflix subscribers want Reed Hasting thrown in jail. They were already upset with Hastings after he upped the charges of his services, and now he is making it more difficult for sers to get the product they are now paying double for. Hastings’ hasty moves resulted in Netflix losing over a million subscribers.

Losing a million subscribers may not seem like much, but to put it in perspective, that is nearly 5% of the business Netflix does. Obviously, Hastings took this into account and decided the new revenue streams he created outweigh the lost in customers. But, what I expect he didn’t anticipate, at least not fully, is the backlash that followed his decision for schism.

Netflix may now have a new wealth of potential for revenue, but now it must deal with its poor public image. This might ruin Hastings’ scheme completely and jeopardize Netflix’s role as market leader in the streaming video industry.

So a move that was meant to further the gap between Netflix and its competitors has ultimately narrowed the opening.

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