Soap Humor: What's The Problem?

Apparently the "Unheard of President's Day Sale" Kia commercial didn't go over well. New CEO and chairman Byung Mo Ahn was so upset by this TV ad that he promptly fired Kia's president and top marketing executive. Talk about a low blow.

The commercial was punchy, using a soap-on-a-rope bust of President Fillmore. For those who have not heard of President Fillmore, he was the first commander in chief to have running water in the White House. Ah, but did he use soap? The whole point of using this antic was to be humorous, not serious. Thus the root of the problem. Mr. Ahn prefers to show Kia cars and trucks as serious contenders with good quality. Then why didn't Mr. Ahn fire the advertising agency that created the end product?

In my opinion, the commercial was fun. Local Kia commercials, at least in the Eugene, Oregon area are painful. A local Kia dealership had been using a lady, in her mid-20s, as its commercial spokesperson. Except she dressed in silly costumes and couldn't act to save her life. It was nightmarish. I prefer the soap antic.

My suggestion for Mr. Ahn is to take a shower and cool off. This is hardly the worst of the commercials representing your company's cars.

Read more about this story at Ad age.

Shortcuts for Student Bloggers

Students are busy. Between classes, work and extracurriculars, where is there time for anything extra? Sure, we make time for socializing on the weekends because after all, it's what keeps us sane. But joining the blogosphere is worth the effort and time and should be on every journalism student's list. Here are some tips to make it easy:

1. Sign up on a site like blogger. It provides easy and professional templates for quick setup and maintenence. And best of all, it's FREE. Perfect for the student budget.

2. Don't know what to talk about? It takes time to establish a sense of personality, theme and voice. Be patient. For now, discuss things you see in the media. It can be sports, news events, advertising or a new movie you recently saw.

3. Adding pictures to your site attracts readers and keeps their attention. But don't just nab other's photos online. Visit stock exchange (SXC) for thousands of free photos. SXC is a friendly community of photography addicts who generously offer their works to the public free of charge.

4. So now that you have a posting with a photo or two, it's time to let people know you have a blog. The best way to do this is to go to other people's blogs and comment. People love when you comment on their blogs and will likely come visit your site and return the act.

5. Keep posting! Try to post at least once a week. Joining the blogosphere is a great way to communicate and connect with other professionals from around the world. Now, how cool is that?

If you need more guidance on how to do a blog, check out Daily Blog Tips online. It's a great site packed with useful information.

Good luck!

Go Red With Campbells

Did you know that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women? I didn't, but it's true. And to help in awareness and prevention, Campbell's, Inc. has stepped up with the American Heart Association in its Go Red campaign. Designer Lisa Perry created three dresses for website visitors to vote on, the winning dress to be worn by heart disease survivor Toni Braxton to kick off American Heart Month in February.

In addition to the voting game, Campbell's lets visitors create their own gowns and post a story about what heart disease means to them. As of 8:30 p.m., I was only one of eight Oregonians who had designed a dress and posted a story. Here's what I posted:

I am young, just about to turn 22. But now I know that it is important to take precautions now, to better myself and my heart for the future. I exercise, eat healthy (OK, not all the time), and tell friends to do the same. I had no idea how prominent heart disease was. I grew up with a mom who had breast cancer so that was always at the forefront of my mind, and ironically my heart. I know I need to take care of my body to help prevent all diseases. After all, my heart has YEARS of love left in it. I better love it back!