Huge Advertisements in the Sky / PB1A

Imagine driving along the 10 freeway in the middle of the afternoon. There is slight traffic, but nothing as bad as the traffic jams that can occur at these times. Glancing to your right, you see a billboard. You’re interest is piqued by what you were able to see, so you steal a few more glances in that direction in order to see what kind of advertisement is there.

Often, one is only able to see a billboard in passing. This results in slogans that happen to be quick, clever, and to the point. Visuals are eye catching in order to make the recipients want to view the advertisement for more than just a glimpse. These characteristics make up for the fact that billboards are advertisements that one voluntarily looks at. Objectively, billboards seem ineffective because they aren’t as “in-your-face” as commercials or magazine advertisements. However, creating advertisements that are short and sweet as well as clever and witty make billboards an effective way to reach consumers.

There are also a few different genres within billboard advertising, each of which have different audiences and different goals that distinguish them from one another.

Fast Food Billboards

• Visuals of appetizing foods or drinks are very characteristic of these types of billboards, in order to evoke a desire for food.
• The company logo is always displayed, usually very noticeably. This is due to the fact that those viewing the advertisement already associate these fast food restaurants with hunger as well as satisfaction, established from previous experience.

PSA Billboards

• There is always a serious tone established with PSAs. This is important in order to let the audience know that issues addressed in these advertisements are serious and any help is needed and welcomed.
• Manipulation of one’s emotions is also an important factor. In examples below, you are able to see pictures of animals and young children. This evokes guilt in recipients, increasing the chances for help and creating a greater impact.
• PSAs such as these are targeted toward adults, who are able to understand the context of the issue and take action toward supporting the issue.

Movie Billboards

• Movie displays create clever visuals, often breaking the fourth wall. Due to these visuals, the audience is led to believe that the movie will be clever and witty as well. Advertisers want to establish that though the billboard is interesting, the billboard is only a glimpse of what is to come.

Introductions / Thlog 1

Hello all! My name is Alex.

I reside in Rosemead, CA. For those of you who don’t know, this is near Pasadena. I have lived in the Los Angeles area since I was born. In other words, my life can be summed up by blue skies, palm trees, and the inability to see stars at night. I love it there.

I grew up in a house with my parents and three siblings: an older brother, an older sister, and a younger brother. Having several siblings makes for a hectic household, but I am grateful for all of them. Each is responsible for a different aspect of myself and, without them, I would never have learned humility, responsibility, or audacity.

I am currently going through the hell that is being a second year biology major. If I can bear the long storm ahead, I would love to go to medical school and pursue a career in neurology. There, I would be able to study the nervous system and its many disorders. For some reason, diseases intrigue me. Similar to how wars are perceived as the most interesting parts of history, diseases to me are the ‘wars of science.’

One of my favorite questions to ask is, “If you were to live life based on an idea, experience, lesson you have learned, etc., what would it be?” For me, I would like to believe that every person is extraordinary. As individuals that have led different lives, no one else is able to offer what you can.

(It’s the cheesiest thing ever. Trust me, I know.)