You know that song that finds its way in to your head and just won’t go away? You sing it for hours, days — maybe even weeks — and then finally you look it up and listen to it. What is it about that song that haunts you? It is good PR, my friend. Sure, the lyrics may be catchy and the tune may be easy to hum but what puts it in your head in the first place? You hear it on the radio, see a video advertised on YouTube or maybe the lyrics show up on one of your friends Facebook statuses. Then out of nowhere the song is everywhere and it lands itself right into your every waking thought. Maybe it’s controversial like this summer’s most popular song on the Billboards Hot 100, “Blurred Lines,” by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell. The upbeat dance song sparked much controversy among feminists and women’s rights activists everywhere because of its derogatory language and “slut shaming.” Not too long after, the number one song on Billboards Hot 100 was Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” featuring rapper Juicy J. What does this hit have in common with “Blurred Lines” and so many other viral songs? All the trouble it’s causing, of course. A Muslim man named Shazad Iqbal is petitioning to have the song’s music video taken down from YouTube. In the video Perry portrays an Egyptian princess who turns suitors she doesn’t like into sand. One of the suitors is wearing an Allah pendant and displeases Perry, so naturally she turns him to dust. Iqbal claims the destruction of the pendant is blasphemy. In the midst of this controversy, “Dark Horse” has risen to Number one on both iTunes and the Billboard Hot 100. Perry’s PR team has released no response to the controversy, which had over 36 million views in only six days. However, the song didn’t become such a sensation on its own. Katy Perry’s Twitter account, which has 51.9 million followers, had been filled with Tweets regarding the release of the song and video days before it came out. Perry even had a contest that allowed her fans to take pictures with her “DarkHorseCam” which they were to download and then upload their pictures to Twitter where she would select and repost her favorites. This kind of fan interaction is what drives success in the entertainment industry. As a song makes its journey from lyrics and music on a page to number one on iTunes, it has significant support from PR. Social media accounts, contests and controversy are just a few aids that make a catchy little tune into a viral sensation. Edited by Melanie Ford, Webmaster and Editor-in-Chief 2013-2014
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Coca-Cola has a proud tradition of advertising itself as the quintessential carbonated soft drink of America. I don’t think anything can get more American than apple pie, baseball, and a tall cold glass of Coke. From its birth in 1892 to its monstrous empire today, the Coca-Cola franchise spans across the world encouraging everyone to “live on the Coke side of life.” In the past, their advertising strategies played on a few recurring themes such as family, patriotism and community. Today, they still maintain that branding technique, but just with a contemporary perspective, bringing to light the diversity and depth of our country, that same diversity that has earned us the title “The Melting Pot.” On Feb. 2, 2014, Coca-Cola aired their newest commercial during the Super Bowl. No more affable polar bears scrambling to open a bottle of Coke. Instead, this commercial portrayed average American citizens across the country of all different ethnicities, races, religions, and families. By threading together bits and pieces of various snapshots of daily life, Coca-Cola was able to convey the diversity of our country while advertising that their product is what unites us among our own people. The music overlaying the 60-second tribute to our diversity was “America the Beautiful” sung in 8 different languages including English, Hindi and Spanish. The ad, titled “It’s Beautiful,” sparked major controversy over the fact that a song paying homage to the United States of America was sung in a language other than English. Viewers lashed out on Twitter attacking Coke for dishonoring our country by airing the song in any language other than English. Despite the backlash, Coca-Cola stands firmly behind their commercial and the message it supports. “‘It’s Beautiful’ celebrates Coca-Cola moments among all Americans,” said Katie Bayne, President, North American Brands, Coca-Cola North America. “Our ad provides a snapshot of the real lives of Americans representing diverse ethnicities, religions, races and families, all found in the United States. We believe ‘It’s Beautiful’ is a great example of the magic that makes our country so special, and a powerful message that spreads optimism, promotes inclusion and celebrates humanity – values that are core to Coca-Cola.” On top of this statement, Coca-Cola aired a longer version of “It’s Beautiful” during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics Friday, February 7th. The 90-second version included the phrase “E Pluribus Unum- Out of many, one.” This phrase is considered the motto of the United States of America, is emblazoned on the Great Seal and rings true to the complex and diverse makeup of U.S. citizens. From a PR standpoint, Coca-Cola is advocating their advertisement undeniably well. Instead of apologizing and conceding to the minority of Americans who were offended by their commercial, Coke is firmly rooted in their beliefs, unwavering to those using expletives to slander their name via social media. As far as publicity goes, the aftermath of “It’s Beautiful” has given Coca-Cola free advertisement within the wake of controversy. Those boycotting Coke and preaching about it on the Internet are only giving Coke more fuel for their advertisement campaign. So #boycottCoke all you want, but after 122 years, their advertisement campaigns and PR tactics are rock solid. Poorly written tweets riddled with curse words aren’t going to bring this franchise down, let alone soil the name of Coca-Cola in their advocacy of diversity. Edited by Melanie Ford, Webmaster and Editor-in-Chief 2013-2014 |
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