ABC Sunday lineup stirs up magic, vengeance and seduction

As the TV season heats up new shows premiering and old favorites returning, the major broadcast networks fight to win the attention of target audiences often with promotional videos and sneak peeks. The video above is a 1-minute promo for ABC's new Sunday night lineup, slating returning favorites Once Upon A Time and Revenge back-to-back alongside the soapy new thriller 666 Park Avenue. Competition among the networks is particularly heated on Sunday, one of the strongest nights for broadcast television. ABC seems to be positioning its lineup as an "indulgence" by urging viewers to "taste the magic, taste the vengeance, taste the seduction."

I think this promo is blog-worthy because it is extremely effective on multiple levels; first, its high production values and vivid imagery compel any viewer regardless of their knowledge or awareness of these TV series. Second, the promo does an excellent job of conveying a sense of continuity among the shows; while they are all distinct thematically, a wider audience is targeted by fusing them all into one "indulgence" for viewers of all three shows. Overall, the promo expertly reaches fans of any of the shows by positioning the lineup accordingly to draw all viewers to all three shows to the entire evening. The compelling visuals, steady music and clever slogan "taste the magic, taste the vengeance, taste the seduction" signify what should be a spellbinding night of television.

United Colors of Benetton views love without color

The above image is part of an ad campaign from the United Colors of Benetton, a global brand recognized for their strategic utilization of shock advertising. The company consistently launches shocking and controversial advertisements for the sake of acceptance and unification. Regardless of how they are received by the general population, the brand spreads awareness of these issues by thrusting them into the public spotlight. While this ad was first released in the spring of 1996, it still reflects our current society's limitations from prejudice.

The campaign uses three identical-looking hearts with "White", "Black" and "Yellow" as captions to illustrate how we are all similar on the inside regardless of skin color. The general idea is that the heart is the consistent message of love, regardless of race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. The image resonates with me particularly because the hearts vaguely resemble rose-bud shapes, amplifying the ad's emotional impact. Across the board, I am always impressed with the United Colors of Benetton ads because of their boldness and simplicity; the ad benefits from a lack of excessive copy. I think the message comes across effectively as is because it provides just enough to clue the audience to their initiative but also allows for interpretation.

"Dayglow" brand evolves

"Dayglow", one of the most popular electronic music concert tours in the world, recently announced a new tour in conjunction with the recent name change for the brand. Now called "Life in Color", the event organizers felt the new name more accurately captures the high-octane excitement and spirit. With bigger DJs and more paint slated in the upcoming performances, the company also felt "Life in Color" packed a stronger punch as the festival expands into the international market.

The above video is the first trailer launched to promote the brand's name-change from "Dayglow" to "Life in Color". As a consumer who has attended one of the show's before, the video effectively  conveys the festival's overall high-energy atmosphere. However the beginning of the trailer, which follows streams of neon paint as they flow down a bustling street, drags too long; comprising about 1 minute of the video's 2:35 runtime, I think the time could have been used more valuably with more shots of the paint's usage during the show. After all, the music and on-stage entertainment are secondary to the unique splashes of paint out into the crowd. Highlighting what makes the brand unique will further catapult the event it into broader international markets.

"I am human", new PSA from NOH8

This video is a public service announcement from the NOH8 campaign, a non-profit initiative advocating for equal rights and elimination of hate crimes against the LGBTQ community. The campaign garners awareness for the cause by traveling around the world and photographing those who come to support love and equality in our society. The PSA linked above puts a unique spin on the same-sex marriage movement by bringing together people from around the world who have posed for the campaign. Nine different languages are represented in the video's 90 second runtime, exemplifying the idea that the fight for equal love and equal rights is on an enormous global scale. Diversity is the selling point here, as each speaker tells a quick story of who they are and why they fight for equality. This particular quote below resonated with me -- "Our language may be different, but our message is the same. Love is for everyone."

I think this campaign does a wonderful of highlighting a fundamental aspect of the same-sex marriage movement: regardless of who you are or where you are from, love is something we all share. Telling someone who they can or cannot love does not negate who they are and what they are as a person, and this PSA hints at this idea with the title "I am human". We are all human, and we all deserve equal rights. The PSA effectively conveys this idea by showcasing different people from around the world and uniting them with the universal message of love and equality. This wonderful sense of community is something the world is lacking, and I appreciate any communications efforts such as this that work to bring people together in some way or another.