I’m With the Brand
John Shepherd
Kelsey Keegan
Ryan Finnegan
Josh Michalec
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Summary
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Morgan Spurlock's documentary explores the ubiquity of branding messages in
our daily lives and the relationship between content and advertising
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We are exposed to constant advertising and branding to the point that:
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“We are not being brainwashed, since the products are not being used in the
right way" (Tetzeli and Karpel 92).
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95% is wasted effort
People should recognize this branding, question it, and wonder about the process
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When is a brand a byproduct of a story/film/etc., and when does the brand
drive the story/film/etc?
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Is a story really this important, or important to a sponsor?
Summary
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It's up to the consumer to decide what is the truth and what is smoke and
mirrors
S We must determine credibility and which media and sources to trust
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Do you feel as if TV shows, films, newspapers, books, etc. that you
consume are still credible and/or enjoyable if filled with exorbitant
amounts of advertising?
S Or does this, in a sense, devalue the show, film, etc. in your eyes?
The Brand Called You
S You are your own brand
S Everything you do, say, wear, etc. says something about you
specifically
S The different aspects that make up your life are what make you
unique
S You have to think of yourself as a brand
S Do I agree with what I am selling?
S Do I realize that I am advertising a product?
Discussion Questions
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Does this type of advertising image work?
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Is it so disturbing that you're intrigued or so
disturbing that you dismiss it all together?
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To what extent do you associate advertisements and the
the media you view them in?
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Greatest Movie Ever Sold Trailer
http://www.gotchamediablog.com/2011/03/trailer-morgan-spurlocks-greatestmovie.html
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What are your thoughts on this?
Discussion Questions
(Continued)
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Morgan Spurlock: The greatest TED Talk ever sold:http://bryanlong.com/2011/04/morganspurlocks-greatest-ted-talk-ever-sold/
S Talking about Transparency
S What do you think about this?
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The 3 Most Important Things in Advertising:
S Reach
S Frequency
S Impact
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We know advertisers reach innumerable amounts of people incessantly, but how has this guerilla
advertising affected an ad's impact on the consumer?
S Is it hard to find the truth amongst all the clutter?
Discussion Questions
(Continued)
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The purpose of advertising is to:
S Inform (Emphasize Features)
S Persuade (Emphasize Benefits)
S Remind (Reinforce Prior Messages)
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Which one of these purposes do you feel is the one that advertising
companies push too much?
S Are the informational, persuasion, or reminder ads the ones that you
get the most annoyed with?
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Essentially, what forms of advertising do you think are most effective?
Least effective?
Questions?