The Red Cross’ Inspiration

I ran into the campaign pictures put up for Bay Area at Coolz0r’s marketing thoughts blog. The Bay Area Red Cross have a billboard truck set up by at Justin Herman plaza that has a post-modern post-apocolyptic-earthquake scene on it, that when viewed from the right perspective looks like all hell broke loose.

The campaign generates different opinions. The disagreeing voices play around the argument that the ads are not good because viewers must be at the same spot as the camera was to get the whole picture. Coolz0r, on the contrary, said this required initiative from the viewer actually symbolizes what the Red Cross wants you to do: “Come closer, take action, see what could happen and give blood so they can help if it happens.”

I completely agree with his assessment on this campaign. I think these truck billboards are great. To me, first, the creative display technique is incredibly valuable and innovative, which is rarely seen in the Red Cross’s previous campaigns. It can be seen as a piece of modern art and very visually attractive.

For its function value, the ads can definitely trigger interaction with viewers. Viewers have to spend some time figuring a fit spot to appreciate the picture as a whole, and then they will be amazed by the natural blending between the real city scenery and the man-created earthquake scene. At the very moment, viewers, at lease me would think something unexpected that is hid behind the seemingly peaceful everyday life. Messages like “Help the Red Cross to prepared for the unexpected disasters” are send out during this process.

How to face a crisis responsibly and efficiently?

As a student to whom the crisis communication management is pretty new and unfamiliar, I am still at the stage of learning.

Stop a Crisis in its track shares with us tips and secrets to deal with crises and restore good faith in corporations. Now I cite the part of the article here and hope it can give you some useful information.
Let’s see how crisis experts and PR professionals effectively overcome crises:

1. Be prepared: Schedule regular crisis drills on a weekly or monthly basis. "Create crisis plans for numerous reactive scenarios in advance," recommends Kjersti Gunderson, senior account executive for Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, the agency partnering with Microsoft during the infamous "Zotob" crisis in which top newsrooms across the country were hit with a virus attacking Microsoft operating systems. The campaign won the Gold award in Crisis Communications at the 2006 Bulldog Awards for Media Excellence. She continues: "Then, drill on those crisis plans on a regular basis," Gunderson says. The bottom line: It's not enough to plan ahead and talk about what you might do during a crisis. As every athlete knows, you must practice, practice, practice to achieve the results you need during a crisis. Arrange weekly or monthly crisis drills with employees, including meetings with key executives and spokespeople to rehearse messages. It's not enough to have one crisis-training session and expect the best. Crisis preparation is an on-going task.

2. Conduct meticulous research to identify crisis "hot spots." Once a crisis occurs, the first step is research: "Prepare for every crisis campaign by talking extensively with the client, listening and asking a lot of questions," says Mary Beth Popp, director of brand public relations for Eric Mower and Associates, which was brought in to handle a crisis that occurred when Hutch-Tech High School in Buffalo, New York was forced to relocate students to Kensington, a school in a high-crime area. The campaign won Silver in Crisis Communications in the 2006 Bulldog Awards. "If research is available, do it," Popp continues. "In the Hutch Tech campaign, we had someone take notes of every single parent complaint. We had pages and pages of complaints—and we read through every one of them. We categorized each complaint to see where the hot spots were. This way, we knew about Kensington's reputation, and we had all of the other concerns right up front."

3. Eschew the "no comment" response—get your story out in front of the media and the public or risk rumors and mistrust. "You've got to get your story out there—especially in a time and place when your efforts may be under the microscope and you may be mistrusted," says Michael Fineman, president of Fineman PR, who managed a crisis for cork producer Sabaté in 2001 when the company's wine closure, Altec, was attacked for being the source of tainted, or "corked" wine. When the company launched a new product in 2004, Fineman suggested holding a wine tasting with top connoisseurs to regain credibility in the marketplace. The results were no less than brilliant. The campaign won silver in New Product Launch, Business at the 2006. "In this campaign, Sabaté needed to provide their point of view as their situation evolved," he continues. "And they agreed that the next product launch they did had to be based on some consistent communications—so we decided to hold blind tastings with sommeliers and wine makers to test the new closure." This allowed Sabaté to get its messages out in a time of crisis.

4. Commit to a long road of crisis recovery. "This is still an ongoing campaign—going on four-and-a-half years now," Fineman continues. "To a certain point this speaks to the lesson of PR being a long-term benefit. You can't just send your communications team out there for six weeks and see what happens. You have to ensure that your voice is heard long term. Sabaté's commitment to develop a breakthrough product and their demonstration of honesty, good faith and acknowledgement of their shortcomings resulted in a laudable response to mistrust and crisis. Other companies might have thought it was a lost cause, but this company wanted to demonstrate its commitment to its customers."

Organic Vs Local conventional, which will you choose?

The other day, I read an article titled “Eating better than organic” in Time magazine which talks about choosing between organic food transported from another location and the conventionally grown food in local from an ordinary customer. The reason I got attracted by this article is that I have done a project for a pesticides trade organization and got to know some knowledge about the conventional agriculture and organic practice. I just want to see how this recent story will say about the two.

"Let's get that one out of the way at the start. If scientists could conclusively prove that agricultural chemicals are harmful, we would all go organic. But it's not clear, for instance, that the low levels of pesticide typically found on conventional produce cause cancer. The risks of long-term exposure to those residues are still undetermined

Even if conventional foods don't turn out to be as dangerous as organic advocates claim, several recent studies have suggested that organic foods contain higher levels of vitamins than their conventionally grown counterparts. In a paper published in October in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a team from the University of California, Davis, demonstrates that organically grown tomatoes have significantly more vitamin C than conventional tomatoes. Even so, the same study shows no significant differences between conventional and organic bell peppers.

Organic adherents take it on faith that the way food is grown affects its nutritional quality. But advocates of local eating are now making another leap, saying what happens after harvest--how food is shipped and handled--is perhaps even more important than how it was grown. Locavores.com a site popular among local purists, asserts that "because locally grown produce is freshest, it is more nutritionally complete." But Mitchell says she knows of no studies that prove this."

The reporter had arrived at an answer to his question: "I prefer local to organic, even with the concessions local farmers must make. I realize there's something romantic about the desire to know exactly where your food is from. Among true agrarians, that desire carries a reactionary strain, a suspicion of modernity. "Instead of relying on the accumulated wisdom of a cuisine, or even on the wisdom of our senses, we rely on expert opinion," journalist Michael Pollan wrote in last year's acclaimed book The Omnivore's Dilemma. "We place our faith in science to sort out what culture once did." But science should trump culture on matters of nutrition. The problem is that science offers no clear guidelines yet on how beneficial organic food is."

Oscar Red Carpet Gowns

My fashion buddy is so crazy with various evening gowns. Red carpet fashion shows at any event offer her the best chance to release her evaluation ability and aesthetic taste. This year, she definitely did not miss the Oscar red carpet and we shared something in common.

Here are our favorite outfits:
3. Reese Witherspoon in Nina Ricci


It's Nina Ricci, and it is Nina Ricci by Olivier Theyskens! Olivier is born to make breathtaking gowns, and his talent is second to none.

Our only complaint is that dark purple is not Reese's best color. The color also faded away with the Oscar stage background. A simple Olivier grey would have done the perfect job!

2. Cate Blanchett in Armani Prive


Cate can pull off anything, but this Armani Prive gown is the best color she could possibly choose. We bow down before Cate Blanchett's sense of style. With the metallic shine, the gown looked very relevant to what is happening in the fashion world now. To be honest with you, I didn't even think that it could be an Armani gown because Armani was always boring to me, including the Prive couture line. (if you don't believe me, look at Zhang Ziyi's Armani gowns. Don't they all look the same?)

1. Nicole Kidman in Balenciaga


Nobody asked her whom that dress was by, but the fashion lovers knew it was Balenciaga. To my fashion hubby, the metallic red trims and the way it fits the body were 100% Balenciaga. The red color made her radiant, and the bow added a twist. It's a home run. She definitely brings in the taste of classic and elegance. Nobody could compete with her at this year's red carpet show.

Girl Scout cookies toss out trans fats

According to a recent story from Associate Press, this year, all those cookies by Girl Scout will come out nearly free of harmful trans fats. About half of all Girl Scout troops are offering a sugar-free cookie called the Little Brownie. A cookie with reduced saturated fat, the Cartwheel, was also introduced last year.

Girl Scouts of the USA Vice President Denise J. Pessich said the recipe changes have given troop leaders an opportunity to talk more about the importance of eating right.

As noted by the report, the scouts are following other manufacturers who rid their products of trans fats after the Food and Drug Administration began requiring food labels to carry information on the substance last year. Scientific studies have linked trans fats to heart disease. The first “zero trans” Girl Scout cookies made their debut in the fall of 2005, including a reformulated version of the top-selling Thin Mint. The remaining varieties had most trans fats eliminated by last October.
New York became the first city to ban trans fats at restaurants. Restaurants in the city will be required to eliminate the artificial trans fats from all of their foods by July 2008.

Yes, people today are becoming more and more conscious about what they eat everyday. They realize that keeping a healthy lifestyle is the strongest weapon to fight off various diseases. Eating styles should be the first breaking point.

Why should we ban trans fats? Let’s look at the trans fats 101 prepared by the Medical Center at the university of Maryland.
Trans Fats 101

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration shed light on a potentially serious health threat recently when it announced that products containing trans fatty acids require stringent nutritional labeling starting in 2006.

What are Trans Fatty Acids?
They are man-made or processed fats, which are made from a liquid oil. When you add hydrogen to liquid vegetable oil and then add pressure, the result is a stiffer fat, like the fat found in a can of Crisco. Trans fats are also called hydrogenated fats.

What Harm do They do to the Body?
The stiffer and harder fats are, the more they clog up your arteries. Artificial trans fats do the same thing in our bodies that bacon grease does to kitchen sinks. Over time, they can "clog the pipes" that feed the heart and brain, which can lead to heart attack or stroke risk.

According to the comprehensive Nurses' Health Study -- the largest investigation of women and chronic disease -- trans fats double the risk of heart disease in women.
"Numerous studies have found that trans fats raise our risk of heart disease," said Mary Beth Sodus, a registered dietitian at the University of Maryland Medical Center. "They can also contribute to an increase in total cholesterol levels and a drop in the healthy HDL cholesterol. These man-made fats are much worse for you than any other natural fat, even the saturated fats found in butter and beef."
Why Have Trans Fatty Acids been Put in So Many Food Products?
No human body has any need for these man-made fats. Food manufacturers started putting them in products because they allow for a longer shelf life. Crackers, for example, can stay on the shelf and stay crispy for years in part because of the hydrogenated fats in them.

Are Trans Fats Bad for Kids?
Trans fats increase the risk for heart disease. Therefore, children who start at age 3 or 4 eating a steady diet of fast food, pop tarts, commercially prepared fish sticks, stick margarine, cake, candy, cookies and microwave popcorn can be expected to get heart disease earlier than kids who are eating foods without trans fats.
While a person may not get heart disease until they are in their 40s, some of our research here at the University of Maryland has shown that kids as young as 8, 9 and 10 already have the high cholesterol and blood fats that clog arteries. By starting healthy eating habits early, parents can help their children avoid heart attacks and stroke.

Embarrassment for Oscar!!

Yes, the biggest winner at Oscar tonight is The Departed. It won the Best Director, the Best Picture, and the Best Adapted Screenplay. I like The Departed because I already liked even before it was shot in America. The Departed is based on a Hong Kong movie, Infernal Affairs, shot in 2002. It’s a story about crime and corrupt cops.

I felt extremely happy that The Departed, a movie adapted from a Hong Kong version, could be nominated for so many awards. However, the most embarrassed moment came when Helen Mirren, probably a background announcer, introduced the information about the movie, saying that The Departed is based on a Japanese movie!!! How came Oscar made such a blatant error? It is not based on a Japanese movie, BUT a Hong Kong movie. May I know who prepared and wrote the script? Have you done some background information check on that? How could such a reputable academy award make such stupid mistake?

I was glad later to hear director Martin Scorsese corrected the error by appreciating Andrew Lau's (the director) original film from Hong Kong, the wonderful Asian cinema. Thanks Martin Scorsese to make the right announcement.

Shame on Oscar!! So embarrassed! I think many people who know the truth have emailed Oscar to file complaints about the mistake tonight and Oscar definitely owes a big apology to Infernal Affairs, the original Hong Kong version. I will wait and see how Oscar will response tomorrow. Such an unbelievable night!

Let's Appreciate Dolce & Gabbana's Arts!

This is the recent advertisement that draws tremendous criticism on the Spanish market. According to the EiTB24 report, Italian fashion giant Dolce and Gabbana pulled off this print advertisement from Spain, after authorities and consumers alleged that it encouraged violence against women.

Spain's Labour and Social Affairs Ministry criticized that the campaign was illegal and humiliating to women, saying that the advertisement made it an acceptable way to use force as a way of impose on women.

Dolce & Gabbana defended the campaign as art being heavily stylized. We will only withdraw this photo from the Spanish market. They're a bit behind the times, "La Vanguardia newspaper quoted the Milan-based fashion house.

The news is actually not a surprise to me as D&G seems to be very consistent in the style and content of its advertisements. I have been paying attention to D&G’s ad campaign ever since I subscribed to ELLE magazine. Dolce & Gabbana has a bizarre compilation of advertisements with lifeless models in strange and vulnerable positions framed in weird background. Its advertisements promote gender-based violence by portraying women as lifeless and doll-like, with incredibly pale skin and emotionless expressions. Some critiques say that this condones violence against women by implying that women are dolls to be played with or that women are sexy when dead.







The pull-off advertisement not only happened in Spain, but also in Britain last month. The 2006-2007 winter campaign portrayed models brandishing knives. The British advertising watchdog has criticized Italian Fashion house, Dolce & Gabbana, for publishing these two advertisements in a leading newspaper, according to Balendu’s ads blog. The ASA promptly reacted after receiving complaints from groups such as Mothers Against Murder and Aggression and Media March by commenting that the company acted irresponsibly and breached standards of good taste in publishing the advertisements.

On the other hand, Dolce & Gabbana argued that the advertisements were published around the globe but complaints came only from people in Britain. The Milan based company said that the advertisements were highly stylized and intended to be an iconic representation of the Napoleonic period of art.

It’s an interesting phenomenon that when borrowing something elements from one field and applying them to another field one should be really cautious. The public normally can accept the elements of violence and war in arts, like paintings, sculpture because the art pieces were created against certain social and historic background aiming to present the concurrent situation of the society. Arts, in this sense, are a record of the history. When people view art pieces containing controversial elements, they know beforehand that they are arts which either try to record the past life or aim to express the authors’ thoughts or styles. The audience will appreciate the arts from the aesthetic and artistic perspective. However, when a real fashion company promotes violence in its ad campaign, it is not purely art at all. People who watch the ad probably will understand that violence is something we should advocate and follow with. Probably Dolce & Gabbana created the ads somewhat intending to follow the art style of Napoleonic period, but when the audience is different and social context changes, it’s getting difficult to let people just view those ads from a pure artistic perspective.