Duracell: Making Moments Last Longer

The first time I saw this print ad, I fell in love. I do not buy any other batteries but Duracell because of this ad. I have yet to find a print ad that I like better than this one. I honestly cannot find anything negative to say about this ad. This ad was created a few years ago and I think what I like about it most, is how well it fits in with American culture. It seems like every day another family is shipping off their solider. Duracell created an ad that reaches a broad audience, which is what they needed considering everyone uses batteries.

The first thing I noticed about this ad is how well that tiny little battery is stopping time. The only thing in focus in this ad is the solider, the women, and the battery. The background has been blurred so that it actually looks like time is standing still. Nothing else matters except that moment, which will last forever because it is powered by Duracell.

Another thing I noticed about this ad is how you can only see the women's face and emotions. The worry in her eyes is very clearly stated. Also, her hands are grasped in just the right way that the audience can see she doesn't want to let this moment go just yet. It is easy for the audience to feel sympathetic towards her.

The last thing I thought was interesting about this ad is that you cannot see the soldier's face. I think there could be many reasons why they do not show his face. In a way, not showing his face reaches the male audience. Many men do not like to show their emotions, so this ad is not letting you see a man's emotions. However, the way the solider is grasping the women makes me believe that he too does not want this moment to ever stop.

In the end, this ad just makes me want to tell the solider and the women thank god they chose Duracell to make moments like this one last longer.

The Motorcyclists of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Today recently published a feature story about motorcyclists in Oklahoma. They interviewed a few of the state's motorcyclist and asked them what made motorcycling in Oklahoma special. Many of them talked about their favorite routes and what was on them. A few mentioned the famous Route 66 and others mentioned riding through the Wichita Mountains. Each of the person's interviewed had something interesting to say.

This was a good feature story because it could be read in 15 minutes or less. Also, it covered something local, that could be inspired by the news. Covering how motorcyclist view Oklahoma is illuminating of our time period because of how popular motorcycling has gotten in the past years. It shares with the rest of the world why riding in Oklahoma is entertaining and fulfilling. It also covers a story that is not generally covered, it brings light to something that most people do not think about. It is a human interest piece that highlights not only motorcyclist and why they like to ride but also some of the greatest features of Oklahoma.

Barber Shop Society

I recently saw a media kit for the Barber Shop Society. This is a society that promotes and preserves the barber shop harmony in American Culture today. This society put together a media kit to help the promotion and preservation.

There were a lot of good aspects to this media kit. One was that it put together some great graphics. I really liked their cover page and how they used a picture of a barber shop quartet. I also liked how they used their building to title the media kit. The flow of the cover page was well thought out too. I also liked how they included a photo gallery in their media kit and how they used a lot of photos. Another good part of this media kit was how much information they included in it. They had a lot of background information about the society and what their missions and goals were. The organization of the kit was good as well. I liked how they used bullets and paragraphs to separate all of the information.

Some things that this media kit did not include was who the kit was intended for. It did not have a pitch letter and it did not give any information as to why the kit was created. Obviously they want to get their organizations name out there but it doesn't have a plan of action for doing that within the media kit. It also does not include any upcoming events to help promote their program. Overall, this would be a good media kit if they included some of this information. 

20 worst foods in America Revealed

The new debate in the world of public relations is whether or not the news release is dead. Many think that the current version of the news release is not a productive way of promoting information. They think that news releases should just cover the basic facts. However, an improved version is not available at the current time. The best way for public relation professionals to get information to the public is through a news release. One such example is written by Allison Keane and Kateri Benjamin.

In this news release, Keane and Benjamin cover the new edition of David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding's Eat This Not That. They start the news release with explaining what the book is about which is the 20 worst foods in America. They then provide information about where and when the book can be bought and how much the book costs. They also provide exerts from the list of foods which Americans should avoid.

Overall, this news release provides all the facts needed to write an article about the release of the new book. However, instead of writing a version of their own article, PR professionals could just provide an outline of the information like editor Tom Foremski suggest in his article "Die! Press release! Die! Die! Die!" . I personally think that Foremski has a creative insight to the problem of inadequate press releases. PR professionals should consider his ideas because it could save journalists and themselves time and effort.

Every Girl I've Ever Kissed

I have never enjoyed reading blogs. I understand the concept of blogs being used as a promotional device, but I do not understand everyone's need to blog about their personal life. I honestly do not know why I should take time out of my day to read about your crappy or exciting day. Now if you're a famous person, like Emma Stone, I would love to read about you're life. If you're an average person like me, I really do not care. If an average joe wants me to read his/her blog about his/her life then it better be hilarious. It has to be Every Girl I've Ever Kissed quality.

Luke Stephens is an average person who created the  blog Every Girl I've Ever Kissed in 2011.  In this blog he tells the story behind every girl he has ever kissed. They are not your usual boring I kissed a girl/guy stories, they are elaborate, bizarre and funny. Every story usually has me laughing so hard that my roommate has to check to make sure I am not dying. Stephens knows how to write a good story and make it look easy, which is the toughest part of blogging.

Another great thing about this blog is that he used to update it every Wednesday. Many times bloggers update their pages at random times, which is another frustrating thing about blogging. Stephens set Wednesday as his update day. In doing this he kept readers excited and interested about his upcoming posts. Stephens has not updated the blog since January of this year but he has a new blog now called Bright Luke, Big City.

Even though Every Girl I've Ever Kissed is not updated anymore it is still a great example of a good blog. Stephens' writing is interesting and well thought out. In general I do not like blogs, but this is a blog that I will actually read and enjoy.

Cracked.com

One of my favorite websites is Cracked.com. This is a humor website that I discovered from one of my professors. On his personal blog, he posted a link to an article called "The 7 dumbest things students do when cramming for an exam." I was intrigued so I followed the link to Cracked.com. There, not only did I find out about the dumb things students do on exams, but I also discovered the mysteries of Pinterest and stalking techniques.

This is a website of satirical articles about random things. The writers discover whatever they find interesting or humorous and they share it with their readers in a witty, funny fashion. This wit and humor is why I enjoy this website.

However, what I like the most is how each of the writers make writing seem laid back and easy. I enjoy writing but it has never come to me easily, especially satirical writing. It fascinates me how these writers can take a subject, like tips on an exam, and make it interesting with so little effort. I think it takes a lot of talent to be able to do that. 

Another great aspect of this website is the way it is set up. They post the most recent articles at the top of the page so it is more accessible for users. Also, with almost every story, there is a picture to go with it. I think this adds interest and curiosity to the article because most of the pictures are weird and random, just like the stories that go with them.

Overall, this is a good website to check out if you're having a bad day and need a laugh.