Hezo Kittie

There Are No Cinderellas

This is my current favorite commercial. Some people argue that advertising is unethical because the advertising companies are becoming so powerful that they are having too much control over the content they are advertising around (for example, big advertisers can threaten to pull their ads from a magazine unless the magazine removes a certain article or two that the advertiser doesn't want to associate itself with).

I, however, think that advertising is ethical. When I used to read Electronic Gaming Monthly (odd, because I never played much video games. But the trend continues with my obsession with pro baseball without ever taking the field at any level) they used to regularly remind the readers that, yes, the advertisers would occasionally threaten to pull their ads, and no, the editors would never bend because they believed in journalistic integrity. They would also point out the fact that some magazines (without naming names) actually do succumb to the advertiser 'squeeze' and would warn the readers about these periodicals accordingly.

I digress. The concept of the commercial is that these amazing 'upsets' over the years are not just mediocre teams with lucky bounces. They work just as hard as their big name competition.

Instead of the advertisers dictating what our society should believe in, they are trying to appeal to an already established, traditional American value: hard work.

Private business and sports are interestingly similar in that the most creative, intelligent and hardest working make it out on top. Is capitalism and laissez-faire economics the ideal economic system? If men are inherently competitive, then probably. I personally have never been very competitive, favoring community and equality. But someone's gotta lose. Hmm.

Air Jordan XX3 - 60 Second Spot

Nike Sparq Training - 60 Second Spot

This is an unrelated commercial that I really like primarily because of its music. Music grabs my attention much more than anything else in a commercial, which is probably why I was drawn into 'Cinderellas' (sparse chimes), 'Sparq Training' (vocals and build up), and most of Apple's commercials (specifically, the new Macbook Air spot and 'Music is My Hot Hot Sex' by CSS for the iPod Touch).

The commercial plays on the relativity of words. 'Better' in relation to what? What standard of measurement are we using to establish this? How much higher in objective standard must one be to become known as 'better'?

'My better is better than your better.'

I like the juxtaposition of young and old, amateur and professional. It shows that we're not unlike the players on TV we idolize.

In conclusion, competition can be seen as cold and ruthless, a narcissistic run for the top. On the other hand, it is also deeply personal and character-building. It is safe to say that finding what you believe in and giving it everything you have is an idea that I wholeheartedly believe in. It is an internal competition to fight for 'it' and put in your all, even against the odds, whether it's football or croquet (maybe not croquet).