By Nick Holmes

The advertising world uses an abundance of mechanisms to get the message out and people talking. Throughout modern advertising, celebrity endorsements have become a common, and nearly expected method of promoting the product the company is attempting to sell to consumers. Average people look up to celebrities, aspiring to be like their favorite scream queen, pop diva, or gridiron legend.

Athletes are everywhere you look when it comes to advertising. They are in TV commercials, magazine advertisements, website endorsements, voiceovers, infomercials, point-of-purchase displays, and event promotions. But why do athletes make the ideal endorsers for such a variety of products and services? It’s simple: athletes are relatable in numerous ways, but at the same time they represent the pinnacle of physical achievement, something most people desire.

We watch our favorite teams perform week in and week out, cheering them on for astounding and unbelievable plays, and occasionally making our dissatisfaction known when they don’t quite live up to our expectations. Whatever the outcome however, when we see our favorite athlete endorsing a product, we instantly want that product. We want to feel connected with that athlete in anyway, and what better way than to use the same razor as Tiger Woods, drink the same energy drink as Lebron James, or use the same camera as Maria Sharapova.

Athletes have that something special that take your hand off your shopping cart, reach up, and snag the last Red Drive Gatorade off the shelf (which happens to be the limited edition Tiger Gatorade). Other famous athlete endorsements include Gillette (Roger Federer, Derek Jeter, and Tiger Woods), Canon (Maria Sharapova), Speedo (Michael Phelps), and Oreo Double Stuf (the Manning brothers and Williams sisters).

Athlete endorsements don’t only help the product sales. These multi-million performers become even wealthier by means of brand contracts. Tiger Woods brings in over $100 million in extra earnings each year just by means of endorsement contracts. Lebron James, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Kevin Durant each make over $20 million a year, while other high-profile athletes usually earn around $10 million a year. The world of endorsement advertising is obviously a win-win for both the athlete and the company.

What to expect on your first day ...

Posted by: Christina B
Wednesday, June 24, 2009

I think that the first day of any internship is quite comparable to being the new kid in school, except the school that you are enrolling in is a multi-million dollar company with kids that are many grades above you. My first day was two weeks ago at Monster Media, an interactive ad agency in Orlando. This is my second internship and inevitably my second first day experience, which were very similar, although they were two completely different companies.

I guess the normal first day run through starts with meeting the person that you have been in contact via email, which would be your supervisor. It's finally nice to meet the person you have either been corresponding via email or speaking with on the phone. Then it's the office intros. An important thing to try to work on beforehand is remembering names. I used to think that I was good at remembering names, but in fact, I am terrible at it. So it was a particular challenge for me, but it is important to try to remember as many names as possible. It of course helps when sending e-mails, important things, etc... but most importantly it helps with the inevitable office run ins. Not only their name, but their role at the agency is useful. I sometimes feel like I am a stalker when I look at the office directory (which is our homepage) throughout the day, but I'm just trying to make sure that I can identify a face to a name.

Then comes lunch with the higher-ups (or your supervisor). This is important, because it's their way of welcoming you to the company and it's a great way to get one-on-one time, which you'll discover doesn't happen too incredibly often (at least in my internship experience thus far). This is your opportunity to get some more company history, current client information, projects you will be working on, and a chance to get to know the people you will be working with. Office activity can get pretty hectic and can make it difficult to have small talk, so here is your chance!


There is also the office run throughs, which include: getting your email set up, getting acquainted with your office, any special policies, and any important information about the company and their office procedures.

Get a Leg Up on the Competition With The AAF Job Bank

Posted by: Karina
Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Tough economic times hampering your job search?

The AAF Job Bank offers you the ability to search and apply for hundreds of active advertising and communications jobs—from entry level to executive—and connects you with nearly 1000 potential employers.

Post your résumé and make it available to advertising and marketing companies looking for the right candidate! Best of all, it's FREE!

Log in to the AAF Job Bank and start applying today.

Additional benefits of the AAF Job Bank include:

• Regional Postings: Jobs posted in the AAF Job Bank are located all over the country—not just the East Coast.
• The Number-One Network: The AAF Job Bank is a partner in the Marketing Career Network, The number-one job board for the advertising and marketing industry.
• Job Search Control: Quickly and easily find relevant industry job listings and sign up for automatic e-mail notification of new jobs that match your criteria.
• Easy Job Application: Apply online and create a password-protected account for managing your job search.
• Saved Jobs: Come to the site and quickly save up to 100 jobs to a folder in your account so you can apply when you are ready.

Get ahead of the curve and update your résumé or post a new résumé today!

jobs.aaf.org

Labels: AAF, economy, jobs

Putting on a Happy Face

Posted by: Karina
Friday, April 3, 2009

Check out my first post on the Alligator's Brandonomics Blog to learn about how marketers are helping balance out the negative news coverage of the economy with optimistic logos and campaigns.

-Karina

Labels: alligator, brandonomics, economy, optimism

5 Job Search Mistakes...and How to Avoid Them

Posted by: NiMo
Tuesday, March 31, 2009

This article posted yesterday on Ad Age is really relevant to everyone who is on the hunt for a job or internship. As you know, the market is probably more competitive than ever- and it takes more than a resume to get noticed. The article features 5 mistakes to avoid when searching for that perfect opportunity.

Arguably the most relevant piece of advice comes at the end:

"You're a brand. Know it, live it, be true to it and establish it before you even begin your job search. Because if you don't know or trust your own brand, you can't expect others to do so."


Good Luck!

Why advertisers need to save newspapers.

Posted by: Ellie
Thursday, March 26, 2009

I just read a fantastic article about the state of the newspaper industry from Ad Age. The bad state that newspapers are in has been widely publicized lately, especially with several high-profile papers going under.

This article is a call to act for advertisers. It discusses the unique market that this media targets and why it's crucial to not lose the connection to these people. Beyond the advertising benefits, newspapers serve a vital role in our community as a public information source and provide some of the best hard-hitting journalism out there (think Watergate and the Washington Post!)

Do Some Good: Create Newspaper Ads
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=135535

Dustin vs. Playstation

Posted by: Karina
Tuesday, March 17, 2009

I do not watch baseball, and I do not have a Playstation. (Although I played Little Big Planet with my brother recently and it was AWESOME). But I do enjoy this campaign from Deutsch for MLB09 The Show called Dustin VS. Playstation:



On Playstation's site, you can view 6 more videos of the debate, 3 from Dustin and his backers and 3 from Playstation's side. The best one in my opinion is the one with Dustin and his coach in the kitchen. Couldn't find it on youtube, but visit the site and check them out.

Labels: baseball, deutsch, little big planet, playstation, video games

Grad School?

Posted by: Michelle

Here is an interesting article from Ad Age on graduate school and your expectations.

It talks about your reasons for going and expectations you may not get out of it. Think about graduate school, don't use it as a default when you can't find a job.

Don't Go Back To School For The Wrong Reasons

Happy 50th Birthday, Barbie!

Posted by: Karina

Barbie recently celebrated her 50th birthday. Did you know that if Barbie was a real woman, she'd have to crawl around on her hands and knees and have chronic diarrhea?! Read about this and why Barbie has been so successful, no matter how unrealistic she is.

Labels: barbie