Even Superheros Get Scratches

Millions of people all over the world are familiar with the Band-Aid brand and the concept of what they are used for. Band-Aids were created in order to stop the body from bleeding and to help prevent the wound from becoming infected. They are made of flexible sticky material in order to mold to the person’s affected skin area and seal the area from anything getting into it. In this advertisement, the Hulk’s arm is portrayed pointing down at the Band-Aids. The point of this advertisement is to convey the message that even strong and seemingly indestructible people, such as The Hulk, are susceptible to getting scratches or bleeding.

Since the Band-Aid is a different color from the rest of the entire advertisement, it directs the flow of the person looking at it and causes them to focus on the Band-Aid itself above anything else in the advertisement. The contrast in the ad is evident by the hand placement in front of the dark to light background creating an interesting gradient appealing to the eye. Since the lighter part is directly behind the hand, the eye is automatically is drawn to it. The Band-Aid is placed on the Hulk’s finger in order to craft a contrast, which in turn places mores attention on the product trying to be sold, the Band-Aid itself.

Along with the contrasting colors, the focal point of the advertisement, the Band-Aid, is obviously displayed slightly below the center of the ad. The rule of thirds is applied to this ad to draw the eye to a place other than in the direct middle of the screen. This utilizes one focal point in order to convey its product without there being several features possibly interfering with the main idea of the ad which is to sell Band-Aids.

The balance of the lighting in this ad is carefully selected in order to enhance The Hulk’s hand and make it seem more indestructible. The light emitting from behind his hand gives the indication that he is a super being. As the light stretches further out towards the corners, it becomes increasingly darker, creating negative space. This negative space is used to force the person’s eyes to look toward the lighter objects. This technique is useful when designing an advertisement because it creates more focus on the object being featured, which in this case is the Band-Aid on The Hulk’s finger.

The Hulk’s finger is pointing down causing the eye flow to direct downward. This technique was used in order to call attention to the product being advertised. The finger is pointing towards the product to direct the person reading the ad hopefully enticing them to buy the product.

The reasoning behind the creation of this ad is to implement the fact that even really strong and seemingly indestructible people are still susceptible to being wounded. The thought process of this ad was also easy to decipher, for the meaning behind it was clear.

Although the representation of the ad was laid out to where it was appealing to the eye, it did not clearly state its call to action in words. However, when looking at it, a person would assume that the ad was trying to entice people to buy their product by saying that even someone who is portrayed to be indestructible is able to get hurt or become injured. By using The Hulk as the head figure of the advertisement, it appeals to both young and old people, for adults grew up watching The Hulk as a superhero as well as children of today. All and all, this advertisement’s underlying meaning as to why it applies all of these different design tools, is to allow the viewer to think that since an imperishable person needs Band-Aids from time to time, they should choose this brand over any other type.

Ignorance Is Bliss

By Makai Green


Kendrick Lamar is known today as one of the biggest rap stars and creates some of the most powerful songs of this generation. Many are familiar with his biggest hits such as "Swimming Pools (Drank)" and "Poetic Justice", but one of his most powerful songs has evaded the masses and is a best-kept secret among hardcore fans of Kendrick.

"Ignorance Is Bliss", a single off of his Overly Dedicated mixtape released in 2010, tells the story of a young black male who is involved in the street life and vows to get revenge for his friend who was killed by a rival gang member. Kendrick tells the story from the young man's perspective who is also alarmingly aware of his actions and consequences, but attributes his behavior to his environment. The attribution to the environment is influenced by his neighborhood where survival is the name of the game and drugs and gangs are your claim to fame.

The music video is only less than two minutes long and focuses on the first verse of the song. The first verse tells the story of the aforementioned young male. The video is allegedly based on true events.

The video is set in Compton and begins with Kendrick wearing a black hoodie, jeans, and red Converse shoes (normally associated with Bloods). He hops the fence to a cemetery and sips a 40oz while reminiscing over his slain friend's grave. Kendrick's friend shows up in a black sedan and Kendrick hops the fence and gets in the backseat of the car. He continues to drink liquor to build his courage and ease his nerves as they drive around looking for the rival gang member. They finally spot the gang member and Kendrick hops out with the gun pointed at him. He does not immediately pull the trigger as his face is covered in remorse and anger. It is as if he is contemplating if he should pull the trigger or not, but eventually he makes his decision and the rival's lifeless body drops to the pavement.

Kendrick grew up on the westside, a known territory of the Bloods gang, of Compton, California. He was never involved in gangs or drug-dealing like a lot of his childhood friends, but was usually targeted by Crips, a rival gang, due to his association with his friends. He grew up very poor, but made the most of what he had. He began rapping around the age of 16 under the name "K-Dot."

Even though Kendrick was never involved in the street life, he experienced and witnessed, firsthand, many of the heartbreaks and tragedies that come with that lifestyle. "Ignorance Is Bliss" is a perfect example of Kendrick's powerful storytelling abilities.


Kendrick raps in a detached and nonchalant, but fast pace as to mimic the heartless nature and fast-paced lifestyle of his hometown. He delves deeper into the mind of the young man by rapping "'Momma he's dead' the next morning, I toasted up with my homies, We drink and smoke marijuana, wants us to change our ways? Uh-uh". These lyrics serve as a testament to how little his environment is concerned with human life. The use of alcohol and drugs can be seen as a coping mechanism with his acts or his way of just not acknowledging them. Even the title of the song, "Ignorance Is Bliss", captures the essence of this young man's environment. The young man understands that his actions are wrong, but growing up in his environment has caused him to only be exposed to violence and that's all he knows. He does not know any other kind of life besides this one. Kendrick ends his verse saying "No sympathy , ain't no love when you in these streets just get something" which leaves a cold reminder about his environment's brash mentality.

Kendrick is not a gang member so why did he choose to speak from the perspective of one? The acts that are depicted in the video are reflections of social reality and not just scenes for a music video. He has lost numerous friends who were involved in this lifestyle and friends who weren't gang members but were caught in the crosshairs. The stories and lives of young black males who live these lifestyles are usually forgotten without a second thought. Kendrick's goal is to introduce people outside of that lifestyle to see what life is like in urban inner cities for blacks. On the outside looking in, black males in inner cities are seen as nothing more than thugs, gang bangers, and drug dealers. Kendrick is attempting to change this outlook and force people to view the bigger picture and see this as a widespread social problem in inner cities.

He wants people to start asking "why" these men have turned to these lifestyles. He tries to accomplish this by playing the shooter in the video. Everyone knows Kendrick is not a gangster, but seeing him pull the trigger in the video might shock some viewers. The video starts out in a cemetery and Kendrick grieving over the death of his friend, but at the end of the video another death occurs and it's a cycle. The friend of the rival will most likely do the same thing Kendrick did and retaliate. So if the video was extended, it might include seeing Kendrick being killed this time which might leave viewers upset and saddened.

Once people start asking "why" and viewing this reality as a social problem in many black communities, some of the problems affecting these communities will be fixed. Kendrick is the voice of those who are forgotten in these communities. He is seen as the "golden child" who one day may create enough noise to make people pay attention and solve the problems in these communities.

The Celebration of Equality: "A Sky Full of Stars"

By: Kevin Grube, Pledge

The music video, “A Sky Full of Stars”, by Coldplay has over 266,000,000 views on YouTube. The song was released in May of 2014, and is a part of the album “Ghost Stories”. In 2015, the song was nominated for the “Billboard Music Award for Top Rock Song”. Also in 2015, it was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The music video was shot on the streets of Sydney, Australia. A day before the music video was shot, Coldplay posted on Twitter that they were looking for 250 fans to be a part of it. The music video is very unique, as it’s centered around key ideas such as love, peace, equality, and togetherness. Thus, the music video feels very authentic and real, as the musicians are performing in public and challenging social and racial equality.

A key phrase that’s repeated throughout the song, “Because in a sky full of stars, I think I see you”, demonstrates that everybody is a “star” in their own irreplaceable way, and that it doesn’t matter what one’s race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religious preferences, or gender is. Essentially, they’re saying that humans have a right to choose who they are, what they want to believe in, who they want to love, and how to live their lives.

As stated earlier, this entire music video contradicts what the majority of how society portrays famous artists and bands, in addition to how these music videos are filmed. For example, a lot of famous hip-hop artists are showing off massive yachts, expensive jewelry, lavish clothes, and are surrounded by lots of gorgeous women who are wearing very little clothing. This video contradicts all of those stereotypes, as Coldplay makes a conscious effort to focus on key themes such as social and racial equality, and does so by shooting a music video that is truly authentic and inspirational. Moreover, all the people in the video are wearing normal clothes, and the band members are walking the streets instead of driving through them in a luxurious, extravagant vehicle. Therefore, Coldplay is representing equality because they are wearing normal clothes, shooting the video in the diverse streets of Sydney, and are not showing off their wealth and fame. They're just casually playing their music amongst the people, illustrating that they are not "better" than anyone because of their fame or fortune.

At the beginning of the video, Chris Martin, lead vocalist and keyboardist for the band, emerges from a street corner and starts singing the song. He’s holding and playing a guitar, has a set of roses on the guitar, and is in a casual tank-top. Also, he has a giant drum on his back that he’s carrying around (like a backpack), and has a cymbal and trumpet attached to his back as well. He’s just walking and singing carelessly, illustrating that he’s just a “regular” guy on the streets expressing himself through music. People are lined up at the various shops he’s walking past and taking pictures of him. He’s singing, dancing, smiling, and engaging with people throughout the music video.

Chris Martin eventually meets up with the rest of the band members at an open area on a corner of a street, where they are gathered around a wall that has the slogan, “I have a dream”. This is essential in establishing that they want to represent racial equality, as the instrumental and iconic African-American Civil Rights Activist Martin Luther King Jr. is honored in this video. Showing the famous Martin Luther King Jr. quote, “I have a dream”, demonstrates Coldplay is sending a message to viewers that they respect civil rights movements, and encourage people to embrace each other, regardless of race and ethnicity.

The other band members are dressed very similarly to Chris Martin, as they are in casual attire and also have various musical instruments attached to their bodies. Once again, this goes against the ideologies and stereotypes of how famous musicians are viewed. All the band members are wearing regular and casual clothes, demonstrating that they want to focus on creating musical art instead of showing off their wealth through wearing affluent clothes or jewelry. Moreover, one of the band members has an umbrella that represents the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community, symbolizing that love has no boundaries and cannot be oppressed by societal hatred and ignorance.

In summation, the music video makes a conscious effort to challenge racial, homophobic, and socio-economic stereotypes, but does so in a way without directly saying it. What the musicians are wearing, how they act in the video, and how they incorporate the various fans and diverse streets in which they are in subsequently confronts these stereotypes. More importantly, the music video is very uplifting and inspires hope and equality.

Bringing in the Old with the New

I recently saw a Rolling Stone advertisement that caught my eye. At first glance I thought it was just the outline of a weird guitar, but at second glance I realized that it is in the shape of a human rib cage and there is a heart on the inside. I then read the caption that said “We are made of rock” and the whole advertisement really came together

The advertisement is also very balanced which makes it look better than a collage of rock bands or just clusters of pictures thrown on a page. This is another reason why I stopped and actually read the ad instead of just glancing and moving on like I do with most other ads. It does not even have super bright colors or anything to really make it pop if you are just flipping through, but the simplicity and balance of it makes you take a second look.

This is one of the better ads I have seen in the past few months because the you first see the guitar shape and maybe catch “Rolling Stone” at the bottom of the page. This seems like a basic thing for Rolling Stone to put on an ad because it is a music magazine. So this being said there is nothing out of the blue at first look.

Then at second glance is really where the context of the ad comes into play. The caption “We are made of rock” describes the magazine perfectly. The company built on reporting on rock’n’roll and the rock-stars involved is how the company has become so popular. Starting in 1967 and building itself into one of the best known music magazines in the world if not the best. This caption really shows the roots of the company even though they have expanded their reach in the time since it was founded.

The heart on the inside of the guitar’s rib cage try to show that the heart of the company is still rock even though more things have come along. The company looks to be still trying to appeal to the older audience who likes rock but have moved on after reporting of new age music has come into the magazine. This new age music and pop culture is usually what drives older generations from magazines. Older generations are more likely to want to keep the classics around, rather than change into a new era. So with this ad the company wants to regain the readers they may have lost when this shift into the new era came along.

Also, it looks like the company is reaching out to the younger audience with the cool graphic. The guitar is a sculpture that is a great piece of art. It is very modern and also gets the point across. But the style of the guitar and ad caught my eye and I have never read a Rolling Stone magazine is my entire life. This ad makes me want to take a look into reading one of their magazines just to see what might be in there.

Overall this ad really hits many great aspects that I look for in an ad. First, it is simple and clean looking. There is not too much going on in the ad and no clutter. Second, it makes you want to take another look besides the first glance. Third, it has a deeper meaning than just an ad with words that do not relate to the picture itself. It shows what the company believes in and what its roots are. Finally, it reaches for more than just one audience. I feel like it reaches both the older and younger generations, as well as, tries to reestablish older readers with the magazine. All in all the ad was effective in catching my eye and I am sure it is the same for other people. Rolling Stone may have to be the next magazine I pick up and read.

"Tired Faces"

Road safety is an ongoing issue in today’s society. Bicycles are constantly involved in traffic accidents. According to the Pedestrian and BicycleInformation Center, in 2014 seven hundred and twenty-six bicyclists were killed in accidents involving cars. Though helmets do provide protection, against a car, a helmet does not do enough. This online print advertisement seeks to make people aware of this fact.

The company Be Street Smart creates advertisements, coined Tired Faces, that highlight the issue of bike vs. car safety. The advertisement chosen shows a young girl wearing a black bicycle helmet, and her faced is marred with a black tire mark. Her hair is also black. The two captions in white underneath her face read: “bicycles don’t come with bumpers” and “give cyclists room to ride”.

The repetition of black in the picture is to show that bicycle accidents involving cars are far from a laughing manner. Black is serious. This is a serious situation. The white words show a way to combat the black. By following the advice of the white words, a person can prevent a bike accident and prevent the black.

The black invokes emotion. It is associated with fear, darkness, and death. Black is dangerous. People mainly try to stay away from dangerous. This ad uses black to illustrate the dangers of bicycle-car accidents. People also fear black. The grim reaper, the being that takes people’s souls when they die, dresses in black. Most people fear death. Bicycle-car accidents can cause death.

The purpose of this ad is to raise awareness for road safety, especially when sharing the road with bicycles. Choosing to portray a child in this ad expresses the kind of audience the ad is trying to reach. By showing a young girl, the ad targets people with children in their lives. Most children learn to ride a bike at a young age and then proceed to ride around the neighborhood. However, cars make this activity less safe. Parents worry about the safety of their children, especially when motor vehicles are involved. Most parents would do anything in their power to protect their children. This ad invites parents to raise awareness.

Another audience is car drivers. It encourages drivers to “give cyclists room to ride”. In an accident between a car and a bike, the car will always win. Car drivers need to both be aware of this and apply it to their everyday lives. This means being extra cautious when bicyclists are nearby, especially children who can easily veer off course, potentially in the way of a car.

The goals of this ad are awareness and call to action. Public safety for the good of public safety and nothing more. Bicycle accidents are not seen in everyday lives. A person might never see an accident of this nature nor know someone who has been in one. This ad shows the reality of what happens or could happen in a nongraphic form that everyone can identify with.