Report: "Re-Civilize Yourself"

Nivea’s “Recivilise Yourself” Campaign (2012) Unknown. Available at: < http://blog.ebuzzing.co.uk/article-social-media-buzz-22-08-11-86282662.html> [Accessed 28th October 2012]

Introduction

We chose to revamp a racist Nivea ad. This advertisement showed a Caucasian male throwing the head of an African American with the tag line, ''Re-Civilize Yourself"". We get what they're trying to say but the way they chose to portray the advertisement itself was considered to be racist. At the same time, they are not just discriminating the race, they are also directing it towards the culture of the African Americans as well.

Purpose

The main purpose of the advertisement is to show the revitalizing qualities of their new line of Nivea products. They want to show the modernization of man where the dishevelled and unkempt look have become outdated and should be replaced with a more civilized  appearance. 

It's Relation To Culture and The Society It Was Made For

This product was initially directed / made for Americans; but in fact, this promotional poster can somehow be related to the Malaysian culture as well. The Malaysian society consists of various cultures and religions. Being a multicultural country, we do constantly have our misunderstandings amongst each other. The relations to both Americans and Malaysians is unlimited because the products aren't just directed to one country, it is universal. Nivea is an international company which sells their products across the globe, so it is not just limited to their country, they have to promote their products to other countries.

Why Do We See The Need For A Change

The promotional poster itself is misleading and it should get its main point across. The designers as well as the superiors who created and approved the poster should have given more thought and consideration of its suitability and how it would affect the society. The poster shouldn't make people angry or hurt, it should make them understand more about the product instead. 

How Different and Effective Our Idea In Relation to Culture and Consumerism

The theme of our idea is street art, it is considered creative advertising. Instead of just putting it on billboards, print outs, flyers and TV ads we decided to make it more interactive with the society. In which people would actually stop and be marvelled by the creative outlook in which the product is advertised. The product itself would be imprinted into their minds, it would be something hard for them to forget. It is also Eco-Friendly, we want to promote awareness among the society of using green products or going green. Every culture appreciates creativity, some more than others. When something is different in the environment  regardless of where it is, people are bound to get curious and attempt to find out more about it. 

Rationale

The reason why we chose old buildings and moss as a form of advertisement for the Nivea product is to symbolize its revitalizing qualities. The revitalizing effects counteract the cracks and dirt from the building to give it a makeover. The moss surrounding the building represented by hair where it is unruly and unkempt eventually destroys the overall appearance. At the same time the moss is also represented by the revitalizing lotion because moss needs water to stay alive and healthy. Just like our skin, if it is not taken care of properly it would begin to crack ,sag and wrinkle. 

Sources of Research:

Links and websites from which we obtained our ideas and inspiration from. Some of our inspiration also came from going out and observing different kinds of advertisements.

(Reference Citing: 

• Yahoo! News,2011. Nivea pulls ‘offensive’ ad [online] (Updated 19th August 2011) Available at: < http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/nivea-pulls-offensive-ad-185220424.html> [Accessed 28th October 2012]
• Adwoa. (2011). Racist allegations on Social Media lead Nivea to pull ad. [online] 22nd August 2011. Available at: < http://blog.ebuzzing.co.uk/article-social-media-buzz-22-08-11-86282662.html> [Accessed 28th October 2012]
• News Desk,2011. Nivea apologizes for racist ‘re-civilize yourself’ ad campaign. [online] (Updated August 2011) Available at: <http://truthdive.com/2011/08/21/Nivea-apologizes-for-racist-re-civilize-yourself-ad-campaign.html> [Accessed 28th October 2012]
• Justin Fenner (2011). Unapologetically Racist Nivea Ad Seeks To ‘Re-Civilize’ Black Men. [online] 18th August 2011. Available at: <http://www.styleite.com/media/racist-nivea-ad/> [Accessed 28th October 2012]
• Jennifer Van Grove (2011). Nivea Pulls “Re-civilized” Ad Following Social Media Backlash. [online] 18th August 2011. Available at: <http://mashable.com/2011/08/18/nivea-reciviiize-ad/> [Accessed 28th October 2012] )

Written by Thong Foong Yann and Komal Puri

Final Outcome

From all the tryouts, we've finally narrowed down the images that we are going to use for the re-advertising. 

Shardinite, (2005) Moss. [digital art] Available at <http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=moss+texture#/dcoem9> [Accessed 5th December 2012] 

Unknown, (2012) Nivea Express Hydration Hand Lotion. [image] Available at <https://redmart.com/nivea-express-hydration-hand-lotion.html> Accessed 6th December 2012. 

 MIRPhotographers, 2012. KLCC influences nearby structural design of other buildings. [photograth] Available at <http://www.mir.com.my/leofoo/KLCC/index3.htm> Accessed 6th December 2012. 


The Process! 

First, I cropped the image slightly because the black border from the original image was abit too distracting.

Then, I made another layer with the moss, and masked out the unwanted area so that it'll only be visible on the building. I also blended in the moss with the building so that it'll look more realistic.

 Lastly, I superimposed Nivea's product on the image, along with some layer building so that it looks more realistic.

Thus, this is our final outcome for the advertisement! ~

Lai Yenn

10 Tips for an effective advertising

What we used as guidance and reference, are the 10 tips for an effective advertising campaign.

Based on allbusiness.com (http://www.allbusiness.com/10-tips-effective-advertising/16566950-2.html#axzz2EJR5SM1W) there are 10 effective advertising tips.

1. GO AFTER YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

An advertising campaign should be geared toward your niche market. It is a common mistake to create generic ads that do not speak the language or grab the attention of your potential customers.

Ask yourself what kind of customers you want to attract, and make sure your ads speak to them on a personal level.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/10-tips-effective-advertising/16566950-2.html#ixzz2EJTiBCxC

2. HIGHLIGHT YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

One of the keys to all advertising is to accentuate the pros of your company -- those factors that give you your competitive edge. Too many ads are clever but fail to sell the specific benefits of the featured product or service. Unless you highlight these benefits, your ad delivers no value to potential customers.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/10-tips-effective-advertising/16566950-3.html#ixzz2EJTxX5F0

3. ESTABLISH AN IMAGE

You can recognize the McDonald's arches while whizzing by on the highway. Likewise, there are plenty of products that you recognize by their packaging or logo.

Image counts when it comes to advertising and promoting your business. Too many advertisers do not work to build a consistent image, and they're missing the chance to make an impression on prospective customers.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/10-tips-effective-advertising/16566950-4.html#ixzz2EJUA2D5n

4. YOU HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO MAKE MONEY

There are ways to save money, but advertising is typically not the place to cut corners. Doing so will affect sales, and that affects the bottom line. Successful advertising may cost some money, but that is because it works.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/10-tips-effective-advertising/16566950-5.html#ixzz2EJUMmife

5. ADVERTISE IN THE RIGHT PLACES

Your favorite magazine, radio station, or even television program might not be a favorite of your audience. Do some research about your target market to understand who they are and determine what they read, watch, and listen to. Then advertise in the appropriate media to ensure that you reach your target market.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/10-tips-effective-advertising/16566950-6.html#ixzz2EJUZyZjh

6. DON'T ALLOW YOUR BUDGET TO RUN YOUR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

If you budget $5,000 per month for advertising, you've made it very easy from a bookkeeping perspective. However, if like most businesses you have seasonal highs and lows, you are spending too much money advertising during down times and not enough when you want to attract customers. Too many entrepreneurs do not budget according to their seasonal advertising needs.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/10-tips-effective-advertising/16566950-7.html#ixzz2EJUj6qZv

7. DIVERSIFY

It is all too common for business owners to choose the best place to advertise based on price and potential rate of returns, and then stop. As is the case with investing, you do not want to put all of your eggs in one basket. Spread your advertising dollars around by choosing a variety of suitable media for your audience and budget.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/10-tips-effective-advertising/16566950-8.html#ixzz2EJUqOECT

8. DON'T TRY TO BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE

No product or service will appeal to everyone. Many business owners, including corporate executives, try to come up with ways to reach every market. Typically, this does not work. It can spell disaster for small businesses, who cannot afford to spread themselves too thin. Therefore, find your market and be everything you can be to that audience.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/10-tips-effective-advertising/16566950-9.html#ixzz2EJV1YbKB

9. TEST YOUR ADS IN ADVANCE

If you have the time or money to invest in focus groups, you should test your ads on other people. Do they understand and accept the message you are trying to convey? If not, get insight into how you could more effectively communicate your message.

There are other less-expensive ways to test your ads as well -- questionnaires, for example.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/10-tips-effective-advertising/16566950-10.html#ixzz2EJVA8IG3

10. MONITOR YOUR ADS

It is very easy to ask new customers or clients where they heard about you. As simple as this is, many entrepreneurs do not bother to do so. It is advantageous to understand which elements of your ads are most effective and which media offer the most profitable advertising opportunities for your company.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/10-tips-effective-advertising/16566950-11.html#ixzz2EJVIpEmi

Therefore, based on these 10 tips, we came up with our final idea. 

-Amirah

Low Cost Advertising/Marketing

Based on allbusiness.com (http://www.allbusiness.com/7-low-cost-marketing-ideas/16568001-2.html#axzz2EJR5SM1W)
there are 7 low-costing marketing strategy.

1. PRESS RELEASES

Write and distribute press releases that are newsworthy, and send them to newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations. If only one media outlet airs the story, you'll have free access to thousands of people.

Design the headline to grab readers' attention in as few words as possible. Use active verbs. Get to the point quickly with a lead sentence that will draw the reader into a convincing piece.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/7-low-cost-marketing-ideas/16568001-2.html#ixzz2EJZEJFFh

2. TRADE SHOWS

Renting space at a trade show can be expensive, but the best shows offer a great way to build your business.

Have plenty of promotional materials ready to hand out to interested people. When the show's over, follow up. Call your leads in order of importance, but get in touch with all of them within seven days. Above all, keep every promise made at the booth.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/7-low-cost-marketing-ideas/16568001-3.html#ixzz2EJZIAIZo

3. THE INTERNET

Establishing a home page for your business is relatively inexpensive and can reach many people. Always include a phone number or email address so that interested visitors can contact you. If you are a retailer, consider putting photographs of your products online, even if you're not ready to let people order your wares through your site.

Advertising on Google and other search engines is another easy and surprisingly inexpensive way to drive a lot of potential buyers to your e-commerce site.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/7-low-cost-marketing-ideas/16568001-4.html#ixzz2EJZOeReC

4. DIRECT MAIL

Direct mail results depend largely on how much you're willing to spend on finding your target market and delivering quality materials to them. The per-customer cost is much higher than you'll pay for print ads, but if you create a finely tuned list of recipients, you will reach more highly qualified prospects.

Few small firms are qualified to do their own direct mailings, so find a reliable specialist to do the work for you. Interview at least three or four mailing list vendors before you commit your money to a direct mail campaign

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/7-low-cost-marketing-ideas/16568001-5.html#ixzz2EJZRxCqN

5. YELLOW PAGES

Most ads get turned into fishwrap within days, but consumers hang onto the Yellow Pages all year. Remember to cross-reference your listing. If you do yard work, for instance, list your business under landscaping, maintenance, and home improvements. You want your ad to stand out, so consider springing for a larger ad or perhaps even hiring someone to design it.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/7-low-cost-marketing-ideas/16568001-6.html#ixzz2EJZVx8B8

6. PUBLIC SERVICE

This is a great chance to do well by doing good. Sponsor the Special Olympics or participate in the annual Rotary Club Christmas Tree sale in your area. Donate your product to local charities, or speak to students at area schools about your business. All of these are terrific ways to position your company in a positive light in your community.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/7-low-cost-marketing-ideas/16568001-7.html#ixzz2EJZdG4ju

7. GAMES AND PREMIUMS

Periodic prize drawings can help create interest in a retail store or other business, as can contests held using social media. Promotional materials like T-shirts, coffee mugs, or pens emblazoned with your logo also help spread the word about your business.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/7-low-cost-marketing-ideas/16568001-8.html#ixzz2EJZhG2En



-Amirah

Superimpose #1

From the previous image, I edited the moss so that it has a 'dirtier' and 'abandoned' look to it. And because we're combining Foong Yann and Amirah's idea, so half of the building is filled with moss. Whereas the other will be a "cleaner" version, with the Nivea product on it, which goes well with their tagline "Re-civilize Yourselves" 

Lai Yenn. 

Moss Attempt #2

From the previous tryout that Komal did, I touched up a little bit to give a more reaslistic feel to it.

Most of us agree that this tryout is quite convincing. So all that's left now is look for a suitable image to work with, which is preferably an actual building in Malaysia. 

Worse case scenario, if we couldn't find anything suitable, we will superimpose Malaysia's famous Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower into the image. :)

Lai Yenn. 

Moss attempt

So our new idea consists of combining Amirah's building idea and Yann's moss idea.

I did a quick attempt/tryout at it:

-Komal Puri