Author / nico102698

by nico102698

Why Apple Had to Change

During these last few years, the company that told everyone to think different, has repeatedly done the opposite and disappointed customers for years now. Last Monday, Apple presented drastic changes to the image of the company and had one of the most polarizing keynote events of recent memory.  The keynote was about services like Apple Card, Apple News+, Apple Arcade, and Apple TV +. 

Image result for apple card
Image Courtesy of Apple

Apple Card is a credit card where users will earn 3 percent back on Apple purchases, 2 percent on all purchases made with Apple Pay, and 1 percent cash back on physical card purchases. They also introduced Daily Cash, which means your Daily Cash balance will post to your account the same day that your transactions post. There are no annual fees, no foreign transaction fees, no late payment fees, or fees for exceeding your credit limit. They also said they hope to offer lower interest rates than its competitors. 

apple news
Image Courtesy of Apple

Apple News + gives you unlimited access to more than 300 magazines and a few newspapers.  The publications include Time, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, Wired, Skimm, Vulture, The Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal. 

Image result for apple arcade
Image Courtesy of Apple

Apple Arcade promises high-quality, premium games. No ads, no lockout timers, no in-app purchases, and no need for internet connections. You will also be able to cross-platform play, which means you can play on your iPhone, and pick up where you left off on your Mac, iPad, or your Apple TV. 

Image result for apple tv plus
Image Courtesy of Apple

Finally, they introduced Apple TV Plus, the subscription service will feature original TV shows and movies. Apple brought about a dozen brand-name talents involved with its series, including Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, Kumail Nanjiani, and Big Bird, and Oprah. 

The drastic change to services is not surprising; Apple has had worrying sales for the past five years because consumers are buying phones less. The only reason for sales growth is because they raised the price of the iPhones. The iPhone generates two-thirds of apples overall sales, so the introduction of these new paid services is Apple’s solution to replace the lowering margins of apples sales profits. 

by nico102698

FreeRide Surf & Skate Shop’s History in Gainesville

Skateboarding and Gainesville have had a very interesting relationship over the past 30 years. Ever since there was a skating presence here, FreeRide (Originally known as Inland Surf Shop) has been there.

The store has recently decided to close it shop because it is being bought out by a development company to construct new buildings around the area. Raina, a store employee, did not know a specific date of closing but said it’s scheduled to be closed soon.

They are providing major discounts for skating gear and clothing which is discounted up to 40% off retail value. You can go in and find some great gear for the summer season at ridiculously low prices. They also have some of the most caring staff willing to answer any questions you might have. Local skate shops aren’t businesses, they are part of the community, so come check out FreeRide before we lose a little piece of Gainesville history.

The store originally opened up in 1975 with the explosion of the sport around college campuses everywhere. During that time, most students rode to get around campus and to feel part of the counterculture that was being rampant with the times. In the following decades skating had wild resurgence with street skating in the late 80’s and then in the 90’s due to the popularity of skaters like Tony Hawk and Mark Gonzalez. Skating now has entered the mainstream with popular brands like Supreme and Thrasher being worn and shown off by the most famous celebrities in the world.  Raina went into great detail about the magnitude of the skating culture that was brought here by of one the best skaters of all time, Rodney Mullen.  

Rodney was born in Gainesville, FL and started his lifelong love of skating at around 10. He is arguably the best technical street skater ever and has become known as “The Godfather of Street Skating.” He accumulated a 3.92 GPA while studying biomedical engineering at UF but decided to drop out after starting his own skateboard company, World Industries, but still shares his love of science to the world “I’m a nerd down deep,” he said.” I like computers and I always read that stuff. “He invented tricks like the Flat Ground Ollie, Kickflip, Heelflip, Impossible and the Tre Flip along with 50+ other original tricks.

Sponsored Florida skater Cooper Moser spoke about how much of an influence Rodney Mullen was to him “Yeah man for sure! Rodney definitely inspired me to be a better skateboarder as well as a student in school. Rodney was a mathematician, like he is a genius on and off the board. He definitely inspired “freestyle skateboarding” and created his own tricks as well as his own style. No one can ever recreate what Rodney did for skateboarding. As well as Rodney being from Florida influenced us and gave us hope as skateboarders that we as well can make something out of ourselves as well.” 

The shop also sponsors Possum Creek Skate Park which is a 20,000 sq. ft concrete park created by Spohn Ranch Skate Parks. This skatepark features modern plaza elements, a multi-level bowl and obstacles which allow skaters to transition through the park’s landscaping. These landscaped areas give the skater’s the feeling of a real urban environment.

Photo Courtesy by Possum Creek State Park
by nico102698

The new Avengers: Endgame trailer shows almost nothing, and that’s great

Avengers: Endgame is one of the most secretive blockbusters ever, with little to no information about the project known. Marvel is trying to be very careful about any details of the project being leaked, even though the movie is just about one month from release. 

  • Image Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

The film has had one of the most interesting marketing campaigns of a movie in recent memory; while superhero movie trailers have been criticized for showing too much of their movie, Avengers: Endgame has shown almost nothing. At first, we only found out about the title of the movie 3 months ago with the first trailer, and most of the footage shown has been shown in other trailers. We have also only had 2 posters, the first showing nothing but the Avengers logo and the new one showing all the avengers looking heroic with Thanos in the background. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have cited that they will only use the first 15 minutes of the movie as material to use for marketing. 

  • Image Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

The movie has had two trailers and a super bowl spot which is incredibly sparse for a high budget movie of this caliber. The newest trailer, which was released on March 14th, starts with a recap of the previous marvel movies for about a minute and then shows a minute of new footage including the Avengers in new white suits and Captain Marvel interacting with the Avengers. 

This movie is the culmination of 21 movies over the span of 11 years. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, has been wildly successful, being the highest grossing franchise of all time with over 18 billion dollars grossed at the box office. 

  • Image Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

The previous movie, Avengers: Infinity War was about the mad titan Thanos trying to accumulate all the infinity stones, which are 6 gems with unique powers, in his gauntlet. The film shockingly concluded with the villain defeating the Avengers and wiping out half the population of all living creatures in the universe.

Avengers: Endgameopens on April 26 

by nico102698

5 College Hacks to Save you Time & Money

1. Keep a Schedule of classes and assignments on your phone

Keeping a schedule of your classes and assignments on your phone can keep you organized by giving you notifications for upcoming events. Some schools even have the schedule available for download for integration on Apple and Google calendars. Both calendars have integration on all devices so your computer, phone and smart watch have can all the same calendar.

2. Ask for Student Discounts in Stores

Image Provided by Amazon

Many stores, especially ones around campus, offer student discounts, from movie theaters to restaurants, here’s a few to save you some money:

AMC Theatres: Students get a lower ticket price at select theaters.

Apple: Apple does special pricing for students.

Best Buy: Sign up for Best Buy’s college student deals to get promo codes emailed to you.

Cinemark: At participating locations, you can show your college ID to get a student discount.

Chick-fil-A: Get a free small drink when you show your student ID and buy anything at Chick-fil-A.

Chipotle: Get a free small drink when you show your student ID and buy anything at Chipotle.

Levi’s: Get an exclusive 15% discount when you join UNiDAYS.

MAC Makeup: Get an exclusive 10% discount when you join UNiDAYS.

Nike: College students can save 10% by submitting their email address.

PINK: Save 15% on your purchase.

Spotify/Hulu: Get 50% off a Spotify Premium account, which now includes a Hulu subscription.

TOMS: College students save 10% on TOMS.

3. Backpack Essentials

Image Provided by Target

Having the right gear in your backpack can save you multitudes of headaches on campus.

Here are a few Essentials:

Portable charger– For when you can’t find an outlet near you (bonus points if you have one that can charge your laptop)

Hand Sanitizer– Because you don’t know where your hands have been while on campus.

Portable Umbrella– To protect you and your electronics from the rain (Especially if you live in Gainesville like me, they call it Rainesville for a reason)

Water Bottle– To keep you hydrated on those sunny days and those days when the hangover hits you especially hard.

4. Go to School events

Image Provided by Pintrest

Going to school events can save you money on food and also lets you meet people and make new friends. Try to join clubs that interest you and that have common hobbies and interests as you, and always be on the lookout for flyers with event dates!

5. Bring a Skateboard to campus

Image Provided by The New York Times

College Campuses can be enormous, so having a fun, compact way to get around can be a lifesaver. The perfect college skateboard is the PennyBoard. Designed to look great, ride as smooth as butter and exceeded all your expectations. The Australian brand has 12-plus years experience to its name, Penny puts as much weight on the durability and the sheer fun of its boards, which is what it’s all about. Penny Boards have been a staple on College Campuses around the country because of its slim, lightweight, portable design that anyone can learn to ride on.

You can buy the Penny Skateboard here:

https://www.pennyskateboards.com/us/

Image Provided by Penny Skateboards


by nico102698

Why Fashion Brands Keep Coming Under Fire

Every time a fashion brand has been in the news lately, it’s been because of a product that’s come under fire for having racist undertones.

Some brands that come into recent memory are H&M, Gucci, Burberry, and Prada. All these brands have had to pull items off their store because of either bad management and plain disregard for maintaining ethical values or to gain publicity by releasing a controversial item then quickly releasing it on the market to grab attention. 

H&M (Coolest Monkey Hoodie)

Photo Courtesy of The Washington Post

H&M came under major fire last year in January when they decided to release an ad that featured a black child wearing a hoodie with the words “coolest monkey in the jungle” written on the front of it. This drew major backlash from social media from several prominent black figures and even had artists like The Weeknd and G-Eazy cut their ties with the brand, potentially costing the company millions. H&M quickly later removed the picture and apologized publicly.

Gucci (Balaclava Knit Top Black)

Photo Courtesy of The Washington Post

Gucci this month released a sweater that had remarkably similar traits to how many racist cartoons used to draw blacks. After the public outcry, Gucci issued an apology stating and then removed the product from the website and stores. Social media was quick to point out the irony of Gucci releasing this product on black history month and the implications that companies think that its okay to put merchandise like this out on their shelves and have it represent their brand seems wildly irresponsible.

Burberry (Slipknot Hoodie)

Photo Courtesy of The Washington Post

This same month, Burberry showed off their latest Autumn-Winter collection at London fashion week. In their new collection was a hoodie with drawstrings tied together as a skip-knot, angering all people from suicide activists to black people saying it was a disgrace and brought back images of lynching cultures.

Ricardo Ticci, the creative director for Burberry stated:

“While the design was inspired by a nautical theme, I realise that it was insensitive. It was never my intention to upset anyone. It does not reflect my values nor Burberry’s and we have removed it from the collection,”

The sweatshirt was then quickly removed off their spring collection. 

Prada (Monkey Figurines)

Photo Courtesy of The Washington Post

Finally, products from Prada’s Pradamalia line were pulled after pictures surfaced of merchandise depicting monkey-like figures with black faces and large red lips.

The figure has similarities to the extremely negative cartoons people used to draw blacks and which Gucci faced major scrutiny just recently as well. 

Prada also stated an apology and stated that “they are imaginary creatures not intended to have any reference to the real world and certainly not blackface, Prada Group never had the intention of offending anyone and we abhor all forms of racism and racist imagery. In this interest, we will withdraw all of the characters in question from display and circulation.

For more information please read Adrianne Pasquarelli’s Article “primer for Burberry and others on how to make sure your marketing isn’t racist” on Advertising Age https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/make-marketing-culturally-sensitive/316658/

by nico102698

The Power of Andy: Art or Ad?

Coming out with one of the most controversial ads of this year’s Super Bowl, Burger King aired an Ad in the beloved advertising event for first time since 2006.

The ad featured the famous pop-artist Andy Warhol eating a Whopper with their logo and the hashtag #eatlikeandy. 

Image courtesy of Burger King

The ad was a 45-Second uninterrupted clip with no music or voiceovers of the documentary ‘66 scenes of America’, directed by Jørgen Leth. One of the circumstances of the negotiation between Burger King and Leth was that the video could not be changed or touched in any way. 

Warhol was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, so a video of him eating a burger like everyone else was a rare humanizing moment of this extravagant, larger-than-life artist. The ad was meant to be allusion to the Warhol quote “What’s great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you know that the President drinks Coke, Liz Taylor drinks Coke, and just think, you can drink Coke, too.” 

This ad was promoted by a cryptic video of the burger king painting a picture in a similar background as the picture above and the date 2.3.19 in the end. Many critics lashed out over the use of Warhol’s image being used to sell fast-food while others praised Burger Kings marketing campaign on keeping the integrity of the original video while honoring a legend. Fernando Machado, Burger King’s global chief marketing officer said in an interview with AdAge “We believe that it’s kind of cool that he did a lot of art that looked like advertising and that we are using his art to advertise,” says Machado. “It’s like a silent assassin in the clutter of the Super Bowl.

For more information, check out Jessica Wohl’s Article “Why Burger King Showed Andy Warhol Eating a Burger in its Super Bowl Commercial” on AdAge

Link: https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/burger-king-andy-warhol-super-bowl-ad/316498/

by nico102698

Quick Intro

Hey guys, im Nicolas Ospina, but everyone calls me Nico.

I’m was born in Colombia which is why people call me Nico (it’s the nickname for Nicolas in Colombia). I moved to South Florida when I was a three with my family and we have lived here almost all my life. I’m a sophomore advertising major interested in working with brands and non-profits to improve their advertising campaigns. I grew up fascinated with the campaigns of companies like Apple, Ray-Bans, and Nike and how simple they were into introducing you to a way of life and convincing you that their products brought you closer to that lifestyle. Throughout high school I was involved in DECA, which is a marketing club, and created advertising campaigns for movie theatres, social campaigns, and my own entrepreneurial products. My senior year I finally cemented my thoughts on if I wanted to do this as my career and applied as an advertising major at UF and got in. Last Fall I worked with an Adoption agency to work on all their social media marketing and print and merchandizing campaigns. Working all that semester really made me fall in love with advertising and the power it has on people; I also loved how I was using my talents on something I was passionate about and hopefully made a change in someone’s life by considering adoption as a solution of love instead of a backup plan.