Writing With Style: Chapter 6, Diction.

         In chapter 6 of Writing With Style, Trimble offers advice on using diction properly. Word choice is important for any work and can make the difference between a poor piece and a great one. According to Trimble, three of the most important aspects of stylistically using diction are Conciseness, verb choice and freshness. Trimble also explains that quality is more important then quantity when it comes to writing. This advice means that the most important part of wording is not to use a lot of it! This is a crucial fact that the reader should pull out of this chapter of the text. 

Trimbles advice is very helpful to remember when writing any sort of work. It can be difficult sometimes to erase part of your own piece, even when you know it may be over excessive. It is important to note that a shorter work will be more memorable as well as less confusing to its reader. No audience wants to hear or read more than is needed to get the point across clearly. Extra ‘baggage’ can cause a reader to become confused or lost within a work. Beautiful, long sentences do not always have the purpose they should. It is important for a writer not to get lost in fabulous diction, but to stay focused on purpose and it’s depiction.

Chevy Runs Deep

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfo7tWdGu7I

The 2011 Chevy commercial appeals to its audience by making the statement that Chevy is the car to drive. This commercial tries to pull in older customers as it shows that their new models look cool and will keep them young. This type of advertising uses metaphors to bring together a real aspect of a product and a fallacious aspect that work together as a pair. In this case, Chevy ties together the idea that their new car is young and modern and soon connects it with the idea that it can make its driver young as well, in other terms, the freedom of the road will bring freedom of the spirit.

This type of advertising will bring in many customers who wish to feel young again, which is most of the older generations in the U.S today. Chevy is not the only company to use this type of advertising, many commercials use the elements of exaggeration and great fallacies as well in order to sell their products. Apparently, "Red Bull gives you wings" and "Skittles let you taste the rainbow". This proves to us that modern advertisement does not have to be real in order to sell a product, it just has to be attractive and alluring.

Heineken Commercial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjkUkqTUHNc

One of the most important aspects of the Heineken commercial is their use of the comedic device exaggeration. Most everything depicted in the commercial is blown out of proportion. The size of the house, the reactions of the women and men to their different interests as well as the idea of having a large walk in fridge to store beer are all ridiculous. The use of exaggeration, however, makes the commercial funny and over all memorable. This advertising strategy is important for sales of all kinds.

This use of exaggeration can appeal to both men and women. Women who see the commercial will find humor in it just as men will. This commercial finds a way to appeal to both the sexes by making fun of them each in different ways using stereotypes. Because Heineken finds a way to include everyone in their stereotypes, they can sell their product to virtually anybody which would ultimately be successful advertisement.  They even finish off their commercial with “Heineken, serving the planet”.

12 Questions for Heineken.

1. What were the advantages of using a comedic spin on your commercial?
2. Is there a distinct difference between the interests of men and women pertaining to your product?
3. Is this commercial geared toward men, women or both?
4. Do you believe exaggeration is one of the best devices to use in a comedic commercial?
5. Did this commercial lead to higher sales?
6. After this commercial, who seemed to purchase more beer, men or women?
7. On what channel was this commercial mostly played?
8. Do you believe that the channel that the commercial was played on would effect the sales of your product?
9. Do you think this commercial could be taken as bias by some of it's viewers?
10. Do you think if it was seen as bias, sales may be lowered?
11. Which sex do you think may be more likely not to understand the comedy in this commercial?
12. What sex purchases this most of your products?

Hello AT&T? Just 12 Questions about Hansel and Gretel...

1. Why did Hansel and Gretel travel from their cottage to the city?
2. Is the bread that the children are dropping symbolic of money or is bread used in the commercial based on the fairy tale?
3. How is your smart phone more advanced than another companies smart phone?
4. How do you believe this approach would help increase sales?
5. Did it increase sales?
6. How old are these children supposed to be?
7. Do you believe children this age need a smart phone?
8. Is this commercial supposed to appeal to the parents of young children or to young children themselves?
9. Do you believe that real parents would trust their young children alone in the city just because they have a GPS?
10. Do you believe it would be safe to allow two young children to walk the city at night with nothing but a GPS?
11. Do you believe the smart phone would make Hansel and Gretel look more normal in the city?
12. Do you believe advanced technology used by everyone in the city or only tourists such as Hansel and Gretel?

AT&T Hansel and Gretel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_iWajvrZns

AT&T uses a very familiar setting in their modernized version of Hansel and Gretel. The details of city life compared to the very outdated children make the setting the most important aspect of the main message in the entire commercial. Most working class viewers will recognize the city as well as events that take place their every day. The audience will realize that it is preposterous that the children are leaving behind bread crumbs in order to find their way home later.

This enables AT&T to show that in order to live a big city life, everyone must have the newest technology. AT&T advertises their smart phone as the light in the darkness, literally as Gretel lights up her phone in order to use it's GPS. By doing so, AT&T has compared other companies to the bread crumbs that Hansel and Gretel leave behind, outdated and unsuitable, while it's technology is shown to be the most advanced. “Count on the nations fastest 3G network, AT&T”, is the only line spoken within the entire commercial. This finishes off the advertisement with a direct statement to the audience noting AT&T’s obvious advantages over their competitors when you need them the most.

Extraordinary Pantene Comercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um9KsrH377A

One of the most important observations found within the Extraordinary Pantene Commercial is the usage of flash forwards and flash backs. The method of showing the audience this series of events within the girls life in a mangled order makes it easier for the audience to understand her past quickly, and how it will lead to her over all achievement in the future. It also serves as a way for the audience to see into the girls mind while she is on the stage, and what emotions must come with her thoughts, therefore leading to an almost personal connection between the girl and the audience.

  Because of the obvious advantages of using flash forwards and flash backs in the commercial, Pantene has made it so that the audience will not only remember the commercial, but also the way that the commercial made them feel as they watched the successful girl “shine” on stage in her future. This development of connection between the audience and the character makes it more likely for the audience to buy the product.  The Pantene logo, “You can shine”, finishes off the commercial directly after the girls final performance. This ends the commercial with a powerful message that ties together the girls sad past all the way up to her "extraordinary" future.

FFW 9/12

When an artist of any kind decides to create a work, he is using his ability to portray or depict his feelings for others to see and understand. To create art one must have an open mind. They must learn to study and take in the work of others, yet they must also stay strong when it comes to defending their own. This is how a writer is a warrior. Wether their work is fiction or non-fiction, as a writer there is always a purpose behind their words. A writer must be strategic and all of the elements they use are carefully placed. They must cut into the hearts of their audience and in the end, take over their minds. A purposeful work of literature should leave a reader impacted and even maybe make them question what they once believed to be true. A great writer leaves behind his mark just as a warrior would.

Here I am at Hofstra and I'm blogging...

Here I am at Hofstra and I'm blogging... Well I'm actually at home as of right now and I'm laying in bed. However, lately it has been rare if anything else has come into my mind other than school. The transition from high school to college has been difficult for me. Not the work load mainly because I'm used to that from the myraid of AP classes I subjected myself to all throughout my high school years, but dorming and meeting new friends. I guess everyone else is in the same situation. At Hofstra I am completely new. When I think of my old town I remember all of the accomplishments I have made and the person that I was and still am here at home. As of now in college I am nobody. It leaves me to wonder if it is time to reestablish my old self at Hofstra or if it is time to completely reinvent myself. I am beginning to think that I have come to a conclusion. Although I do not want to completely change myself, there are some aspects of me that must change in order for me to adapt here. I have become well aware that I have found myself in a totally new planet that I must adapt to. New qualities that I want to gain are a bit more bravery and a bit more confidence so that I can pursue my dreams without the fear of losing them. I need to break out of my shell a bit more and become a little less shy.