The Trump Spectacle & the Corporate-Media Noise Machine

[seemslikeadream]

sometimes corporate brands can be fun!

Dove mocks Trump's #AlternativeFacts with a print ad full of lies



by Douglas Quenqua
January 28, 2017



"New Dove antiperspirant will boost your wifi signal," and other outrageous falsehoods appear in UK papers, courtesy of Ogilvy.

It’s been a harrowing week in the United States, with Donald J. Trump quickly proving he'll be no less polarizing a President than he was a candidate. Chief among his early accomplishments was the introduction of the term "alternative facts," coined by Presidential Counselor Kellyane Conway to explain a number of falsehoods told by Press Secretary Sean Spicer in his first briefing room appearance.

So far, US brands have stayed mostly on the sidelines, terrified of becoming a target for Trump’s critics or supporters—or the President with the itchy Twitter finger himself.

But in the UK, one brand and its agency acted quickly to capitalize on the uproar. Unilever's Dove and WPP's Ogilvy, a creative team with a history of igniting cultural debate, produced a two-page ad that appeared in the Guardian and the Times of London on Saturday that made clever use of Conway’s clumsy euphemism.

The ads consist of a mostly white backgroud with a few spare typewritten sentences. On the left-hand page, the copy is comprised of blatantly false claims about the new Dove antipersperant.

"New Dove antiperspirant increases your IQ by 40 points."

"New Dove antiperspirant was first used by Cleopatra."

"New Dove antiperspirant can plan your next holiday at a competitive rate."

And on and on. At the bottom of the page is a hashtag,"#AlternativeFacts," across from a shot of the product.

The right-hand page consists of a single typewritten line, "New Dove antiperspirant cares for your underarm skin like never before," above another hashtag, "#RealFacts."




Though the ad makes no mention of Trump or Conway, it clearly takes a critical jab at the new adminstration by associating Conway’s term with ridiculous falsehoods. With tensions running high in the US, such a direct prod at the new President runs the risk of inciting a backlash. Before Trump took office, his supporters called for a boycott of Kellogg’s for removing its advertising from alt-right news site Breitbart.com (whose former editor is now a top White House strategist). Likewise, anti-Trump forces took aim at L.L. Bean when Trump tweeted a thank you to the brand for supporting him—even though it was the founder's grandaughter, not the brand itself, that had contributed to his foundation.

But Tham Khai Meng, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide Chief Creative Officer and Co-Chairman, said Dove showed little hesitation to move forward with the ad once it was presented by the UK office.

"Brands live in a world of accountability. And that's a good thing," said Tham in an email message. "To see one respond so swiftly with an #AlternativeFact moment, done gently and with a smile, reminds us of that."

Though the print ads are not planned to run in the US anytime soon, Dove will soon unveil a social media version of the work that will be visible to audiences everywhere.

Even though the ad is not yet available digitally, it received some early adoration from the industry on Twitter. Metal Potential, a Tumblr site that predicts which workis likely to win Cannes Lions, posted an image of part of the ad on Saturday. Rob Schwartz, CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, added his compliments in an early morning tweet.


http://www.campaignlive.com/article/dov ... wdwv9Rg.99

[Wombaticus Rex]

That's a pretty good example of "meaningless noise" - a Unilever brand decides to market their product using a political reference that gets more press coverage for their marketing campaign. RESIST™ with these sponsored messages. Christ in Heaven.

[seemslikeadream]

it's all part of the alternative facts ..not just for the White House anymore
https://twitter.com/hashtag/alternative ... wsrc%5Etfw

J Alternative Facts ‏@JournalAltFacts Jan 26
More
Preview of our 1st issue: Scientistonce, I.A. (2017). We Have All the Best Climates, Really, They're Great. #JournalOfAlternativeFacts 1(1).

21 replies 894 retweets 574 likes
Reply 21 Retweet 894
Like 574

[Wombaticus Rex]

But this is the kind of meaningless shit we get lost in. Reactions to reactions to reactions to reactions. Jokes about jokes about shit that isn't very funny to begin with.

The effort it takes to engage with something like that is wasted, utterly, lost. And "something like that" is all that's on the menu for the foreseeable future.

[seemslikeadream]

the Corporate-Media Noise Machine..is the title of this thread



it's making fun about Kellyanne's alternative facts and I see nothing wrong with it


anything that mocks ALTERNATIVE FACTS is fine by me

the alternative facts coming out of the White House should be mocked

odd that this "silly" thing gets attention but the Russian Treason thread gets nada

so don't blame me for what people decide to focus on.....I can do a couple things at the same time ..silly and seriously not funny


and please do not accuse me of "focusing" on silly ..that is not what I have been doing here ...please check my other threads ..I would not consider them silly

[Wombaticus Rex]

Well, I'm glad you're feeling justified, at least. That's so rare these days.

[Rory]

the Corporate-Media Noise Machine..is the title of this thread

odd that this "silly" thing gets attention but the Russian Treason thread gets nada

It gets nada because that's more than it deserves.

[seemslikeadream]

yea right ...keep ignoring it

so funny what you decide to ignore...that's way more entertaining than DOVE to me

come on check out the links...there must be a dozen there as bad (in your option) as Eichenwald


Political espionage an every day occurrence?
nothing to see here

Reports of treason and CIA spies shed light on Russian hacking


TREASON ARRESTS IN RUSSIA

Head Of Investigations At Russia's Biggest Cybersecurity Firm Arrested For Treason
CIA connection

Carter Page 19%

Russian guy found shot to death in car...when is that not interesting around here..we've got a whole OP about dead guys


I don't see you trying at all to debunk that one

what's the problem you never found an OP of mine that you had to not engage in


you guys never found a Russian post to refute until now

your silence in the thread is telling


Russian Spy Tied to DNC Hacking Arrested for Treason

A New Breed of Gangster Is Globalizing Russian Crime

Russia: Alleged Crime Figure Seemingly Rebrands Himself Under “Right to Forget” Law

Top Russian spy official arrested on treason charges


The Case of the Trump Toronto Tower and Hotel—Alex Shnaider
Does Trump Have Ties To The Mob?
Alex Shnaider, Trump's partner for Trump Tower Toronto, has ties to Sergei Mikhailov, leader of the SoInsteva Gang, a ruthless "Russian crime syndicate."

SECURITY PROS FEAR CHILLING EFFECT AS RUSSIA CHARGES INVESTIGATOR WITH TREASON

Ex-KGB Chief Thought Dead As Source Of Trump Blackmail Dossier Leak

The Downfall of a Top Russian Cyber Spy

Reputed Russian Mobster Boasts Of Putin Wristwatch Honor

Arrested FSB Official Was Allegedly a U.S. Spy Working in the Heart of Russian Cybersecurity – Russian Papers Suggest

[Iamwhomiam]

That's a pretty good example of "meaningless noise" - a Unilever brand decides to market their product using a political reference that gets more press coverage for their marketing campaign. RESIST™ with these sponsored messages. Christ in Heaven.

Well, reading through the meaningless noise to find a point worthy of discussion, perhaps in this case 'effective advertising' would be such, with 'the power of name recognition and brand loyalty' being another few. Or how well today's manufacturers know their products consumers' habits, including where their political sympathies lie.

But this is the kind of meaningless shit we get lost in. Reactions to reactions to reactions to reactions. Jokes about jokes about shit that isn't very funny to begin with.

The effort it takes to engage with something like that is wasted, utterly, lost. And "something like that" is all that's on the menu for the foreseeable future.

If some could have the courage to overcome their seemingly irresistible urge to argue pointlessly, to slight in lieu of offering intelligent opposing argument, would be a wonderful change for the better. Why not let it pass without commenting at all?

[Wombaticus Rex]

Why not let it pass without commenting at all?

Mostly because it's the very subject of the thread, partially because this is a conflict currently affecting 20+ threads in GD.

In general, "let it pass without commenting at all" is my default mode, and I should default to it more often.

[82_28]

Satire is running in overdrive right now. I am not sure the writers know what to do right now. They know what to do. Fuck even "Ellen" made some jabs without mentioning DTs name. Yet, I think they do not know how to face this. Do you continue at poking fun or do you go full on get this motherfucker out of here? I am sure it is a dilemma for any good writer out there. Which angle to take? I know, even though I'm the asshole that started all these "seriously dangerous" threads, I am getting burned out. I merely started the first one because I have seen this racist and evangelical shit in action as a kid in the punk/skate scene in Denver. Thought it would succeed. I thought it would because anything I think should be done is always doomed to failure. Expect the worst, in other words, is my motto. But I knew way back then that this dude, bad hombre, was going to be prez simply because he was so hateful. It appeals!

I will also state, as I have, that I was friends with friends who were friends of the Clintons back in HS and I saw all the photos of them just chillin' in the house. This kid was the richest kid any of us knew BTW. But the photos, to me, seemed that the Clintons really were trying to be "real people". I have no idea what that means.

All that said. . .sorry. This new SCOTUS person is straight out of Denver, yo! I just started rattling off to my dad last night all the people I know he was getting blown up with last night. Just media figures and failed political candidates. Denver is liberal and very diverse. It's funny this character lives in Boulder. The right, all my life, liked to call Boulder The People's Republic of Boulder. Wingers thought it was always funny to disparage Boulder.

I listened to a lot of right wing and christian radio back in the day, just to keep up.

[dada]

If some could have the courage to overcome their seemingly irresistible urge to argue pointlessly, to slight in lieu of offering intelligent opposing argument, would be a wonderful change for the better. Why not let it pass without commenting at all?

I'll tell you how it works for me. I let things pass without comment when I don't care enough about what I read to comment on it. When I care, I comment. Caring to comment is much more dependent on my mood, than the subject matter. This is as true for what I like as what I don't.

Where does the value judgement against arguing pointlessly come from? Intelligent opposing argument can be pointless (I think I don't need to make that case, it's pretty self-evident) and pointless argument can prove fruitful. I can't see into the future, and know what will lead to change for the better. And I don't rely on the authority of common wisdom. I think common wisdom is what got us into the existential mess we find ourselves in. We run the risk of falling into a thought-policing rut, confined by unspoken rules that we're all supposed to take for granted.

Sometimes I get a feeling, but I can't quite find the words to articulate it. Like we're all on our high-horses, except some are more comfortable in the saddle, and others are faking it. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But the ones who are comfortable are generally more gracious, and less inclined to have their feelings hurt. That's how you can tell the difference. Of course, we all have our moments. I'll allow it.

[stillrobertpaulsen]

Bannon brushed the journalist off, and the journalist's response was "Orright Champ, a Leninist you is!" and proceeded to write his article. Maybe it was a running joke with Bannon that he called himself a Leninist. Maybe there's not another soul in the world that he's said such a thing to. The only certain thing is he isn't a Leninist.

Ah, but that's just trying to be logical about Bannon. Bannon, like his prior counterpart in legerdemain and ratfucking, Karl Rove, doesn't operate in that realm anymore. This is the realm he works in now:

We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality — judiciously, as you will — we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.

Of course Bannon isn't a Leninist by any ideological understanding of the word. But by his 'destroy the state' mandate that he has given himself within his new reality, he's the ultimate Leninist. My determination of this was through another logical process: deduction.

1. Bannon compared himself to Dick Cheney.

2. Bannon compared himself to Satan. (Wonder how fellow Trump administration member Ben Carson feels about that? Next Bannon will probably compare himself to Saul Alinsky!)

3. Bannon compared himself to Darth Vader (Is Bannon angling for an ERB slot or what?)

All these comparisons were done by Bannon himself in an interview where the context was how he actually embraces the power that comes with darkness. So taking this truth into account, is it more likely that he was brushing off the reporter because he did compare himself to Lenin or didn't? My logical deduction tells me Bannon is lying: Lenin fits perfectly with that realm of darkness Bannon currently enjoys.

[8bitagent]

But this is the kind of meaningless shit we get lost in. Reactions to reactions to reactions to reactions. Jokes about jokes about shit that isn't very funny to begin with.

The effort it takes to engage with something like that is wasted, utterly, lost. And "something like that" is all that's on the menu for the foreseeable future.

I'm sure when civil unrest and chaos engulfs America and the world in the coming years, we'll see...

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[semper occultus]

....so the neo-cons were Trotskyists and the Trumpanzees are Leninists ...either you've got some weird fetish for Soviet political strongmen over there or Russian influence on American politics has been more extensive than even the Clintonistas have yet realised....