Aveda's Earth Month Campaign Materials

Each year during Aveda’s Earth Month campaign, very detailed campaign programming materials are given to all the participating Aveda-concept salons. Included in the collateral is a packet that describes all materials to be used during the month and where/ how exactly each piece should be displayed/used throughout the salon. Such detail in the programming allows for very consistent implementation of the program by all involved.

Materials displayed include a few posters, which hang in the windows of the salons, (pictured below).



Also included are instructions for the sale of “Light the Way” candles. These candles, (pictured below), aid in the goal of clean water by donation of all proceeds toward clean water projects.




Flyers that can be passed out to interested customers are also included. On the backs of the flyers are facts about the state of water across the world and how we can help to improve it.

Aveda's Earth Month Campaign

SHOUT OUT ABOUT AVEDA!

Aveda has teamed with their “Aveda-concept salons” to exceed a goal of raising $3.5 million for global and local clean water projects. As I am a very avid Aveda consumer, I have a great appreciation for the types of environmentally friendly business they conduct.

Aveda’s Earth Month campaign involves a variety of fundraising activities. In all participating salons, a “Light the Way” lavender candle is sold for a suggested retail price of $12. All proceeds from this candle go to Global Greengrants Funds water related projects. Also included in the campaign is a “Walk for Water”, Aveda’s first walk for clean water to raise awareness and funding for clean water organizations. Salons collect donations in general which would be tallied up. The salon that raises the most money wins a prize.

Beyond the fundraising activities, Aveda-concept salons have the objective of raising awareness. Signs are plastered throughout the stores listing factual information about the current state of our clean water both globally and locally. There is a call to action in this campaign, asking people to stand up and change their behaviors to improve the clean water situation.

This campaign lasts the entire month of April, Earth Month. This year’s campaign was highly successful, as are most of Aveda’s environmentally friendly endeavors.

“Beauty Backlash” – The Reaction

After watching the short documentary, “Beauty Backlash”, I had two thoughts. The beauty industry has found an AMAZINGLY successful way to sell their products, and unfortunately they have to violate ethical guidelines to do so.

The way the beauty industry sells its products is through the insecurities of its consumers. They play on what people are self-conscious about, creating a need, and then answer this need with some expensive “potion or lotion”. This industry is hugely profitable and the business model seems to be working, from a finance prospective anyway. Not all companies in the beauty industry have chosen this business model. As depicted in the documentary, Dove, has chosen a different route. Dove is using “real” people, not models, to sell their products. While I think this is an awesome campaign/business model, I wish the documentary had gone into a little more detail as to how successful it has been from a financial standpoint.

Playing on the insecurities of their consumers is terribly unethical in my opinion. The companies are using these insecurities against consumers, and I believe they are creating insecurities in young women that may have not existed previously. I think Dove’s approach is very admirable and wish that all other companies would follow suit. Likelihood of this happening? Slim to none. Why? Money and profits. Although the documentary never mentions it, I do not believe the Dove business model is quite as profitable as it could be if it followed more traditional business practices. Who’s to blame? Well we can easily point the finger at the business industry for their unethical advertisements of skinny, skinny women, the use of airbrushing, etc., but I also think one should consider the consumer herself/himself. Consumers are obviously buying into these types of advertisements and giving their business to the beauty companies. People are so influenced by the media that they feel a pressure, of sorts, to be “beautiful”. This makes me sad. The “confident” women in the Dove advertisements are rare, in my opinion. In the documentary, a high school girl makes the comment, “I don’t have a single friend that is happy with every part of their body”. After hearing that, I stopped and asked myself the same question. My answer? The same! I do not know a single person who is 100% happy with every part of their body.

So we are left with a problem to solve. Knowing how to go about fixing the lack of confidence and self-esteem issues in people all over the world is a puzzling thought. I don’t think the beauty industry is going to just change their way of advertising so the solution is going to have to start with the consumers themselves. I think education is going to be key. Young people need to be aware of the marketing strategies used by the beauty industry and the taught to love themselves for who they are not who they are not.

Press Release (rough draft)

(*NOTE: this is not factual. It is for a school assignment!)

“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE”

March 17, 2010

Contact:
Amy Donner
Flutopia, Inc.
P: (651) 555-5555
F: (651) 444-4444
adonner02@flutopia.com
www.flutopia.com

Come Learn to Play the Flute in Central Park, FREE!

New York City, New York, Saturday April 2, 2010 – Flutopia will be hosting their annual “Learn to Play Flute” event from noon to 6:00 pm. Flutopia invites New Yorkers of all ages to come learn how to play the flute in Central Park for free. A tent will be set up on the corner of Amy Ave. and Donner Dr. Flutopia is a flute shop that offers merchandise as well as flute lessons to the public. In operation for the past 50 years, Flutopia is dedicated to giving back to the community.

New York native, Jane Doe, comments, “I have come to Flutopia’s event for the last three years with my kids. I love the sense of community it builds.” Come get to know your neighbors while enjoying a new pastime. Music is a great outlet from the stresses of daily life. Flutopia wants everyone to enjoy the flute for it’s many wonders. This event has had great success in the past. Over 1,000 people attended last year!

All skill levels are welcome to come and enjoy the fun. Professional flutist, Amy Morris, comments, “Even as a professional, there is absolutely something new to be learned at Flutopia’s event. The enthusiasm in Central Park grows each year and I just love it.” At the event be sure to check out Flutopia’s lesson offerings. Find out how you can continue to enjoy the flute all year round!

To participate in Flutopia’s “Learn to Play Flute” event in Central park, Saturday, April 2nd, simply show up. No need to register for this event. For more information, please visit our website: www.flutopia.com.

Contact: Amy Donner (651) 555-5555
adonner02@flutopia.com

Flutopia, Inc.
Address: 555 South Street
New York City, New York 55555
Fax: (651) 444-4444

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“War Made Easy” (Final Edit)

Why don’t we, in the USA, believe that our own government uses propaganda?

After watching the documentary, “War Made Easy” by The Disinformation Company, Ltd., there is no questioning that the United States government does and will continue to use propaganda. However, we as Americans do not believe it. Through the use of media and other sophisticated planned efforts, the U.S. government has planted its propaganda into our daily lives and done an excellent job of covering it up.
The documentary does a fantastic job of highlighting the hope that the American people have in their government. The idea that we cannot trust the information our government and, by extension, our media are feeding to us, especially on such powerful issues like war, suggests a failure of everything this country stands for. Because of this, the U.S. government has taken extra measures in an effort to control the public's knowledge and opinions about their decisions. One such example of this is taking place during the war in Iraq. The government hand selected the media reporters that went over to Iraq. They planted journalists within the military to convey the messages and images they wanted their public to see. The government itself largely shapes our conception of the war in Iraq. Why do we not know this? Because the government does not want us to and they have done a great job of keeping it that way.
Another way in which the government has controlled our knowledge of their use of propaganda is through fear-based appeals. This is a proven successful way to gain support for war and is, in fact, a use of propaganda. The government has used this method to gain support for the war in Iraq. After the attacks on 9/11, Americans were terrified and the government jumped on this opportunity for war. Fear, in itself, offers enough incentive for the American people to second-guess the government’s intentions and motives. Government official after government official has uttered the phrases “terrorist attacks”, “weapons of mass destruction”, and similar. Doing so instills a fear into Americans that causes us to put all our trust into the decision making of the government. The government does not want us to know how they are using our fear against us, which is exactly why most of us are unaware of it to this day.
This documentary has really opened my eyes to the government’s use of propaganda and the effects it can have on our nation. If our government wants something, they can and will get it. The power and influence of the United States government is so strong that it has the ability to plant its propaganda into our daily lives while keeping that very fact unknown to its people through the use of the media and other outlets.

About Me!

A few things you shoould know about me include how I spend my time. I am currently a Senior at Hamline University, graduating in May. Between school I spend my time as a nanny for a four, three, and one year old. Caring for these children over the last three years has taught me patience, dedication, compassion, and time management. They have certainly kept me on my toes and I feel my experiences with them will carry over into every aspect of my future. When I am not at school or with the kids, I spend my time working at Commercial Plumbing & Heating doing mostly accounting. I have been working in the office here for a few years now and have been promoted three times. I love what I do and the people I work with.
My strong work ethic leaves little free time, but the time I do have is spent with friends and family. I love to travel and experience new things. Recent places I have visited include Boston, Puerto Vallarta, and St. Louis.
You have gotten to know a little bit about me now and I hope you enjoy my blog!