Win-Win : Article Summary

This article was on The Economist website, published September 8th 2008. The link to the article is: http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12077182

The article revolves around the subject of prizes that create incentive for the development of new ideas and products that could, for example, improve environmental conditions. It states that a well focused prize can lead to ‘radical and sudden breakthroughs’, inspire dedication and, more importantly, solutions that industries seems reluctant to develop. Foundations developing these prizes already exist; for example, the X Prize Foundation created the Progressive Automotive X prize, which offers $10 million to anyone who can design a car that gets 100 miles per gallon. This foundation is brainstorming more ideas for prizes that should inspire new forms of clean, cost effective and renewable energy; it is also open to anyone to submit their own ideas for a prize. Other existing prizes include a prize for a way to remove man made greenhouse gases, for breakthroughs in marine renewable energy, etc. These all have one factor in common: they offer a large amount of money.
Personally, I think the concept of a prize, especially a prize focused on something that everyone can benefit from, is a good one. It allows people’s natural competitiveness and need for the limelight to be focused on something that may improve conditions on earth drastically. However, it has to be considered that not everyone happens to have sufficient spare change to fund such a prize, so it won’t be as if these prizes will allow for leaps in advancement in every area. Therefore, let’s hope that human’s natural competitiveness and greed aren’t the driving force behind these innovations, but the genuine concern for the environment.

Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain (20 Feb. 1967 - 5 April 1994) was the lead singer, guitarist and song writer for the grunge band Nirvana, which had its roots in Seattle. Born in the small town of Aberdeen, Washington, he lived through a difficult childhood during which his parents got divorced, he dropped out of high school and his rebellion caused him to be shuffled between relatives and friends. He began to immerse himself in the grunge rock scene of the day. After the breakup of his first band, Fecal Matter, Cobain persuaded Krist Novoselic into forming the band Nirvana. The band was active from 1987 till 1994. The first recorded album was called Bleach, yet they only became hugely successful and popular with the album Nevermind. Two other albums, In Utero and Insecticide, were released after. The Band’s most popular songs were ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’ and ‘Come as you are’. Cobain resented the popularity and mass marketing of his music by the media; he felt that people weren’t getting the point of the intention of his music.
Kurt Cobain married Courtney Love, singer for the band Hole, on February 24 1992 and their daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, was born August 18th. Throughout his career he suffered from severe stomach pains that no doctor could find the origin of. These pains led him to serious drug, specifically heroin, abuse; he claimed it was the only way of numbing the pain. When he knew he was going to be a father he attempted to become clean, yet failed even after several attempts.
Kurt Cobain was found dead in his Lake Washington home on April 8th, 1994, apparently 3 days after his actual death. He had been in very bad health the month before. The cause of death was a gunshot to the head. In his suicide note he quotes Neil Young’s song My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue): “It is better to burn out than fade away.”

Chapter 2 Summary: No Logo

This second chapter focuses mainly on the shift from advertising separate from culture to advertising becoming culture. It started with the steady enlargement of the brand logo on all products and the targeting of younger and younger generations, to create brand loyalty. Today the brands have blurred all lines between actual culture and the lifestyle they are advertising. This ranges from, for example, painting an entire street silver to promote a new line of Levi’s jeans to the creating of events where the brand is at the center of attention instead of the actual event. It used to be that rock concerts, for example, were about the singer/band that was performing, and the company sponsoring it was never associated completely with the event. Since this didn’t allow the companies to be as prominent as they wished to be, they began creating events of their own, where the singer/ band remained unknown until the very end. It has even gone so far that people themselves have become fused with the brand they represent; they are basically a brand of their own. The most famous example of this is Michael Jordan, whose career was boosted into Superstardom by Nike. Overall, brands are starting to infiltrate our perceptions of culture.

'Adapt or Die' - Article Summary

This article, with the title 'Adapt or Die', was published on the 11th of September 2008 in The Economist. The link to this article is : http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12208005

The article is about how adaption to global warming is now seen as the better direction to be taking than trying to prevent it, according to environmentalists. The reasons for this are the realization of the speed of global warming and the fact that it affects the poor and those living on island states. Now, ways of aiding (not only financially) those affected by it are being developed by governments and organizations. The UN, for example, is laying down the details for how to control the spending of the first carbon tax that are focused on international adaptation. This means that countries that can't afford to adapt might possibly receive financial aid, to enable them to protect themselves from starvation, rising water levels, etc.
However, certain problems are arising with this new approach to global warming. Problems such as the huge amount of money needed, the fight over what projects deserve priority and how to use the money, etc, can't be pushed into hindsight. Overall, a need to make steps forwards is rising, as is the temperature.

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Colgate

The ad to the right is an example of a product being sold. The product being sold is Colgate Toothpase, by telling the buyer that it will guarantee good teeth and therefore good heatlh and spirits. It is saying that your entire health depends on the state of your teeth, and that you'll always be happy if you're teeth are taken care of properly.

United Colors of Benetton

This ad, on the other hand, is selling you the idea that you should dare to be different, to do what you want most, even if it is bending the rules. It conveys the idea that something as innocent as a kiss can make you stand out from the rest. This is shown by the picture, since a nun, who's only relationship is with God, and a preacher are kissing, which is against the rules. They take the risk to be happy.

Summary of Chapter 1 of 'No Logo'

New Branded World

This chapter focuses on the differences in advertising and branding, and how marketing techniques and focus have changed over the years. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the focus was on advertising a new product, presenting the people with a product that would make their life more efficient. Yet as products were mass produced by machinery, several companies could create the same or similar products; now the goal was to 'persuade' the consumers to choose one product over the other. Branding already started as early as the 1880's, where brands such as Uncle Ben's created brand loyalty by putting friendly, familiar faces as their icons. However, real worth wasn't associated with the 'image' of a brand until the 1980's, when Philip Morris bought Kraft for six times its worth; however, others were soon to catch on to the 'brand hype'. Of course this also called for almost aggressive expansionism in the advertising industry. Nowadays, it is all about selling an image or lifestyle, which is called branding. Brands create familiarity and emotionally tie the consumers to them. They aren't even responsible for the production of their products anymore, which is delegated to companies in 3rd world countries. Overall, one thing is evident: the brand has become more important than the product.