Puppy Love

And so it begins!




Way to play with our heartstrings Budweiser, the first of the SuperBowl ads has hit the market

 Who doesn't like the unlikely match up of an adorable puppy and a beautiful horse? And their use of #bestbuds, genius!

#roadtosochi

Holy am I excited for the Olympics to start!

Here are a few of my favorite Olympic teasers

Possessions

I have a house that shelters me during the winter months and I also have a car offering me the freedom of movement. I have a lot of wonderful friends and an overwhelmingly loving family.

"We are what we have" (Van Esterick, 1986)

Are we?

I never thought I was a person of attachment, nor do I think that I am one for commitment. My friends and I like to joke that all of our commitment is to our outside skis on the hill. So when we started to think this week about possessions and the extended self I had to reflect on what items hold value to me, and only me? What in my life has sentimental value and what makes them valuable?

It's very interesting that we can be so attached to certain items that we would be willing to run into a burning building to save them. Attachment has many forms and doesn't discriminate to whom and to what we are willing to let ourselves become attached to.

I found it very interesting the items people chose, but then upon hearing their stories regarding their objects it became crystal clear why they chose them. Items gain value through experiences, and experiences are what shape us as individuals. I turn to Einstein on this topic who says that "the only source of knowledge is experience". Valuables aren't always a symbol of wealth as I sometimes think, but they are a symbol of experience.

All items hold value, if you are willing to give them value and they can become an extension of yourself. I look to my favorite pair of shoes and wonder why I don't just get rid of them? But then I remember that I designed them and of all the places they have taken me. I can't just "throw them out"; they have personality, they've seen things and I keep telling myself that they have plenty of life left in them. So no, I can't just throw them out, that would be like throwing out a piece of my identity.

I really liked the ad that I've included below and I think it sums up the idea of possessions quite nicely, even if it is taken from the perspective of a dog.






In closing, I guess we really are what we have, as our possessions shape our identities through experiences. I guess we all should insure our most "valuable" items, even if it is a bone!

Hear what you want

Beats by Dre commercial with Colin Kaepernick

Following this weekends' road to the Superbowl game between the Seahawks and 49ers, Kaepernick may be needing his beats!

I especially like this ad because it shows how crucial staying impermeable to outside sources can be on an individuals mental strength and attitude. Given the constant social bombardment of today's world and how individuals are given a false sense of confidence to say whatever they please on social media sites; the importance of "hearing what you want" is a crucial part of developing self-confidence and self-image.

I understand that not every individual is a professional athlete, nor will they experience such conditions as illustrated in this ad, but the concept remains the same. Buy noise cancelling headphones, real or proverbial, to shut out the world.

The overwhelming influx of comments, whether positive of negative undoubtedly have their effects on peoples psyches. This, I believe is an element outlined by the following Dove ad campaign. In this campaign, an image of self understood beauty is contrasted with how others view these individuals.



When I fist saw this ad, I was blown away at how these women perceived themselves, but then I thought about it and in reality, I think its safe to say that it's not far from reality. I think the idea of real, perceived and ideal beauty ties into the understanding of the actual self and the ideal self.

The actual self, plainly put, is who you are as an individual, when the ideal self is who you would like people to see. In a perfect world, the ideal self would line up with the actual self and there would be little discrepancy between who we actually are to who we portray ourselves to be.

So, why isn't this the case?

Is it merely a coincidence that self confidence has dwindled given the rise of social media?

The ABC's of MCB's consumer blog

Hello and welcome to my blog,

I promise nothing but random video clips, quips, humor, varying outlooks and discoveries into the ins and outs of consumer behavior.

I will however try to adhere to the WWGFF policy

"What Would Granny Find Funny" and I'll keep it PG.

Thanks for stopping by,

I will leave you with a few of my favorite commercials, just because

Kelly