Popped Chips - a "healthy" version of Lays

This Popped Chips ad was published by Lucky Generals in London in January 2016. Any and all rights go to them.

The most obvious aspect of this ad is the color scheme. The colors are all "warm" colors and range from a deep red to a bright yellow.  These colors not only coincide with the bag of chips, but they also coincide with the thought of being dynamic. Considering this ad was published in January, a time where everything is gray, white, or blue, having a warm colored ad is striking, and it calls attention to itself (kind of like the "Arrest me red" car that everyone wants). 

The next aspect of this ad is the bag of chips itself. It is on the right side of the ad, after the sentence that is on the ad. It is also located at the part of the ad where the color scheme is lighter. The bag itself has the words "popped, not fried" on it, automatically making it sound more alluring (because no one likes to admit they eat fried food). 

Moving on to the words that are on the ad, the sentence says in big, bold letters, "You walk everywhere!". This part of the sentence is very empowering because it is giving a false sense of a healthy lifestyle to whoever is reading it.  The next part of the sentence says, in smaller letters, "Unless it is overcast or raining". This part of the sentence adds some reality to the situation and brings people back down to earth, because apparently, no one in London owns an umbrella. Finally, the trademark saying for Popped Chips is on the bottom right side of the ad, and it is placed there to make sure that the reader doesn't forget the saying. It is the last thing that the reader is going to look at, and for marketing, it's important that the readers associate the trademark saying with the brand. Most TV commercials do the exact same thing. 

This ad represent three out of the seven deadly sins. These three are: Gluttony, Sloth, and Pride. Going into the big picture of this ad, it is pretty easy to recognize how this is Gluttony. The easiest part to distinguish how this ad is Gluttony is what is written on the bag. The bag says that the chips are popped, not fried, which automatically makes them healthier than any other brand of chips that aren't fried. In reality, chips are still chips, and they are unhealthy no matter what, but the saying helps to take any guilt out of eating these chips. 

The next sin that the big picture addresses is Sloth. This one is harder to spot, but based on specific locations, it applies. The sentence "Unless it's overcast or raining" already brings reality to the situation. However, this ad was made in London, where it rains all the time, and is overcast nearly as much. The same goes for almost anywhere in the Northeast or Seattle, it rains all the time in those locations. Saying that it and having it in a city that rains all the time, would mean that the person is never walking anywhere, which then means that they are being lazy by sitting at home eating chips. 

The final sin that this ad represents is Pride. Assuming that this person lives somewhere sunny all the time, (according to the ads logic) they will walk everywhere. This is actually a big deal because walking is really good for the human body, and it is also better for the environment because the person is not driving a car. This could cause people to boast about how cool they are for being environmentally conscious and overall healthier than the majority of the population. 

This ad is addressed to audiences who are looking for a healthier alternative to something that they love. It is also playing a part in their New Year's Resolutions, considering it was written in January of 2016. This ad could affect anyone, and is targeted to everyone who likes chips but is also looking to be healthy. This ad affects any socioeconomic background, and culturally, the person will be associated with the healthy aspects of culture. 

Overall, this ad hits the sins Gluttony, Sloth, and Pride. It affects anyone wanting to be somewhat healthy, and its aspects help to make it seem interesting. The post itself has nothing against Popped Chips, but the ad was fun to make fun of and analyze.

What's In A Name?

I absolutely love my name; it's really important to me. My first name Rachel was named after Rachel Green on the show FRIENDS, my parent's favorite show.
However, my mom also wanted to name me Jacqueline or Nicole because she thought the names were pretty. Then, it dawned on her that I would go by a nickname, such as Jackie or Nicki because most people with long names have a nickname.
Unfortunately, the name Jackie Gerney sounds way too "sing-songy", and Nicki Gerney isn't much better. So, as a result, my parents decided to name me Rachel; it was a name that they loved, and no one has ever called me Rachie, so there are no sing song problems there.
Oddly enough, my sister's name is Hope and we all call her Hopey... go figure.
Often, people assume upon hearing my name that A) I'm Jewish, and B) that I'm ultra religious. In reality, I'm neither Jewish nor ultra religious, but Rachel is important in the Jewish religion so it's understandable that I get that assumption.
I've never relied on my name for privileges, but it has brought some negative feedback. 
I had this "friend" freshman year, who wouldn't let me meet his parents because he thought that I was Jewish. By the time I questioned it, it was May, and he thought I was "keeping up appearances" by celebrating Christian holidays. Just to be clear, we are not "friends" anymore and I now have a checklist that points out not to be "friends" with a guy who is religiously bigoted.
My parents want to rename me Celeste; they say that I look like a Celeste. I personally love the name, and the meaning behind it is absolutely beautiful. I think it's original and unique, but one downside is having to spell it out to people. People have a hard enough time spelling Rachel, having them spell Celeste would be a nightmare!
My mom's name is hyphenated, and I think it's pretty cool. I think that hyphenating all depends on whose last name is better!


In Anna Quindlen's essay, "The Name is Mine", she talks about how she is facing the dilemma of being the individual, and also being part of her family of four. This concept of being two separate people is important in society.
I can't say that I have had many of these moments of awareness. However, I get this feeling around my extended family. Firstly, I rarely ever see them, which is different because most people grow up at least geographically near their extended family.
Secondly, I am so far apart in age compared to most of my extended cousins. I am either too young by 15 - 20 years, or I am too old by 13 - 15 years. I went to this family wedding anniversary when I was 15, and the closest person in age to me was 30 and had a wife.
I realized that while I share DNA with these people, I barely know them. We have nothing in common, and I have maybe one extended cousin who is my age, but I've never met them.
During this, I know that I'm me, but I also feel as if I'm connected with these strangers because I have the same blood as them.
It's complicated because I feel as if I'm out of the loop on something I'm technically a part of, and my individual self doesn't really belong. However, even though I know I'm different from the group, I'm still me, and that shouldn't change whether I'm in a large group or not.