P-Town

Many that live outside of Utah believe Provo to be happy town. It wasn’t uncommon among my friends to believe that all Utahns were cookie-cutter white molly-Mormons. For that very reason, they swore never to live there and “succumb to their ways.” Ok, that is a little extreme, but there is a general belief that Utahns are all the same. My purpose in this project is to prove that Provo is not a cookie cutter town. When you really stand back and pay attention, Provo is quite diverse in population with people that have come from all walks of life and are quite different from each other. Provo as a melting pot is one of the main reasons I love it here at BYU.

Isaac Miller was probably the first person to come to mind when beginning this project. Everything he does, he does to be different. He flat out told me he didn’t want to be like anyone else so he wanted to set himself apart. He loves to carve, sing, and animate. He said he had originally gotten a beard card because his face was sensitive when we both really know that he grew it out because only he could and no one else!

Luke Salisbury is one of the most unique people I have ever met. How did we meet, you might ask? I was sitting on the couch in my living room at 1 in the morning chatting with my roommate when to our surprise a manikin head with a major need for a hair consult creeped into our big window hovering on the end of a broom stick.

Ironically, he wanted to “creep” on people with me for this very photo project, and I decided to let him come with me. I turned my head for one moment and he was down the sidewalk talking to someone he did not know and for no apparent reason. I don’t think I have ever met anyone as spontaneous.







My dear friend, Adoni Vega, from Quataro, Mexico, is one of the closest that I have. As his friend, I have come to learn of his rich life experiences and trials that he has faced. I truly admire him for his kindness in thinking of others above himself and believe his fulture, as rough as his past was, to be very bright. Besides the fact that he cannot say the word yogurt correctly, he truly makes me laugh and happy to be around him.

I had discovered one evening that he had never seen a shooting star in his life and hoped to see one before he died. I wanted to help him with this bucket list, so on a whim I took him to the canyon away from the city to see what most don’t see every night. We waited and waited and in almost perfect silence. I don’t know if I have ever enjoyed perfect silence with someone as much as I did with my dear friend that night. But that silence was quickly broken by Adoni’s frantic yell, “I SAW ONE!!!! I SAW ONE!!!!” I don’t know how many times he yelled it, even after he got out of his car and slipped on the ice onto his back. He told me he was so happy he wanted to run down the street!

Ntandoyenkosi Sibanda, from Zimbabwe, was quite a character if I have ever met one. Just outside BYU’s testing center, I found him waiting for no apparent reason. He told me BYU was weird to him, especially since the only English he knows is what he calls “British English.” Of America, he said that our culture was less formal and respectful, especially to our elders. And the first time he saw snow, it scared him to death! Of course, he has come to the right place to experience a real winter.

Upon first glancing at his name, one like anyone else would have a difficult time pronouncing it. Because most had difficulty when he first came to America, he randomly (upon an encounter) decided to go by Brian. I asked him, why that name of all names. It terns out that was the first American name that came to his mind and stuck with it. Somehow, I came to find that he actually really hates that name!

Brother Cowan, from California, came to teach BYU religion because of his love for the gospel.  This man has got to be one of the kindest and humblest of people I have ever met.  He had told me that he was not completely blind when he was younger, but as he grew older his vision got progressively worse.  He said that at least it can’t get any worse than zero!

Though he is quite soft spoken, he has quite a sense of humor.  In my Doctrines and Covenants class, he was speaking of matter in terms of body and spirit.  Of this he said, “Mortal bodies can’t walk through walls.  Believe me I’ve tried.  I’ve dinged my head a few times.” This is quite ironic considering he is blind.

This first rough looking fellow, I caught outside of a bar in downtown Provo, yes 10 minutes away from BYU. He was on a smoke break, and I could not help but notice him. He wasn’t the talkative type, so I did not talk with him much. For me, the mustache said it all! As for the tourist, he, along with a pack of tourists were visiting downtown Provo, of all the places in the world! I was kind of scared to talk to him, so I kind of took this picture and ran!

My Last Hurrah. Well. Maybe..

Well, this is my last post for my Advertising class but hopefully not my last dealing with advertising.  Here is my last insight.  Even though it takes a long time to develop characters like the Gieco lizard, if a new idea is grand or memorable enough, it is worth taking a risk and changing a campaign.  These new commercials are just funny and somewhat random, but I remembered them.  New ideas if clever and well executed can definitely reawaken awareness of a product or service.

Drum Roll Please!

Well, my portfolios are in, and I have the most excellent feeling about my graphic design one. Here is what I decided to submit. We'll see what happens! 

 Girl's Best Friend

Handy Dandy

Old Tree Hugger

Two World Collision

 Dance

 Easy As Pie!

 King of The Galaxy

One-of-a-kind

 Weeping Willow

 Chance

I Hate Back-up Plans...

Well, I will be applying for the Graphic Design program here in two weeks. Yikes! I decided that I will also apply to Photography. That means I need to prepare TWO portfolios in two weeks. No pressure. I'm pretty much there, but I want to make sure I am submitting my very best work. I will probably replace a few before this is all over. BYU is so competitive. This is what I want, but if for some reason I do not make it into either, I will plan on applying to the Advertising major after next semester and Advertising Design minor (that's right the same classes as Graphic Design). I hate back-up plans, but I LOVE loopholes. :) Well, wish me luck!

P.S. Coming soon! Some of my work from my art classes... :)

Real Men of Genius (Class Assignment)

Man humor. Bud Light knows its target audience and knows how to appeal to them in a memorable way. The Bud Light itself doesn't really connect at all with the subject matter, but the attitude carried by the speaker attracts the Bud Light drinking crowd.

When agencies make attempts at humor, they run the risk of distracting viewers. That is, viewers will be unlikely to remember the product but rather the commercial. In this case, one not only remembers the humor but the product as well. "Bud Light presents: real men of genius."

And don't worry. I'm not an alcohol fan. :)

Conveniently Convenient

In an era of emerging technology, the video store was ingenious for its time.  Who would have thought you could watch movies in your own home?  Yet, technology has not reached its limit.  Stores such as Hollywood Video and Blockbuster have struggled to keep up with it's relatively new competitor: Netflix. 



It seems as if Blockbuster's attempt to match (and outdo) Netflix's tactics is just not enough.  Netflix now satisfies their "waiting" customers with access to lists of movies at the touch of a button and all without leaving the comfort of their homes.  Talk about instant gratification!




Instant access is now not limited to the internet but also available through the Wii system.  I believe Netflix's new system owes its expected success not only to its convenience but also to dual advertising.   It is very possible that owners of the Wii system will be more likely to buy Netflix and vice versa.  It's unfortunate, but it's no wonder that Blockbuster went out of business.

Portfolio: Part 2

Well, here is the last set of images I am considering submitting in my portfolio.  I'll keep working to create new images and replace if I feel it necessary.  I hope you like it so far.

 Girl's Best Friend

 (a variation)

 One Of a Kind

When Night Falls

Two World Collision

Eat More Chickin

For any business to be successful it must be memorable. Customers must remember the quality of the products and services as well as their overall experience with the business. Every business has a personality that customers associate with the quality of those products.

The year that I was employed as a server at Chick-fil-a, I was expected to deliver good and friendly service. Not only is Chick-fil-a known for it's excellent food and good service but for it's famous personality: the cow. They catch your attention in a humorous and memorable way. I personally think that if it weren't for these sneaky and fun characters, Chick-fil-a would not be as successful. The next time I crave a chicken sandwich, you know where I'll be.

P.S. I was the cow!

Portfolio: Part 1

Here are some of the images that I am considering putting in my portfolio.

 By A Thread

Entranced

The word entranced has two meanings:

1.  To put a spell upon.  (Indians and cobras)

2.  To fill someone with wonder and delight, to capture one's whole attention.

 King of The Galaxy

The Red Carpet

"Tall. Thin. Picture Perfect," the cameras chant as the slender figures strut down the red carpet. "How can any person look so perfect?" What the camera believes to be perfect may not be what most people believe perfect to be. The camera says that true beauty shows no sign of blemish or flub or frizz. The average person, like myself, sees true beauty as making the best of a person shine, enhancing but not to extremes. Most of us want to be beautiful but not perfect, at least not the "perfect" that the cameras crave. Most do not idolize idols but rather seek their own beauty, one that requires discipline and self-respect. Slim models can be just as unhealthy as overweight people, physically and mentally. Beauty is only beautiful when achieved through healthy and natural means.

(My Sister)

A Dream Worth Pursuing

Of all the possibilities of my time, why on earth would I want to go into graphic design? Like my dad, I am a dreamer. Throughout my short life I have enjoyed the challenge of conjuring up new ideas to solve old problems. I bought Photoshop last year in the hope that I could teach myself how to create new ideas and stunning images. As my skills have developed, my enjoyment in the practice has too enhanced. I see myself in the near future working for a graphic design agency to further develop my skills and portfolio. At some point, if at all possible, I will switch gears and work at home. Here, I can continue to do what I enjoy doing while I fulfill my role as a wife and a mother. If I were able to pull this off successfully, I would be among the happiest and most fulfilled women in the world.

A Morphing World

People change. People change the world. Then, people change. History is painted by those who have discovered new technologies and improved societies, thereby changing the people within those societies. As people's lives have changed, needs have multiplied. As these needs have changed, so too did the means of satisfying them. It is intriguing to live in a time of technological advancement. Never before have the needs our time been so vast and diverse. Never before have markets been so vivid and boundless. We have morphed into a cyber society where our needs can be met at a single click of a mouse. We find ourselves satisfying needs that even kings of old could not dream of. Yet, we live in a time where we feel the need to keep up with time. Can we keep up with ourselves?

A Foot In The Door...

I am Laci Gibbs, an aspiring graphic designer.  After teaching myself through much practice the workings of photoshop, I realize I have the longest list of skills that I have yet to learn.  This will not discourage me but rather motivate me to pursue the best I am capable of.  Obviously, I am new to the world of graphic design but even more so to the realm of advertising.  This is actually my first blog, and I'm excited what it will morph into.  Keep in mind, I am not a journalist but a dreamer.  My foot is in the door, and the outside world awaits me.