AIGA Conference - Command X - pt.2

A complex issue such as youth voting is certainly not one that can be tackled in a mere 24 hours. This is not to say that the contestants in this years AIGA - CommandX competition failed to do so, but unfortunately the ideas that were presented had such great potential that it was somewhat of a letdown to not see them through to their end.







Kelly Dorsey's campaign 'they wont expect it' is a prime example of this fact. I loved the cheeky attitude of the ads, but as the judges had suggested, the creative was not supported by a cohesive campaign and sadly it did not fulfill its potential.























I thought that all of the campaigns did an excellent job of reaching the target market in question, but what surprised me was how perceptive the contestants were.

Each of the contestants issued a challenge to the viewer, in Kelly's case it was more overt, but in Nichelle's campaign I was blown away by the subtlety and severity that were played against each other. Here, rather than hit the viewer over the head, Nichelle allowed them to ponder the message; you are incapable of making change unless you vote.


















The minimalistic execution popularized by apple fit magnificently, and allowed the concept to fully shine through. This style has become incredibly popular, and in this setting it becomes apparent that what is becoming trendy in design spheres, is conceptually driven advertisements that do not colour the way the viewer interprets the message.

Apple vs. World, who will be the victor?

There is no arguing that Apple has been a dominating force in innovating new products and concepts. Having created the first PDA, refined portable computing, and even bringing graphical user interfaces to the world, they have certainly had a massive influence on the way people perceive technology.

Personally, I commend them on their efforts. While they have had rough patches in the past, I trust that they will remain a powerful force in producing electronics in the future. But I am at odds with the idea of crediting Apple as being responsible for 'changing the world'.

I am a firm believer in causality. Yes, Apple has released many new and innovative products, but progress is progress. In a world where people need faster and faster ways to accomplish tasks, someone will invariably step in with a bright idea.

Apple did have the bright idea to bring technology to the consumer, packaging it in a way that people saw how useful it could be. In my opinion, this has caused a consumer driven explosion of useless gadgetry, far from the innovation on which Apple rose to success.

People don't really seem to care anymore how useful the technology is, or even whether it will make their lives any better(or worse) just how much fun they can have showing off their new toys.

In truth, I don't really feel that Apple or anyone else deserves either blame or credit for how the world has changed, but one thing is for sure; For better or worse, I love my iLife.