Guess what's my pick for the most memorable TV ad that's showing on TV nowadays?
*Timpani rolls softly........................*
*Add in the drums........... softly...............*
*Add in the cymbals.............................*
*All crescendo...................*
ZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAP
ZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAP
ZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAP
ZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAP
ZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAP
ZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAPZAP
Ok. For those who watch TV and saw the ad, I think you will know what I am talking about.
Its so memorable that I wouldn't want to see it a second time. Once is enough.
NowI wonder if they air it on RADIO.....................................................................
Friday, March 17, 2006
Screwed up formatting
Sorry about the screwed up formatting for the quoted article, but it seems that blogger's "easy to use, microsoft word like" interface produces weird results. Nothing the technically computer inept me can do at the moment to it. Until the day I actually go and open some book/website on basic html tags... the formatting shall remain buggy...
Maid bosses' greatest fear ...
I read this letter on today online today, and I am rather disgusted with it, not to mention the illogicality of the arguments. My comments are after the end of the letter.
MAID BOSSES' GREATEST FEAR ...
Friday March 17, 2006
If helpers get pregnant, employers will have to forfeit $5,000 bond
Letter from Theresa Ee
I wonder if readers who are disappointed with domestic maids not being
given official backing for rest days have ever been emotionally and
financially abused by them.
In his letter, Heng Cho Choon ("Caring for elderly needs special
training", March 16) commented that the practice by some employers to
forbid their domestic workers from talking to other maids is akin to
solitary confinement.
He goes on to say that by the same token, we might as well confine our
children too if we don't want them to pick up wayward ways in school. I
would like to point out that, as parents, we are able to discipline our
children. However with maids, we run the possibilities of them taking
revenge by polluting our food and water, abusing our children, requesting
for transfers or simply crying rape/abuse and putting us behind bars.
The Government imposes a $5,000 bond on employers to ensure the well-being
of our maids.
Most employers' greatest fear is their maids getting pregnant, in which
case they will have to repatriate them and forfeit the $5,000 bond.
Besides throwing away good money for someone's irresponsible behaviour,
routines will be inconvenienced.
Recently, I visited my gynaecologist at a medical centre. To my shock, I
was asked if I could allow several maids waiting for their abortion
procedures to go first as their employers would be returning home soon. So
much about granting them freedom!
So, please stop accusing employers who are reluctant to grant domestic
workers that rest day as being inhuman. We are protecting their interests
in the long run.
Target the small minority who abuse the system, not the majority of us who
believe in human rights.
Firstly I do agree with Heng Cho Choon that forbiding a maid from talking to other maids is akin to solitary confinement. I can't imagine working all alone by myself in a foreign land, and denied of any relaxation time on my own, denied of my familiar social circle even though they are just around me all the time(which in my opinion is crucial to a person's mental well being, especially in situations where you have little control over your own life).
I haven't read Heng's original letter, but the analogy with disciplining our children seems apt.
Now for Theresa's rebuttal: "I would like to point out that, as parents, we are able to discipline our children. However with maids, we run the possibilities of them taking
revenge by polluting our food and water, abusing our children, requesting
for transfers or simply crying rape/abuse and putting us behind bars."
Actually as a matter of fact I would think with children we will run the same possibility of that happening as well. Can't your child pollute your food and water? A child can also cry rape/abuse. As a disclaimer, for 'child' I am referring to a wider age group of like from 10-21, where they are very much capable of the same thing, *if* the parents treat them in the same manner they treat the maid. After all we have heard of stories of teenagers injuring/killing parents, stealing money, etc etc.
And as the 'curfew' for teenagers is a hot topic out there for discussion, does confining your children at home all the time, having absolute control over who they talk to, where they go, whatever they do, directing their lives all the time ensure the 'well being' of your children?
Now for what I think is the crux of Theresa's argument: "The Government imposes a $5,000 bond on employers to ensure the well-being of our maids." And what does this 'well being' means? Basically anything that does not causes your $5000 bond to be confiscated and its through none of the employer's fault but rather the maid's "irresponsible behaviour," And as the logic goes, by barring the maid from going out and interacting with other maids and MALES, "we are protecting their interests in the long run", for they won't get into any trouble(as defined by the $5000).
Even more astounding is the final statement "Target the small minority who abuse the system, not the majority of us who believe in human rights.". I wonder if Theresa believes in human rights? Maybe she does, as long as the human rights does not incur a cost of $5000 SGD.
By the way, I wonder who came up with the sub header for the letter. I doubt its Theresa herself hahaha.....
MAID BOSSES' GREATEST FEAR ...
Friday March 17, 2006
If helpers get pregnant, employers will have to forfeit $5,000 bond
Letter from Theresa Ee
I wonder if readers who are disappointed with domestic maids not being
given official backing for rest days have ever been emotionally and
financially abused by them.
In his letter, Heng Cho Choon ("Caring for elderly needs special
training", March 16) commented that the practice by some employers to
forbid their domestic workers from talking to other maids is akin to
solitary confinement.
He goes on to say that by the same token, we might as well confine our
children too if we don't want them to pick up wayward ways in school. I
would like to point out that, as parents, we are able to discipline our
children. However with maids, we run the possibilities of them taking
revenge by polluting our food and water, abusing our children, requesting
for transfers or simply crying rape/abuse and putting us behind bars.
The Government imposes a $5,000 bond on employers to ensure the well-being
of our maids.
Most employers' greatest fear is their maids getting pregnant, in which
case they will have to repatriate them and forfeit the $5,000 bond.
Besides throwing away good money for someone's irresponsible behaviour,
routines will be inconvenienced.
Recently, I visited my gynaecologist at a medical centre. To my shock, I
was asked if I could allow several maids waiting for their abortion
procedures to go first as their employers would be returning home soon. So
much about granting them freedom!
So, please stop accusing employers who are reluctant to grant domestic
workers that rest day as being inhuman. We are protecting their interests
in the long run.
Target the small minority who abuse the system, not the majority of us who
believe in human rights.
Firstly I do agree with Heng Cho Choon that forbiding a maid from talking to other maids is akin to solitary confinement. I can't imagine working all alone by myself in a foreign land, and denied of any relaxation time on my own, denied of my familiar social circle even though they are just around me all the time(which in my opinion is crucial to a person's mental well being, especially in situations where you have little control over your own life).
I haven't read Heng's original letter, but the analogy with disciplining our children seems apt.
Now for Theresa's rebuttal: "I would like to point out that, as parents, we are able to discipline our children. However with maids, we run the possibilities of them taking
revenge by polluting our food and water, abusing our children, requesting
for transfers or simply crying rape/abuse and putting us behind bars."
Actually as a matter of fact I would think with children we will run the same possibility of that happening as well. Can't your child pollute your food and water? A child can also cry rape/abuse. As a disclaimer, for 'child' I am referring to a wider age group of like from 10-21, where they are very much capable of the same thing, *if* the parents treat them in the same manner they treat the maid. After all we have heard of stories of teenagers injuring/killing parents, stealing money, etc etc.
And as the 'curfew' for teenagers is a hot topic out there for discussion, does confining your children at home all the time, having absolute control over who they talk to, where they go, whatever they do, directing their lives all the time ensure the 'well being' of your children?
Now for what I think is the crux of Theresa's argument: "The Government imposes a $5,000 bond on employers to ensure the well-being of our maids." And what does this 'well being' means? Basically anything that does not causes your $5000 bond to be confiscated and its through none of the employer's fault but rather the maid's "irresponsible behaviour," And as the logic goes, by barring the maid from going out and interacting with other maids and MALES, "we are protecting their interests in the long run", for they won't get into any trouble(as defined by the $5000).
Even more astounding is the final statement "Target the small minority who abuse the system, not the majority of us who believe in human rights.". I wonder if Theresa believes in human rights? Maybe she does, as long as the human rights does not incur a cost of $5000 SGD.
By the way, I wonder who came up with the sub header for the letter. I doubt its Theresa herself hahaha.....
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Brand/logo Music
Just something interesting that I observed while watching TV ads. It seems that quite a number of big brands are attaching a short tune/sound together with their logo. Examples that I can think of include Marigold(was watching that ad when it crossed my mind), Intel, KFC, Pizza hut, King Coil.
I bet there are many others out there as well....
I guess this sort of advertisting strategy is part of a company's logo strategy. Instead of having your logo in just a visual form, its more impactful to have it in multimedia form with audio as well, giving your brand/logo a more concrete impression. And in media like radio where there's no visual element in the ads, the logo tune/sound is able to take the place of the visual logo instead of having your brand just being spoken in words, lost in the sea of other words used in radio ads. However I would definitely consider the King Coil 'spring sound' is used too many times in a single ad that it gets really irritating. Boing Boing Boing all over the place...
I bet there are many others out there as well....
I guess this sort of advertisting strategy is part of a company's logo strategy. Instead of having your logo in just a visual form, its more impactful to have it in multimedia form with audio as well, giving your brand/logo a more concrete impression. And in media like radio where there's no visual element in the ads, the logo tune/sound is able to take the place of the visual logo instead of having your brand just being spoken in words, lost in the sea of other words used in radio ads. However I would definitely consider the King Coil 'spring sound' is used too many times in a single ad that it gets really irritating. Boing Boing Boing all over the place...
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