"And Now A Word from Their Cool College Sponsor"

Two college students have really given a new meaning to the phrase “walking billboard.” Kate Zernike’s article, “And Now a Word from Their Cool College Sponsor,” introduces Chris Barrett and Luke McCabe, who have convinced the FirstUSA credit card company to put them through college. How did they do it? The boys agreed to become living, breathing advertisements for the company. In fact, the tagline of their website, chrisandluke.com, is “We wanna be your spokesguys.” Everything from their t-shirts to their surfboards is plastered with the FirstUSA logo. The duo also makes campus appearances, serves on a student panel, and maintain a website of financial advice for other collegians. Basically, the two needed a way to pay for college, and inspired by the high powered celebrity endorsement game, sold themselves to the highest bidder.

I waver between thinking these two are geniuses or complete sell outs. Perhaps they are both. I wouldn’t sign my life away, but the lure of a free college education (to great schools, mind you) is certainly enticing. It just seems so extreme and over the top, to sell your person as a form of advertising. However, this idea of walking billboards is actually more commonplace than you realize. We create free advertising when we wear clothing with prominently featured logos or insignias. Maybe I’ll make my own website after all – any takers? I could use a new car!

This Space Available for Advertising

Roy F. Fox made a very startling point in his article, “Salespeak.” When aren’t we exposed to some form of advertising? Even in my own living room, I can reach out and touch ads for Mead, Pepsi, and Walmart. This does not include the banner ads on my computer, or the stacks of magazines on the floor or the “Customer Appreciation” text messages – read “Buy more stuff!” ads – rotting in my inbox. Even, or perhaps especially, in a time of economic turbulence, advertising remains at the forefront of American life. As Fox said, “Salespeak is more than a voice we hear and see: we also wear it, smell it, touch it, play with it.” And, scarily enough, the advertising people are targeting younger and younger audiences. I work with three and four year olds who would make the marketing execs proud: when they get out their tool boxes during play time, they only use “Home Depot” tools. The kids can’t read, but they sure recognize that bright orange logo. In fact, one child yelled at another for saying he was going to the store, and not specifically a trip to Home Depot. Speaking of children and advertising, I found it disturbing that the article mentioned numerous school districts who have agreed to be giant billboards in exchange for money. Many of the tactics mentioned in school-advertising seem subversive and rather devious. Where’s the real focus here?

Your friends are not the only people on Facebook anymore.

In an increasingly common trend, job employers and school administrators are logging on to the popular social networking sites to keep tabs on prospective candidates. What does this mean for the millions of young people who frequent these websites? A startling dose of reality for many – imagine losing out on your dream job because the interviewer found all those “crazy” college pictures posted for them neatly in public albums. Alan Finder discusses this phenomenon in his article “When a Risqué Online Persona Undermines a Chance for a Job.” He points out that users of Facebook and MySpace do not realize that once something is posted on the Internet, you can never have sole control over it again. Finder provides examples of many employers Google-ing would-be employees, only to find pictures of underage drinking, sexual rendezvous, drug use, and illegal behavior. It’s hard to refute picture evidence. Users of these websites also have the opportunity to list interests and activities. “Blowing things up” or “smoking blunts,” as mentioned in the article, is probably not the best face one can put forward.

This article should be a wake up call for the digital generation. It is almost impossible to keep something private on the internet. West Chester University made a slide show for the opening days of freshman orientation of all the people who formed an online group for getting “expletive-faced the first day of school.” Imagine walking in and seeing your face on the screen! Many popular figures and celebrities have also recently been embarrassed over the Facebook pages. Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana, was blasted for risky pictures and online bullying. Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen came under heavy criticism for pictures of underage “Beer Olympics” online. These people have celebrity on their side…but most people my age can’t afford to lose out on employment because they handed over embarrassing evidence.