medium- an extension of human mind or body
message- the idea of information, content, news delivered
In McLuhan's terms the message of a medium not its content, but its effect or impact on our lives, our ways of thinking, our social relations.
One of the examples is an episode from Mad Men series. Mad Men is television drama about a creative director works in a advertising agency set in 1960's in America.
In this part of the episode when he was trying to sell his idea of a slide projector advertisement to his client, he explained to his client that consumers need to have a sentimental bond towards a product in order to sell the product. Therefore, nostalgia is one of the feelings people can relate to, delicate but potent.
At one part he mentioned that the Carousel is like a time machine, it can go forward and backward. I think what he means is we are able to look back into the past and go forward as in to see the progress of what we are and achieved in the present day.His message is trying to make an impact on people's life, make them think about the sweet and sad memory they shared their loved ones.
The slides is like a collected memory that will make us feel nostalgia instead, take us to a place we ache to go again. Moreover, he said the Carousel travels like a kid travels, go round and a round and back to home again, a place we love. I think what he is trying to say is slide projector is not only for presentation only which were mainly for office use but also for people to use in their house, share with their family and friends. He changed the name of the wheel into the Carousel to make it sound more interesting and family friendly.
The medium in the video is the Carousel, the slide projector while nostalgia is the message Carousel carries in it, a memory when they look at the slides. The main purpose was to let people feel nostalgia when they look at the slides. From this video, I've learn that old product can be change into something new and fresh just by changing its 'message'.
To me, I think he presentation in this part of the episode is quite impactful and meaningful. The mood and music are well put together to project a sentimental feeling towards the audience.
source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suRDUFpsHus
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