Well well my advertising unit is going quite well, and has been pretty interesting so far. The fact of the industry is that most of the times, as a creative designer or copywriter for ads, you'll get pretty boring stuff you have to make it seem like it's the greatest thing on earth, even if it's literally just a pile of bricks or something. But the tutor has been liking my work, so I'm pretty proud of that, but apparently my headlines are pretty weak, which is strange, because I've always thought that my written creativity was stronger than my visual, but I guess that's kinda been gettin rusty since I read so little lately. Reminds me I gotta get the sequel to Bridge to Holy Cross off Calvin. And the book Dexter seems pretty interesting too.
Anyway the focus of this post is about the journey of a drink, and about branding.
Ok so I was in my advertising lecture, and I had just rushed over from another lecture from the other campus, and I had forgotten my lecture notes as well as my notebook so I had to take notes on a piece of paper with printed words all over it already so it was quite messy. When the tutor called for a 5 minute break, most people rushed out either to go home or get food. I sat there, stretched, and took a breather. Then someone came back with a cup of coffee they had bought from a stall from the next block. Now I had forgotten my water bottle so I was pretty thirsty, and water seemed pretty bland compared to the enticing and unique smell of coffee wafting over from two seats away. But I thought about the stall where he had bought it from (and I could be sure because it had their logo printed on the cup) and I remember the coffee didn't taste so great last time I got it there so I would restrain myself this time and go without.
After enduring the coffee smell for the rest of the lecture, I walked out and went past the net black, but the caffee craving was still there, so I said to myself "if I see another coffee place I'll buy a cup." Forgetting there was another coffee stall at the entrance off the uni. So when I walked past I said I'd go get a cup, even though I didn't really trust the quality of the coffee there either, but I'd give it a try anyway. So I ordered my coffee from the dude there, after two other guys in front of me, and waited to the side, and after me another girl ordered after me. And it took ages and ages. While standing there waiting I was wondering if I should tell him I didn't want it anymore and walk away since I hadn't paid yet, but I was justifying in my mind "well I already asked him for it, and he seems to be pretty confident with coffee-making.... this better be an awesome cup of coffee..."
Turns out the delay was because there wasn't enough hot water in the coffee machine, but when I finally got my coffee, walked away and took a sip, it was pretty bland, not creamy and overall a really bad cup of cofee. I was pretty disappointed since it completely did not justify standing there waiting for it for 10 minutes, and instead of fulfilling my coffee craving, it only increased it. So my mind immediately popped to Gloria Jeans, where I usually get coffee from, so I walked into the city, and as I walked into the GJ store in Borders, I changed my mind from their vanilla latte to the vanilla chiller. I had it last time and the taste suddenly came rushing back. So i oredered it and paid, but then the counter boy said "ooohh sorry, I just forgot, we don't serve cold drinks anymore tonight. I'm so sorry it just completely slipped my mind. Would you like a latte instead?" No sorry, I don't really feel like a hot drink anymore, even though it was a pretty cold night. Disappointed even more than before, I took my money back and walked out of the store, wondering where I could get my coffee chiller buzz.
And looked over the road to see the green glowing sign of Starbucks. Oh that's right, I had almost forgotten there were any other brand coffee places around except for GJ. Walking into Starbucks, I looked at their menu, and found the prices were even more expensive than GJ, who was already more expensive than that no-name stall outside QUT. But I was already inside, so I would get my cup of whatever. Then I saw their green tea frappe, and instantly remembering I used to love it and I hadn't had it for about 2 years now, changed my mind again, and this time successfully got a green tea frappe.
Sipping happily through the straw on the way home, I realised I had just spent about $10 on fulfilling an impulse desire, no less guided by brand names embedded in my mind. For this small (but expensive) pleasure, it took quite a long journey to get to it. What is this addiction that makes us go buy something we don't need, or the obsession that makes us keep chasing? Lately I've been spending quite a lot of money on impulse food and drinks, even though I should be saving money and eating thriftily. I blame a lot of it on stress (I've also been eating a lot of choco and snacking quite a lot so my weight is kinda expanding) but I guess I brought it on myself. Just goes to show I really don't have a lot of self-control when it comes to food, or I guess istuff in general. I usually don't buy much, and I think my mind justifies for me that when I do spend it's ok cos I usually don't, but when I do buy stuff it can get pretty expensive.
Well well that concludes this post; a big story for something very very trivial. Another post on other stuff later.
It's so hard to separate need and want nowadays when the whole world is telling us there is no such thing as want, everything is a need. I think I'm lucky that I'm ridiculously stingy so I'm used to limiting my needs =) It was an interesting read
