morose

musings about life in a third world country

[lostinthedigitalera]

fashhhlowdown

These days, anything that isn't designer is labelled as fast fashion. While I admit that social media has exasperated fashion trends, before fashion used to be seasonal but now it depends on what style went viral, I believe it's still a person's choice whether or not they'd subscribe it. An individual's belief on whether likes or reactions on social media outweigh carbon footprint, that's on their conscience. Personally, also recently, I only buy clothes when I need it. When I need a particular color that isn't in my closet. It can even be when the clothes available in my closet aren't appropriate for an event.

Let's look closer into this casual wear. The top is a combination of 57% polyester, 32% cotton, and 11% elastane. It's a combination of synthetic and natural fibers. The pants are made from 98% cotton and 2% elastane. It's also a combination of natural and synthetic fibers.

For the care of these clothes, all the information are on the tags. For the top, it says machine wash warm, use only non-chlorine bleach when needed, line dry, medium iron, no dry clean. For the pants, it needs to be washed inside out, wash with similar color, and dry separately. The symbols also indicate that.

When I buy clothes, I make sure to check if there are any holes or flaws. After, I fit it and make sure I get the right size for me. I usually get one size bigger for allowance. I make sure it's on sale most of the time. But when the price makes for the quality, I give in. When it's purchased and worn, I make sure to follow the care instructions so it can be used for a long time.

[lostinthedigitalera]

what's in a bread stix

Nissin Bread Stix Food Label Analysis

The basic requirements such as product name, net weight, ingredients, manufacturer name and address, and expiration date are provided and easy to read. The specific labelling requirements such as presence of common allergens and storage instructions are provided as well. There was no difficulty looking for these in the packaging.

I think the labelling of this snack was to code. It included even the FNRI Percent RENI values in its Nutrition Facts for children age 7-9. It even has a halal stamp and a DepEd school friendly stamp.

Given that these bread stix are sold in packs of 10s, I like that they preferred to put all the necessary information in the individual packs. It makes it safer for the consumers, especially for those that need to know its expiration date. The packaging is kid-friendly too since it's easy to open and hold. It is a well-thought snack marketed for children.

I think the only recommendation I have is to tone down the flowery description of the product at the back. "Delicious, crunchy golden-brown biscuits baked to perfection! Savor the sweet-salty flavor of freshly-baked bread in every pack." We all know it's not freshly baked as well.

[lostinthedigitalera]

what to buy? no, it's how to buy

The way I decide on what to buy depends on what kind of product I am buying. When it comes to expensive products like appliances and gadgets, I adhere to extensive problem solving. I ask friends who are knowledgeable. I search for product and brand reviews. Lastly, I consider opinions of salespeople in malls or stores. When it comes to cosmetics and skincare, I need to gather information as well but not as much. Since I have an allergy, I usually go for brands that promote themselves as hypoallergenic. I weigh pros and cons of their pricing depending on the general review of their brand. If possible, I try local brands that provide ample information on their products first. When it comes to groceries, routinized response behavior is what I do. There are brands that I grew up with and my family trusts so I tend to purchase those. By applying these strategies on specific purchases, it saves me time. So far, I haven't had bad experiences with the things I buy, except of course for fresh produce since I can never really avoid having one or two spoil before I can cook them.

My motivations to buy products come from the need to do so. For these products though I usually get those recommended by family and peers. Also, I used to buy products because they were endorsed by my favorite celebrities. It's worth discussing some examples of different products that I buy and who recommended them.

When it comes to everyday use products, I trust my mom's recommendations. My mom and I both have sensitive skin. At home, we share our shampoo and conditioner. I have a separate lotion but we buy the same kind and brand.

There is one everyday use product that I bought before because a Korean rapper endorsed it and it came with his poster. It was sunblock. It was expensive but of good quality. But I didn't repurchase, it was expensive and my mom buys a cheaper brand with higher SPF.

When it comes to products like cosmetics and skincare, I welcome friend recommendations. They usually work and have okay prices. Though I remember this one instance that the brand, CosRx, didn't go well with my skin. I had to consult a dermatologist after since the breakouts were bad.

As I'm not adventurous when it comes to brands, I usually stick to familiar ones. I only ever venture in unfamiliar brands when friends recommend it. These days, I want to try and explore more local brands especially for clothing and cosmetics.

[lostinthedigitalera]

do i deserve this?

Since the shopping has never been more accessible, the urge to buy whatever comes to our minds is hard to stop. It's almost like an addiction. The pandemic and its aftermath of online shopping apps have yet to lose their appeal.

One of the consumer misbehaviors I was guilty of during the onslaught of the pandemic was excessive buying. I use to tell myself I deserve a new something, could be clothes, stationery, gadget, or even food, whenever I felt stressed or tired. I would consume my weekly allowance on apps like Shopee or Instagram looking for things I thought I needed but I only wanted.

During the pandemic, I was in social media most of the time. I got updated with what was trending in fashion, music, anime, coffee, and baking. Those interests helped me get through the depressing news of COVID-19 cases rising and not being able to go out to see family and friends. It disrupted my routine and stress was inevitable.

Last year, I realized that I bought too much stuff between the years of 2020 and 2021. I had to donate two XL trash bags full of clothes I don't wear but are still in good condition. I had to install new shelves for books I forgot I ordered and promised to read. I even donated some shoes because I realized I only needed a few pairs of sandals.

Excessive buying was the reason why our condominium was so cramped. Now, as we welcomed 2023, it's more spacious than when the pandemic started. We donated a lot of stuff.

Aside from space issues, it depleted a good amount of my savings. It's so tempting to buy stuff when you know you can afford it. I didn't realize I was almost to the limit of what I can touch on my savings account. That's why I limited buying online last year. I bid good bye to my Gold membership status in Shopee. I can't say my savings account is an amount I'm happy with but I'm glad it's not on it's last 1000 pesos.

As an FLCD major, I should be an example of someone that is resourceful. Reducing excessive online shopping or purchasing is important in reducing one's carbon footprint. We encourage UP CDC kids to make stuff with what they have at home, I hope I can do my part as well in reusing, reducing, and recycling materials for academic or personal purposes.

[lostinthedigitalera]

sprinkle some love my way or i might look the other way?

Filipino advertisements have, more often than not, the same formulation or theme that is family, love, then add whatever product you're selling. Viola! You have captured an audience. This is why the Maggi Magic Sarap 2022 commercial isn't different.

There is limited factual content in this advertisement regarding the product. It just shows the product for brief periods. You'd have to pause to actually read the what's written on the packaging. The price surprisingly isn't included anymore, unlike previous ads in the past years. The stores or where to get the product isn't indicated anymore as well.

I found less information in this ad than in ads I remember from the past. The disclaimer "vs previous formulation" is flashed every now and then during the ad but you have to look for it intentionally at the bottom right corner. This commercial gave only 25% of its duration to actually show and mention the product.

From the short montage of people cooking, the product wants to appeal to everyone. The montage included a woman wearing a hijab, a woman with colored hair and tattoos, and a guy. They were all cooking and sprinkling the product in their food. This type of strategy makes the product veer slightly away from mothers and lolas who are the staple of these types of commercials. Representing the different demographics is in!

The appeal techniques used in this commercial were elaboration likelihood model, power words, mood changes, and generalization. Elaboration likehood model through peripheral route was smart especially with the message they wanted to be associated with the product. The power words used here were sarap,aroma,piling sangkap, all-in-one. Mood changes appear in the storylines where the daughter was upset because she was missing her boyfriend and the mom cooks for her. At the end, they reunite. The other storyline was the dad working on a car and the mom and kid cook for him so they can have a family lunch. The jingle basically kept repeating the message of showing love for someone or family is through cooking.

The ad was able to conform to the Advertising Code of Ethics. It showed the ideal Filipino families. It banked on the Filipino culture of using food for comfort. Overall, I think this ad succeeds in plucking on Filipino heartstrings and making the Magic Sarap brand capture the essence of Filipino dishes being made with love.