Icon Analysis

The icons that I'm choosing for this assignment is the Happy Meal, Amazon and Wendy's. One of the reasons I have chosen these 3 icons is because they are part of my life, and they are things that I enjoy doing by myself and with my family.

Happy Meal was introduced by McDonalds in the late 70s in order to offer an option for families with kids. The typical meal includes a main item (hamburger, cheeseburger), a side (sliced apples, french fries) and a drink (milk, juice). What makes the Happy Meal so special for children and not only, is the toy that is included in the meal. The toys included in the meal differ for boys and girls, and the included toys usually represent characters from movies or TV shows that are going to be released in the near future. One of the biggest reasons why I did choose this icon is because my kids love the Happy Meal. Over the years, we made this as our tradition, every time a new toy is released we go to McDonalds. I love to see the excitement on my kids faces when they open their Happy Meal box, and they get to play with their toys.

Amazon is an electronic store created by Jeff Bezos in 1994. Amazon started as an online bookstore but over the years Bezos diversified the products sold on Amazon. Right now, you can basically find anything that you want on Amazon from car parts to clothes to food to electronics. In the last few years, Amazon started offering the Kindle Fire (their own version of a tablet), the Fire TV and the Fire Phone. Also by subscribing to Amazon Prime customers get 2 days free shipping and access to a selected list of movies and TV shows. Amazon is a very successful company that has become an icon in the online world. Amazon is starting to be the main place I do all my online shopping. I love all the products that they have created. I own a few Fire tablets, and I can say that for the price it is an amazing deal. Amazons buying and returning process is one of the easiest and fastest I have seen. Their customers service is one of the best in the market, and this makes me want to do more business with Amazon.

Wendy's was founded by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio in 1969. The name Wendy's comes from Daves daughter Melinda Lou. Even if Wendy's doesn't necessarily have a signature burger, they are well know for their square-patties burgers. Wendy's offer a variety of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and beverages. I prefer Wendy's over the other fast foods restaurants because of the quality and taste of their food. Every time I go over there I feel like I'm treated with respect and the food is delicious. This is the first option for me and my family when it comes to fast food places. Usually, we stop at McDonalds to buy Happy Meals for the kids and after that we go to Wendy's. How Wendy's girl is saying "Now that's better".

Popular Culture 

Popular culture is the general culture of a society, including ideas, music, books, and the mass media, as opposed to high culture. I associate popular culture with things that are parts of our life and are popular at the moment like certain movies, songs, brands, etc.

It is important for me to keep up with todays trends because that can help me integrate easier in the society, and it can open new doors and new perspectives for the future. From a business standpoint, understanding popular culture can bring a lot of benefits like attracting more customers, keeping actual customers, diversifying the products and services offered to meet the current trends, etc. By understanding popular culture, businesses can also promote more efficiently their business, and they can adapt to the always changing times.

Facebook is an example of a popular culture artifact. Everyone is talking about Facebook, and it seems that this is the place where everything happens nowadays. Facebook is the place where you can keep in touch with friends, family and not only. Facebook is also a popular tool for businesses to promote their products and services. Facebook is present everywhere around us (TV, product packages,  etc.).