#TheDress: Brands jump in on the debate

The Internet literally EXPLODED about #TheDress. Don't know what I'm talking about? Tumblr user swiked posted a picture of a dress and explained that her friends were arguing about the colors: was the dress black & blue, or white & gold?

What colors do you see?

The dress was on every news station, social media blew up with memes & friends arguing over what colors the dress actually is, and even celebrities voiced their opinions.

But my favorite part? How marketers cashed in on on the Great Dress Debate. Just take a look below; everyone from Sephora to Bauble Bar posted a snapshot of their picture-perfect products to keep the color pot stirring. Though the dress debate will soon be over, brands did a great job on jumping on the #blackandblue or #whiteandgold bandwagons, showing customers they're current with trends. It's great to have social media posts planned ahead of time, but even better to adjust your posts to what your customers are talking about!

 

Sephora wants you to have it all, while it looks like NARS chose team black & blue. Smokey eye anyone?

 

Make your vote clear with a mani! BaubleBar proves that black & blue and white & gold look fabulous together.

I have to admit, when I first saw this post on Facebook Thursday night, I saw black & blue. But the next morning, I saw–for a split second–white & gold. It quickly went back to black & blue, right before my eyes.

We continued the debate at work Friday, and the majority saw white & gold. My coworkers speculated it was age or eye color that caused us to all see the dress in different hues, but science explains that people see the dress in different colors because of their retinas.

By the way, the dress is actually black & blue.

So what's your opinion on #TheDress? Are you team black & blue, or white & gold? Comment below!

Ain't nobody f***ing with my cliché.

cli·ché

klēˈSHā/

noun

1. 1.

   a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.

I love cliches. Does that sound cliche in itself? Most people hate cliches, and don't particularly care for people who use cliches either. But while cliches may be a result of a lack of creativity, I think they're rather beautiful. Cliches are like good style: effortless and timeless. And clearly cliches have some sort of beauty to them, since they are so constantly repeated and used.

If you're as plugged-in to social media as much as I am, you'll quickly see how often clichés are used. You may even hear your friends groan about another "Man Candy Monday," an ever-popular social media cliché.


In an effort to change your attitude towards social media clichés, I've come up with a list of my favorite clichés used on Instagram. Prepare to start double-tapping these tried-and-true posts.

4). #TBT

My great-grandmother & I celebrating her 83rd birthday.

Let's start with one of the most common hashtags used on Thursdays: #TBT. Some say "Throw Back Thursdays" are overused; I say they're a great way to revisit and immortalize a memory–because, you know, the Internet is forever.

I think #TBT posts add variety, and give your followers a deeper look into your past. Let's hope it's not a dark one.

*Disclaimer* #TBT posts that literally happened yesterday are just stupid. #dont

3). Vacation Pics

A Corona Extra at the beach while you're in the office? Don't mind if I do.

If I had a dollar every time someone whined about vacation photos on Instagram, I'd have enough money to go on vacation. Seriously.

Why are so many people hating on #vacay pics? When I'm on vacation, clearly I want to brag about my perfect tan, and being able to drink a beer at 10AM. When I'm stuck at the office, I want to see you're having a great time, and maybe your snapshot of your raspberry margarita accompanied with the picturesque palm trees and perfectly filtered with Valencia will take me away from all the paperwork I need to get done, if only for a minute.

*Disclaimer* Don't post more than two vacation pics a day. Clogging up someone's timeline may get you an unfollow.

2). #FoodPorn

Ah. Mini cinnamon rolls & bottomless mimosas. What could be better?

As annoying as #FoodPorn posts can be–because I can't indulge in the delicious food I see on my screen, at that exact moment–I adore them. They inspire me to try new food, recipes, and restaurants. In fact, there are entire websites dedicated to food porn. AND, as the social media coordinator for a local restaurant, it's extremely important to post a variety of pictures of food to entice people to come check us out!

*Disclaimer* Take a pic BEFORE you eat your meal. No one wants to see crumbs and your glutenous face.

1). SELFIES

Don't ever look through my photos on my iPhone. #SelfiesGalore

People have a love-hate relationship with selfies. There's even a song about them! Some view them as egotistical and narcissistic, others as a sign of self-acceptance. I'm in the latter category. I think selfies can help people realize they're beautiful. In a world of unattainable beauty standards, selfies can promote self-confidence and self-acceptance. I'm all about looking and feeling good.

Just perfected your red lip? Instagram it. New hair do? Post that s#*t. I'm dying to be inspired to try a new eye liner, or screenshot six of your selfies and text them to my stylist (hate to admit I've done that).

*Disclaimer* I love selfies, but selfies posted with an inspirational or lyrical quote grind my gears. #IsThatWeird?



Any Instagram clichés you think I missed? Comment below.

#CatchYaLater