The commercial that I have chosen to analyze is for Bud Light:
Rhetorical/audience analysis: This commercial is interesting in that the product is only mentioned by name twice, once in the beginning and once at the end. The product can also only be seen twice, at the same time it is mentioned. Instead of repeating the product name over and over, the commercial is attempting to be funny and thus make an impact through humor. Although the commercial promoting the face slap in place of the fist bump, I do not think that the marketing department at Bud Light really thought that the face slap was going to catch on. As a viewer, this commercial is memorable because it is somewhat humorous, at least it was the first time I watched it.
Critical discourse analysis: This commercial reminded me of the Burger King Kid's Club from my youth. The Kid's Club was the BK equivalent of a McDonald's Happy Meal. Each Kid's Club meal came in a bag with pictures of the cartoon Kid's Club on the side. This cartoon/ideal image of the Kid's Club included a child from every race and one child with a disability. The marketing department at Burger King did not want to leave anyone out. I think that Bud Light had the same idea. This commercial features people of all different races, and potentially different classes. The three guys in the bar at the beginning could potentially be anybody. Almost any male viewing this commercial could relate to those guys, especially if the viewer is in his 20s/30s. Throughout the commercial we see different people in different settings: golf course, car lot, restaurant kitchen, and office. I think that Bud Light intentionally picked these varying locations to appeal to the many male viewers that might see this commercial.
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2 comments:
Yeah, the commenrcial includes many different classes and races, in a sense--I think, this commercial makes one think that there are no problems with society.
Like, people of any class would be as ok being slapped by another--when in fact, a member of the majority culture slapping a member of a minority has weird power dynamics there.
These sort of commericals always make me a bit uncomrfortable.
Nathan,
I agree with your analysis, this commercial appeals to the "everyman" in America, trying to connect to folks from every demographic and SES. I found it interesting how careful the producers were in making sure that blacks and whites did an equal amount of slapping each other, but the only Asian characters are slapping each other in a kitchen. This is also the only place where one character "double-slaps" another. Of course the white main character is in a suit and tie and "saves" the account. On a second or third viewing, I agree that this was pretty uncomfortable to watch. . .
-Chris
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