Thursday, September 27, 2018

Independent Ad Analysis

Gatorade "Forget Me"
Mercedes Benz "Chicken"

Ad Analysis: Gatorade

Gatorade's "Forget Me" ad begins by showing a woman in athletic wear sitting in a locker room. It can be assumed that the woman is a famous soccer player through the many newspaper clippings and jerseys that are prominently displayed throughout the ad.

Strictly through the construction of the ad, a sense of emotion is instilled in the reader. Beginning with an ominous chord, the ad slowly builds, directly correlating with the highs and lows of the woman's speech. Her voice, soft yet determined, sets the whole tone of the ad. She begins with the title, saying "forget me" and goes on to state all of her achievements that should be forgotten and instead used to inspire future generations. She then ends with the phrase "because the day I am forgotten is the day we will succeed" right as the Gatorade logo appears across a black screen.

The woman appears to be in deep thought throughout the ad, almost as if she has to make a difficult decision. This causes the viewer to really want to consider what she is saying as it appears to be relatively serious. As she slowly looks back on memories and tokens of her career, the woman appears to become verklempt and proceeds to remove her name plate from her locker only to immediately throw it in the garbage. The ad uses this sudden change of pace to instill a sense of inspiration in the viewer, a sense of progression. Using this momentum, the ad then displays young people running and playing various sports emphasizing the point that the children truly are the future. The ad is clever in this way as it uses a popular theme of progression and movement to relate to Gatorade's youthful audience, all the while communicating with the parents of these young athletes that Gatorade makes the well-being and success of their children first priority.

Ad Analysis: Mercedes Benz

Mercedes takes a different approach to youthful advertising then that of Gatorade. In their "Chicken" ad, the sleekness and agility of their cars is demonstrated through the balanced movement of a chicken's head.

The music, being upbeat and fun, contributes to the overall silliness of the ad, all the while maintaining the sleek aesthetic that is often associated with the brand, Mercedes, by using neutral tones and limited visuals. Gloved hands move the chickens around as if they were dancing along to the music that perfectly coincides with the movement of their bodies. While the ad uses comedic effect to appeal to their more youthful audience, the background remains very minimalist. This modern aspect of the ad creates a visually satisfying demeanor while demonstrating the high quality of the brand and therefore, the product.

While "Forget Me" uses emotional tactics to tug at the heartstrings of its viewer, the "Chicken" ad uses comedy to relate to its audience making them seem approachable and hip. These different tactics are used (as they are in all forms of advertising) to maintain a certain facade that inevitably controls the thoughts and feelings of those who are subject to it.

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