Because of the stunning German victory last night, I am posting an article everyday this week relating to the World Cup and Germany. The German team performed very well, and I would like to teach my viewers about their culture (I am half German)!
Although it is rather strange, I enjoy watching well put-together commercials that are visually appealing and intellectually stimulating. I think that analyzing the ways advertisers entice us, the consumers, to buy their product is instructive. I posted an article analyzing fashion commercials from different countries a few months ago; read that article here. This article is similar to that one, except I am looking at the 2014 World Cup Commercials! I have been watching the World Cup since it started, and the futbol ads are witty, playful, and exciting to watch. Most of the ads are from the #Because Fútbol filter. GO DEUTSCHLAND!
This commercial has been played numerous times on ESPN, so I gather it is popular on the station. Basically, a couple has sex the night their country wins the World Cup, the girl gets pregnant, and in the delivery room, she discovers that a bunch of other couples did the dirty that night too. Anything is possible with futbol, right? Besides being witty, this commercial employs several other tactics as well to make ESPN viewers watch the World Cup to the very end. First and most overtly, there is the sexual appeal. Multiple couples are shown kissing in ecstasy the moment the futbol team scores the winning goal (or should I say, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!) The subsequent partying scenes and further mouth to mouth action are compelling to regular viewers, and certainly capture our attention when we are watching TV. Doesn't everyone want to party and feel loved? Well, watching the World Cup final game will evidently give the viewer both of those golden nuggets. Second, the people in the ad are….everyday looking. They are not celebrities or famous futbol players—they are common people who are having a genuinely good time. And of course, no commercial that aims to jab every emotion would be complete without babies or young kids. Throughout the one minute, scenes of pregnant women and baby screams confront the viewer, eliciting at least a few “aws” from the audience. The baby imagery also ties in with the appeal to emotions. People in the ad are looking happy, so naturally that tends to make the viewer more upbeat as well. Although I am probably digging into this commercial a little too much, I also noticed many scenes with darkness. To me, darkness indicates mystery and a certain sultry aspect that commercials set in daytime do not have. Finally, the ad featured different languages. At least for me, foreignness and the sound of a different tongue are compelling and make me want to watch the rest of the commercial.
“Avoidance”
This commercial is particularly hipster and grunge, but I still enjoy viewing it. It shows a teenage boy walking through the streets of Brazil, using refreshing-looking Pepsi to make music, encountering famous futbol players, and partying it up with fellow Pepsi-attics. There were two main appeals in this ad; first, celebrity endorsement, and second, the appeal to the senses (i.e. the pervading music). As for the celebrities, all of them were well known World Cup players including Lionel Messi and David Luiz. The music, however, moved the whole commercial and made the separate scenes united. The song was a remix version of David Bowie’s “Heroes,” and it completely fit the hipster, street-chic mood that Pepsi was trying to convey. The viewer simply wants to participate in the action because it is so light, happy, and bohemian (the glittering generality tactic). Finally, the cool factor was also exemplified by the main character wearing dark sunglasses the whole time (mysterious and inviting). Finally, Pepsi sold their product forcefully in the last scene of partying. Buy and drink Pepsi, and you will be transported to a raging party in the streets of Brazil.
“Bus Stop”
If you, like me, are experiencing World Cup Fever, then you are sure to enjoy this quirky commercial from McDonalds (which is endorsing the World Cup). There isn’t too much to dissect for this ad, but it certainly is effective and humorous. First, there is the “old lady” appeal. Who doesn’t think grandmothers with wrinkly faces and benign smiles are cute (or at least affable)? This automatically draws people in and makes them want to watch the rest of the moving images. Second, there was the allusion to futbol players who line up in a row in front of the goalie during penalty shots. The kicker was that the men in the commercial were average people; they weren’t futbol stars, but rather businessmen and regular passers-by. There was an appeal to the senses, including touch (the feel of water on one’s skin) and hearing (the crowd roaring in the background and the ‘swoosh’ of the water). Overall, wit and the incorporation of regular people into futbol made this commercial memorable and worthwhile.
“Gol!”
Because this ad was global and connected many different races of people, I thought it was interesting and different. It speaks volumes about the technology and globalization that our world has experienced; people from Angola to Argentina to Andorra can play futbol and watch the World Cup at one time. In the beginning, there was that darned “cute” factor again with the little boys bouncing the ball on their knobbly knees. It then showed everyday people showing off their footwork skills in anticipation of the World Cup and the fervor for futbol that it brings every four years. What made this commercial attractive was the unique shots/vantage points that were filmed. For example, the scene that looks down on the ground from the bell tower was unique and unlike anything I have ever seen. Of course, the ad had sex appeal because two women (scantily clad in black dresses and wearing high heels) were shown bouncing the ball on their tanned legs and Mary Janes. The way the ad was able to transition from the stereotypical “sexy” girl to an old man playing futbol was seamless and attention-capturing. Again, the old man with missing teeth and a caved in face was endearing, as well at the wit/humor at the end. To wrap it up, the ad had an “old-timey” feel (i.e. the old music and blotchy lighting) that contrasted perfectly with the modern/dark scene with the two women. This commercial managed to unite several people from different walks of life and ethnicities through the captivating sport of futbol.
“Leo Messi Pepsi Can Trick”
I will admit, the title of this commercial is super cheesy and takes the “celebrity endorsement” tactic a little too far. However, the title is truthful because the first shot is the famed Argentinean player, Lionel Messi, balancing a blue Pepsi can on top of his trainer and kicking it up--slow motion--into the air. The music in the video was a combination of techno, pop, and modern, directly contrasting to the Gol! Commercial shown above. I also noticed the dominant blue tones in the video—in fact, most of the Pepsi commercials had blue hues woven in throughout their entirety. This may be because Pepsi cans and the Pepsi corporate color is a dark, midnight blue. I also detected a “live for now” attitude that is meant to appeal to the inner YOLO in the world’s youth. The YOLO aspect was further enforced by the body tricks that the characters were performing with their Pepsi cans. Of course, regular people cannot do these tricks and would likely break their necks if they tried, but the “glittering generality” advertising tactic says that “if you drink Pepsi, you too can be this flexible.” Finally, the last shot showed a man drinking his Pepsi in an exaggerated fashion in front of a gray skyline and the words “Live for Now.” This evokes an attractive sense of traveling, adventure, and “street life” in the viewers.
“Avoidance”
This hilarious ad features a dad purposely trying to avoid watching the World Cup game before he comes home and can see the game in full. Stuttering a “I’m recording it,” as he leaves his office, the man passes a group of people watching the game, the ticket collector watching the game, and a relative coming up excitedly and exclaiming, “Dude!” However, all of his hard efforts are for naught when his daughter skips in, happily saying, “We won!” Sorry, dad. First and foremost, this ad is relatable because the main character, the young dad, is common and average looking. Most people work in offices as well, heightening the “I’m just like you” appeal. Second, many actions were greatly exaggerated for humor. For example, the dad throwing the phone up with a look of the utmost annoyance and later screaming “zip it!” was priceless. Again, the ad had an appeal to youth/young children. The young daughter was included to induce the “cute” factor/emotion in the audience. Kids will always be adorable in commercials, no matter what they say or do. Last, I noticed a repetition in facial expressions on the lead character (mostly those of annoyance, self-restraint, and pain). It has been theorized that repetition stimulates the brain and helps it remember events more clearly.
“Agora”
“Agora”
“Bus Stop”
“Gol!”
“Leo Messi Pepsi Can Trick”
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