art 210

I was out of town for the past weekend and did not have access to a scanner or good camera, so I had to improvise by snapping pictures of these sketches on my Macbook. Better pictures coming later.

Slides 1 and 2: Girl realizes how lazy she has become since going to college, sleeping in until noon and eating lots of junk food. She looks in the mirror and reprimands herself for gaining the freshman 15.

Slides 3 and 4: The girl puts on the shoes she got from Roadrunner Fitness Store earlier in the semester for the first time. She suddenly feels more energetic. As she finishes lacing up her shoes, her favorite song to dance to, the Cupid's Shuffle, starts playing. She does not know where the music is coming from, but starts dancing anyway. Some of the kids from down the hall hear the music too and peek inside to see what is going on.

Slides 5 and 6: The other kids in her dorm start doing the Cupid's Shuffle, and before they know it they have all gotten out of bed and taken the dance outside, resembling a flash mob.

Slides 7 and 8: People are pictured in Roadrunner activewear and shoes performing various sports and activities, and then the commercial is summed up by encouraging people to visit the Roadrunner Fitness Store and website to get back in shape and have fun doing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e0Gsn4khss&feature=player_embedded

Product being advertised: Snickers Peanut Butter Squared bar

This commercial features 2 sharks who have just "taste-tested" two humans. When asked by the focus group leader which one tasted better, they chose the man who had just eaten a Snickers Peanut Butter Squared Bar, because it evidently made his flesh taste better. The leader asks the sharks if they would like another taste, and as another human walks in, they request that he "eats both squares, please!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6CcxJQq1x8&feature=player_embedded

Product being sold: Cravendale (British milk brand)

This commercial starts off by asking, "why do cats stare when you're pouring milk?" The answer is of course that cats love milk. But the narrator of this commercial considers, what if cats had thumbs? Then they could take matters into their own hands. Next cats are pictured quietly plotting against their owners to revolt and take hold of the mik, because they could if they had thumbs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0

Product being advertised: 2011 Volkswagen Passat

This commercial is very well known because it aired during the 2011 Superbowl. It is a commercial for the 2011 Volkswagen Passat that features a young boy dressed as Darth Vader trying to use "the force" to make things around his house move. He is getting frustrated until his dad comes home from work, and he tries one more time to use "the force" on his dad's Passat. His dad goes inside and starts the car with his remote control, watching in amusement as his son steps back in shock, thinking that his use of "the force" has finally worked. This commercial is genius because of its visual humor--no words are necessary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-9EYFJ4Clo&feature=endscreen

Product being advertised: 2012 Volkswagen Passat

This commercial is very well known because it aired during the 2012 Superbowl. It features a dog who realizes he has gained weight when he tries to chase his owner's Volkswagen, but cannot fit through the doggie door anymore. The dog then begins getting back in shape by running up and down the stairs, dragging weights around on a rug, running on a treadmill, and swimming. He even refuses to nibble on the scraps that the baby drops from his high chair. Soon enough, the dog can fit through the doggie door again and chases his owner's Volkswagen as if he were young again. This commercial uses visual humor and background music--there is no need for dialogue. To make it even better, it references the successful Darth Vader Volkswagen commercial from the 2011 Superbowl. It ends with a group Star Wars characters watching the Superbowl in a sports bar, and one comments that "the dog is funnier than the Darth Vader kid" but is stopped by a sudden choking feeling. He looks over to see Darth Vader standing across the bar, using "the force" to choke him and make him regret his comment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg1Q7kK6kSI&feature=related

Product being advertised: Nike+ Program

This commercial also uses visuals and background music to advertise. The product being advertised is the Nike Plus Program, a new program used through an iPod and a chip that is inserted in running shoes to give all the information needed for a successful workout. This program includes, tracking mileage, speed, distance, and time. All the user has to do is plug the iPod into his computer after his run to keep a record of his workout, and he is able to track his progress over time. This commercial is a very good way to advertise to people who have goals such as sticking to a New Year's Resolution or training for a race.

http://youtu.be/_8NxykoSBWI

Product being advertised: Nike Air at Foot Locker

This commercial uses animated fictional characters to create a story behind the Nike Air shoes. The well-being of athletes is being threatened worldwide by a new villain, Dr. Deflation, who is out to deflate all the Nike Air shoes in the world. But a team of superhero athletes join together, much like a Justice League cartoon, and use their athletic superpowers to stop the evil Dr. Deflation from deflating shoes, and keep the Nike Air shoes selling successfully in all finish line stores. This commercial is almost 3 minutes long, but there is also a shorter 30-second version available on Youtube. I liked this commercial because the use of animation was unique for an athletic company, and it created a whole new storyline and set of characters behind the existing identity of the Nike Air shoe.