Analyzing Television Commercials

Chapter 9

Mini-Video or Film Dramas

TV commercials are much more complex than print advertisements

They can have many more elements in them Such as narrative, dialogue, music, various

shots and editing techniquesTV “spots” or “CXs” store much more

information than do print ads with photographs

Each frame or image in a TV spot is, in a sense, similar to a print ad

15 Questions to Ask about TV Commercials

Plot of the narrative?Characters are in the

CX?Describe their facesWhat do they say to

each other?Where does the CX

take place?Are props used? How is color used?Describe the lighting

How is sound used? Is there music? What kind?

What kinds of shots?Editing techniques?Are there intertextual

references? References to other works? Parodies, well-known characters?

Does the CX rely on background knowledge?

What role does the product have in society?

Apple’s “1984” Commercial

Aired once and only once during the 1984 Super Bowl, this 60 second CX is considered one of the best and most complex ever

Apple founder/CEO Steve Jobs unveils never-before-seen commercial prior to the Super Bowl (here)

Ridley Scott discusses directing this commercial (here)

Apple’s iconic 1984 ad- 25 years later (CNET article)

The Text and its Imagery

Orwell’s “1984” book Repression Storm troopers Heavy boots Prisoners/Inmates Uniforms Brainwashing “Marching Zombies” Blond woman in white Sledgehammer Broken television screen “Big Brother” figure Heroine as mythic figure

battling a monolithic monster

“Big Blue” IBM as the enemy

A big explosion A short, simple message at

the end: On January 24th, Apple

Computers will introduce Macintosh and you will see why 1984 won’t be like “1984.”

Implies this new computer has enormous political and social implications

It has the power to save us from ending up like prisoners, victims of a totalitarian state

Clever Marketing Strategy

Apple and the Chiat/Day ad agency that designed “1984” took an unusual approach

It focused not so much on the benefits derived from using a Macintosh but instead on the dangers inherent in not using one

The ending implied in the “1984” commercial focused on the avoidance of something hateful rather than gaining something desirableNot a huge success in sales- 17,000 sold first day– well

below expectations, but a brilliant brand launch which put Apple and its Macintosh more in the home computer conversation in a unique and positive way for the company

And the rest is….history!