http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-4zfsy6rsM
This is an ad run in 2010 for Dos Equis beer. I'm sure almost everyone has seen these commercials, in which the narrator describes a man who has these incredible life experiences, the type of life any TV watcher would be jealous of, describing the man as "the most interesting man in the world". At the end of the ad, the most interesting man in the world, surrounded by females, states "I don't always drink beer. But when I do, I prefer Dos Equis."
The argument here is that the type of beer you drink is closely associated with how interesting your lifestyle is. The ad implies that the "coolest" lifestyles are trademarked by drinking Dos Equis beer. The subjects that this ad is trying to argue into a position are basically anyone who drinks alcohol. "Your life can't be interesting unless you drink Dos Equis!" This subtle position drives everything about the 30-second clip.
My roommates and i really enjoy these ads, because they are very funny, and this is another point that helps the ad. Not only does it argue a position well, but the over-the-top experiences this guy has ("at museums, he's allowed to touch the art") are very funny and witty. Because of the humor, the ads stick in your mind, and thus the argument sticks in your mind.
I love these ads too. What I find interesting about them is the exaggeration of the stimulating content versus the brand 'catch-phrase.' We see a montage sequence in which this international man of mystery is taking on daring adventures, one after another. Then, in the end, he sits calmly at a table and says, "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis."
ReplyDeleteAs opposed to SO many beer/liquor/cologne/etc. commercials, these ads *dissociate* their product with the extravagant and adventurous lifestyle that so many of their competitors latch on to. Reading these ads immediately reveals an intentional targeting of what might just be the middle ground of party animals. Folks who don't need to see professional athletes partying with super-models to convince them that Mich Ultra Lite is delicious, yet also don't need to have some stereotypical French dude trying to convince them that drinking Stella Artois out of a tall can is classy because it has the outline of a chalice on the side.
These commercials really tug at my sense of humor and I applaud them for it. That being said, I'd take Negro Modelo or Pacifico over a Dos Equis any day of the week.