Priceless Pep-Talks

Who created this media message? Why?

Mastercard made this advertisement to emphasize there on-going advertising that "Somethings are priceless for everything else there is Mastercard." Therefore they used Peyton Manning (who has been one of there spokespersons for a couple years) delivering his "priceless" peptalks because you can't buy a peptalk from Peyton Manning but you can buy many other things with it like "some bigger shirts". They also made this ad to promote another advertising campaign. If you notice at the end people can goto priceless.com/peptalks and make their own Peyton Manning type pep talk.

Who is the target audience? What text, images or sounds suggest this?

The target audience is people who can afford credit cards and are football fans. There are a variety of them for whatever the person's budget and credit line might be. Mastercard probably realized they could get their credit card advertised to millions of people on Sunday's if they put Peyton Manning's face on it. If they had used a basketball player in this advertisement then most likely we'd see this ad during basketball games. However I usually see this ad on Sundays or during any other kind football programming Mastercard sponsers.

What is the text(literal) meaning of the message?

The literal text of this message is go to http://www.priceless.com/peptalks to make a peptalk to send someone. I think this ad, is advertising another advertising campaign. Peyton Manning never says, "I'm Peyton Manning, I use Mastercard" and in fact without it being called "Priceless" pep-talks I would have not made the connection that it was a Mastercard ad.

What is the subtext(hidden message)?

The hidden message is Mastercard's motto for the last few years, "somethings are priceless for everything else there is Mastercard". In all these priceless pep talk(there are many of them) Manning is always hinting to buy something to help them out. For example in this ad he gives his priceless pep talk and says "Buy some bigger shirts". By saying that an old Mastercard commercial would come to my head. Bigger shirts: 10 dollars Pep Talk from Peyton Manning: Priceless. I think Mastercard chose to advertise it's product with subtext and advertise this campaign to go to their website literally.

What kind of lifestyle is presented? Is it glamorized? How?

Peyton Manning is portraying the life style of someone who isn't under the age of 23 and a pro football player. I feel he unglamorizes it by making the viewer accept that fate if they fall into that category. He says, "just give up and buy bigger shirts". While that doesn't sound encouraging or glamorous, I think he's trying to emphasize that you are who you are so deal with it and move on.

What values are expressed?
I think Manning is expressing that he values his place as a football player. Peyton Manning is about 30 years old and plays pro-football. Therefore he is getting older but keeping his pro-football figure. Therefore the way he jokes about how if your not under the age of 23 or a pro-football player you need to accept that guy, I feel is him saying, "Sucks your not a pro football player like me". He's doing this also make us the viewer laugh because he understands he's not the norm, when he can poke fun at that, it seems to make the viewer drawn to the character and commercial.

What techniques of persuasion are being used?

The main technique is name/face recognition and humor. Peyton Manning is a highly touted NFL player with quite the character. People who don't watch football know who he is because he is one of the best players in the NFL and he has made other celebrity appearances. Therefore they have name/face recognition covered they just had to make a quirky campaign. Therefore these priceless pep-talks that aren't that priceless takes care of the humor. This when people see Manning being silly they instantly are curious to see what the website is like.

What healthy and unhealthy messages are being communicated?

The unhealthy message is he tells people to give up. I think someone who is about 24 and really obese might look at that commercial as someone saying it's hopeless for them to lose weight. It sounds kind of ridiculous but the reason Manning can make that statement is because he probably observed many people letting go after age 23. The truth is a person can lose weight at anytime they just have to be ready and should really do it sooner then later. The healthy message though is Manning is also saying not to worry. I don't think he would want people to think he is saying "If your under 23 and large give up" he just wants guys with a guy to get a laugh out of the commercial. He's trying to let guys know not to get too worked about the gut, just buy some bigger shirts.

What part of the story is not being told?

The part of the story is what will Peyton Manning look after he retires. Right now Manning is in great shape, he never gets injured and performs well now. However when he hits his 40's and 50s he's not going to be this cut football player. He will be flabby and he will need bigger shirts. I also have no idea what that ad has to do with Mastercard. I think the commercial is funny but it doesn't make me want to use a Mastercard. I also am curious about these pep-talks I can send to my friends. Is this also part of their advertising ploy. I think ads like this leave questions that are unanswered but easy to answer therefore making the advertising scheme, forcing people to learn about Mastercard.

The Diary of an American Witchdoctor

Who created this media message? Why?

The artist Witchdoctor and the record label who releases him produced this advertisement to tell everyone that this artist(Witchdoctor) has an album available in stores.

Who is the target audience? What text, images or sounds suggest this?

The target audience is adults, particularly ones who watch adult swim and like rap music. In this ad there is a lot of sexually provactive messages shown in the characters. When they play a clip for the song "Best Year" you can see the man pretending to spank the woman. Plus listen to what exactly is being rapped when they play the clip for "The Barrel" The adult swim audience speaks to the fact that I first saw this ad on adult swim(cartoon networks nighttime programming) and that it's 9.99 at adultswim.com which means people who watch adult swim were probably the ones who demanded this product in the first place. I also think the fact that this album's parental advisory sticker is highlighted tells viewers that this material is explicit and probably not appropriate for young ears.

What is the text(literal) meaning of the message?

The literal text of this message is that this artist who is heard a adult swim programming has released an album so people can hear all their favorite songs from the shows. They are advertising it is for sale for 9.99 at adultswim.com and available in stores everywhere.

What is the subtext(hidden message)?

The hidden message is that this music will help you "get down." The people in the advertisement are dancing very provocatively and are hinting to viewers that if the camera wasn't on them, they wouldn't be wearing clothes. Essentially these guys knew the people who watch adult swim, will see this ad(because it airs on adult swim a lot) so they figured most of the programming is full of dirty innuendos, they might as well make the advertising that way to.

What kind of lifestyle is presented? Is it glamorized? How?

The lifestyle presented is the lifestyle of free loving individuals who like to dance. I think the expressions on the peoples faces throughout the commercial glamorize this life style showing that with Witchdoctor's music and hot sweaty bodies, good times follow.

What values are expressed?

I don't think any good values for elementary school children are expressed. If I had a child work his tail off at music his whole life and then when he turns 21 puts out a provocative album like that I wouldn't complain. At the same time I'd be worried if they were listening to that album when I have them as a 9 year old student. I don't have anything against Witchdoctor putting out this album, but I would have an extremely hard time justifying an values in this. One could argue Witchdoctor's values are pretty clearly stated in this advertisement. I think this commercial and music shown in it displays that the artist Witchdoctor is all about partying and ladies, thats what he values most.

What techniques of persuasion are being used?

The main technique of persuasion is humor and sex appeal. The commercial is poking fun at the collection of song one can order off TV(Like the BEST OF THE 90's or Now Music Collection). I have seen a bunch for old motown songs and the ads always shows these outdated people boogie woogie-ing down. This parody of those commercials helps sells the product to people who are looking for something thats different. "goofballs" haven't really attacked mainstream rap and I think Witchdoctor is trying to get this "goofball" market. He wants his fans(no matter where they are from) to know that he likes getting down and having fun. He could have made a hardcore commercial showing him as a man capable of shooting me, but instead they show him as a man capable of shooting me with a sense of humor. The sex appeal part comes from the fact that aside from Witchdoctor telling us about it being available on "Adultswim.com" a woman is always dancing sexually. I am not going to lie, whenever a commercial has pretty women in it, I think of those pretty women and get drawn to the product, I'm ashamed but I know it's true. An example of this is this video for a song called "Mama's Room" by Under Influence of Giants. The images in this video made me think of pretty women thus drawing me to CD and band.


What healthy and unhealthy messages are being communicated?

The healthy message promoted in this ad is that Witchdoctor stayed true to his guns. I don't really think Witchdoctor is a top 100 chart seller but I think his ad showed he doesn't care about that. He just wants to make his extremely provocative music and go on to the next thing. At the same time this commercial marinates in unhealthy messages. The way the women are shown could be argued as degrading to some. Some people may feel they are portrayed as objects for men. Also the music he's advertising isn't exactly all ages friendly. A child who sees this commercial might be exposed to too many things his/her parents were not ready for. I also would worry that kids might think the lyrics are funny(and might not understand what he's saying sometime) and repeat them at inappropriate times. For example a child at Campfire heard like a virgin and started blurting the lyrics out all the time without understanding what a virgin is.

What part of the story is not being told?

The part of the story is how "real" is Witchdoctor. Is Witchdoctor really from the streets or did he grow up with a butler. I'm sure these answers could be answered really easily with assistance from Google but he never claims what streets he tore up. I also don't know a lot about him, himself. For example I tend to stray away from artists who feel sueing people for more then they are worth for downloading songs. If witchdoctor feels this way I would hate to get really into his music and then have to know that, it would drive me nuts. If I knew right off the bat Witchdoctor was one of those people, I'd refuse to listen to the music in the first place.

Maniac for KIA's

Who created this media message? Why?

Kia created this commercial because it's the end of the year and they got to get ready for the new year of sales. This means Kia needed to launched a "Year-end Sales event" with savings like you have never seen before. I guess they wanted to show that people were buying Kia's by showing a fictitious salesman tearing up the sales floor.

Who is the target audience? What text, images or sounds suggest this?

The target audience is everyone who needs an affordable car. Kia's are generally designed for all budgets. My friend for example doesn't make a whole lot of money but seems to always come up with the payments for his Kia. This commercial shows that Kia's are being sold like crazy. Which hints that they can't be too expensive if this particular saleman is "selling like he never sold before." Also at the end the graphic and voiceover talking about how their "Savings like never before". Expensive car companies wouldn't have an ad like this. The reason is they are about elegance and excellence. Therefore floor managers at BMW dealerships would have kittens if they saw their product advertised like Kia's. At the same time no matter how sexy a person will make a BMW look to me, I simply can't afford one, but I'm sure I could find a way to afford a KIA. I think this ad, with the graphic and voiceovers with the word "Savings" I'd think KIA was the direction for me versus something else.

What is the text(literal) meaning of the message?

The literal text of this message is that Kia's are on sale. At this point in time a person can purchase a Kia for less then they could in July. This advertisement is trying to point that out by showing how easy it is for the salesman to sell them.

What is the subtext(hidden message)?

One could argue that the silliness and outrageousness of the commercial is too show that Kia's are for people who don't take themselves too seriously. They never actually say that but I could see a very uptight person not being turned off by that commercial. I think Kia realizes more people need a car then can afford a nice car, so they created affordable line of vehicles and to make up for the lack of "superiority" they created this outrageous ad to show that who cares it's not a BMW "He's selling like he's never sold before".

What kind of lifestyle is presented? Is it glamorized? How?

The lifestyle of a car salesmen is glamorized. The reason it is glamorized is because Kia is trying to show people are buying their cars. They figure if they show the car salesmen making sales left and right with an extremely over the top ad, they'll be able to convince people with the claim that "they are selling lots of cars with huge savings"

What values are expressed?

The value expressed is that saving money is awesome. What sells me on this is the excitement shown in the salesroom. They people are excited that they are selling cars left and right. Being someone who has worked in sales I know I used to get extremely excited when our products went on sale. It was like telling us we had to give up $10.00 in commission to shoot our career sales up and thus making more money in the long run. Also at the end the guy talking about the year end sales event has the sound of "HELL YEAH!" in his voice. The phrase, "With saving like never before" sold me that the savings of their products was the hook to lure people into their dealerships.


What techniques of persuasion are being used?

The main technique of persuasion is super humor. Lets face it Kia's are not going to win people with the car themselves. They need to prove that their car is worth more then their already low dollar value. Therefore they have to sell people on their savings and warranty which means really it isn't the car they are selling us on, it's the value and warranty.

What healthy and unhealthy messages are being communicated?

The healthy message promoted is that I don't need to feel ashamed of having "Maniac" on my i-Pod and that anyone can have a Kia. The unhealthy message I feel ties into the hidden message of tackiness. My friend watched the commercial with me and she said, "I think it's really funny but because it's funny it shows Kia's are pretty tacky". I think the commercial might make some Kia owners feel like they own the car with a silly ad, not necessarily a car with prestige. This in turn might make a person fall into the traps stated in "Born to Buy. In that a new pressure of not having the car with the silly ad.

What part of the story is not being told?

Many people know this but, Kia's are not exactly lifer cars. I think of about all the Kia's I see on the road and most of them are no older then 2000. I think Kia neglects to mention that their car is built for planned obsolescence. In that they decided that people want a new car every 2-4 years so we will make a car that lasts just about that long.

Old School McDonalds Ad

Who created this media message? Why?

McDonalds created this commercials years before Christopher Meloni ("Larry") cleaned the streets of sexual offenders and murderers on Law & Order: SVU as Detective Elliott Stabler.
Meloni's character Larry is showing that McDonald's isn't fancy food, but with McDonald's who needs it. This ad is obviously outdated but the same theme of McDonalds is good enough for a date is still prevalent. Check out this ad that air in Egypt thats obviously a lot more modern.



Who is the target audience? What text, images or sounds suggest this?

The target audience are for an adult demographic. The nighttime/pre-date setting indicates that this is the gathering of two adults preparing for adult activity. McDonald's just a part of this adult evening, Larry states, "Me, McDonalds, Movie that's it". McDonald's is going to taste the same no matter whose eating it. However by isolating an adult audience with this commercial and using another line of commercials for children, McDonalds is able to market the same product to appeal to a wide range of age groups. I would assume that the commercial aired during prime-time hours.
What is the text(literal) meaning of the message?

The literal text of this message is that McDonalds is good for any occasion. Most of the time people think first date they think of making a first impression. Most people wouldn't figure McDonald's into that equation but this advertisement has decided to challenge that notion.

What is the subtext(hidden message)?

The hidden message is McDonald's always hits the spot. I think the lady that Larry was picking up expected someone who would butter themselves and look like the man of her dreams. However here comes Larry who seems to be kind of secure of himself but insecure about himself towards women, so he brings on his, "I'm Larry, I'm a salesman we're watching a movie and eating at McDonalds" attitude. Almost seeming like he was trying to speed up what he felt was the inevitable(as in the woman turning him down). However in the end the commercial proves that in this universe of Larry and this woman McDonalds is a sure-bet.

What kind of lifestyle is presented? Is it glamorized? How?

This advertisement is glamorizing the "regular joe" character. The commercial went out of the way to point out that Larry was not a wealthy lawyer or business executive. I feel Larry speaks to most single guys at ANY age, that no matter how much money they have, they never want a woman that makes them spend it all. Therefore McDonalds portrays this wonderful fantasy realistically thus selling people on that idea more, thus increasing their profits.

What values are expressed?

The value expressed seems to be a stance on anti-materialism. I think McDonalds understands they don't qualify as gourmet. They aren't hiring world class chefs to prepare their food. Yet they realize that more people can afford McDonalds versus gourmet food so it makes it important that they portray their food as quality though it isn't 5 star. By showing two people eating there for a date versus a nice steakhouse they express that it doesn't a lot of money to satisfy hunger and have a good time with Larry and the millions like him.

What techniques of persuasion are being used?

The main technique of persuasion is what I call the "Hallmark" appeal. I am pretty sure it has an official name but the "Hallmark" appeal is what usually draws my mom into commercials. If it makes her go "aw" she'll be pretty sold on something. For example there was a Petco Commercial with a dog that she thought was adorable. She ended up getting a dog and shopping at Petco. With this commercial people feel for confidence less Larry and then do back flips inside when his blind-date joins him. Another technique is the "regular Joe" appeal. They didn't use rich or extremely wealthy people in the ad, they used to people who probably fall right into the median. This technique and the "hallmark" technique make people like McDonalds because the ad presents an underdog story in 45 seconds. I feel bad for Larry and I have also been their so I can relate to him. Now I won't instantly want a Big Mac but I'm sure if I'm hungry and I think of Larry, I'll think fast food.

What healthy and unhealthy messages are being communicated?

The healthy message promoted is that doesn't have to take a lot to impress someone. McDonalds focused on this ad being about Larry and how even he, a person with not a whole lot of money, could take a woman out and be impressive. At the same time a person can do a bunch of healthier and cheaper things to taking a date out. For example I figure if I did Larry's date, it would be like 14.00 for two movie tickets, another 10-15.00 for the food making plus another 10 dollars for "miscellaneous" expenses, the tally for this date would be about $40.00. At the same time Larry could have rented a movie(or been cheaper and gotten an older movie from the library for free). Then used the forty dollars to buy a bag of salad and the ingredients to make a gourmet dinner. With all that said the unhealthy message I see in this is that it says McDonalds is the ONLY option for an affordable date.

What part of the story is not being told?

Like every McDonalds commercials it doesn't mention how a their food is a double team of calories and cholesterol. Obviously we'd have to live in a society where everyone tells the truth at all times for that to ever happen, but it is the part of the story not being told that would lead to other discoveries about McDonalds. For example once people realize how fatty their food is, they'll realize the reason for all that fat is to mask the lack of quality in the ingredients thus making people realize McDonalds only tastes good because of the extra fat and chemicals added.

Reggie Bush Adidas Ad

Who created this media message? Why?

Adidas made this advertisement in hopes of getting people excited that Reggie Bush was one of their spokespeople. Reggie Bush is a popular athlete therefore they will probably be releasing a lot of products with his name and face on it. If consumers know Reggie Bush, a professional football player, wears Adidas then there is a good chance people will buy their products via name recognition.

Who is the target audience? What text, images or sounds suggest this?

The target audience is athletes, particularly football players. This commercial first aired in the fall right when most high schools were starting their football programs. Since Reggie Bush is a football player, Adidas probably felt it was appropriate to air his ad and show that he wears Adidas products. Adidas is hoping that football players and fans of Reggie Bush will buy his cleats and apparel or other Adidas items.

What is the text(literal) meaning of the message?

The literal text of this message is not to give up. This commercial isn't Reggie Bush talking up Adidas, it's him sharing his story about how he struggled to adjust from the college level of football to the pro level. I think by using the little graphics and him narrating the actions viewers understand that even Reggie Bush this top rated football player got frustrated and struggled but never gave up and found success.

What is the subtext(hidden message)?

The hidden message in my opinion is that people who wear Adidas are not quitters. I think Adidas carefully picks who represents their products because they don't want a bad name tarnishing their product. Michael Vick is a perfect example, Nike dropped all his apparel from their line because they didn't want a person convicted of dog fighting representing them. I think Adidas is almost challenging the viewer to go out their and do their best, while wearing Adidas.

What kind of lifestyle is presented? Is it glamorized? How?

I think Reggie Bush is glamorizing his life style as a football player. Not so much from all the money he earns but he's showing how football was a stage for him to feel proud of himself on. I think he's showing a lifestyle of an athlete who grinds it out on the football field and glamorizing it with the little animation they had going. The little animation shows him breaking down the walls and making a play, thus glamorizing the feeling one gets when scoring a touchdown.

What values are expressed?

I think Reggie Bush is expressing his value of staying focused and never giving up. He talks about how people doubted him and even he doubted himself a little but by persevering he finally got his first NFL touchdown, something that was expected of him from the beginning but he struggled to achieve at first. I think he wanted to use his experience about being very hyped up and not really living up to the hype at first, but ignoring what people said, did his thing and now he's playing a lot better and like the player people expected him to.

What techniques of persuasion are being used?

The main technique is name/face recognition. People who keep up with sports know who Reggie Bush is what he looks like. Therefore the instant Reggie Bush is on any commercial people will already tune in because they recognize him. Then they play on our emotions by showing his triumphant story of coming into the NFL and struggling but then finding himself towards success. These little elements in this commercial is hoping that Reggie Bush fans will buy Adidas apparel since Reggie Bush represents it.

What healthy and unhealthy messages are being communicated?

The healthy message I feel promoted is that perseverance always pays off as shown by Reggie Bush sharing his story. However at the same time I kind of think it's unhealthy that the Adidas logo shows up at the end. I think a big reason I see this as unhealthy is because of the fact I am analyzing what I see on TV a lot more closer then I did before. I see the Adidas logo at the end almost as a symbol of profiting off peoples personal success. I feel like that logo at the end makes me feel like, people will think any success Reggie Bush has Adidas, was the key to helping him.

What part of the story is not being told?

The part of the story not being told is how much Reggie Bush is getting paid to do those commercials. Here we see him being really sincere and sensitive yet I realize he is making millions of dollars to wear those shoes. I also wonder how much of it is Reggie Bush's story. The issue of him not scoring the touchdown was highly publicized and much of his football career has been since he was in college. I wonder did Adidas write that story based on what he told other media outlets prior or did Reggie Bush write it?

FEAST! Snickers Ad

Who created this media message? Why?

The Mars Bars Candy company AKA the people who make Snickers and other candy made this commercial to advertise the Snickers candy bar. They are trying to show that Snickers are not a wussy candy bar and in fact can be very filling, hence the phrase FEAST! repeated throughout the advertisement.

Who is the target audience? What text, images or sounds suggest this?

I think they are trying to target every person who already likes candy bars. If a person doesn't like candy bars most likely this commercial no matter how funny won't change that perspective. However if you are like a good friend of mine, he will not go into a store without buying a candy bar. If he is in the grocery store and all of sudden sees a Snickers bar and thinks FEAST, making him purchase it, the ad did it's job. I think the "everybody" audience is given away by the car they are driving around in. The image I picture isn't those characters in that car but a group of middle class Americans squeezing together trying to get to work on time in someones late model sedan. I think that image of the car poolers plus the crazy cast of characters acting as the car poolers make all people who aren't living necessarily living the high lifestyle connect to this ad.

What is the text(literal) meaning of the message?

The literal text is that Snickers bars can fill you up. The figures are ready for feasting hints that they are some hungry individuals and that Snickers is taking care of them.

What is the subtext(hidden message)?

I think hidden message is that Snickers is for people on the go. I feel like the whole point of picking up people in the car, is to hint that these people have got to be somewhere but they need to feast, so Snickers is there to save to the day. I think the big characters that these men are also subliminally deliver the message that Snickers is filling. Therefore the Snickers is filling message is attacked literally by "FEAST!" and subliminally with the cast of characters being big men with big appetites.

What kind of lifestyle is presented? Is it glamorized? How?

I think the life style of a hungry person is presented in a way that kind of does glamorize it. I think because these characters are so shameless (particularly the driver of the car) that this oafy, driving a car with a dent in it lifestyle is portrayed as a life style of real people, real people who are happy and hungry. Therefore Snickers is for these "normal people all-stars" because normal people need to eat to.

What values are expressed?

I think the values expressed are that it's OK to eat to be full. I think a lot of times these days people are portion controlling with what they eat. Therefore an ad like this would be counterproductive to that cause. At the same time many people have really big appetites and need eat a lot to feel fueled. These people probably are sick of hearing about portion control and are excited to see a commercial like this because this is promoting it's OK to eat or "FEAST!"

What techniques of persuasion are being used?

The main technique is humor. This is a commercial that makes no sense. Why would a Viking, Pilgram and whoever else they picked up be driving around wrecklessly in an late model sedan. It makes no sense, yet it's probably one of the funnier things on TV right now because it is so over the top. The "FEAST!" tag now gives Snickers a phrase people can connect with. The fact that someone can scream "FEAST!" and it being funny when they buy a Snickers bar will influence their decision. Now the person my not directly realize that but I bet if I spent a day at 7-11 in the lower 48's I would observe numerous people looking at the candy with their friends and someone will see Snickers and say "FEAST!"

What healthy and unhealthy messages are being communicated?

The commercial pays homage to the normal hungry man and I think thats a healthy message because the truth is no one is perfect yet sometimes society might expect that from us. If this commercial had used a famous rapper, it might make people not feel like they are "down"(cool) for Snickers bars. At the same time, candy is something that should be eaten sparingly. If a little kid sees this commercial I could see them irritating their parents by screaming "FEAST!" all the time and demanding Snickers for dinner. I think junk food commercials in general avoid that issue about moderation. It does not make a whole lot sense to me considering alcohol commercials always say something like "enjoy responsibly". I think that with child obesity on the rise and the fact that video games, computer and TVs are a huge part of children's lives, more awareness about better eating habits need to be raised by the companies that sell the products.

What part of the story is not being told?

The part of the story not share is the healthiness of Snickers. Most people know Snickers is probably not best thing for a person but these commercials never really note that their products could be a factor with someones weight issue. My fear is all children no matter what size connects to this commercial for it's humor and suddenly feel it's OK to binge on candy bars. That "FEAST!" tag can really be poison because it's so catchy and easy to imitate it, give the product something extra for consumers to do besides eat it.

iphone AD

Who created this media message? Why?

Apple Computers created this message. The purpose of them creating this message was to advertise the iphone, a cellphone and ipod mp3 player all in one. This particular commercial was showing how the iphone could view Youtube.com videos. I guess the reason for this was because no other phone can access Youtube.com videos therefore giving the impression Apple is proud of their product and this specific feature.

Who is the target audience? What text, images or sounds suggest this?

The target audience seems to be people who are into cool gadgets particularly apple products. I almost feel like apple is trying lure in existing customers by using a familiar atmosphere. Apple commercials as of late have been kind of low key not over the top. I feel the iphone commercial is taking the same approach. Everyone knows the iphone is a cool item. Apple has won enough people over on that without needing much convincing. However now the purpose is to get people to feel a iphone is something worth it for them. I think low key commercials like this allow a consumer to be OK with a product thus ingraining in their head, "If I need an iphone, I will get it." An example of this was with my friend an ipods. My friend thought ipods were nice things but didn't feel he needed one. However when his music teacher said he needed an mp3 player and was fine with ones that were far less expensive then ipods, he instantly found a reason to need that ipod he wanted. I can see many consumers who are in the market for a new phone or want to change service providers. The second a lot of those people are in those position many of them will find a reason to need an iphone.

What is the text(literal) meaning of the message?

The literal message is that iphones can view videos highlighting one of the many features the phone has. I have noticed that there are a lot of different iphone commericals with the same music that highlight a different feature of the phone. Therefore this phone is delivering the litteral message, "Iphones can view Youtube.com videos"

What is the subtext(hidden message)?

I think the hidden message here is, "If you are a consumer that needs to have the freshest and newest gadgets, get an iphone." There isn't much mystery about what an iphone is nor what it can do. Most people know ipods are media players that can play music, video and show photos and cell phones are portable telephones. Therefore the iphone has to be an ipod thats also a cell phone. Now the goal is to convince people that this ipod that is a cell phone is a must have. Therefore this and the other commercials that have been airing are showing how the iphone can transform a persons life for the better. In this case now, people can enjoy their favorite videos from Youtube from their phone.

What kind of lifestyle is presented? Is it glamorized? How?

I think a less is more lifestyle in present. If you notice the commercial shows the iphone as this thing that can do everything. Even though it just highlights the Youtube feature, the way they show how the screen can move around and things like that gives viewers the idea that the iphone is this super all-in-one tool. Therefore people who like to live minimalist lifestyles are probably really lured into this advertisement.

What values are expressed?

I'm not sure any values are being expressed in this advertisement. I think this is one of those ads that just show something to me. I guess however one could say that one value is for people should not always take themselves too seriously. One could get this from the video of the skateboarding dog. I guess cleanliness is also another value that is expressed. This all-in-one tool is supposed to get people more organized so they are all about people clearing out the clutter. While I think these values are expressed I can't really say they are expressed that clearly.

What techniques of persuasion are being used?

I think the best method of persuasion they are using is showing the product doing the action from start to finish. It showed how a consumer could easily navigate around on the screen and the big image of the hand doing all of that almost makes a viewer feel like they are actually pushing the buttons. I think also by non-chanlantly saying how cool an iphone is they are making it like, "we know our product is cool and we don't care if you don't". I think that arrogance that Apple really delivers with a lot of their products, definitely infuriates some consumers to having personal boycotts with Apple but I think at the same time it's made three times as many consumers buy their products.

What healthy and unhealthy messages are being communicated?

I think one healthy message they promote is it's good to be organized. It's kind of silly but a lot of times whenever I see a really clean apartment I feel like there is always a white apple computer somewhere. But the iphone I think is intended to be this new super personal organizers. A lot of times it takes a really cool product to get people to do what they are supposed to do. In this case it's a personal organizer that might encourage people to organize themselves better. Another example is how it takes a fancy piece of exercise equipment to get people to work out. As far as unhealthy messages, I guess it's kind of the negative of the healthy message in that sometimes it takes expensive items to get people to do what they are supposed to do.

What part of the story is not being told?

I think a lot isn't told in this story. First of all I have no idea what else the iphone can do from this commercial alone. I guess that's Apple's intent though so I kind of understand why I am left at the edge of my seat for that. I also am curious to see if that Youtube feature is something extra I would have to pay for. A lot of things like that aren't free. I think because ipods and cell phones are common knowledge items for people, the "what else can this thing do?" is the thing that is going to draw in customers. I think by not telling parts of the story, customers are forced to figure out the story on their own, thus learning about the iphone and being buttered up to it in the process.