Cinematography Grabs Attention, Narrative Keeps It
Super Bowl ads are legendary. We study them, we obsess over them, we find all the meaning we can in them. Here I am going to look at if telling a narrative story is part of the recipe for an excellent ad.
http://www.hulu.com/adzone/450448
The 2013 Audi Super Bowl commercial follows a story format. A young boy is on his way to prom by himself when his father throws him the keys to the Audi. The boy looks determined as he drives to prom in his fancy car. When he arrives at prom he goes right to the prom queen and kisses her. The prom king sees his and the shot ends. In the last scene we see the boy driving away happily in his fancy car with a brand new black eye. The tagline reads “Bravery. It’s what defines us”.
The ad brings back nostalgic feelings toward the viewer’s prom, so they are targeting a younger generation that wants to stand out and be brave but has also improved themselves since high school and has enough money to purchase an Audi. The tone is happy, bold and humorous. The company can be identified 20 seconds into the ad by recognizing the Audi symbol on the car, however the first mention of the brand name comes at the very end.
The ad follows the story structure very well. In the first scene we find out that the boy is attending prom alone which acts as the exposition. Once the boy is handed the keys the rising action occurs as he’s driving to prom, parks in the principal’s parking spot, kisses the girl, and the prom king sees the kiss. The climax comes when the boy is punched by the prom king but we don’t see that in the commercial. The falling action occurs as the boy drives home, proud of himself for having a memorable prom night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYlBbY3gwmw
The 2015 Jeep Renegade Super Bowl commercial took a different approach. For this ad Jeep does not tell a story but instead focuses their commercial on the strong musical elements of “This Land is Your Land” and beautiful cinematography using shots of America and all over the world. The tagline reads “The world is a gift, play responsibly. America’s smallest, lightest SUV”.
With this advertisement, Jeep is trying to target a younger generation who is keen on exploring and cares about the environment. The shots used make the viewer want to travel the world and are meant to increase the need to explore in the viewer. The tone of the advertisement is inspirational. While watching the commercial you can probably identify the brand based on the style of car and a blurry car logo, Jeep isn’t officially identified until the end of the advertisement. This ad does not follow a story format.
In regards to narrative, the Audi ad is definitely stronger. Audi tells a relatable, yet funny story that grabs the viewers’ attention while Jeep does not use a story in their advertisement. I think the Audi ad is more effective at holding the viewer’s attending because they are invested in the character and want to see how it ends. The Jeep advertisement is more effective at catching the viewer’s attention because of the scenery and strong song however viewers don’t feel like they have to finish the advertisement because there is no narrative. I think people are more likely to share the Jeep advertisement because it feels less like an advertisement and more like a video featuring many beautiful parts of the world.