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This week’s lesson focuses on “the persuasive power of the branding video” as defined by the P.I. Reed School of Journalism (2014). The objective of this week’s lesson is to find 3 commercials that are not literal by creative choice – that doesn’t show the product in the body of the feature. But instead, the advertisement segment illustrates a creative attempt to branding that is accomplished through story that can be revealed through catchphrase and positioning statement or “attitude.”

The first commercial selected is that of AT&T’s commercial segment titled “cutest grape” which can be found via this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijeg-jeTUBs that depicts an average-aged man who is seated at a round table within a setting that can be gathered to be a kindergarten classroom; there are four children seated around the gentleman who asks the question “why is it better to get what you want now instead of later?” An approximately 5-year-old girl responds “because you don’t want to wait to eat your raisins.” The YouTube commercial segment has a total running time of 29 seconds and is not literal by creative content. The man ends his conversation with the little girl by stating “that’s adorable.” The end tag then features the logo for the AT&T Company along with a voice-over of the catchphrase “It’s not complicated.” The commercial segment depicts a subtle story of a character, being the kindergarten student, who responds to the man’s question with the knowledge that she has – she ascertains that you cannot wait to eat a raisin because it might turn into a grape and the tagline “that’s adorable” becomes appropriate and engaging for the viewer. The AT&T logo is however not visible during the erring of the commercial segment which makes for the commercial to appeal to an audience through humorous creative content rather than literal advertising.

The second commercial segment is Duracell’s “Trust Your Power” feature that can be viewed via this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdRrP1Kh9TU that features NFL’s linebacker Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers who is telling his story. The NFL player is looking back at his life, depicted as a child who is thinking while alone in his room; the video then cuts to a shot of an adult who is running – “running towards something” or “running away from it” – he’s not sure, but he ascertains that you cannot let anything hold you back because “you find it in yourself – you can go anywhere you want to be.” The 1:59 minute commercial segment is not literal in creative choice but is instead viewed as the story of an athlete who can remember being a child once – and that child can remember wondering what he could become. The story concludes with the catchphrase “trust the power within” followed by the logo and name of the brand: Duracell. The brand however is never featured during the body of the commercial. The relevancy of “a battery” to the “power within” is engaging and effective for delivering a message that is not literal in content.

The third commercial segment selected is that of Cadillac’s “poolside commercial” that can be found via the URL: http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2014/cadillac-divides-viewers-with-poolside-commercial/ which features a man who stands by the pool while he relates to the viewer audience with direct eye contact. His rhetoric is positioned to address the “American public” regarding why he or she spends so much time at work asking “why do we work so hard” then answering his own question he explains “you work hard and create your own look” – “believe anything is possible.” The 1:02 minute commercial segment only introduces the Cadillac logo as an end segment that features “The first ever ELR” vehicle model. The commercial is not created to be literal or to initially sell the American audience a Cadillac but to first sell the viewer on a principle: the American works hard so he or she can own a Cadillac “creating your own look.” The commercial therefore sells the viewer on the fact that if he or she works hard then he or she can be rewarded with a luxury car – the Cadillac.

In short, the selected television commercials are not literal in creative choice but instead comprise of a story narrative that is used to first sell “motivation,” “a principle” or a “humorous fact” before the segment attempts to sell a brand. In effect, the story captivates the audience long before the viewer realizes the ad is selling a product or service. The brand positioning statement has been highlighted in bold for each commercial; as “Adult Freedom” is positioned for Las Vegas – the brand positioning statements are unique to each commercial. The three referenced brands have selected to employ a marketing strategy that is developed through narrative rather than direct advertising content.