Persuaders: Scene Summary

When the documentary showed commercials from the 1990’s, I noticed a major difference. Commercials used to show what the product did, and how it could better your life. By the end of the commercial, you knew what the product was, what it was for, and what it accomplished. As they said, its not what the “product did, but what the product meant.” Commercials nowadays make the consumer think. In many ads that I see I have no idea what the product they are trying to sell is. And it isn’t even about the product anymore, its about having an emotional connection with the consumer, one that they will remember, and one that will fall into their unconscious though process. I found this very interesting because in a way they are manipulating us to believe that with this product, our life will change and become like the commercial showed. And we are naïve to believe them.

The Persuaders - They Say

In a 2004 documentary called “The Persuaders”, the underlying reasons and thought-process of advertisements is discussed. Directed by Barak Goodman and Rachel Dretzin, written by Barak Goodman and Douglas Rushkoff, this documentary reveals how marketing and advertising are based off of consumer satisfaction. The main idea is that consumers have the power, not the industries. Advertising has consumed almost every aspect of life. It is considered a “clutter crisis” because companies are always trying to beat the other ones out by being attention-grabbers. But this cycle just leads to advertisement after advertisement after advertisement. It’s all about what consumers want, not what the product can do. Their ultimate goal is to “become the atmosphere” that we live in. In other words, they want us to not realize they are there so that are unconscious minds (which are very influential) will be able to recognize products from the ads that are vicariously placed around us.
Commercials are rarely about the product anymore but rather about the tradition and the emotional connection that one can have with the product. They say, “Advertisers have blurred the line between programming and product”. In other words, tugging on the heartstrings of consumers beats actually pushing the product, it’s about creating a virtual life that consumers will “want”. In the early 1990’s, commercials used ‘er’ words that made the consumer feel good about purchasing the product. For example, better, whiter, etc. It was about what the product did. Commercials now are more about what the product means. They also discuss the similarities between cults and product ads. People purchase a product for the same reasons that they join a cult. They want to be accepted. Advertisers show you a lifestyle that is appealing to society, and then you convince yourself that you need it in order to become part of that “lifestyle”.
Another important topic that is discussed is “product placement.” With so many people having the ability to fast forward commercials, companies are now integrating their products in TV shows and many people don’t even notice the ads anymore because we have become so accustomed to them. “Consumers are driven by unconscious needs” and that is why ads aren’t as direct as they used to be. It isn’t about gaining some sort of product; it’s about integrating that product in order to live. It’s all about word choice and sometimes even the slightest change in vocabulary can have a drastic change in reaction from the consumers. These ad companies understand consumers and have technology to predict the future of people and what they believe, what they like, and what they purchase.

The Pursuaders

Professors of Law, Authors, Media Critics, CEOs, Corporate Consultants, Pollsters, Columnists and Reporters as well as Ad Agency Strategists were interviewed during the production of “The Pursuaders,” a Frontline documentary about how marketers influence not only what we buy but indeed how we, as consumers [targets], think and feel. I found part of the message to be reassuring; but only one part --the part that said, “Somebody out there is listening.” Billions of dollars are spent each year to study what we (as consumers) want just as millions of man-hours are focused toward interpretation of the many studies. The large part of the message though was disturbing but was equally disturbing was my own personal jaded indifference to the reported efforts of large corporations and politicians. Somewhere in the presentation I understood that ‘they’ wanted to control me and not only me but also our future generations including my children. Somewhere along the line the message was accepted, analyzed and then strangely, dismissed.

According to Douglas Rushkoff, one of the many participants of the Frontline interview, “Television commercials are stories, too, and they are designed to impress brand values upon us with the force of cultural mythology, securing and extending our most deeply held beliefs.” He goes on to state, “Today, the most intensely targeted demographic is the baby—the future consumer. Before an average American child is twenty months old, he can recognize the McDonald's logo and many other branded icons. Nearly everything a toddler encounters—from Band-Aids to underpants—features the trademarked characters of Disney or other marketing empires.” Can I, as a grandfather, continue to ignore the efforts of advertisers to cultivate and develop strategies for the coming generation? Asked in that fashion, perhaps I can. It’s fairly easy to reassure myself by saying that my children are okay but when I hear statements such as, “The fresh neurons of young brains are valuable mental real estate to admen,” (Rushkoff, Branding Products, Branding People, par 26) I’m no longer certain of my indifference. The brand marketers want to “do more than just develop brand recognition, they literally cultivate a demographic's sensibilities" as they are formed. They have a long-term coercive strategy that is specifically targeted toward young minds as they are developing.

A nine-year-old child knows the sound of the Budweiser frogs and can recite their slogan (Bud-weis-er). Of course, nine-year-olds have no interest in beer, yet --and marketers have no hopes of a 9-year old consumer. Well, not for another nine years.

The Persuaders

Frontline and PBS did a documentary called, “The Persuaders” and within this documentary, they “explore how the cultures of marketing and advertising have come to influence not only what Americans buy, but also how they view themselves and the world around them.” This documentary is a ninety minute long thing with different people doing interviews with Frontline, talking about the concepts and techniques behind advertising and what draws people in. One of the techniques that was discussed is called emotional branding which is basically is an emotional edge to the ad that has an invitation for a longed for lifestyle and allowing culture and community to come together. Advertisers use the whole idea of acceptance and belonging to their advantage, because the consumer is more willing to buy a certain product or a certain brand if they think it will make them feel accepted. It’s like the consumers have an “in” with a certain group of people once they buy a certain brand. It’s all about the emotional attachment between a product and the consumer.

Something that I found interesting didn't come until later on in the documentary, when Frontline basically states that because technology is changing and as a result advertising is losing viewers and so marketing companies are integrating ads and products into shows on TV. The writers for a show are meeting with an advertising company to create a story line around a certain product or company. For example, in castaway you see “FedEx” being shown, in “I am Sam” and “You’ve got mail”, you see Starbucks being advertised. It’s called seamless integration where it’s all about product placement. New ways of grabbing the consumer’s attention are being explored and used because of the changes in technology and the changes in advertising.

Imported From Detroit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI6puP3cClM

This commercial starts out with a care driving through the city of Detroit. Displaying the sights and the lights. The car roles around and we don’t see the driver till he parks. He is Eminem. A well-known rapper who at the time was nominated for a Grammy in the best rap album of the year category. This would soon become another Grammy to add to his collection. All in all Eminem is seen as a success icon. He has everything he needs and more. So if Eminem is driving a Chrysler so should you. The commercial shows the music icon has chosen to drive this car. The music that is heard in the commercial is very intense like Eminem’s music and it gives the commercial a sense of power. Eminem gets out of his car and enters a theater where a choir is singing and his powerful words come out. “He says this is the motor city, because this is what we do.” If that doesn’t want to make you buy that car nothing will. The sense of power that is portrayed is seen so strongly that it seems that if you buy the car it will give you power.

RE; Pantene Commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um9KsrH377A
THE VIDEO I WATCHED IS THIS ONE ABOVE.

In the beginning of the Pantene commercial, was a deaf girl watching a man play his violin on the street. She is memorized by it. She insists to learn how to play the violin. One girl was but ends up yelling that she will never know how to play because she is deaf and that she is wasting everyone’s time. Afterwards she talks to the violin man on the street. She asks why she is different and he asks her why she wants to be like the others. He goes on saying music is a visible thing. To just close her eyes and she will see. The next scene shows her playing the violin and learning how to play. The bully continues to put her down. The bully is feeling threatened that she is progressing so well. Four men show up when she and the man are playing their violins on the street. And beat up the man and break the girls violin. Then it transfers to the music concert, where the bully was playing the piano and supposedly the last contestant, until the deaf girl shows up with her glued together violin. When she closes her eyes and starts playing, everyone is in complete awe. Her hair moves every which way while she is playing. And once she is done. Every person gives her a standing ovation. Then it shows the pantene and saying, “You can shine.”

I believe this commercial is saying that just because you have a setback or something putting you down, you are still able to get up and prove to everyone that you aren’t what they believe. That anyone can truly shine to their fullest potential. I see that she was happy that she was just playing the violin. She proved that with her biggest drawback and being bullied the whole time she was still able to show the world that she can be the greatest. It was an amazing and extraordinary feat that she was able to play such beautiful music when she could not hear it. Not only is this a commercial it is an inspiration.

Kia commercial

In the 2010 Kia Soul Hamster Commercial it really draws you in with a bunch of personified hamsters that act all gangster. If the commercial just talked about the car it would bore most people but instead it draws you in with pleasant music and images that get you excited and imaginative. The hamsters seem like just the right animal to be driving the Kia Soul because they are small and docile just like the compact car. The reason that they are portrayed as hip-hop hamsters is because it interests most people from maybe 8 to 20 years old, and if you don’t like hip-hop then the commercial will probably be peculiar enough to grab your attention anyways. The Hamsters are singing a hip-hop song throughout the entire commercial where they repeatedly say, “you can go with this or you could go with that”. The reason they say this is because they represent someone cool in society while they drive their Kia Soul and the other hamsters like the two that crash their cardboard box are an example of someone not as cool. So the cool hip-hop hamsters keep telling you, “you could go with this or you could go with that”. So you’re going to want to go with this Kia instead of going with that other car. Throughout the whole commercial the hamsters that are driving the Kia Soul are the cool people on the block and turn everyone’s heads because of their awesome style. Everyone else driving toasters, wash machines, and cardboard boxes are just out of style. Even though this scene seems fictional it relates to our everyday lives of wanting to be cool, popular or noticed. We all want the newest coolest car, electronics, clothes, and what have you, and the hip-hop hamsters have it all and Kia uses them to make you buy their car.