This commercial is clearly aimed at the middle class, particularly at those who feel they are not living up to their potential in it. It is particularly noteworthy that the woman portrayed wears glasses and ties up her hair in a bun, which gives the impression of a person who is restrained. However it is also clear from her flight of whimsy that the reason for her restraint is not her own mind and is thus implied to be the world she lives in. This middle class as market demographic makes sense because the pricing range of Starbucks puts it a bit out of the lower class range and upper class can all theoretically afford better. Thus voices of poorer people living in the city itself are brushed over in favor of this woman who owns her own home and only goes to the city for business. I think it's pretty clear from the choice of wardrobe, hair style, and accessories that the makers of this commercial intended to reach out to a market of busy and stressed homeowners and so chose this woman in particular as representative of that whole demographic.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Media Critique
In this post I will be looking at the Starbucks 'Michael Buble'
commercial. In this commercial a female homeowner drinks a starbucks
product after which she goes about her daily life while celebrity
Michael Buble sings to her about escape from a boring life into
fantasy. From the way she goes about her day we can see that there is
a male of clearly different genetics sharing her home (perhaps a
husband?), that she dresses professionally, and lives by the city. We
get the distinct impression that she is middle class and there is a
further implied undertone that she is not necessarily happy with her
life. Before she drinks the Starbucks Coffee, she and the man both
seem drab, with dull expressions and a bored or depressed demeanor.
The moment she drinks the coffee however, she smiles and her day
starts immediately going a lot better as the man from before is
replaced by this fantasy man and she entertains ideas of adventure,
romance, (even though she might already be married perhaps?) and
travel.
This commercial is clearly aimed at the middle class, particularly at those who feel they are not living up to their potential in it. It is particularly noteworthy that the woman portrayed wears glasses and ties up her hair in a bun, which gives the impression of a person who is restrained. However it is also clear from her flight of whimsy that the reason for her restraint is not her own mind and is thus implied to be the world she lives in. This middle class as market demographic makes sense because the pricing range of Starbucks puts it a bit out of the lower class range and upper class can all theoretically afford better. Thus voices of poorer people living in the city itself are brushed over in favor of this woman who owns her own home and only goes to the city for business. I think it's pretty clear from the choice of wardrobe, hair style, and accessories that the makers of this commercial intended to reach out to a market of busy and stressed homeowners and so chose this woman in particular as representative of that whole demographic.
This commercial is clearly aimed at the middle class, particularly at those who feel they are not living up to their potential in it. It is particularly noteworthy that the woman portrayed wears glasses and ties up her hair in a bun, which gives the impression of a person who is restrained. However it is also clear from her flight of whimsy that the reason for her restraint is not her own mind and is thus implied to be the world she lives in. This middle class as market demographic makes sense because the pricing range of Starbucks puts it a bit out of the lower class range and upper class can all theoretically afford better. Thus voices of poorer people living in the city itself are brushed over in favor of this woman who owns her own home and only goes to the city for business. I think it's pretty clear from the choice of wardrobe, hair style, and accessories that the makers of this commercial intended to reach out to a market of busy and stressed homeowners and so chose this woman in particular as representative of that whole demographic.
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Hi Chad, it was really great reading your interpretation of this commercial, and I have to say I agree with you! I originally saw this commercial geared toward women who are most likely unsatisfied with their current situation and need a burst of excitement (which apparently Starbucks can give you) I did not immediately think of the socioeconomic aspect of the advertisement, but after reading your analysis, I definitely do agree. I think this video is intended for a female audience because if they went for a "traditional" male fantasy, I think they would have gone a different direction.
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