I couldn't finish up this media literacy unit without doing a Taylor Swift rant, I mean analysis. In this Diet Coke commercial, we get to watch Taylor Swift drink coke. We also get to listen to her "write" the lyrics to her song "22" and hear people interpret the song in a way that's more entertaining than Swift's.
What needs are addressed in this commercial? If there was a need to turn off the TV, this commercial would satisfy it perfectly. I know I'm mean, but if I could make millions of dollars about how old I am, I'd drop out of school to start writing. Unfortunately, I'm not Taylor. She has that lovemark quality and a legion of loyal fans that will buy her album, though it sounds like a repeat of her several other songs about break-ups and "love". In all seriousness, though, this commercial does address some important needs. I thought that it addressed the need to escape. The people who are singing the song are alone. They're driving to work, working at work, and playing the guitar, while Swift gets ready to perform. We all want to escape to the wonderful of Taylor Swift, so we don't have to be those people. It's a coke commercial, so it also appeals to our physiological needs. Is all that song writing making you thirsty? Drink some diet Coke. It'll quench your thirst after all your "hard-work".
This ad used the techniques plain folks, testimonial, and repetition. The people singing "22" are just ordinary people like you and me. The plain folks technique is used so that the commercial relates to the general public. Although, I think we can all relate to Taylor Swift's constant relationship drama and revenge, right? The commercial also uses the technique testimonial by showing several shots of Taylor Swift drinking diet Coke. Taylor Swift drinks diet Coke, so that means it must be good, like her relationship advice. The commercial also uses repetition by showing several different shots of Taylor Swift, in her natural habitat, drinking diet Coke.
I thought the lighting and camera angle were interesting. The lighting initially started off soft, but then ended bright when she went to perform. Why did it get bright at the end? Maybe it was meant to show how your life could be brightened by diet Coke. Maybe it symbolizes the light at the end of the tunnel for Taylor Swift. The camera angle was eye level. This puts viewers on the same level as Taylor Swift, despite the fact that she's a millionaire. Still, it makes the commercial more relatable.
This commercial actually had a nice simple feel to it. However, I'm not going to buy diet Coke. This is not just because I don't like Taylor Swift. I don't like diet Coke, or diet soda for that matter. Artificial, artificial sugar and syrup (if that makes sense) doesn't appeal to me. Combine that with Taylor Swift, someone who I've had trouble respecting lately (I did at one point), and I won't buy diet Coke. Now if it were Emma Watson, I might consider it. I guess she was too busy hanging out with her boyfriend of a YEAR to film the commercial. Come on Emma, get your priorities straight.
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