Movies

Marchand states, The ideology of advertising is an ideology of efficacious answers.  No problem lacks an adequate solution (227).  As a means to sell, advertising does initially highlight the problem and then presents a solution in the form of the product that is being sold.  For several decades, advertisements have to make sure of two things that they have communicated effectively the message of the product, and that the means of communicating the message of the product is impressive enough that will create a lasting impression to the viewers.

    Connecting the message of the product based on the perception of the customers depend on how the advertising creatives are able to embody the message through a medium that is easily understood or comprehended by the audience.  One of the common approaches in advertising which have been used probably since the beginning of the industry was by means of the parable.  According to Marchand (207), The parable invited the use of vivid, radical comparisons that would arrest attention mainly because of its folkloric nature and the fact that parables are tales that most people have heard of because of its moral and spiritual lessons.  Using this as a prevailing force in the advertising narrative, it can then be observed that advertisements make use of these parables in order to model the story after a universal foundation which also allows the advertisers substantial creative license.

    Marchand also discussed three other parables as used in advertising.  The Parable of the Democracy of Goods conveys that the product is accessible thus it is used by the rich and the poor, and across the socio-economic strata.  The main point of this parable is that the product is being sold as something that has enough value in terms of quality, yet everyone can afford it.  The other parable is called the Parable of Civilization Redeemed.  In this parable, the narrative of the ad is based on the concept that a product is able to contest nature.  For example, by nature, bacteria can grow, but by using a certain product, this growth can be eliminated.  The idea behind the Parable of Civilization Redeemed is that the product being sold can bring about a sense of victory over the threats of nature such as ageing, disease, other forms of calamities or sources of chaos, and others.  Last but not the least, the Parable of the Captivated Child is based on the idea that products are depicted as means to captivate a child in terms of proper child guidance, development, and psychology.  For instance, a product may convey the message of the importance of vitamins for a growing kid, hence, this becomes an introduction to a vitamin product.  Hence, this parable is not just about captivating the childs interest but also the interests of the parents, especially those who want to find the best means to ensure the best sources of development, growth and satisfaction of their children.
Old Spice Swagger and the Parable of First Impression

    The parable of first impression is what it is the importance and emphasis on the first impression.  In this parable, tales show how the success or the failure of a relationship, a business deal, reputation, and others are based on how others initially perceive a person.  What comes to mind is the common adage that first impressions last.  These first impressions, as typically embodied in the parable, works at the surface because they are supposed to embody the manifestation of the substance of a person.  Hence, for instance, if a woman is represented as neat, put together, courteous and generally admirable, this representation may connote many things such as the woman being a potential good wife. 

    In Old Spice Swagger commercial, the use of the parable of first impression shows how a geek probably did not make a good impression to the girl because he lacked the confidence.  True to its form, this is the problem of the narrative.  The parable is then used as a means to come up with a solution, and that is through the importance of first impressions.  Old Spice Swagger is then presented as the solution, establishing the contrast between the LL Cool J back in high school and the LL Cool J of the present who is now considered one of the most attractive men in the music industry.  The star difference between the two is emphasized by LL Cool Js line, That was me, LL Cool J, before I started using Swagger from Old Spice.  Now look at me --- nice

    What makes this commercial contrastive with respect to the LL Cool J of the past and the present is the overall ambience.  Other than the element of having the younger LL Cool J in a high school background, the younger LL Cool J swaggers in that old 70s or 60s tune.  Every element in this high school scene is anything but sophisticated interestingly, there is no sign of any cool dude in the background.  Along with the music, the rest of the geeks display their swagger as they seem to try their best to sway as cool as they can with the music.  Going to the LL Cool J of the present, his present swagger is supported by the typical cool, sexy music. 

    In terms of the cinematography, the contrast is not as drastic as one would expect for a commercial that compares two worlds in a sense, this is a good treatment because this shows  a realistic transition of the LL Cool J of the past to the LL Cool J of today who is basically just any other guy.   The overall color is also reminiscent of the 1970s vintage look the coloring is cool and muted however, the coloring used in the present LL Cool J is interestingly not sleek nor modern.  The overall simplicity of the lighting and the lack of effects in the post-high school scene indicates a sense of accessibility. 

    The same can be also said about the production design.  Upon closer look the high school dance seems like it only took place inside a room, or that the venue of the dance is a simple party thrown by the geeks to attract the girls.  Even in LL Cool Js scene the room where he watches the video is not as sophisticated, something that can be regarded as an interesting decision for a big celebrity and artist.  Again, similar to the concept of the cinematography, the simple production design minimizes the spectacle of the commercial hence making the story more accessible and realistic for more people.  This also highlights the story which is funny and sentimental at the same time.

    The casting of the commercial is impressive. The actor playing LL Cool J as his high school version is good selection other than projecting the typical geek, he can pass as LL Cool J 15 to 20 years ago because of the resemblance.  His screech is also a classic a lot of males, from those in high school to the older ones can identify with this very moment in which approaching probably the most attractive girl in school was a horrifying experience.  This is why as a casting challenge, the ad managed to get someone who looked like LL Cool J and someone who could act the part.  As for LL Cool J, he just maintained his cool yet accessible vibe and did not project at all that other than being an attractive and confident man he is also a successful artist and celebrity.

    The social tableau used in the commercial also appeals to the audience, particularly the target market of the product the use of the school stereotypes of the geek and the populars are also part of the social parables of the entire high school experience.  Although there is the implied social shame when it comes to the reputation of the geeks, the fact that a geek tries to connect to a popular girl is already a form of social suicide a geek may need more than courage to make a good impression on the girl.  In this case, the element that is instrumental to change and confidence becomes the essential message of the advertisement.

    The use of parables in advertisements serve as a medium to formulate a narrative according to a universal understanding of the audience according to certain values and pop culture references.  In the Old Spice Swagger ad, the commercial effectively used the parable of the stereotype and used the narrative how a product can create a significant change.  The reformulation of old ideas, according to Marchand (233), serves as social clichs which can be a personal means of self-validation for advertisers.  As far as social clichs go, the reformulation thereby further poses the challenge of originality in form and content thus making the ad memorable should it succeed in taking advantage of the dramatic parables.