Blogger Clogger's Pog Blog

     So my skink peed on me today.

     Granted, it's rather early in the day so there's plenty of time that will offset that hardship and admittedly, it's not even that early. We're between the 8:00 AM class mark and the still early enough to frown mark. At least I have Mini Wheats!

(twincitiestec.org)

     That shameless plug was brought to you by the number 8 (Which is how much a box of Mini Wheats costs) and the letter S for shill. You see sports fans, a shill is someone who will do anything for money and will give you the bare minimum, expect to get payed the same and move on to the next person who will give him coin for nothing. Take this advertisement for example:

(huffingtonpost.com)

     Where do I even begin you ask? Good question, image of a person that I put together with my imagination. Let's start with who this is aimed at.

(coolhunting.com)

     Alright, probably not but that kid on the right looks like he's seen some shit. Vodka, like cognac, is more of an old man drink. Without getting into the mixed drink circuit most people aren't going to be drinking vodka straight. Tequila, scotch and beer, sure but vodka, whiskey or water, not likely. It's clear to see though that this advert is not directed at older individuals but the 20 to 30 market and maybe a touch lower for its obvious raunchy humour.
     Are we also able to say this is aimed at a specific gender though? I would say no. While it's clear that it has fragmented the genders into very defined roles, it is not using that interpellation as a means to sell the product. Stadler and O'Shaughnessy stated, "Gender is central to identity and gender socialisation is one of the earliest processes of interpellation" (O'Shaughnessy and Stadler, 2012, Pg. 185). If gender is so inherent then to our ability to develop identity and socialize, why would an ad do it's best to ignore it? Maybe it doesn't care or maybe, it realizes that it framed the genders in a really bad light.

Should this surprise us?

     Not at all; advertisements for drinking have frequently been skewing more and more away from the older crowd and diving into a younger audience while keeping themselves before the “too far!” line. They've also done a great job of breaking down gender barriers. It's the attractive younger generation we see in this advert that they want to reach and having these people front and center is your proof of who it's directed at.

     Want some more proofs? Look at the text, which is displayed in a manner that instantly brings to mind a meme that you would see on reddit, imgur or 4chan. These meme are upheld and established, usually, by individuals just breaking the 20 year mark. Individuals that are being targeted early with the intent of a long loving relationship.

     The dirty humour is also a quality that wouldn't sit well with an older generation. Not that they can't understand it but more so that it doesn't resonate with them as well. The add makes a point of wagging the humour in your face by emphasizing the set up of the joke not only with a black foreground but in a different colour text all together. I'll refrain from explaining this obvious joke that the ad is bringing forth and allow you the pleasantry of addressing your parents, should you be confused.

Phillips or Jackson?

     So I'm not about to buy Canadian tire out of its screwdriver collection but the vodka ad doesn't turn me off completely. Does it have a fault or two? Saint Andrea would say yes but at least Belvedere knows exactly who to aim for. While they didn't uphold any of my beliefs about drinking vodka or the norms I expect around people who do...well, maybe the mixed drink crowd... they do get their point across. It's just too bad that smoothness isn't everything a vodka should be.

So who got it right?

(trivto.deviantart.com)

Citation

O’Shaughnessy, M., & Stalder, J. (2012). Media and society: Fifth edition. South Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press. Pg. 185