Thesis: Although
technology may seem to some to distract from time with loved ones, it actually
serves as a way of bringing people together.
Triune Brain:
This video appeals to the reptilian
brain in two ways. First, for the brief time one of the kids is eating, the
attention of this brain is caught since eating is one of its priorities. Even
more so, the reptilian brain is targeted in the portrayal of family. It gets
that without its instinct to mate, a family like the one in the advertisement could
not exist. Furthermore, the boy catches some of the married adults kissing on
his phone, providing an up close look at how such a beautiful family came to
be. The element of family also appeals
to the emotional brain. The imagery
of how happy the family is, especially when they are watching the video, makes
the viewer long to be a part of something similar. The music also plays a role
in targeting the emotional brain. While throughout the video the music sets the
moods as being warm and happy, the fact that words are added once the boy plays
his video really increases the emotion. These lyrics also play a role in
triggering the rational brain. The
viewer must comprehend the words and connect them to what they are seeing. The
rational brain also, after analyzing the triggering of the other parts of the
brain, begins to consider if the viewer were to purchase an iPhone, they could
capture family moments like this one.
Shifts/Trends: The
first media shift that can be seen in this video is the way in which we watch
it. In this particular case, we are watching it on YouTube, which is owned by Google.
Google’s purchase of YouTube is proof of an economic shift, that is, a shift toward corporate consolidation. In
earlier years of the internet, Google and YouTube were separate companies, but
as our 21st century media culture changes, like in many cases, the
bigger company bought out the smaller company. The trend leads to a few large
businesses owning much of one medium, and Google has proven itself to be one
such business. Second, an epistemological
shift is evident in that this is a video. This trend is characterized as a
shift from word to image and in this video, words appear only twice: once in
the snow at the beginning of the video the boy makes, and once at the end for
the creators of the video, Apple, to wish the viewer a happy holidays. The rest
of the video is imagery that is more emotionally triggering than words could
be. The commercial wouldn’t be nearly as touching if the story was explained to
the audience in words, it is the imagery that makes it so. Even the Apple icon
is an image rather than the word Apple. Lastly, this video shows an aesthetic shift, both in the way the
audience views it and in the purpose of the ad. I, for example, first saw it
iPhone, which is what Apple is trying to sell. This proves the trend of media
from discrete to convergence because while in the past, phones were used only
to make calls, now they can do so much more, like show or record videos. Before
this shift occurred, a person would have needed a television of computer to see
this commercial, and the kid in the ad would have needed a video camera to
record his family. Now, however, all this can be done on one device, the iPhone.
Facts:
1.
Some people think technology takes away from
family time, but it actually adds to the experience of being together.
2.
Having an iPhone will make you appreciate and
love your family more.
3.
If you have an iPhone your family will
appreciate and love you more.
4.
Memories can be better remembered if you have an
iPhone.
5.
People with iPhones have picture perfect
families.
Principles: Production Techniques play a big role in the
effectiveness of this advertisement. The fact that the video the kid shows
portrays the holiday from his point of view adds to the message he is trying to
get across and in turn to the message Apple is sending. He wants to show how
loved by his family he feels and Apple wants to show that the iPhone made it
possible for him to. The music playing during the commercial also serves as a
production technique. The song, which has been around many years, may be
nostalgic for viewers and the lyrics, “your troubles will be out of sight” may
serve to prove that with the iPhone, they will be. This music component also plays a role in Emotional Transfer. The song and
comforting lyrics may remind the viewer of their love for their own family
which is then in turn transferred into a love for the product being sold. When
the viewer sees an iPhone again, they will feel comfort and warmth and love and
will be more likely to purchase one because of these feelings. This emotion may
be felt in different ways by different viewers. In other words, the Individual Meaning of the video varies
from person to person. Perhaps if a child were to see this video, they would
long for Christmastime so they could get presents and go sledding. An adult on
the other hand would see this video and be emotional because they value time
spent with their family. Perhaps, if an older person who believes technology is
all bad saw it, the meaning of the video for them would be that iPhones
actually have redeeming qualities.
Persuasive Techniques: This advertisement indirectly uses Simple Solutions to persuade the viewer
to purchase an iPhone. The message Apple is conveying is that if you have an
iPhone, you not only can bring your family together, but you will be able to
capture and save memories spent with them. In addition, the technique of
portraying Plain Folks is used. The
ad displays how a normal family spends their Christmas, showing the viewer that
they too can have the same experience if they have an iPhone. Though the actors
may be “plain,” they are Beautiful
People. This technique of casting attractive people and in this case, an
attractive family, makes the commercial more appealing to the audience, and
therefore the product more appealing. As stated above, this video also has a
strong Nostalgia component. Apple uses
this technique by portraying the way holidays are “supposed to be” or how
adults may remember they were when they were children. In fact, this video
epitomizes the lyrics to the song “White Christmas.” Viewers may be “…dreaming
of a white Christmas just like the ones [they] used to know”. Lastly, Card Stacking is used to glorify the
product being sold. Apple neglects to show the cons of iPhones. The kid surely
wasn’t recording his family the whole time he was on his phone, and he probably
missed some valuable time with his family because he was texting or playing
Flappy Bird. Because of this, the audience doesn’t see the full picture, and
isn’t fully informed of the consequences of owning an iPhone, like addiction to
pointless apps.
Course Themes: Our 21st Century media revolution
1.
Promotes family bonding
2.
Reminds your loved ones that you care about them
3.
Helps people to preserve cherished memories
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