Blog #1: Media: Multimedia Design Spring 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF3G7vdM2UI

Ciroc Vodka Video

Analysis:
The purpose of this video, I believe, is to create a celebrity filled fantasy that many Americans want to connect with. A message is sent that you too can have this wonderful, high class experience of a sophisticated house party right out of the roaring 20’s by dressing up and drinking Ciroc Vodka. I think it is trying to connect with our desire to feel recognized and our desire for wealth as well. This is not selling a reality it is selling a fantasy. With P-Diddy as the lead in this commercial, it is the fantasy of celebrity, wealth, and living the “high life.”

Audience:
The intended audience for this video is middle aged men of middle and upper class who engage in drinking recreationally. Being that it is a specialized type of vodka it is more expensive than typical vodka. The perspective is really through the eyes of P-Diddy as the commercial tries to capture what a night with P-Diddy might look like, drinking with friends after a black tie event in a wealthy penthouse with a pool. I think this perspective was chosen because it makes the audience feel connected to the celebrity life and reinforces our fantasies about and infatuation with the rich and the famous in our society.

Representation:
The people in this video are portrayed as elegant and sophisticated. P-Diddy was singled out for his celebrity status and his marketability. There are many consumers who will connect with P-Diddy as the spokesperson because of their love of his music or his clothing brand. I do not know if the creator wanted to reach specifically to African American consumers with P-Diddy as the lead. However, people of all ages and race purchase his clothing and listen to his music. I believe the people selected in this add were chosen because they were attractive, sophisticated looking, and reinforced this fantasy of care-free wealth. The low income and working class voices that make up the majority of the consumer market are clearly not represented in this add.

Design:
I think that the most important decision that I made producing this video was to capture fantasy. The fantasy of wealth, of what goes on behind the scenes or after big parties, what the rich and famous do with their friends when the cameras are off, these are the types of images that I wanted to capture. I think that alcohol is often associated with wealth and with socializing (take the parties in The Great Gatsby, for example). It is also associated with fantasy as often times people engage in the consumption of alcohol to perhaps escape some of the stresses of reality.