This minute-long ad begins with popular model/actress Kate Upton in a fancy car at a drive-in movie. She hooks the sound box to her car door then pulls a Carl's Junior sandwich from a bag next to her. She starts off in a fairly modest 50's style getup, but immediately begins to strip down to a modern remix of Marilyn Monroe's Some Like It Hot, originally recorded in 1959. Upton soon ends up climbing on various parts of the car in a revealing dress, removing her stockings as she munches away on her Southwest Patty Melt. As she strips, a young man with (what we can assume to be) his date begins staring. After some sweaty breast, and finger-biting shots of Ms Upton, we see said date turn the young man's head back to the drive-in movie. Its pretty easy to see how the sex-appeal in this ad could get it banned from television broadcast. If you don't believe me, see for yourself...
The persuasive techniques used in this commercial are fairly blatant. We see Famous Person Testimonial with Kate Upton starring as the all-American, car-climbing hottie. She is known to young men everywhere for her spreads and cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012_swimsuit/more/cover.html Another technique we see a bit in this ad is Snob Appeal. Throughout the ad we see a couple of expensive cars, some high-class clothes and one very expensive model done up to a t. Coming back to the actual product being sold, we find the Association Principal. Hot food equals hot chick, right? We tend to see that with a lot of food ads these days. I would say that this ad uses the Association Principal well. Appealing to the senses in multiple ways, connecting heat from spicy food, and a societal norm has done this commercial well, despite it's ban from television.
In interpretation of this ad, we can see that the directors intentionally recycled 50's culture, but put a new spin on it. They effectively took modern-day sex appeal and paired it with the fashion and activities of the 50s. In that sex appeal, and the fact that the ad was intended to run during the super bowl, we find that the audience intended for this ad is young, hungry men. We also find that out when we see the making-of video posted below. The video here also makes the stereotypes in the commercial fairly obvious. Upton states that she is honored to be seen as the classic, all-American girl. The all-American girl being the usual blonde, big-boobed, promiscuously innocent young woman whom every young man dreams of bedding at some point in their lifetime. Clearly, that part can come to be offensive to some women.
Although this ad has its flaws, such as the offensiveness, they end up selling their product well. It is clearly displayed throughout the commercial, and achieves its end goal: making young guys desire some hot food and a cold shower. It is a memorable ad, in that it brings back a vintage style by incorporating a new take on a classic song, and it would definitely anger some of the older generations out there. I feel like it connects to it's target audience very well, as Carl's Junior usually does.
Being a banned commercial, there haven't been many comments on what people have to say about this ad. Huffington Post seems to have a distaste for the sexual nature of this ad, as posted in their brief article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/kate-upton-carls-jr_n_1304986.html
Personally, I wouldn't jump out of my chair and rush down to the nearest Carl's Junior to grab a Southwest Patty Melt, partially because I don't have the hots for Kate Upton, but also because I'm not really a fan of spicy foods. However, I would probably find myself recommending, if not the product, at least the ad to all of my single male friends. I think they would appreciate the "work" put into the ad, if you catch my drift.
What surprises me most about this ad is the level of sex-appeal. I realize that sex sells, and whatnot, but the level of sex and seductive tactics used in the commercial is baffling to me.I was unaware that our society had stooped so low already. Thankfully, it was banned from national television, where *families,* not just young men, would be watching a tradition all over the country.
