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.
This post got my attention because I really wanted to see what commercial it was and how a commercial could be banned from the super bowl knowing the outrageous things that come to life in superbowl commercials. When i then realized it was a Kate Upton Carl's Jr. commercial it became very apparent how this commercial got banned without even seeing it. From previous times i've seen Carl's Jr commercials they are always very provocative and mixing that with last years cover model of the annual sports illustrated swim suit addition you have all the ingredients needed for a banned commercial. I think this was only banned because of the amount of families and children watch the Superbowl. I have a suspicion that if this was aired on a late night show and on a network like spike or comedy central it would do just what it intended to do without anyone being upset with the fact that this commercial was on T.V.
ReplyDeleteThis is a link to 19 other banned commercials like this one http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/01/super-bowl-commercials-banned-videos_n_2576481.htm
When I watch the Superbowl, I mostly watch it for the funny ads companies have planned to show us. So when I read that there is a commercial that I wont get to see because it was banned, I wanted to know what it was and why. Then I saw what the commercial was. It actually doesn't surprise me how Carl's Jr used sex appeal in their commercials. They have done the same in the "Turkey Burger Commercial" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJfFrhKoS84) and the "Memphis BBQ Burger Commercial." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsqUshEERvE).
ReplyDeleteYour blog post got my attention because the title had “banned” in it. Automatically I want to know what was so bad about the commercial that made it banned from TV. I have seen a fair amount of banned commercials. They are funny but not shown on tv for reasons that become apparent when you watch them.
ReplyDeleteI think America has been stooping that low for a while now. We just don’t see it on TV as much because many, like the Carl's Jr. ad, are banned from TV but still featured on the Internet. Sex sells, people (mostly men) are going to see that commercial and be like “holy crap that girls hot and oh my gosh that burger looks amazing”. It’s sad that we have to exploit women in advertisements to sell products. But I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Fact of the matter is, women are going to be exploited but at least ads like this are banned so not as many people get the chance to view it.
This is my favorite banned commercial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nojWJ6-XmeQ
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I've seen this commercial on TV before, and it's not as bad as the others that do get on the superbowl air time. I believe this is better than anything Go Daddy really does. Go Daddy to me seems to push stereotypes more than Carl's Jr. Although there is no denying that Carl's Jr. does push these stereotypes
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how some commercials that would get banned like this Carl's Jr. ad might not get banned in Europe. Yet ads that target kids here in America are banned in Europe. Also, I agree that the Go Daddy commercial are worse and use more stereotypes than the Carl's Jr. Is it because it is more verbally suggestive?
ReplyDeleteIn the making of the commerical the director mentions how Carl's Jr. is about giving hungry young men what they want. I think this is a little disingenuous because I don't think he is actually giving young men what they want.