As an awkward preteen, I can remember sitting in my basement glaring at the tv screen as music video after music video presented images of skinny girls with strapped on stilettos, dancing to upbeat music. I can also recall being put off by the sight. Brought on by the realization that I would never fit into society’s expectations of the norm, I remember being upset with myself for being too tall and thus knowing I would never be able to wear stilettos and a mini skirt. I realize now that I was simply “internaliz[ing] ideologies as a response to being hailed or addressed”(185). Perhaps this is why I remember, so vividly, the first time that I saw one of Taylor Swift’s videos. The pretty, tall, blonde haired girl, only a few years older than I, walked barefoot outdoors in one of her first music videos. The way in which she presented herself was so different from all the other pop star’s famous at the time. ‘Fifteen’, one of her first hits, served as the starting point for her career. Over the next 7 years, she managed to build up an army of loyal fans. This audience has grown up with her and continues to sing alongside her. Only this time, they sing ‘22’. She has become the epitome of success over the past few years. With a strong fan base supporting her every move, virtually nothing seems impossible for her.
Once an average teenage girl and now a multimillionaire, Taylor has numerous companies and popular agencies fighting for her to indorse their products. Using her identity, which is “formed by things such as height, weight, attractiveness and so on”(184), sponsors who sign her attempt to appeal to teenagers and young adult audiences. Imaginably, this is why in the past she’s been seen in commercials promoting things such as: perfumes, foundations, and cameras.
Taylor’s most recent partnership with Diet Coke, however; takes on a different approach and attempts to appeal to different demographics. They have presented a video that infuses her famous charming attitude with her ability to write catchy and unique songs. Clips show her writing lyrics in her bedroom, in a dressing room, and as she is about to preform on stage, providing viewers with a better understanding of who she is. In each shot, Taylor can be seen either sipping on a diet coke or she has one conveniently placed near her. Within the short 30 odd second long advertisement, ‘regular’ people are also shown in different settings, happily singing along. The light and cheerful faces of the people that accompany the product and cheery tempo of the music interpolate the idea that the product can be consumed by anyone, anywhere, and will make the consumer ‘extraordinary’. It hails the average individual and encourages them to consume the product. It is successful in the sense that it appeals to a range of demographics and not just teenage girls. The music is attractive, cheerful, and effective. The use of an amiable celebrity contributes to the effectiveness of the ad as viewers are more likely to trust an individual that they recognize. Audiences can easily acquaint a light-hearted feeling with the product and the celebrity. Though I don’t necessarily trust that audiences literally believe that they could become ‘extraordinary’ by drinking the product, I do think that the ad is effective in representing the lifestyles of the average citizen.
The young singers ability to write her own lyrics, play catchy tunes on her guitar, her visual appeal, along with her natural ‘country’ innocence, are all characteristics that have attributed to her becoming the celebrity she is today. Her identity, which becomes associated with the product, adds to the overall effectiveness of this advertisement. And as Diet Coke presents: anyone, anywhere can consume this product and ‘be extrordinary’.
Citations:
Ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqZLWUetLWg
O’Shaughnessy, Michael, and Jane Stadler. Media And Society. 5th ed. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print.
Natalie Kit 