This ad for Extra gum is one of my favorite ads ever. It follows the story of Sarah and Juan, two teenagers who fall in love and eventually end up getting married later down the line. The ad takes us through some of their best and worst moments, including their first kiss, a picnic, a fight while moving into a new house, having to do a long distance relationship, and eventually their engagement at the end. Throughout all of these moments, there was always a piece of Extra gum and at the end it all comes full circle incorporating the brand when Sarah sees drawings of their moments on the gum wrappers before the proposal and it brings her back to all of those times. Additionally, by naming the characters in the advertisement, it helps the audience relate to the characters and remember it better. I also like the way there is no speaking in the advertisement, and the only sound is the song “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, which is a popular song so it helps grab the audience’s attention.
I think this ad is genius because it makes the audience believe that a love story and Extra gum go hand in hand, and if you chew Extra gum you may get your own love story. Obviously that is not the case, but it still works. This goes back to the Teays article and how she talks about the change in advertisements over time — focusing on the product itself was once the norm, but now what we want is what the product will bring into our lives. Additionally, she talks about winners and losers in advertising and how we look at advertisements of people who have lives we want and these ads assume we want to enter that “parallel universe”. I don’t think this ad goes as far as that but it still presents a universal theme of desire for love, which spans across all demographics and is a powerful message to pretty much anyone over the age of 12.
I absolutely love this commercial, it’s one of my favorites of all time. I have also thought about this ad many times when I’ve seen Extra gum in grocery stores, which shows how good the commercial must be for me to remember it years after initially seeing it. I think the ad does a great job advertising the product itself but also the idea and “fantasy” behind it. In my opinion, some ads focus too much on the product and have no creativity in the ad, and some ads have such an extreme storyline that I don’t even know what product they are advertising. I think this ad is the perfect balance, and like you said people of all demographics can connect with it.
I always forget how much I love this commercial. The music, as you said, is a very popular song that taps into (specifically our generation’s) emotions. I am always impressed when short commercials have storylines in them because it adds a level of creativity and connection to the audience that you can not get otherwise. It also allows the audience to imagine themselves in this “dream” story. it finally makes me want to uy Extra gum!
I think this commercial also has a very comforting vibe to it, which makes it easier for viewers to watch and consume. A lot of the time advertisements can be super fast and loud, but this one carries much more easygoing energy, which is why I think it was so successful. Also, as people are saying, it appeals to our desire for love and partnership.
I forgot about this commercial until I just watched it on this. post! Not only does it play on peoples emotions, but I find myself smiling after watching this love story unfold. I think this idea of making people happy while watching a commercial is a really good way to get audience/consumer engagement, because if something makes you happy to watch, you are more likely to buy that product that not only made you happy to watch, but that made the people in the advertisement so happy.
This is such a great commercial. Not only is the story heartwarming, but it is something that a lot of people can relate to. By incorporating great and not-so-great moments in the ad, Extra shows that their gum has been through it all. Also as you mentioned, they use a very popular song and as we learned in the podcast, that is an effective technique to make your ad memorable.
I love this ad as well. It does a great job creates a sense of pathos for its audience, as this love story is both relatable and understandable. The use of the Extra-gum making an appearance time after time helps viewers to understand the connection between love, and Extra gum.