You may not be aware of this, but the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences actually has an Emmy category for Outstanding Commercial. This year’s nominees are:
Outstanding Commercial
Baby, TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, Ad Agency; MJZ, Production Company
Baby Driver, Carmichael Lynch, Ad Agency; RSA Films, Production Company
Born Of Fire, Wieden+Kennedy, Ad Agency; Serial Pictures, Production Company
Conan, Ogilvy New York, Ad Agency; Hungry Man, Production Company
Polar Bear, TBWA\Chiat\Day, Ad Agency; Epoch Films, Production Company
Questions,Wieden+Kennedy, Ad Agency; MJZ, Production Company
All six are compiled in the following website for your viewing pleasure:
My question, fellow bloggers, is which, if any, of these commercials qualifies as art in your opinion?
Also, is it surprising that an ad that so clearly promotes a specific ideal of masculinity (Old Spice) is nominated for such a prestigious award? Doesn’t this mean that the Emmy folks are, in effect, valuing the perpetuation of gender stereotypes?
I must say, I really think the Old Spice commercial is kind of tongue in cheek, that they are poking fun at our constructions of masculinity (perhaps, even as they promote it). I mean, they do include the cake-baking, and the swan dive isn't a swan dive. I don't wish to promote a narrow understanding of masculinity, but I really think the commercial is funny--and the visuals are fun.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed the other 5 nominees. I think perhaps the Chrysler ad is the artsiest--at least in terms of camera work, but I also loved the Nissan ad, loved the polar bear and fell for the ethos/pathos just like I was supposed to. McDonalds and Subaru touch very familiar soft spots in our hearts, but I don't think they're as artfully done.
Conan was awesome. High entertainment, intrigue--kept wondering where it was going. I thought there were wonderful images captured as well. I think it's my pick for the win.
Thanks for providing these.
WOW, Ben! Thank you so much for posting this. I had no idea that there was a "commercials" category for the Emmys.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I would think that the Old Spice commercial would be a fantastic visual way to discuss either masculinity or satire.
I don't know how I feel about any of these commercials. I'd love to have some more information about how they are decided. (After all, there are hundreds of tv shows and THOUSANDS of commercials produced each year.)
Ben, thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteArt, hmm, that's so subjective, but I'll give my opinion.
First, I think all the commercials over 30 seconds were too long. I don't mind a longer commercial, but I don't think Chrysler needs to harp on me for 2 whole minutes about how I am misjudging Detroit and their cars. This ad does not make me want to drive a Chrysler. And it's depressing. The Conan ad was funny, but the ad stretched the humor too long to where I was thinking "Alright now, get to the punchline." I thought the McDonald's Baby ad was stupid. Yeah, it's great that the dad was considerate of his sleeping kid, but it was so unrealistic that it lost its charm. Did you notice he was the only drive-thru customer there? And the polar bear ad was fresh out of Al Gore's head, I'm guessing. Sure, I don't want polar bears to die, but I'm not going to buy the car just to save one. The ad plays on the unrealistic "cuteness" of the white animal (innocence maybe?) but doesn't make an argument for me.
Second, I don't think these count as art. Yes, in some ways they're creative, but they're not going to be on the "Greatest TV ads" list of the decade. I agree that the Old Spice guy is another stereotype-enforcing male representation. It's too much. Does any woman actually want to date that guy? He seems terribly superficial to me. And who is this ad for? Isn't Old Spice old?
One thing that these ads have against them is their temporality that makes them hard to become art, which is usually a timeless characteristic. What will the condition of Chrysler and Detroit be in 20 years? The global warming debate? Will Old Spice still be sold? I'm sure the Golden Arches will still be here. And that's why I like the Subaru commercial best. It's timeless. Every father has had to teach his kid how to drive and to give them the keys and let them drive alone. The actors in it are superb and it reminds you of when you were younger. All that being said, I'm not going to go out and buy a Subaru, but at least I connected to the ad.