Mon Cherie Commercial
Every
second, users add sixty minutes of video footage on YouTube (Ryan, 2012). The
average number of people who access Instagram daily is around 500 million and,
as of 2018, users have shared fifty billion photos (Aslam, 2019). Whether the
information is acknowledged, the brain continually processes stimuli and new
data, of which ninety percent of that information is imagery (TEDx, 2010). The
amount of data is overwhelming especially if the recipient cannot discern what
information is valuable and what is irrelevant.
Visual Literacy
Visual
literacy is, “Reading and writing in pictures” (Silverman & Piedmont, 2016,
p. 34). People that learn visual literacy know how to be conscious consumers of
visual images. To excel in visual
marketing, one must learn visual literacy to apply design elements effectively.
Companies use visual images to increase profits, grab attention, and promote
engagement. On the other hand, a wrong
image can distract from an intended message, spread misinformation, and possibly
create legal issues if one does not own the rights to the property. The ability
to share visuals on the internet creates opportunities to promote one’s
business or brand. Well-designed imagery captures and reveals a great deal of
information, and images evoke similar emotional responses across cultures. The Mon Cherie commercial applies design
elements that are: appropriate for the intended message, involve story-telling
to reach the selected demographic, and complement the overall design and brand
identity.
Intent of Message
Mon Cherie has a logo, website, and
basic brand framework, so the next marketing step is to create a commercial
that will attract consumers. The commercial explains to consumers who Mon
Cherie is, what the company mission is, and display and demonstrate how to use
the products. With the proper design choices and a clear message, the
advertisement will draw in new customers.
The intended message is that Mon Cherie
uses natural ingredients because Mon Cherie understands that people want to
take care of their skin without worry. With hectic, full schedules who has time
to worry and research additives other companies use? And why should people
worry when bath time should be relaxing and fun? The advertisement creates a
sense of trust by explaining the company’s mission to provide high-quality
products and convince viewers that purchasing these products is ultimately an
investment in one’s self.
One
section of the commercial focuses on Mon Cherie’s use of natural ingredients
with photographs of some of these beneficial ingredients paired with Mon Cherie
products. Several design elements are used to make the photos visually
appealing like the rule of thirds, symmetry, light, and balanced color. For
the still images, lighting was used to reduce distracting shadows. One can find
the focal points located at the intersections of the imaginary rule-of-third
lines. The colors are bright but balanced, so the objects are equally acknowledged.
Typography
It
is crucial for the typography to match all design elements. The basic requirements
for typography are readability, legibility, and proportionate size to other
design aspects (Ryan, 2012). The Adobe
Spark program used to create the commercial contains a limited selection of
fonts, but the Cooper Black font fits into the other design elements. The
Cooper Black font abstractly denotes a slower pace, unlike other fonts that
evoke feelings of a fast speed (Doyle & Bottomley, 2006). Since a critical
part of Mon Cherie’s message is that bath time should slow down and enjoy bath
time, these connotations are fitting for the commercial’s design. At times the
font is animated and bounces slightly in the frame, which also suits the bubbly
and fun theme. Text spacing, length, size, and alignment assure the text is visually
appealing. Each piece of text was viewed separately to ensure it is appealing
on its own (Kyrnin, 2017). The commercial centers, spaces, and places the text
so that the font is noticeable, but not visually overwhelming or distracting. The
video clips display the text where gaps existed, or balance with the images was
needed. The consistent use of the font and
positioning bridges the message across each subsequent image.
Demographics
Mon Cherie appeals to an array of
demographics; however, this specific commercial advertisement markets to women
in the United States ages 25 to 44. The message is family- oriented, but the
advertisement interest women. The commercial will build trust and make women,
specifically mothers, feel like Mon Cherie is a healthy and fun choice. Several
incorporated visuals convey this message: hands lathering soap, a bath bomb
fizzing in a washtub, a staged display of natural ingredients commonly used in
the products, mother and children washing their faces and hands together, and
children using bath bombs playfully in the bathtub. The imagery evokes clean,
carefree, and happy feelings that one gets when enjoying quality time with
family. The video promotes an underlying idea that even something mundane such
as daily bath is wholesome family time.
The commercial tells the
story of a woman and her two daughters at bath time. The mother is showing her
children how to wash their faces, which ends with the daughters playfully
covering the mother’s face with soap. The commercial advances with the children
in the bathtub demonstrating how easy it is to put the bath bomb into the
water. Mom shares a teachable moment and a fun moment with her children. Lastly,
the commercial includes an adorable reaction shot. The little girl squeals with
delight as she watches the bath bomb fizz in the water. She holds it up and
smiles at the camera. This child is not an experienced actress, but she is a
natural. Her delightful reaction may encourage parents to purchase the product,
solely to watch their own child’s response.
Branding
The
actresses in the video are family members of the owner of Mon Cherie, not paid
actresses. These clips aim to connect and engage the viewer, build trust with
the company, and create an honest rapport. Mon Cherie considers family and
wellness as a large part of their brand identity. Mon Cherie is the merging and
blending of past and future generations. Mon Cherie is traditional but
advanced. Mon Cherie products are simple but energetic. Mon Cherie wants to be
known as a modern, fun, healthy, caring, genuine, small, family-oriented
company. The family is valuable to Mon Cherie, and that message is visually evident.
Design Concepts
Making
a commercial is complex and challenging, but by applying the basic principles
of design regarding spacing, imagery, and typography, one can confidently
approach the task. Advertisers have approximately five to eight seconds to grab
consumers’ attention, and audiences tend to focus on entertaining content
(Teixeira, 2015). The commercial will begin with approximately five
seconds of video of bubbles floating towards soap with the text centered.
The purpose of this image is to grab the viewer’s attention. The bubbles are
floating away from the camera and towards the soap draw the viewer’s eyes
towards the product and the message.
After
the introduction of the products and ingredients, the commercial then runs
slow-motion footage of a bath bomb tossed into a wash tub. The video clip
demonstrates to the viewer how the product works. The video speed creates a
dramatic, artistic display of the fine details. This clip is an emphasis
strategy that will maintain the viewer’s attention (Ryan, 2012). This portion
on the commercial will be text free so that the bath bomb is the focal point.
Immediately following is a time-lapsed video clip that presents the bath bombs
from start to finish in a matter of seconds. It is important to note that both
clips the rhythm of the jingle. The shots involving the mother and children
washing their face uses the mirror to create asymmetrical balance and allows
one to view the commotion in the scene from different perspectives
The still images
contain several design elements. One photo displays the bath bombs with
ingredients asymmetrically. Frames
featuring the bath bombs follow the rule of thirds with the one closest to the
camera spanning across two sections in the top right of the frame. Another
photo shows several bars of soap and ingredients. This image was balanced by
color and white and dark contrast, to balance the entire image by visual
weight.
Together the imagery, typography, and design elements deliver
a lot of information in sixty seconds. There are many expectations for
this commercial: to persuade viewers to purchase the products, to increase
awareness of Mon Cherie’s natural products, to display the products, and
demonstrate how they work. Consumers appreciate and remember honest, amusing,
entertaining advertisements that speak to them on their level (Ryan, 2012). Mon
Cherie’s commercial will captivate the aimed audience and deliver the message
in a clear and memorable way.
References
Aslam,
S. (2019, January 6). Instagram by the numbers: Stats, demographics, & fun
facts. Omnicore. Retrieved from https://www.omnicoreagency.com/instagram-statistics/
Doyle, J. & Bottomley, P. (2006). Dressed for the
occasion: Font-product congruity in the perception of logotype. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 16(2), 112-123. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=ff3cf7c5-fdd3-4f9b-9655-6fa18b3f6824%40sessionmgr4006
Kyrnin, J. (2017, July 5). What is typography?. Thoughtco.com. Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-typography-3467428
Ryan, W. (2012). Learning
to see: A guide to visual literacy. [Electronic version].
Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/
Silverman,
K., & Piedmont, J. (2016). Reading the big picture: A visual literacy
curriculum for today. Knowledge Quest, 44(5), 32–37. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1099502&site=eds-live&scope=site
TEDx Talks [Screen
name]. (2010, May 26). TEDxDartmouth – Brian Kennedy – Visual literacy: Why
we need it [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E91fk6D0nwM
Teixiera,
T. (2015). When people pay attention to video ads and why. Harvard Business
Review. Retrieved from
https://hbr.org/2015/10/when-people-pay-attention-to-video-ads-and-why
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