For this blog post, I will analyze the Maxwell House coffee commercial below. The strategy that is used in this commercial is simplicity and the idea that it isn't supposed to be a commercial at all (when we obviously know that it is).
The commercial is taking advantage of pathos. Audience members are supposed to feel a deep connection to the cute girl singing about the happiness of her simple life. The ad functions to remind us all that we should be grateful for what have and that its not about the products we buy, but the people we're with and our attitude towards life that is important. Maxwell's brand wants to distinguish itself from a brand such as Starbucks, as it wants to appear simple and affordable in comparison to Starbucks sophisticated, luxurious appeal. Maxwell's ads are supposed to just make sense to viewers. Maxwell is confident of the quality of their product and as a result, their ads go beyond the actual product and simply equate the brand with a way of life.
I liked this commercial because I enjoy watching the cute girl sing her song. I do think its effective in the sense that it attracts viewers to be open to the message by coming off as "not an ad". However, because I watched this video online before it was a commercial, I have a hard time believing the message connects to a brand of coffee.
I love this video and I love it because of the exact reasons you state in your post, and not because it is a commercial, or because it is Maxwell coffee. I agree that it is not a very good fit for a Maxwell commercial in a sense that kids and coffee don't really go together. I feel as though as a commercial, it is lacking something that I can't quite put my finger on. Then again the initial message suggests that it is "not meant to be an ad" but a "break" from the kind of ads we are used to seeing. Its almost as if to prove that no matter the company or brand, as long as there is a cute kid in your commercial saying cute things (not necessarily related at all), people will pay attention.
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