Audience Awareness

The Budweiser commercial begins after the end of prohibition and continues through joyful times in the following decades. After prohibition, you see the excitement surrounding the end of the war with Japan in the 40's. Next, a scene showcasing the greaser style of the '60s followed by a crowd huddled around a tiny television to watch the moon landing, of course drinking Budweiser beer. We pan around a disco club in the '70s, up to a go-go dancer in a cage. Vignettes of the '80s and 90 come next - hip hop and street style, ecstatic fans cheering for Team USA in the 84' Olympics held in Los Angeles, a packed grunge show in a bar - before ending with a modern scenario as people dance in the street as a DJ plays on a rooftop above. Each scene clearly depicts the decade, with the distinct fashion and decor choices that go along with the style of the time. While people of many ages can enjoy this commercial, I think it specifically targets older generations like Baby Boomers and Gen X. People tend to remember "the good old days" or their childhoods more fondly than modern times, especially older generations. The dancing and celebration especially paints each decade in a positive light, even though there were obvious conflicts and problems within each of the decades showcased - the war is only mentioned in the context of it having ended and not the destruction that came from it, for example. The commercial can also appeal to people with a strong sense of American identity and patriotism since Budweiser is an American brand and all of the scenes showcase American history.

The Life cereal commercial appeals primarily to parents. Two kids refuse to eat their Life cereal because they heard it is supposed to be good for them, instead offering it to the pickiest child they know. To their surprise, Mikey actually enjoys the cereal - and he hates everything! A voiceover tells the audience that children don't have to know how nutritious the cereal is, thus saving them from dealing with children who refuse to eat things that are good for them. At the same time, this commercial can appeal to children who may see themselves reflected in the first two boys. Children don't usually enjoy the taste of nutritious foods like broccoli or whole-grain cereals, but if Mikey likes it and he doesn't like anything then it must be good! Using children as the only characters in the commercial and having them decide to eat something good for them on their own is more appealing than being forced to or egged into it by a parent.

The Nike commercial is narrated by athlete Colin Kaepernick and broadly appeals to athletes, which is on brand with Nike products. However, it more precisely targets athletes of color, disabled athletes, women, and poor athletes. As Kaepernick talks about chasing big dreams and refusing to let others define what you want in life, we see many different people: a child without legs in a wrestling match, a hijabi woman practicing in her studio, a female basketball player and wheelchair user, a homecoming queen and linebacker. Many of the athletes are people of color, who are often disadvantaged by systemic racism and white supremacy and don't always have the free time or access to sport and leisure athletic activities that their white peers may have. There are also stories of real, successful professional athletes, almost all athletes of color, and their rags to riches stories of overcoming adversity. The tone of the commercial is inspirational and may even motivate people to begin sports or athletics. The focus on marginalized athletes and their success against all odds has widespread appeal but can further push discouraged athletes to chase their dreams and achieve their goals, no matter how big they may seem.