Just recently Ketel One Vodka has expanded its ad campaign from the print ads to television commercials. The commercial revolves around a group of upper-middle class, white men who are supposed to represent “real” men. Other than the one woman sitting in the background of the scene, who seems very out of place, the entire commercial centers around men. Even the narrator attempts to promote a very deep masculine tone. The narrator states, “There was a time when substance was style. When men were unmoved by the constant current of the crowd. When they didn’t drink their vodka from delicately baited perfume bottles. There was a time when men were men. It was last night.” It appears that the commercial is attempting to promote connoisseurship of those individuals, who I guess have to be male, who go against the crowd and drink the right vodka. To be a true connoisseur one must distinguish between what is popular and what is truly good. However to know the difference you have to be a man’s man. In addition, the commercial states, “when men were men”. This clearly does not explain what sort of man, attributes, characteristics, etc, hence it is insinuating that if you have to ask you probably are not one of them.
I thought it was interesting how Ketel One was promoting its brand to one type of person. The commercial showed no variety and almost didn’t want to include anyone outside of the very narrow upper-middle class, white male, as consumers of the alcoholic beverage. This doesn’t really make sense to me because I would think that a company would want to appeal to as many people as possible. Wouldn’t companies want more people buying their products?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFj3FJlBT8Q&feature=player_embedded
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