Introduction
The advertisement chosen for this analysis is Starbucks “It Starts With You” commercial, released in March 2021 by Iris London Advertising Agency, UK. This advertisement aims to attract a young and progressive audience by applying certain general and visual techniques: bandwagon, point of view and body language, and a powerful text message.
Type of Advertisement & Target Audience
This advertisement is a brand advertisement: no specific product is mentioned, the viewer’s attention is directed at the brand itself, and the goal is to ingrain a certain association with Starbucks as a brand. The target audience of this commercial is young people, most probably between the ages 18-35, who are progressive and have an active studying, working, and social life.
General Advertising Techniques & Propaganda
Some of the general techniques used in this advertisement are bandwagon and complementing the customer. Bandwagon advertising’s goal is to convince the customer they need to join the other brand’s customers. In the case of this advertisement, there is no direct message of this. However, the ad demonstrates that other customers, who represent the target audience, are young and lead active lifestyles, and it implies that Starbucks is part of all of their lives (Starbucks: It starts with you).
The customer who relates to the represented people feels that they need to follow the brand as well. Another technique used in this commercial is complementing the customer. The final message, “It Starts With You” (Starbucks: It starts with you), implies that the customer plays the most important role in the brand. This goal is also achieved through plain folks propaganda, as the people represented in the ad are ordinary young folks who are supposed to make the viewer relate to them.
Visual Advertising Techniques
Some of the visual techniques involved are point of view and body language. Point of view is an important part of this commercial. First, the viewer sees the commercial from the point of view of a Starbucks employee, representing the brand’s perspective and how it cares for the customer. Then, after the drink is served, the point of view is moved to the customer, so now the viewer is submerged in the experience of coming to Starbucks, buying a drink, socializing, and even leaving Starbucks with the drink and continuing their life (Starbucks: It starts with you).
The purpose is to make the viewer feel like they are already a part of the brand. The video’s customers’ and employees’ body language makes the viewer feel at ease. The employee’s body language is meant to show how the customer will be treated at Starbucks, while the purpose of the customer’s body language is to convey how they will feel when they visit Starbucks.
Advertising Text Features
The text appears in the commercial only once at the end of the video and says, “It starts with you,” in white capital letters next to the Starbucks logo. This is the message of the commercial and a certain call to action, as it is meant to convince the viewer that they are exactly who the brand needs(Starbucks: It starts with you). The message is short but powerful as it serves the same purpose as the other general and visual techniques applied in the advertisement. The ad cannot be classified as clickbait, and neither can the title. It starts with you, and the content corresponds to the title.
Conclusion
To conclude, the Starbucks commercial appeals to a younger, active audience successfully. It does so by applying general techniques such as bandwagon and customer complementing, visual techniques such as point of view and body language, and textual messages. All these techniques are involved to convince the customer that they need to be a part of the brand and that the brand needs people like them.
Reference
Ads of Brands. (2021). Starbucks: It starts with you [Video]. YouTube. Web.