AAVV - The Multimodal Analysis of Television Commercials

La Tribu commercial endeavours to make the values of the programme and the radio station that airs it explicit. Therefore, two-thirds of the ad, the first seven seconds and the last seven are on-screen texts focusing on the main theme: “Now, more than ever” ( Ara, més que mai ). The values promoted are: diversity, humour, spontaneity and empathy. Next we see the six people who appear in the programme in a series of just three interconnected scenes. This is enough for us to see how the six exchange smiles and knowing looks, while highlighting the figure of the director and main voice in the programme, Tatiana Sisquella. A clear visual identification between the positive values of the programme and the people who make it is conjured up.

The characters are surrounded by a very warm light in a place which we cannot identify immediately but which we intuitively surmise is the radio station.

A poster that can hardly be seen is located right at the back of the scene. The way verbal language and images articulate meaning by establishing a relationship of interdependence is worth noting. What is highlighted is not only the content of the programme, but also when it is aired. The announcer supplies this information which is also displayed as on-screen text. At the end of the ad once more, the slogan “ara, més que mai” is repeated but this time it is associated with the station itself. This is important as the national character of the station is emphasized through the voice-over: “Radio Nacional de Catalunya”, in a clear reference to the only national radio that existed before Catalonia became an autonomous community: Spain’s National Radio (RNE). The reference to a national radio network, which reinforces the idea of a Catalan nation, can only be understood from the point of view of listeners living in Catalonia.

Agua de Veri (Length: 40 seconds)

The Villarrosàs advertising agency based in Barcelona is responsible for statewide campaigns for companies such as Nike , Honda Automotive , or Bacardi . The agency also carried out its activities from Madrid for large national firms before closing its offices there in September 2012. As on other occasions, the Veri campaign highlights the central idea of the purity of its water and where it comes from, the Pyrenees. This time, however, unlike previous campaigns, the idea of purity is reinforced from the perspective of isolation. The previous lighthearted approach used in other campaigns is abandoned and a much more serious and transcendental tone is adopted.

The idea of isolation is actually a risky strategy as it could be negatively connoted from a social standpoint. The ad strategy is to continue to link traditional values related to Catalonia but this time relating them to the elite Catalan skyrunning athlete, Kilian Jornet, who is well known in Catalonia. For those who may not have heard of him, his name appears on-screen over the image between the 13th and 16th seconds of the ad. This information makes it possible to air the ad throughout Spain. For thirty seconds of the ad we see a spectacular montage of images alternating between the Pyrenees and the athlete; images of isolation and wild nature combine to connote symbols of purity and authenticity.

Interestingly, the narrative voice is attributed to the athlete’s mother, who is also seen in different scenes. The explanatory and very motherly tone (see excerpt above) of the narration implies that this is an ad for mothers with children.

The musical score is made up of a piano piece that is heard throughout the ad and reinforces the breakup of the content into three blocks. These can be interpreted as: the decision to live in an isolated place, the doubts about the desirability of doing so with a small child, and the confidence that the final decision was the right one: “I only want what any mother wants, the best for her child” ( jo només he volgut el que vol qualsevol mare, donar-li el millor al meu fill ) thus attempting to establish a connection with mothers everywhere.

Vichy Catalán (Length: 60 seconds)

The 2012 commercial for the best-known Catalan brand of sparkling water highlights the idea of well-being in a very broad sense.

This campaign is particularly interesting for many reasons. First, because the target audience it addresses, is made up of young people. All the characters, that is, a man drinking Vichy Catalan , the waiter, a girl and a second man, are young people. Also, they only communicate through looks–what links them together is the water itself. The importance of gaze, which constantly reframes the rest of the action is highlighted in the frame analyzed below. After the initial reluctance to accept invitations to drink, the mood of the three customers improves on drinking the water. Specifically, 34 seconds and 54 seconds into the ad smiles appear instantly when contact with the water is made, coinciding with a rise in intensity of the music.

Second, because it uses references which bring up cosmopolitan reminiscences of Barcelona, i.e., the cafeteria, located in the Poble Sec in Barcelona and the Barcelona band Olivemoon . The café, which conveys an atmosphere of great warmth, could be a café located in any city. Nothing explicitly tell us that we are in Barcelona. 38 seconds into the ad a couple of people with oriental features appear. The lyrics in English, do not give clear clues as to where we are. In this respect, it is important to note that the spot has only been released in Spain.

Third, because the ad features montage which is lacking almost entirely in linguistic elements, which gives it a certain universality. Only at the end is the slogan on the label of the bottle pronounced: “ Vichy Catalan loves me” ( Vichy Catalan , m’estima). It is important to highlight this, because one would only have to change this three-second fragment to use the ad outside Catalonia. It is also important to emphasize that the brand name, in spite of it being a quintessentially Catalan product, has a Spanish name, even within Catalonia. That is, Vichy Catalan and not a hypothetical Vichy Català. This is common in many advertisements we see on TV3. Catalan versions retain the name of the brand (product, company ...), and / or slogan in Spanish: El Corte Ingles, “Somatoline Complex : funciona” (works), etc.

Estrella Damm 2012 (Length: 3 minutes, fifty seconds)

This is the Catalan brand of beer par excellence. The Serra de Tramuntana campaign involved ads of varying lengths. The long version showcases the singularity of the content to a greater extent than the shorter versions. The ad is intended to build up an association between the values of Mediterranean culture and beer. In other words, it is a kind of vindication of the culture and lifestyle of the Mediterranean. Thus, recourse is made to a wide variety of stereotyped clichés regarding Mediterranean culture. First, because the story unfolds on a very specific Mediterranean location, that is, the island of Mallorca and at a very specific point on the island, the Serra de Tramuntana. At the same time it seems to rule out the possibility that similar things might occur in Turkey, Israel and Morocco.