Carl's Jr and Hardee's have been known for their ads depicting models and lightly dressed women eating their food in creatively sexual ways, and this ad is no exception. The ad is by the fast food restaurant Carl's Jr and was televised during Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.
This advertisement in particular depicts model Charlotte McKinney walking through what appears to be a general marketplace. Throughout the advertisement, conveniently angled camera shots make it appear as though the model is not wearing any clothes while she talks about being "all natural." In the advertisement the viewer watches as men turn their heads and look at her with lustful eyes, assuming that they are looking at her. At the end of the video the viewer is shown the model's full body and it is revealed that she was wearing a bikini the whole time. What the men were supposedly staring at was the burger she had in her hands and the "all natural" concept that she was talking about through the whole video was actually about the burger as well. This was an advertisement for Carl's Jr. "all natural" burger, which they propose has no added hormones, steroids, or antibiotics.
This advertisement plays off the deadly sins of lust and of gluttony. The lust comes into play with the implication that Charlotte McKinney is naked throughout the video, as well as her use of a "seductive voice" when talking about how she loves being "all natural" and how it makes her "feel better." A viewer may at first think that the model is talking about her body, and it is not until the end of the video that it is revealed what she was actually talking about was the beef on the burger. Thus, lust is used to connect the audience's feelings about the actress to the burger she is promoting. This is when gluttony comes into play, as the burger is depicted as large and packed full of toppings like lettuce and tomato. Charlotte McKinney is shown taking a bite out of the burger, used to evoke hunger in the audience watching and possibly make them desire to go out and buy that burger.
Innuendos and seductive language are used to evoke feelings of lust from the audience. As stated, the implication that Charlotte McKinney is naked, paired with her use of a seductive tone of voice, is meant to tie lustful feelings to the food. The color of the ad is bright to make it appear happier and upbeat. The layout is conveniently placed objects used to make the model appear naked.
Mass media commonly uses women to promote products typically deemed "manly" by society, such as burgers and establishments such as Sports Clips. In this case Carl's Jr. plays off the stereotype that men will typically buy their burgers, and that mostly men will be watching this advertisement due to it being on during the Super Bowl. In this was Carl's Jr. is hoping that it can appeal to a large male audience's sexual desires while they are already excited about the sporting event itself.
Thus, the audience of this advertisement is likely men, as the stereotype is that men will be watching the Super Bowl and men will be more likely to go buy a burger from Carl's Jr. The audience's social and economic background would likely be middle class, as they would have the access to television and desire to eat fast food, but the advertisement is not really restricted to just one class. The entire point of the ad is not to appeal to a certain class, but to the sexual desires of men in general. The men watching may have the cultural background knowledge to know who the model is, thus already having an attachment to the advertisement.
This advertisement in particular depicts model Charlotte McKinney walking through what appears to be a general marketplace. Throughout the advertisement, conveniently angled camera shots make it appear as though the model is not wearing any clothes while she talks about being "all natural." In the advertisement the viewer watches as men turn their heads and look at her with lustful eyes, assuming that they are looking at her. At the end of the video the viewer is shown the model's full body and it is revealed that she was wearing a bikini the whole time. What the men were supposedly staring at was the burger she had in her hands and the "all natural" concept that she was talking about through the whole video was actually about the burger as well. This was an advertisement for Carl's Jr. "all natural" burger, which they propose has no added hormones, steroids, or antibiotics.
This advertisement plays off the deadly sins of lust and of gluttony. The lust comes into play with the implication that Charlotte McKinney is naked throughout the video, as well as her use of a "seductive voice" when talking about how she loves being "all natural" and how it makes her "feel better." A viewer may at first think that the model is talking about her body, and it is not until the end of the video that it is revealed what she was actually talking about was the beef on the burger. Thus, lust is used to connect the audience's feelings about the actress to the burger she is promoting. This is when gluttony comes into play, as the burger is depicted as large and packed full of toppings like lettuce and tomato. Charlotte McKinney is shown taking a bite out of the burger, used to evoke hunger in the audience watching and possibly make them desire to go out and buy that burger.
Innuendos and seductive language are used to evoke feelings of lust from the audience. As stated, the implication that Charlotte McKinney is naked, paired with her use of a seductive tone of voice, is meant to tie lustful feelings to the food. The color of the ad is bright to make it appear happier and upbeat. The layout is conveniently placed objects used to make the model appear naked.
Mass media commonly uses women to promote products typically deemed "manly" by society, such as burgers and establishments such as Sports Clips. In this case Carl's Jr. plays off the stereotype that men will typically buy their burgers, and that mostly men will be watching this advertisement due to it being on during the Super Bowl. In this was Carl's Jr. is hoping that it can appeal to a large male audience's sexual desires while they are already excited about the sporting event itself.
Thus, the audience of this advertisement is likely men, as the stereotype is that men will be watching the Super Bowl and men will be more likely to go buy a burger from Carl's Jr. The audience's social and economic background would likely be middle class, as they would have the access to television and desire to eat fast food, but the advertisement is not really restricted to just one class. The entire point of the ad is not to appeal to a certain class, but to the sexual desires of men in general. The men watching may have the cultural background knowledge to know who the model is, thus already having an attachment to the advertisement.
Great post- your argument is focused and demonstrates strong understanding of the structure and style of the ad, and effect both have on the audience. It is also critically well written. I enjoyed reading this!
ReplyDelete