TOW #9 "Extra Gum: The Story of Sarah & Juan"

            Extra Gum's "The Story of Sarah & Juan" was released in early October and has since taken the internet by storm- but truthfully: and it is not very hard to see why. After every moment the gorgeous couple shares, Sarah hands Juan a piece of gum and on he depicts the scene on each wrapper. Eventually, Sarah finds herself in Juan's art gallery, realizing that all the framed gum wrappers show scenes from their relationship, ending with him proposing. She turns and sees him on one knee. The commercial does an incredible job depicting the one thing everyone seems to want: true love. This idea of undying caring and affection is nothing new to this brand, as they released the incredibly successful "Origami" commercial campaign, in 2013. After the popularity of this advertisement, and the fact that Extra has been around for decades, they are a very credible company with little to prove. With their tokened slogan, "Give extra, get extra," the company has done an incredible job creating advertisements that can not only make people tear up, but also convince wide ranges of audiences to buy their product.
          Through the use of allusion, and the imagery that is achieved through elements of cinematography, Extra gum is able to create a strong emotional appeal that enables them to connect with their viewers so much so, that they are willing to pay more for essentially the same product. Although the two main characters may have arguably fell in love without sharing Extra brand gum since the day they first met, the commercial alludes to the idea that some of the reason behind the couple's success is the small acts of caring demonstrated in their exchange of gum. The allusion to Extra gum being an essential part of falling in love will ultimately drive much of the consumer base towards this brand over their competitors. Additionally, the imagery utilized helps explain the popularity of the commercial, as it is truly enjoyable to watch. Several elements of cinematography were incorporated, hence the commercial feels much more like a short film than a mere advertisement. The scoring of the ad, with sweet vocals and delicate piano plays into the scene of innocence and joy that the commercial wants to achieve. Additionally, the sweeping style of filming and blurred edges effect help contribute to this, among many other things. This choices had be heavily thought about while the commercial was being created, as one of the most key aspects of the commercial is that it feels more like a story than something that is trying to sell you a product.
         As I see this advertisement every time I scroll down my Tumblr newsfeed, it is pretty obvious that teens are latching on to this commercial and loving it. But, after sitting down with my parents and seeing how much they enjoyed it as well, I think that much of the commercial's success can be attributed to the wide range of people that it resonates with.

I accessed the commercial on youtube, and I would highly recommend checking it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLpDiIVX0Wo

This is a still from my favorite part of the commercial, as it does a great job giving a feel for what "The Story of Sarah & Juan," is truly about.