Thursday, November 21, 2013

I Am A True Blue




This video came up in my newsfeed yesterday and when I saw the word "Sugarloaf" I knew I had to see it. At first, I didn't recognize it was an ad. Since it was published on Vimeo, I figured it was going to be a ski edit or something, which is something I see on there a lot. Soon enough though, I realized what they were trying to do, and it worked, especially on me. Growing up with a dad who's dream was to just live life as a ski bum, I grew up appreciating every single component of this advertisement.

The ad was extremely sensationalized. When the slow piano started playing and the narrators soothing voice picked up, when the visuals of mountain tops and snowboarders gliding down the trails slowly passed in front of my eyes, I was totally picturing my self doing the same thing last winter, and so many more before, at Sugarloaf. The ad talks about Sugarloaf being a place where magic happens. To me this made me think of the days when I was in the lift line at 8 am and didn't want to come in at the end of the day, even as I watched the sun sink down in to Carrabassett Valley. This ad is definitely trying to touch on the viewers' emotions, and from my perspective, it worked perfectly.

The ad subtly admits they are not trying to necessarily sell a product. The narrator identifies Sugarloaf as "a place where a love of things is replaced by a love of family." Of course there are several gift shops and restaurants on the mountain who ARE definitely trying to do that, but this ad is trying to sell Sugarloaf as an experience, not a "thing," which feels so true to me. It is true that going to Sugarloaf, or any other ski resort, does cost a considerable about of money, but the ad is trying to show the viewer this place is "priceless". They say at Sugarloaf, "no one cares that you drive an old car, they only care that there's a Sugarloaf sticker on it."

When playing on the viewer's emotions, the video brings up relationships you can associate with Sugarloaf, the relationships you have with other people, but more importantly, the relationship you have with yourself. The ads mentions all the different kinds of people you can meet at Sugarloaf, which for some might be incentive to make the trip up. The larger focus, however, is what happens to YOU when you go to Sugarloaf. The ad encourages you to be you, be yourself, but do it at Sugarloaf, because that's where "your perfect, amazing self" will come out. Most effectively, the ad closes by asking the viewer to "join US". This lets the viewer know that if they come to Sugarloaf, they'll be part of a community, something that is so appealing for many people. Also, who couldn't love Seth Wescott's little appearance?

I may be biased. Coming from Maine and from a family that scoots up to the mountain every Friday afternoon December through March and not returning back home until the following Sunday, I love what this ad offers. I will admit, I am truly blue.



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