I don't know if I have much new to add as to my opinions of these commercials as a result of what I have learned about design and using media, than I expressed in my first post. I did think, however, that though there isn't much difference in accepted gender norms over the span of time between the two commercials, there is a difference in the sophistication of the production. First the the dialog of the Palmolive commercial is contrived and formal. This commercial from a 21st century perspective, lacks the sophistication in dialog that audiences now expect. It seems as though the dialog almost talks down to the viewers and expects to teach them something rather than assume the viewer has some background knowledge. There current commercial does the exact opposite. It makes almost grand assumptions of one's knowledge of popular culture using only music and popular images (Darth Vadar) to connect to the audience. The production understands the sophistication of its viewers and builds on their background knowledge rather than creating it. So, I guess the moral here is understanding your audience. Whether choosing fonts, images, text, or dialog, it is important that you have the audience in mind as you do so to make your design as effective as possible.
Jim. I agree that the Volkswagon commercial does reflect a new found sophistication in its production. Rather than seeming contrived, it achieves a naturalness. That's a pretty good accomplishment for a commercial featuring a tiny Darth Vader. I also commented on this commercial, and in the way of design (text, fonts, images, etc.) had little to add. I didn't mention this in my post, but I realize it now (which maybe you already pointed out in your original post), I do think the creators made an excellent and powerful design decision when they chose to display the text using lightsaber noise and movement. Nice job. Enjoy the summer!
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