Of course social networking is the big thing right now for mainly teens, like twitter, facebook, and now pinterist. However, some adults use these social networks as well. When you’re a kid and you find out your parent is starting to break into these "social networks," it gets a little awkward and begins to be a little too much... Verizon chose to appeal to the American audience in a way that we can all relate to. They chose to have a family setting that expresses the message that they're phone plan, and it's applications, can be used by all family members making it more versatile.
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ReplyDeleteThis commercial is ironic because the roles of the kids and the parents are reversed. The irony of the kids telling the parents what to do and the parents hardly paying attention because they are so absorbed in what is on their phones is comical. Humor in the ability to relate to the situation captured is what draws in the audience and makes them pay attention to the commercial. Verizon is selling their family plans by mocking a family situation that most every household, especially those with teenagers, have seen. Verizon wishes to convey that a family plan can bring your family together. It allows the parents to be kids and to be cool.
ReplyDeleteThis commercial definitely does a role reversal. While most family households see this type of situation, it's normally the parents ridiculing the kids to get off their phones, not the other way around. I thought it was a comical way for Verizon to appeal to both generations and capture the audiences attention. Obviously, most teenagers want a "cool" messaging phone, therefore it got the attention of the teen generation. But it also held the attention of the adult generation by showing that a messaging phone could bring their family closer together because the parents now can communicate and participate in the same social networking as their children.
ReplyDeleteIn this commercial the role of the parents and children are reversed. Verizon is trying to show how, not only the kids can benefit from their new phones, but the parents can have a lot of use with those phones too. Also this commercial appeals to a wide audience because they show how anyone can use their phones and connect to others through Facebook and Twitter. Verizon shows a family setting where they all keep in touch with each other and with those phones any family can become closer with the use of Verizon's phone services. Also showing that the phones are inexpensive, families can be connected at a low price. The phones appeal to people who use services like Facebook, Twitter, etc. because all the phones have full qwerty keyboards for easier typing on those websites. Lastly in this commercial there are so many people who use Verizon that are standing behind Paul Marcarelli (the Verizon guy), which shows that you could be another person/family that joins their great service.
ReplyDeleteThis commercial uses humor to imply that even parents (who are typically stereotyped as anti-social networking) will start using the social networking outlets because Verizon's phones make it so easy/convenient. The parents have become addicted to the ease of the phones to the point that the father is tweeting something as simple as "I am sitting on the porch." The frustration of the kids shows that the parents have been at this a while and the parents blow it off showing that they are enjoying their phones so much that they don't even listen to their kids. This commercial also kind of goes against what it is trying to achieve. It points out that because the phones are so messaging friendly, it is even easier to become addicted. If parents really are as anti-social networking as this commercial implies, then this would divert them from buying these phones. If it is so easy to lose oneself in these phones then why would a parent against the over use of social media buy these phones for their family?
ReplyDeleteThis commercial is a prime example of role reversal. In a typical family one major problem that parents typically have with cell phones is that their kids tend to put their phone higher on their list of priorities than their parents. In this commercial Verizon evens the playing field. Although the commercial is, socially, quite unrealistic (as adults in our world today would never be that addicted to cell phones) the goal of the commercial is to use irony and humor to increase its market marginally to some adults while at the same time advertising a new phone to teens. The commercial might not achieve its goal however, because it is reminding the parents who have seen their kids exhibit this problem just how much they hate cell phones. The commercial shows how addictive cell phones can be and might persuade parents against buying the new messaging phones for their kids.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very effective advertisement by Verizon because it appeals to all audiences through irony. Today's world is being taken over by social networking. Typically, it is the younger generation that is addicted to Facebook and Twitter. Many of the older generation do not use or do not know how to use the social networking programs. The parents do not understand Facebook or Twitter "etiquette" in this ad. This advertisement pokes fun at the fact that the older generation is a little behind on how social networking works. I believe that all audiences can appreciate the joke that is made here. If you can make the parents laugh and appreciate social networking and its connection to cell phones, they are more inclined to buy a phone for their kids. They might even want to try try it out themselves and see what all the buzz is about. Society is being taken over by technology and there is no denying that. I think Verizon hit dead on with this add and will see an increase in cell phone sales.
ReplyDeleteIn this commercial, it is obvious that there is role reversal. Nowadays, most kids are always on their phones tweeting or updating a status on Facebook. In the commercial, the parents, not the kids, are the ones tweeting and updating their statuses. Also, the kids are playing the roles of the parents by asking them to cut down on their rapid status updating and tweeting. Another thing to think about is that many adults and parents are technologically challenged, and kids are very technologically advanced. In this commercial, Verizon wants to show viewers that their products will level the technological playing field between parents and their children. Something else to consider is why does the commercial have so many people standing behind the Verizon guy? They could be trying to show that by buying into their family plan your not just getting a good deal on a phone plan, but you are also becoming part of the Verizon family. What else could the abundance of people represent?
ReplyDeleteThis commercial regards two parents as the leading roles which overturns typical phones advertisement. In a typical ad, children are main characters and companies used to consider them as most potential consumers. Usually, in real life, the thing is parents stop teenagers using the phone. However, by showing an abnormal but interesting family situation, Verizon attracts those middle-aged people who might want to be more connected with their children or want to be "cool" and experience what young people are enjoying, like facebook or twitter. So parents have become the biggest target.
ReplyDeleteAs previously stated, this commercial can have the opposite effect on parents, by making them not want to buy smart phones because then they would then be doing what their kids do that they don't like. I think this commercial could also have a very positive effect on parents by showing them that smart phones are easier to use than they seem. Most adults are turned off by complicated technology, and by the adults in this commercial using their smart phones constantly and easily, the smart phones seem easy to understand. The phone company has also acknowledged that older people are now using social networking, and therefore teenagers are not their only target audience.
ReplyDeleteThis commercial does a great job at getting their point across, they have fun, easy phones even parents can figure out how to use. This ad is poking fun at parents trying to seem hip or in the know with their kids and may be seen by some as offensive. However this kind of tactic may motivate parents and tell them that they do really need to understand what their kids are doing on the web and with their phones. The family that is shown here is what you would think as a typical American family. Both kids are easily annoyed by their parents, in their parents attempt to understand their kids. This commerical uses humor and a playful amount of mockery to get their phones to sell to the older generation and its obviously working.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find interesting about this commercial is how much the parents are using their phones. Typically parents come from a generation where technology like cell phones and social media websites didn't exist. Now 91% of americans own and use cell phones. Verizon did a good job in showing how easy it is for parents to use the cell phones. They did this by having the mom texting and use Facebook, and by the dad texting and using twitter. The kids as stated in previous comments played the role of parents. So what does this mean? This means the commercial showed that parents can be "cool" and "hip" like their kids at an affordable price.
ReplyDeleteThis commercial reverses the typical behaviors about cell phones of parents and kids to attract the attention of audience.The way of reversing common phenomenon is widely used in advertisement and the reason why it can attract people is that it is easier for people to notice things that looks strange or even totally opposite to their original impression. This commericial is trying to show that with the Verizon family plan, parents can also enjoy using smart phones as children do, which may provide them a chance to understand their children.Since most parents cannot really understand why their kids keep using Facebook or Twitter all the day, they may be interested in finding a way to know more about the life of their children, and therefore, they may give a try to the family plan.
ReplyDeleteThis advertisement humorously shows a role reversal. Parents, instead of moaning that children indulge in social network and waste time on posting comments on facebook, which crushingly squeezes out family time, obsessively surf the social network sites, turning a deaf ear to their children's complain. This unusual technique of expression shows the Verizon family plan on one hand, which makes parents feel that it's easy to integrate into children's world. On the other hand, it encourages children to invite their parents to their social network, which can be fulfilled through this family plan.The conflict between parents and children towards social network seems to disappear due to the Verizon family plan.
ReplyDeleteIn this Verizon advertisement, the parents take the kids usual roles as the ones who are constantly on their phones, distracted from the world around them. This commercial could quite possibly attract the attention of adults all around the world to buy one of these phones and see what all the hype is about since kids/teenagers are constantly glued to their phones either texting, on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. This ad provides humor along with very reasonably priced phones to allow the whole family can be connected again (although it is very unlikely that the parents who do purchase these phones will respond the way the parents portrayed here did).
ReplyDeleteIn this advertisement, the role reversal between parents and kids serves as Verizon's aim to widen their target audience. The ad closes the generational gap between kids and their parents and by doing so brings the familiy closer together. It also encourages the older generation to get in on the social networking fun. This combination of humor/irony and the prospect that Verizon can bring your family together allures many potential customers, and does a good job of making you remember the Verizon name when the time comes around to buy a phone.
ReplyDeleteThis advertisement of Verizon attracts audience successfully, because it change the role of parents and children. In real life, teenagers always ignore what their parent's words like the parents did in the advertisement, and focusing on replying on faceboook, posting picture in twitter and so on. However, this intentionaly plot, reverse the role of parents and children, make it more impresive to audience. I think the main purpose of this ad is to let parents who are confusing about how to get know of their children, who indulge in online socialing understand the ue of Verison's family plan.
ReplyDeleteThis advertisement has several implicit meanings. The most obvious is the role reversal which humorously shows parents acting like children and staying connected with social networking sites 24/7. This is not only showing some of the new social networking features of the verizon phones but also sending a message that parents too can use social networking sites thanks to the plan. It contains a second implicit message that the plan will bring families closer, as the kids must be friends with/following the parents profiles in the first place to know what they are posting, so while the scenario is not ideal for kids, the parents buying the phones will make the connection that they can be closer to their kids thanks to verizon and the social networking, and also be able to see what their children are up to. The final implicit part of the commercial is when the camera switches to the verizon guy (whose name escapes me). While the parents ARE on the social networking sites, they do not seem "cool". The posting and tweeting they are doing is quite "uncool" actually. The verizon guy supports what the kids (or the seemingly "cooler" people in the commercial) are saying to the parents, such as that other people can view the daughters facebook wall. This sends the message to kids that verizon is cool as well, as they understand social networking, unlike the parents (who are, again, associated with being uncool). This final implicit meaning could be taken the wrong way by adults, but the humorous tone of the commercial makes it not offensive.
ReplyDeleteIt must be acknowledged that this advert plays on the obvious parent-child role reversal but it seems used strictly to present a humorous scenario. The core of this successfully amusing advertisement is not about social networking. You have to wait for the end to discover this short scene actually advertises family plans--messaging phones not Facebook interfaces. Problem from a parent's perspective: Kids are returning to school and parents need to remain in contact with their children; they also have financial obligations to support these children away from home. This advertisement is entertaining for all age groups in presentation but actually does not target young adults in any way. Young adults do not have children "back at school" nor will they be buying contracts for family plans. Another (smaller) problem from a parent's viewpoint: Parents (with Facebook/Twitter accounts) must hear complaints from their kids like: "You know, other people can see that" when they post "I love you" all over their daughters' Facebook walls. Messaging phones keep messages between two individuals. The solution: affordable "family" messaging phones so parents can stay directly in touch. After mentioning all these things conflicts involving parents, children and the social network contained in this ad, could the real aim of it be to contrast Verizon and Facebook in the parent-child communication process? Verizon being the better way?
ReplyDeleteThis advertisement plays on a crucial role reversal which throws the viewer off for a second before drawing you in to pay attention. The marketers use this technique of humor and role reversal combined with modern buzz words like Facebook and Twitter to grab the viewer and hold them through the commercial until they can drop their marketing ploy at the end. This helps to distinguish the add from many others which simply drop info and push products on the viewer. The period of time which this commercial is most likely played probably coincides with the fall back to school and holiday gift idea season which assures it will not fall on deaf ears. The audience will be drawn in by the humor, intrigued by the sales pitch, and likely buy based on the coincidental timing of the commercial airing.
ReplyDeleteThis video is definitely comical in nature. The advertisement uses this to appeal to a potential customer's funny bone. The simplistic role reversal between parents and their teens is drastically overplayed though. Verizon had a great idea using this everyday occurrence in most families as its base for the commercial though. The viewer most likely can relate to the video easily. Verizon did a great job by connecting to both the older generation and younger generation. The role reversal also helps to eliminate stereotypes on who should buy the cool new messaging phones of this generation. This is a great business plow to broaden their customer base on such messaging phones.
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