Michel Gondry: Levis 501 “Drugstore” analysis
Levis 501 jeans were being advertised as rebellious, confident, dangerous and desirable in Michel Gondry’s “Drugstore” ad. Michel Gondry is an academy award winning French film directed, and not unexpectedly, he did a terrific job making this commercial. Using black and white, no talking, and great visual effects this ad speaks to people of all ages in one way or another.
The ad appeals mainly, however, to teen boys, 15-30, even though in the ad you see a boy who is around 18, maybe 19. With his confidence, intrigue, sexuality, and his rebellious streak, Michel made every boy want to be him. The way he just shrugs off his date’s father, after buying condoms off him at the drugstore, is just all too nonchalant to ignore, especially at the day in age that the commercial is set it. The story of the commercial is set in the 1940’s, maybe 1950’s, and back then, young men were expected respect their elders more than the girl they take out, if the father says no, the answer is no. But this young man is rebellious, he’s from the other side of the tracks, and he’s wearing his Levi 501 jeans. You can tell that this boy is not your average “do gooder”, but from what you see, you can’t say he’s all bad either, he does go all the way to the door to pick up his date.
The way Michel chose to cut out all speaking, even though you see the daughter fighting her father, you cannot hear the words, makes the commercial even more enticing. This way, the commercial is still somewhat yours. In my seventeen years of television watching experience, I’ve seen one to many corny commercials where I think “If they had just said this instead, this would have been hilarious!” But with this, you have a scene and you pick your own script, whatever it is you like, and that makes this commercial, once again, appealing to people of all ages!
While the young man drives to the general store, the view is out of his car window, the edges of our...