Media Analysis from a Viewer and a Creator: Ciroc Vodka

Blog #1:

The commercial that I saw was by Ciroc Vodka, called Diddy/Sinatra Ciroc commercial (on YouTube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF3G7vdM2UI. Sean Combs, popularly known as P. Diddy, a famous American rapper and record producer, stars in the commercial as (I interpreted,) a host of the party providing Ciroc Vodka. The crowd, also noted in the location, appears to be of a high income class as they stroll and relax dressed tuxedos and cocktail dresses. In addition, the commercial plays Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me" in the background of the black-and-white video, with the lines, "Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly" most prominent.

Analysis: 
The purpose of the video was to instill the idea that Ciroc Vodka is high-end and apt for any celebration. Starting from the commercial, Combs explicitly noted, "When I celebrate life, I celebrate with the best - Ciroc Ultra Primuim Vodka", with Sinatra belting out the line, "If you can use some exotic booze, there's a bar in far Bombay". Although the type of celebration is not verbally specific, "celebrate life responsibly", the visuals denote that Ciroc Vodka is appropriate for high-end celebrations.

However, how true it is to its claims is a bit unknown. Accordingly www.thedrinksbusiness.com, and gayott.com, Ciroc Vodka did not even get reviewed into the top 10 vodka brands (http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2013/09/the-top-10-vodka-brands/11/; http://www.gayot.com/spirits/top10vodkas/grey-goose-vodka-review.html). And accordingly to a vodka review site, Ciroc Vodka was rated 2 out of 5 stars (http://vodkabuzz.com/vodkas/ciroc/).

So how exactly "high-end" is Ciroc Vodka?

Audience:
Considering that Combs, the star of the commercial, is African American, and the majority of the cocktail crowd is African American, I would reason that the target audience is African Americans. However, it is not necessarily targeted to wealthy African Americans, as they are portrayed in the video, but to African Americans of middle-class or higher. It is unclear why African Americans are the targeted group, concerning that they are not the largest consumer of alcohol across ethnic groups nor the largest within minorities (Chartier & Caetano, 2010) (http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh40/152-160.htm).

Representation:
Since many are clothed with jewelry and tuxedos, the figures are portrayed of a high socioeconomic status. As a creator, I would single this SES class to highlight the idea that Ciroc Vodka is high-end. After all, it's the stereotype that the wealthy consume expensively, and therefore, the products are assumed of high quality. Combs is also used as a form of celebrity advertisement in which his image is used to promote and endorse Ciroc Vodka.

Design:
First, the video is shown in black and white and the location is of a luxurious house with out-dated appliances like a record player. Followed by the Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me", which was released in 1958, an Old Hollywood feel is illuminated. I think that these design techniques were used to highlight the idea that Ciroc Vodka is high-end and to give off a nostalgic desire.