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1StrongBlackMan

(31,849 posts)
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 11:50 AM Jun 2014

I saw the planters-salted-caramel-peanuts-presentation-commercial ...

And it left me shaking my head ... in a good way.

http://www.marketmenot.com/planters-salted-caramel-peanuts-presentation-commercial/

In case the video doesn't load for you ...

The commercial has a "Fresh-looking, well dressed" white guy, sitting next to a "Tired-looking, loc'd" Black woman, sitting next to a "pudgy, less well dressed" white guy.

The Black woman says: "I've been working on this all night.", as she starts a video presentation.

Fresh-looking, well dressed guy, immediately says, looking straight ahead at the video ... without looking at the Black woman or pudgy, less well dressed guy: "Are all the effects necessary?"

To which the Black woman responds to Fresh-looking, well dressed guy: "Are you necessary?", then looks to pudgy, less well dressed guy and says, "Nice hair ... What do you think (pudgy, less well dressed guy)?"

Pudgy, less well dressed guy, looks surprised that he is addressed, then gets a look like he appreciates, either her compliment or her asking his opinion.

Then, Fresh-looking, well dressed guy, says, again without looking at his co-workers: "Can't we turn the sound effects down?"

To which the Black woman responds: "How about we turn YOU down", then looks to pudgy, less well dressed guy and says, "What do you think (pudgy, less well dressed guy)?"

To which Pudgy, less well dressed guy, responds (with an almost evil defiant look), "Let's make it louder!"

What is your impression of this commercial?

57 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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I saw the planters-salted-caramel-peanuts-presentation-commercial ... (Original Post) 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 OP
try this Leme Jun 2014 #1
Thanks for the better link. eom. 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #7
I like that one a lot. nt cry baby Jun 2014 #2
I am trying to re- think most representations I have seen Leme Jun 2014 #3
Might have been quicker using only two people -- like this rocktivity Jun 2014 #4
"Rudeness", IMO, was less of a theme, than ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #8
How about TexasProgresive Jun 2014 #10
Which is a power dynamic shift, No? ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #12
I think you are right n/t TexasProgresive Jun 2014 #50
I love it..That lady is empowered.. Tikki Jun 2014 #5
I liked it. bravenak Jun 2014 #6
Good catch ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #9
I was formulating my response and you just hit the nail on the head. I loved it ! octoberlib Jun 2014 #11
I liked the flip-flop of SheilaT Jun 2014 #13
I think we will ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #16
Until you just pointed it out Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jun 2014 #30
At the risk of "making DU suck" ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #34
I think it would be interesting to know Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jun 2014 #35
While I can't speak to whether ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #44
Females make more junk "comfort food" purchasing decisions jberryhill Jun 2014 #48
I love that you started this thread. I just rec'ed it and hope more DU'ers weigh in on how they KittyWampus Jun 2014 #40
The woman is both salty...and sweet pinboy3niner Jun 2014 #14
Rock On Tuesday Afternoon Jun 2014 #15
I think you may be giving them too much credit Michigander_Life Jun 2014 #17
That's also what I thought Sweet Freedom Jun 2014 #20
Interesting ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #22
If their intent was progressiveness Michigander_Life Jun 2014 #23
Does that ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #24
No, not in this case Michigander_Life Jun 2014 #26
But only because you start from the assumption the suit's idea about too much noise is correct. KittyWampus Jun 2014 #27
Because that's the intent Michigander_Life Jun 2014 #29
Were the sound effects loud and annoying? ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #36
To me they were loud and annoying Michigander_Life Jun 2014 #38
Okay ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #41
I wish I saw what you did Michigander_Life Jun 2014 #42
I don't think we, as a viewing society ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #46
Eating processed food with high salt and HCFS is moving society in a "direction" all right jberryhill Jun 2014 #51
Okay ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #52
It has a lot to do with this discussion, actually jberryhill Jun 2014 #53
Okay. eom. 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #54
Because eating this product is also a bad idea jberryhill Jun 2014 #49
Bingo. eom. 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #31
Most people aren't business people. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jun 2014 #32
Yeah I thought the same thing. dilby Jun 2014 #57
Clearly she is in charge treestar Jun 2014 #18
As a VFX geek I love this commercial abelenkpe Jun 2014 #19
I didn't think the woman looked "tired" REP Jun 2014 #21
"A New Way To Harness The Power Of The People" is what it sounds like at the very end of the ad>>> KittyWampus Jun 2014 #25
Everyone is annoyed by the guy in the suit gollygee Jun 2014 #28
That's how I read it. The idea seems to be that the saltiness in the peanuts makes the woman bold... Moonwalk Jun 2014 #33
I love reading the different interpretations. Yours in particular as you point out the KittyWampus Jun 2014 #37
hmm.. sweetness of the caramel.... Leme Jun 2014 #47
Brown-ness of caramel jberryhill Jun 2014 #55
My 83 year old dad sometimes complains about the commercials he sees on TV. Iggo Jun 2014 #39
lol redqueen Jun 2014 #43
I think it will aggravate diabetes and high blood pressure jberryhill Jun 2014 #45
I get a 60s vibe betsuni Jun 2014 #56
 

Leme

(1,092 posts)
3. I am trying to re- think most representations I have seen
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 12:01 PM
Jun 2014

Many years worth.
-
On a one - time viewing.. I saw the woman sort of flirt with the guy who backs up her idea of more sound effect... and the suited guy goes ugh.
-
as to what they are presenting beyond a quick look.. I would have to spend more time.
-
I cannot help what I have been conditioned to see (on the surface), without reflection.

edit: I did notice she was black, the others white, but I had also been told of that prior to viewing. I probably would have consciously noticed that anyway and wondered why she was there ( why 1? why not 2?, not other races?, why not 2 women? etc.).

 

1StrongBlackMan

(31,849 posts)
12. Which is a power dynamic shift, No? ...
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 12:33 PM
Jun 2014

and consistent with my Gender/Race/"Insider, but not really" thoughts.

Tikki

(14,538 posts)
5. I love it..That lady is empowered..
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 12:09 PM
Jun 2014

..and I'd say it is a gazillion times better than their commercials from days gone by...



I can kind of understand why they picked Gifford..he does know all about the nutty.

Tikki
 

bravenak

(34,648 posts)
6. I liked it.
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 12:10 PM
Jun 2014

The black woman was in Charge and you know i love that idea ( i want to be in charge), the classic business guy with the waspy vibe got shut down in favor of the computer dude ( i love nerds) and he seemed very pleased that his talent ( and haircare abilities) got the positive attention while the snarky cool guy got shut down.
Shows how power is shifting and those classically in the leadership role can now be found in supporting roles at times. Made me want to get back to work and show somebody who's boss. Me.

 

1StrongBlackMan

(31,849 posts)
9. Good catch ...
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 12:22 PM
Jun 2014

the "pudgy, less well dressed" guy does have that "nerdy, computer guy" feel.

I just saw him as representative of the ""Insider", but really knows he's treated as an 'Outsider'" guy, whose final attitude represents the discovery of an ally.

Erich Bloodaxe BSN

(14,733 posts)
30. Until you just pointed it out
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 01:50 PM
Jun 2014

I never even noticed the races of the three people in the commercial. I've seen it a half dozen times or so, so I could have described it generally, but skin tone wouldn't have made an appearance in my description. Privilege blinders are tough things to lose entirely.

Erich Bloodaxe BSN

(14,733 posts)
35. I think it would be interesting to know
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 02:04 PM
Jun 2014

how much intentional, conscious thought goes into deciding who plays which characters in such commercials, and how much is more intuitive, ie people saying to themselves 'it just works better with a female PoC as the protagonist', without really examining why. It would be even more interesting if people working at ad agencies are deliberately layering such 'dynamic shifts' into their work to send a secondary layer of messaging, to actually massage society into a more progressive vein.

 

1StrongBlackMan

(31,849 posts)
44. While I can't speak to whether ...
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 02:24 PM
Jun 2014

the idea is about "massag(ing) society in a more progressive direction"; but I know that there is an entire cottage industry that looks at who plays/says what, and the effect it will likely have on the audience.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
48. Females make more junk "comfort food" purchasing decisions
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 02:35 PM
Jun 2014

The commercial is designed to sell a processed food product with added salt and sugar. Since African Americans disproportionately suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes, the commercial is designed to avoid that objection and make it seem as if a large corporation gives a shit about social aspirations, in order to poison people and take their money. It is effective at doing that, as illustrated by the OP here.

 

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)
40. I love that you started this thread. I just rec'ed it and hope more DU'ers weigh in on how they
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 02:10 PM
Jun 2014

interpret this and what they glean from it.

 

Michigander_Life

(549 posts)
17. I think you may be giving them too much credit
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 12:52 PM
Jun 2014

To me, the commercial came off as a tired replay of the same old stereotypes. Business woman has to flirt to get her ideas accepted, and the nerd is so unaccustomed to female attention that he unwaveringly goes along with her bad ideas -- annoying sound effects in her presentation.

I hope your interpretation was the correct one...

 

1StrongBlackMan

(31,849 posts)
22. Interesting ...
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 01:03 PM
Jun 2014

Sadly ... Business women having to flirt, in fact, is/has been a coping/survival strategy for getting their ideas HEARD, let alone accepted, in business. It's not a tired stereotype.

You might be correct about the nerd is so unaccustomed to female attention that he unwaveringly goes along with her bad ideas -- annoying sound effects in her presentation ... but apparently, there was only one person that thought the sound effects were annoying, the "status quo" character.

 

Michigander_Life

(549 posts)
23. If their intent was progressiveness
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 01:10 PM
Jun 2014

They would have done well to leave out the flirt and would have made the status quo character point to something that didn't make him appear correct. That's what rubs me wrong about it the most (aside from the flirting-for-agreement) -- it's that, from a business perspective, having loud and annoying sound effects in your presentation is plainly a bad idea. It validates status quo guy's existence, and I'm afraid that's how it will play to the vast majority of those who watch it.

They're going to see this commercial as:

White, rude (but competent) business man's legitimate criticism of horrible idea is derailed by incompetent black woman who flirts with desperate nerd.

 

1StrongBlackMan

(31,849 posts)
24. Does that ...
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 01:19 PM
Jun 2014
They're going to see this commercial as:

White, rude (but competent) business man's legitimate criticism of horrible idea is derailed by incompetent black woman who flirts with desperate nerd.


Speak more to the frame/assumption where the status quo figures idea must be/is the correct idea?
 

Michigander_Life

(549 posts)
26. No, not in this case
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 01:24 PM
Jun 2014

If status guy was objecting to a plainly good idea, the commercial would make a great point. If status guy was objecting to a debated idea and his point of view wasn't obviously correct, the commercial would make a good point.

But they've set the stage by making him the only one objecting to the obviously bad idea. That makes him look reasonable, and kills any point the commercial was shooting for. It reinforces the negative stereotypes, not the positive ones.

I view this commercial as racist, sexist and stereotypical.

 

Michigander_Life

(549 posts)
29. Because that's the intent
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 01:33 PM
Jun 2014

The makers of the commercial could have given the black woman an idea that was obviously a good idea. But they didn't.

They have her flirting with a nerd to get him to approve of using loud, annoying sound effects in a business presentation.

 

1StrongBlackMan

(31,849 posts)
36. Were the sound effects loud and annoying? ...
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 02:04 PM
Jun 2014

Or, do we have to just accept that to make the argument work?

But I can see your point about the "flirting", though I suspect it was done to draw attention to the nerdiness of the nerd.

 

Michigander_Life

(549 posts)
38. To me they were loud and annoying
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 02:08 PM
Jun 2014

And certainly have no place in a professional business presentation. The fact that they made a black business woman flirt to gain acceptance of her idea is the biggest indicator of their intent.

 

Michigander_Life

(549 posts)
42. I wish I saw what you did
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 02:20 PM
Jun 2014

I just think that if they were trying to be progressive they wouldn't have been ambiguous about it at best, and stereotypical at worst.

 

1StrongBlackMan

(31,849 posts)
46. I don't think we, as a viewing society ...
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 02:31 PM
Jun 2014

meet unambiguous progressive messages well ... witness the Cheerios commercial. So maybe, that supports Erich Bloodaxe BSN's idea of "massaging society in a more progressive direction"?

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
51. Eating processed food with high salt and HCFS is moving society in a "direction" all right
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 05:53 PM
Jun 2014

This direction:



A one ounce serving of this product has 160 calories and 110 mg sodium.

 

1StrongBlackMan

(31,849 posts)
52. Okay ...
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 06:10 PM
Jun 2014

but that has absolutely nothing to do with this discussion. But thanks for the nutrition advice.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
53. It has a lot to do with this discussion, actually
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 06:26 PM
Jun 2014

It's salty, it's sweet, and it is caramel. The actress portrays all three characteristics, but "caramel" won't work with a white actress.

That's all it is.

The "social message" is "this shit will kill you, let's sell it to African Americans."

But if you want a person to personify aspects of a product that is:

1. Salty
2. Sweet
3. Caramel

...then using an African American woman to convey the remarkable proposition that "caramel is brown" doesn't strike me as what you are trying to make this out to be.

Someone said, "We have to sell a product which is salty, sweet and caramel" and someone said "We'll use an actress who is salty, sweet, and brown," and you find this to be some form of advanced enlightened thinking? Really?
 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
49. Because eating this product is also a bad idea
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 02:43 PM
Jun 2014

The guy saying "turn it down" is the same "voice of authority" who tells people to cut down on salty sugary snacks.

This commercial equates that to "annoying white guy" in order to tell junk food purchasers, "Fuck that guy. Eat this shit."

Will you get tooth decay and aggravate your high blood pressure and diabetes? Sure. But it is "empowering".

The commercial is supposed to put black folks' money into white folks' pockets, while damaging their health in the process. If the OP is any indication, it will do so successfully.

Erich Bloodaxe BSN

(14,733 posts)
32. Most people aren't business people.
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 01:54 PM
Jun 2014

From a non-business person perspective, what I got from it was more Dilbertish. Worker does all the work, suit type pops in at the last minute and has to pretend he's worth existing, so he demands piddling changes, coworker backs up first worker to annoy pointless suit type.

dilby

(2,273 posts)
57. Yeah I thought the same thing.
Mon Jun 9, 2014, 02:57 AM
Jun 2014

If they flipped the sexes around people would be calling it a sexist commercial.

treestar

(82,383 posts)
18. Clearly she is in charge
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 12:54 PM
Jun 2014

If 2 out of 3 get their way, she got the pudgy guy to realize he was irritated with well dressed guy too. And they way he just ordered them around rather than consulting got them to naturally band together and defeat him. Helps white guys with the idea they are not always the dominating type - the stereotype with the pudgy guy kind of helps with that. They don't have to say not all white guys are like that. She dealt with the two white guys knowing the other one would want to "turn down" the first one too.

abelenkpe

(9,933 posts)
19. As a VFX geek I love this commercial
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 12:56 PM
Jun 2014

I would applaud anyone able to even temporarily silence the overpaid layer of commenters who just exist to crap on the ideas of the artists and technicians who actually do the work. But I'm totally biased. The commercial is a fantasy. In the real world the woman and tech guy would have been fired or more realistically, turned down the volume and grumbled about it out at lunch together later on.

REP

(21,691 posts)
21. I didn't think the woman looked "tired"
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 01:02 PM
Jun 2014

My impression: team leader (woman), associate (suit) and intern (younger dude).

I always like seeing anything where a woman is the authority without being made to be a bitch, ball-breaker, etc or submissive. From the few times I've seen it, I got the impression of the woman getting feedback from everyone, even the intern, and going with her idea.

It's nice to see WOC shown as leaders with positive qualities. Need to see more of that!

 

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)
25. "A New Way To Harness The Power Of The People" is what it sounds like at the very end of the ad>>>
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 01:21 PM
Jun 2014

although technically it probably would state it says "harness power of the PEANUT".

But I hear "people" as the very last word.

gollygee

(22,336 posts)
28. Everyone is annoyed by the guy in the suit
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 01:26 PM
Jun 2014

They've been working on it all night and he's been negative and bossy and they're tired of dealing with him so they turn up the sound effects to spite him.

Moonwalk

(2,322 posts)
33. That's how I read it. The idea seems to be that the saltiness in the peanuts makes the woman bold...
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 01:58 PM
Jun 2014

...and salty to the negative demanding guy. And yes, thanks to profiling, we naturally assume that the put-together guy complaining of the sound is probably rude to at least the nerd guy. So we get the feeling that the woman, on eating the nuts, has decided that enough is enough. They've been up all night thanks to demanding guy, and it's time to do to him what he does to others. Be salty. But the sweetness of the nuts makes her sweet to the nerd guy who (again, profiling makes us think this) probably has been doing much of the work, unthanked and unappreciated. Yes, it can be read as flirting to get the nerd on her side, but I rather think the nerd is already on her side if she's sniping at the demanding guy. She doesn't have to be sweet. She could be bossy to him as well, and that's what the nerd seems to expect.

Instead, she's sweet, complimentary. So, she empowers herself, and then she passes that on to the nerd, empowering him. Overall, I rather liked it. But, yes, it does rely on us boxing the two men into stereotypes.

 

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)
37. I love reading the different interpretations. Yours in particular as you point out the
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 02:08 PM
Jun 2014

sweet and the salty aspects.

It's like analyzing a novel or artwork… but with a corporate product at its center.

 

Leme

(1,092 posts)
47. hmm.. sweetness of the caramel....
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 02:31 PM
Jun 2014

just asking.. is the woman a caramel tone? is that a designation of tone? I think so, not sure.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
55. Brown-ness of caramel
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 06:42 PM
Jun 2014

The sweetness comes from high fructose corn syrup.

The point is that the product has three characteristics:

Salty
Sweet
Caramel flavor

So they use a personification of the product to portray:

Salty
Sweet
Brown

And, apparently, the observation here that "she's salty, sweet, and brown" is the greatest advancement in civil rights since Roe v Wade.

It utterly escapes me how "She's brown, get it?" becomes such a remarkable message.

Iggo

(47,487 posts)
39. My 83 year old dad sometimes complains about the commercials he sees on TV.
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 02:08 PM
Jun 2014

He'll say things like "Why do they need all that extra stuff?", "Just show the damn product!", "Why are they yelling?", and "What makes them think that'll make me want to buy their product?"

And I tell him, "Dad, they're not trying to sell it to you."

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
45. I think it will aggravate diabetes and high blood pressure
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 02:26 PM
Jun 2014

Last edited Sun Jun 8, 2014, 04:56 PM - Edit history (1)

The product adds salt and sugar to a food that is otherwise good without them.

The image of the white hand shoving them into the mouth of overweight black person in the image at the very end says it all to me.

African Americans have a disproportionate incidence of high blood pressure and diabetes.

Mr. Peanut, with his top hat, monocle and cane, is clearly a wealthy peanut baron with genocidal intent. He has hired an attractive actress to entice African Americans to poison themselves.

Don't moderate. Be bold. Keep shoving sugar and salt into your face.

On edit: Not just sugar, but high-fructose corn syrup. If I wanted to kill African Americans, I would definitely want them eating this.

betsuni

(25,128 posts)
56. I get a 60s vibe
Mon Jun 9, 2014, 02:03 AM
Jun 2014

The square guy in the suit, Randy, is The Man and the black woman (two birds with one stone) and the nerd (was called Fatty all through school by kids like Randy) are the people. They're making their voices heard (louder!), stickin' it to The Man. Power to the People! Maybe Mr. Peanut was a hippie back in the day?

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