In Venice driving your car over the canals made to ice.
The director / Producer of this advert was very clever because he thought to himself when he was choosing this city “How are we going to make roads when there are no roads in Venice” so they computer simulated the canals as icy roads to show off the car’s stability grip of the road and safety.
In the whole of the advert it consists of 19 frames. Most of the frames are 1-5 seconds long although some are more.
The first few frames show skaters blurred in the background it shows them skating the next view you see is the ugly side of the car the underneath the car under the ice the camera is at a low angle (worms-eye-view) Then shows the skaters following the car in unison and are wearing streamlined suits which are blue like the car it shows resemblance between the car and the skaters. The next bit shows a bird’s eye view of the car the featured badge of the car and tinted windows for privacy or maybe celebs.
Camera moves to a close up of the car and there is a man driving the car looking in his visor.
Next camera moves to a low angle and makes the car look big and powerful like an aeroplane about to take off. Camera going round a bend side view the car was made to look like a 3 door to appeal to men and women that like sports cars but is actually a 5 door its just the handles are near the side of the window. Trying to appeal to both the family man or boy racers.
This time the camera slides into the inside of the car beautiful, modern wooden fascia the wooden steering wheel come from when the car company made sports cars and it was the fashion to have wooden shiny steering wheels.
All the next 5 frames show control grip on the icy roads the car is showing safety and so that would appeal to families.
The camera then shows the people driving the car the women is aged between 30-40yrs old wearing a collar neck jumper and a blue jacket.
And the man is also aged 30-40yrs and wearing a black jacket with jeans.
The woman is dressed for winter and is not cold and has a smile on her face so it must be comfortable and warm otherwise she would be frowning.
The camera then goes through some Venetian archways and you see a perfect picture of the car and the camera follows the car though the Venetian archways.
The badge the main feature shining blues, reds and greens of the badge and the colour of the car go well.
In all of the frames we have seen the car from every possible angle that the producer/director could think of.
Full-Extreme-Close-Up of the engine normally the ugliest part of the car part with the italic bold red writing on the engine it looks quite elegant, flashy, classy then the camera zooms for a full close-up of the writing “Alfa Romeo”
Camera in tilt and turning round and round so the car is upside
Down and the “Bridge Of Sighs” in the background its called the Bridge Of Sighs because once there was a pathway to a prison and a execution area and it was called the bridge of sighs because when the prisoners went over for execution, they Sighed.
And then under the bridge of sighs into the lagoon and into the distance.
Gondolas to the right and left of the lagoon and to the distance lighting on the buildings. Then the frame dissolves into a red background with the badge and writing “Cuere sportive”
Meaning “Sporting heart” Then comes into a voice over “ Alfa 156 power for your control”
And then that frame dissolves into the last frame and was apparently car of the year in 1998 that is the last thought they want you to remember that this car is no 1.
38% of the advert is 7 seconds long because they want to leave an impression that this car not any ordinary car the “Alfa Romeo”.
Most of the frames last 1-5 seconds long the most is at the end of the advert.
Normally there is lots of talking in car adverts but they wanted to make just a few words stick in your mind these words were chosen carefully “Alfa 156 Power for your control”.
Male voices over deep, loud, clear voice. A voice you will remember, in English terms it is called “Received Pronunciation”
Indian music for the soundtrack calm cool relaxing music, special music just for this car advert. Because the car is special so can the music. It’s about a medium pace with percussion. Sort of an out of this world, sort of music.
In frames 2 & 4 there are roars of the cars engine representing power and agility. And the noise of the tyres when it is cornering.
My Conclusion is that the advert was successful in selling their car and that the car looked powerful, but safe at the same time. I liked especially the iced over canals of Venice because I have actually been there and was quite funny to see it iced over.
I didn’t have anything I disliked.
The things I would change is at the end or during the advert it would be good to have some details about the car e.g. price I hate adverts that don’t say the price of the car I mean it could be really expensive but I know they are just doing that so that buyers do not get put off by the price.
