"The internet makes me sound smart! YES!"
Recently Craig Benzine, a YouTube vlogger with a significant following, did an advertisement for the Ford Fiesta specifically for YouTube. Personally, I found the ads amusing because of my familiarity with Craig (or wheezywaiter, as he’s known to YouTube.) I imagine this effect was similar for other viewers. In addition, Craig’s casual, silly style felt appropriate wedged between my usual sampling of YouTube videos. The combination of this familiar style and the familiar face made me much more willing to accept these ads rather than to dismiss them, as I usually do.
Kellner’s “Adverising and Consumer Culture” describes how ads “’address’ individuals and invite them to identify with certain products, images and behavior.” Ads are effective if they include a character that represents the target audience in a way that is both sympathetic and attractive. As an example, the text cites the famous figure of a cigarette campaign, the Virginia Slims woman who is sexy and independent.
Craig serves this role through accessibility and comedy. He is bumbling but amusing, an average guy whose self-deprecating humor adds to his appeal. Particularly for someone who recognizes him as a vlogger, his character is presented as trustworthy. He makes the ad simply more watchable, and as a result, makes a persuasive salesman.
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