Research Blog: Commercial Conventions

Starbucks Commercial Research:

      

   

       Today 10/7/2019, in class my group mate and I got together to decide on a company which we would like to do a commercial on. We came to consensus that our commercial would be about Starbucks. We were directed by our teacher to research the conventions and codes of our chosen company. Once we chose to do Starbucks, we immediately proceeded into doing our research. First, we watched four different Starbucks commercials which are recent and took notes on their codes and conventions as we watched. For the codes of the advertisement we noted things such as lighting, sounds, movements, and angles. For the conventions aspect we observed what all of the advertisements had in common in terms of what actions are taking place within the advertisement. Below is our detailed findings.

Starbucks commercial codes:
      In a typical Starbucks commercial, the two main lighting used are natural and dim light. Those two types of lighting is effective because they capture the aesthetic behind the coffee making process. Sounds commonly used are diegetic sounds of the coffee being poured into the cup and also a score which sets a welcoming mood. Common movements are words shown on screen, coffee being poured into a cup, toppings being added to the coffee, the employee placing the customer's coffee on the order table, and customers reaching out to collect their coffee. Camera angles associated with Starbucks commercials are high angle, medium shot, medium close up, close up, and extreme close up. 

Starbucks conventions:
      Normally in a Starbucks commercial, the movements taking play are the day-to-day things a employee would do. One movement seen is the employee writing down the customers names on their cup. The employee making the coffee and to the customer’s liking is often seen. Lastly, typically shown is a scene where the customer receive their drink as the employee hands it over with a smile. The customer’s hand and the employee’s hold opposite ends of the cup which is displayed through an extreme close up.