Ciroc Vodka- "Celebrate with the best"

I looked at the Ciroc vodka commercial featuring Sean Combs (Diddy) and the music of Frank Sinatra  The purpose of the commercial is to sell Ciroc vodka and a version of reality where drinking a premium vodka can allow you access to an exclusive world full of old Hollywood glamour and celebrity.   The audience for this commercial I would say is a little more of a mature audience than your typical alcohol commercial. Considering Sean Combs is 41 and was at the height of his popularity perhaps 10 years ago, I would say that the starting audience would be those in their 30’s. The vodka is on the expensive side and the commercial aims to convince those with the means to buy the vodka that they would be making a classy, sophisticated choice in doing so and would be communicating that aspect of themselves to others by serving Ciroc vodka at their next get together.  The combination of using Diddy as the celebrity featured in the commercial and the music of Frank Sinatra allow for a fairly broad age group to connect to the commercial – Diddy with the more modern and hip influence, complemented by the classic and timeless voice of Frank Sinatra.  It says, if you drink this vodka you are not only hip, but classic.

The information is being portrayed through the eyes of one looking in on this small, exclusive gathering, something that as a viewer you might want to be a part of.  At the same time, the focus is on Sean Combs as the host of the party and his perspective that because he wants to celebrate with his friends, and he is a man of quality, he chooses this vodka to serve to his guests.  The tagline at the beginning sums this up when Sean Combs says, “When I celebrate life, I celebrate with the best. Ciroc Ultra-Premium Vodka”  So, if you want to treat your guests like a celebrity does, if you want to be the guy that buys and serves “the best”, then you need Ciroc vodka.  From the perspective of one peering in, the commercial is sort of a “how to”.  You want this? The vodka you serve is the key.

The people in the video are portrayed as first and foremost glamorous.  All the men are in suits and the women are in beautiful form-fitting dresses, perfectly coiffed hair and perfect makeup.  Their look evokes the glamour of the 40’s, reinforced by the Sinatra soundtrack of “Come Fly Away with Me”.   These people have been singled out because they represent the section of the population who are beautiful, successful, and happy.  The party is small and intimate, and from that we can infer that these are “special” people, chosen by Sean Combs to be a part of his inner circle.  No one is sitting in the corner of this party; everyone is important and involved.  While it is perhaps more subtle than many other commercials, there is still a focus on the women as sex symbols.  At second 22, the camera is focused on the buttocks of one of the women as she sashays across the room.  So, there are a lot of perspectives missing.  The entire point of the commercial is to make the argument that Ciroc is “premium” and exclusive.  Of course, they want you as the viewer to feel like they might experience a slice of this life if they drink the vodka.  So, people who are not “beautiful” or the life of the party are not represented.  People who might not be invited to a party like this, or might be hiding in the wings are not represented.  Also, people who might be drinking this vodka alone somewhere, lonely, perhaps suffering from alcoholism, are not represented.  No one is sick or over the top drunk.  Everyone is perfect. The other side of partying with an alcoholic beverage is not addressed.

In terms of design, I think that the choice of black and white film and the music are really important.  Black and white photography and film evoke a romanticized version of the past, in this case when people knew how to be classy and knew how to throw a good party.  I think this choice is meant very purposely to contrast our current society, which is often thought of in terms of trashy reality TV and celebrities that end up on the front pages of tabloids, bleary eyed and makeup-smudged from their latest scandal.  Black and white is clean and pure and avoids the clashing of colors, rather the commercial is focused around this idea of a classy and sophisticated celebration.  This is not a college party with people puking in the bathroom; it is a party of adults that are in control of their life (and of their alcohol – which is reinforced by the last line “Celebrate life responsibly with Ciroc Vodka”).   Using the Frank Sinatra song reinforces this association as he evokes an era when celebrities kept their dirty secrets to themselves and their lives were considered to be truly glamorous and mature.  The name of the song “Come Fly Away with Me” also suggests the idea of escape and inclusion.  Plus there is a not so subtle line in the song that says,  “if you can use some exotic booze”.   

 I think that the medium of video is really important choice for this commercial.  You definitely need the visual to really see the glamour that is being presented. While you could portray some of the same mood and feeling with a print add, it would be missing the song, which I think is really key.  Also, you can see the movement of the party, and that is part of the elegance, ending with Sean Combs standing alone in front of his sprawling pool, sipping his vodka while the successful party takes place behind him.