Revisiting Ciroc

After revisiting this Ciroc commercial with Diddy, I definitely still agree with my original analysis. I still feel that the song is a really important aspect of the commercial and that the song, combined with the use of black and white really conveys the sense of glamour. Some other things that I noticed looking at it again is the way the video is designed so that almost every other shot has the Ciroc bottle as the focal point. The shots in between always have another intriguing focal point that I think is meant to be associated with the main focus – the vodka – in a positive way. I mentioned in my first post the back of the woman in a low cut dress. Then, right after that, they cut to the woman walking with Diddy and he has the bottle in his hand. Then there is a close up shot after that where the label and full bottle is clear. I think it is really smart that they show the full bottle with the label multiple times throughout the commercial. There is never any doubt what the commercial is about , or what brand of vodka is being advertised. I have always been a little confused by commercials that do not make the product a focal point of the ad. There are also shots where Diddy is the focal point and then the vodka is either next to him or in his hands. They use a mixture of close ups, where the Ciroc bottle takes up almost the entire screen and is a very clear focal point, and wider shots where there is more action, but still the drink, either in the glass or in the bottle, is eventually what your eye is drawn to. A particularly good example of this is when they all toast around the table. The movement of the scene always draws your eye up to the glasses and the drink.

I also think that the choice of black and white does more than just evoke the glamour of the Sinatra years. It also creates a really clear contrast in the scenes that allow a glass bottle of clear liquid to stand out. The logo of the vodka is also very clean and simple. Highlighting it a lot makes it easy to remember, the name of the vodka with that black circle at the top. I also noticed that there is a sunburst on the wall that is highlighted a few times and I think that simple decoration in the home echoes the simplicity of the black circle on the vodka label. In line with this simple clean design, I think it is also noteworthy that there is no text throughout the entire commercial except for the text on the label. There is the minimal voiceover by Diddy and then the last shot is again the name of the vodka as the focal point with the words “The Art of Celebration” under it. Smaller at the bottom are the words Diddy ends with, “Celebrate Life Responsibly”. I think this choice also echoes the clean and simple glamorous feel of the commercial and keeps the commercial from being too busy. The eye is guided through the commercial by the movement of the actors and the choice of shot with the camera. The result is a commercial that evokes a sense of sensual pleasure and pairs that with the name and logo of Ciroc vodka.