advert analysis 4 - Chipotle

I came across this advert for the food chain Chipotle when i was researching into animation styles, it is by my favourite stop motion animator Johnny Kelly, and is entirely created using stop motion. I love the aesthetics of it and the way it looks however, it is a lengthy advert and takes time to get to the  peak in the narrative.





Basic analysis - camera, sound, editing, mise en scene


- the advert opens with a long shot of a field scene
- a fade in is used, as well as the lighting changing from dim to bright, so the whole scene starts dark and is slowly illuminated, this shows its the beginning of the journey
- there is non diegetic birdsong which connotes that all is calm and fine, and the mood is fairly high.
- The camera continuously slowly pans across the scene
- traditional narrative, starts calm and serene, a problem arises, is overcome, and then returns to calm and serene
- The scene is very colourful, the grass is overly green and the sky is exaggeratedly blue, this makes the scene look very natural and is hugely important as later it contrasts hugely with the grey colours used as the farm starts mass production, showing the bleakness of the situation, as opposed to the bright uplifting colurs at the start. the use of the change in colour is a key part of the narrative.
- There is a soundtrack throughout the whole advert that fades in at the start "the scientist" by Coldplay, but sung by Willie Nelson, a famous country singer, both the lyrics and the choice of music genre connote the narrative, the simple, country feel.
- a couple are shown with a baby and a pig, connoting the humble beginnings of the company, a family run business
- there is a tire swing in the background, connoting playfulness and happiness, it re appears at the end of the advert towards the end of the narrative when calm is restored, so the connotations re appear.
- first pens are constructed out of wood - simple and nice, then constructions get bigger and grey, shows the transformation between family farm and industrial farm
- camera angle changes at this point from a high angle to a low angle as the industrialisation starts, this makes the buildings look bigger and harsher, and connotes they are dominant in the scene, dominating the area.
- the background changes at this point too, the sky turns grey and the rolling hills disappear
- there is a dead tree, denoting the lack of nature
- eye level close up of the farmer shows us his expression, thoughts of his farm are shown in bubbles
- as he makes the decision to return to simple farming, the whole mise en scene changes, the scene brightens, and returns to colourful green and blue, the trees also start to re appear bushy, this is the end of the classic narrative when normality is resumed.
- the song increases tempo and volume, so it is quite triumphant, and connotes there is something good happening, this changes the mood quite alot from the previous slow tempo, which was quite saddening
- the camera then pans across the scene, and ends with a traditional sign with the company slogan "cultivate a better world", the sign is also backing up the idea that it is very humble and homely, a wooden sign.


- what is being advertised?
Chipotle the mexican grill restaurant, the advert is trying to push the ethical approach to farming that the business use


- where and when did the advert appear?
I do not know exactly where it was featured, but it wasnt a TV advert, it is too long and the company havent got a large enough budget for that, it was more of a promotional video. It is fairly recent in the summer months of 2011

• What appears to be the intended audience?  it is a fairly mass audience, young adults, middle aged to older adults, families, on a fairly high income, people who are interested in the welfare of animals and ethical farming over price of food
• What suggests this? the narrative shows the companies ethical approach, which is often valued by young adults upwards, rather than younger adults and teens who are more bothered about price and quantity. The advert is quite classy and doesnt seem aimed at lower income people
• What graphic mode(s) is/are used (e.g. still photography, drawing, animation, live action)? it is entirely stop motion using figures, wooden, paper etc. 
• Describe the overall design. - it is very colourful and quite childish, wooden figures look like childrens toys, uses block exaggerated colours. shapes are literal and not meant to look realistic, so hills are just semi circles and pigs were quashed into cubes. lots of use of texture and a mix between 2D and 3D which is interesting
• Where is it set in space and time? It is set on a farm somewhere in the UK, the location is not key to the narrative. it is set back in time slightly, as it shows the journey that Chipotle have come on over a few decades
• Who are the participants? the characters, farmer, wife and child, animals
• What do they do? whilst they are featured they dont do much, they are objects in the scene
• What key objects are featured? the machinery is key, it shows the transition between natural farming and industrial farming, also the trees and use of scenery which changes with the narrative. 
• What part is played by words (choice of words, typography/voiceover)? the piece is left deliberately without a voiceover, as it would ruin the mood created by the soundtrack, which is effectively acting as a voiceover as the lyrics convey the message
• What part is played by the use of sound and/or light? It uses sound and light really well, the track used mirrors the narrative, speeding up tempo as the narrative does, also the lyrics reflecting the mis en scene. The use of light backs up the narrative, as it changes as the farming process changes and makes the mood dip and then peak.
• what key inferences must the viewers make to make sense of the ad? the narrative is very straightforward, following a classic structure, so little is left to be interpreted, it is easy to make sense of. prior knowledge of the company would increase understanding of the process. if the viewer noticed subtle details that were not explicit in the advert, such as the tire swing, and that the farmer at the end is the baby feature at the beginning, giving a sense of timescale, then they would get a better understanding of the narrative
• how else does the ad seek your involvement? it ends with a website address to prompt the viewer to visit the website. It forces the viewer to question the ethics of mass production and industrial farming, as it is quite emotional
• what does the ad suggest about gender roles, class,status, age or ethnicity? It features male farmers, a fairly sexist view as farmers are conventionally male, but not neccesarily. 
• what is made of humour and to hat effect? there is a level of humour involved which lightens the deep message and breaks up the lengthy advert. when the pigs are blown up into balls and squashed into squares, while it is a serious subject it is conveyed in a humerous manner. this keeps a sensitive issue from being too hard hitting.