I have always thought it was hard to make me cry. Only a few things will really make me break down and shed a tear. Yet, the list is expanding. Now it is the music from the Olympics, when dogs or horses die in movies, when there is no more chocolate, and a few French commercials.
As an American who has had quite a few commercials shoved down my throat – geese squawking better insurance rates, people moved to partying from their late-night spoils at Taco Bell, and terribly catchy jingles – I found myself unprepared for the deep emotional roller coaster that lay in watching French commercials.
Before I go on without you thinking me a sappy nut, check out this commercial from Air France and tell me if you are thinking about how much it costs to fly or if you even have a destination in mind. Unless you are a robot, I would say chances are you are like me, without a penny to spend on (another) Air France ticket but left feeling like a trip on one of their planes would be like some kind of spiritual journey.
American television advertising en masse is much more direct and exacting. 30-second spots are about companies communicating with an audience in ways in which they will be convinced to buy their product because of the things it offers or money it saves you. Here in France, I am not sure it is as forward. In fact, I would argue that the French are more concerned with the expression and the art than the details or actual sale of the product.
Take, for example, two commercials for the same product, the Ford Focus. The American one is explicit, highlighting the car’s innovative features. The French version, on the other hand, is achingly beautiful and undeniably powerful, but gives no tangible justification for purchasing a Ford Focus.
Whereas American commercials are first and foremost designed to rouse people towards pulling out their wallets, French commercials seemed preoccupied with rousing an audience’s emotions. It is much more apparent that French ads are art forms, preferring style over clarity and provoking passion like I have seen very few American commercials do.
Speaking of passion, French commercials absolutely utilize sex in ways that could never be seen on American basic cable – check out this Peugeot car commercial.
It seems, as with food and so many other things, commercials are supposed to be sensual experiences in France. Oh la la.
