The Talk – P&G Advert Analysis + Notes

 

In an advert released by Procter & Gamble titled “The Talk”, the theme of bias is illustrated through the depiction of pre-civil rights movement and post-civil rights movement and what has changed in terms of both unconscious and conscious bias. Audiences are made to understand that bias manifests itself in many different forms but ultimately, it is the same. Ironically, what is conveyed most prominently through the film is what is left out. The fact that audiences are fully aware of the context that are left as gaps in the narrative makes the advert all the more emotionally evocative.

The close-up shot and eye level angle work in contingency to evoke pathos from the audiences as well. The close-up shot seen in the screenshot allows for the facial features of the mother to be distinctly shown. The creases etched on her forehead and arched brows allow audiences to feel the strong sense of distress and unshakable sadness that the mother is feeling for having to have “the talk” with her daughter who is of too young an age. In moments similar to this throughout the film, the up close and personal shots allow the audiences to empathise, reflect and make personal connections to the emotive human aspects to life that they might have experienced before. At the same time, through the focus of the mother-daughter interactions, the advert projects the dual narrative that these mothers possess strong, defiant and resisting characters that are admirable to both their daughters and audiences. Unlike the high-angle view that typically would give impressions of vulnerability, the advert presents the shots at eye-level which gives audiences an objective view. This is perhaps to intentionally avoid influencing audiences to feel a certain way, but rather to simply present the facts and reality to let the audiences themselves decide their own response and confront the tacit, taboo issue.

 

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