Response to Trix Commercial

Before yesterday's class, I would've just looked at this commercial and said "So…they do animal testing???” I wouldn't have looked too much into this commercial because I wouldn't have thought there was much to interpret. After an insightful class discussion however, I have now read in between the lines of the commercial.

One thing I've found is that the characters in this commercial represent society (in 1991). In the early 1990s there wouldn't have been as much racial diversity in societies as there is now. Back then, the majority of the population was Caucasian. This is represented in the commercial because all of the characters (the three children, and the cereal promoter) are all Caucasian. Sure there are children of other races in the background, but they're more like scenery decorations than actual characters.

The lady (the promoter) represents a dominant position in society. She has power, but she doesn't come right out and say "Hey you! Buy Trix cereal because I tell you to!” Instead, she sort of subtly guides them in the direction she wants them to go. Kind of like little Bo Peep and her sheep, only I imagine the promoter would have a lot more success than Bo Peep.

A message that was being transmitted through this commercial is that cool, happy people get all the good things in society. If you fit in with the rest of society, then you deserve some Trix. The cereal company was using the method of "less products means more demand" by telling the children in the group that they'd get free cereal if they could name all the flavours in new Trix cereal (which were all pretty easy, but not one child managed to get it).

Another message that was being transmitted in this commercial was that smart people are not wanted as consumers. The rabbit was smart, and that was why he couldn't get any cereal. The consumers don't want smart people to tell all the dumb, gullible people any factual reasons as to why they shouldn't buy their products. They saw the rabbit as a possible hindrance to their sales, so they "got rid of him" by refusing to give him any Trix. Not a smart idea, because what if the rabbit is really vindictive and decides to get revenge?