Media Log #9: Total Eclipse of Your Appitite

    "Turn Around, every now and then I get a little lonely and you're never coming round.  Turn around, every now and then I get a little tired of listening to the sound of my tears...Turn around, bright eyes...Together we can take it to the end of the line.  Your love is like a shadow on the other side...I really need to tonight."  
     If anyone is a fan of 80s music, then they would know that these lyrics come from the 1983 power ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart."  The lyrics above have been tweaked in this commercial to create humor.  The song is originally about a torn love relationship 

where the lovers are lost without each other but are destructive when they are with each other.  Instead, Fiber One has tweaked the lyrics to describe a need to satisfy one's growing hunger with a low calorie snack.  By doing so, this commercial uses the technique of wit and humor.  "Total Eclipse of the Heart" was such a popular and powerful song, and it's funny how the topic being discussed has been changed from the serious topic of love to the ordinary topic of satisfying one's hunger.  

     This commercial features different people singing the altered lyrics while also showing images of them being saddened by the fact that they can't eat all those great, unhealthy desserts.  then, finally Barbra is at a grocery store and sees the Fiber One brownies.  She dramatically turns around and lets go of she shopping cart.  The next few moments are in slow motion.  It first shows Barbra amazed reaction to finding the brownies and then the rest of the women's happy and satisfying reactions once they eat the brownie.  The commercial ends with "I finally found the right snack."  Then the Fiber One logo comes up with the words "90 Calories.  Zero Drama" under it.  

     The need used in this commercial is physiological needs.  Everyone wants to indulge in some great tasting dessert once in a while.  It's a craving we can't get rid of.  But instead of indulging on fattening foods, we can instead indulge on 90 calorie Fiber One brownies which are the better choice.  You can satisfy that craving while also feeling great because you believe it's not that bad for you. 

     The target market is women in their 30s-40s who are on diets or who are trying to lose weight.  They want to eat something tasty, but can't seem to find that right snack that won't break their diet or make them gain weight.  All the people shown are women who are tempted to eat the deserts but don't end up eating them.

     The message portrayed is that Fiber One brownies are the best choice for a healthy snack.  What you are eating right now isn't the right thing to eat.  You're not seeing results by eating those things.  You need to stop eating those things and eat Fiber One brownies in order to see results.  

      I found this commercial to be quite funny and effective.   Whoever thought of this concept to sell this product is a genius.  Taking an old 80s hit and changing the words to sell a product is quite brilliant.  Their target market will remember this song, because they grew up with it, and laugh at the ridiculousness of the commercial but also be reminder of that amazing song.  Then, they will see jsut how amazing Fiber One brownies are and buy them to eat.