0:01
The scene begins as we observe the legs of a middle aged man at a playground swinging back and forth on a spring horse. Judging by the leg’s size and their large amount of hair, we can safely assume it is an adult male. He is wearing slightly dirty shorts, plain black shoes, a plain blue hoodie, with white mid-calve socks. He is dressed very comfortably. This is odd, we usually see children playing on playgrounds, not grown men.
0:03
The camera pans upward and we see for a fact that it is a grown man on a spring horse, playing on a playground designed for children. Based off of the giant smile on his face, we can infer that he is enjoying himself. We now can tell the man is not intending to do harm to anyone in the area. However, the question of why he is playing on a playground is still up in the air.
0:06
The camera changes direction and we see a woman at the same park, sitting on a bench with her child in a stroller. The woman makes eye contact with the energetic man on the horse and then quickly looks down and grabs her stroller, holding her baby, to bring it closer to herself. By analyzing her actions, we can come to a rational conclusion that the woman finds the man’s actions to cross social norms, making her very uncomfortable.
0:07
New setting. All we see is an older man pressing his nose to clean glass, making faces someone would expect from a 5-year old. The store is unknown; however, there is a small hot dog sign in the corner of the building. Perhaps it is a small hot dog shop?
He is a well-presented man, nothing out-of-the-ordinary here. Clean-cut hair brushed to the side with a vest and a button up shirt beneath. It is apparent that the man may have a reason to take care of himself. Perhaps he has a job, or maybe he is just single. His motives are unclear at this point.
0:07
A few moments later, we see the man change the direction of his childish gaze. Something has caught his attention. The man seems to be in trouble. Or is he making a face at a new victim?
0:08
Immediately after changing his eye direction, we see the man jump back and carry on as if he were not doing anything. The man makes an expressionless face which reveals his embarrassment. Obviously, he was caught pressing his face to the glass.
0:09
The camera then changes perspective and we see there is a black man watching the man-child. He looks at him through his black rimmed glasses; a look of utter seriousness. The man conveys a look of “leave” to the man-child. Why does he seem so serious over something so minuscule? Perhaps he’s just angry that he has to clean the glass again.
0:10
New scene again. Now we are given the image of a man bouncing with the the sky behind him. It seems like a beautiful, clear, cool day. Perfect weather to jump on a trampoline. The man is wearing a short sleeved, business casual outfit. Obviously, this man has a job, perhaps he also has a family to provide for. If he is not at work, and he is not with his family, why on earth would he waste his time on a trampoline as an adult with responsibilities?
0:12
The man gives a wave to the camera, with a clear genuine smile on his face.
0:14
New shot; same setting. At this angle, we see the female neighbor watching the man enjoy himself on the trampoline from over the fence. The shot captures a feeling of judgement and confusion expressed by the neighbor, while we can clearly see the man enjoying himself. However, from this view, we can only see the man jumping. The fence cuts off the view of the actual trampoline itself.
0:15
Here is a new character entirely, a child! We see the young child smiling behind glass. Not a regular smile, but a smile resulting from laughter. From the angle and setting, it seems that the child is in the same store where the man was rubbing his nose on the glass. The same hot-dog sign is visible in this shot as the man who smushed his face against the glass. Is that who he was making faces to?
0:16
It was! As it turns out, the man was making faces in the window towards the child in a hot dog shop. Who is this man to the child? Is the man making his daughter laugh? Or is he trying to just be playful?
0:18
The child makes a playful face back at the man. She places her thumb on her nose, wiggles her fingers and laughs. Clearly, the child’s face is not made out of anger.
0:18
The camera turns to show the man who expressed annoyance to the man before. He now seems to be happy, almost influenced, by the actions of the man. With a slight smile on his face, the viewer is able to decode a message from this moment. The man recognizes for a second, his mortality. He is working in his hot dog shop, and sees a man acting like a child and is able to perceive the happiness this induces in both of them. The man recognizes the increase of happiness if you let loose when you can.
0:22
Back to the trampoline. It appears that the fence that was in the shot before left out the man’s son! The man is playing with his son on the trampoline. The father is rolling over his head while his son is bounding right beside him with a smile on his face. It almost seems like the dad is enjoying himself more than the kid is!
0:24
Back at the playground, we seem to be moving backwards. We see another child on the same spring horse as the man in the beginning. The child is wearing jeans, a white hoodie, and a blue t-shirt underneath. The child is obviously enjoying himself with the most infectious smile a child could have. He is almost a mirrored-image of the man from the beginning.
0:25
The camera turns and we see the man from the playground! He is bonding with his son on the playground. The father is watching his son on the horse, while playing on a horse himself. Like father, like son.
We see the father smiling as he watches his son smile and enjoy himself. The genuine happiness that is expressed on his face extends the connection the father feels for his son to the consumer.
This advertisement clearly represents the relationship between father and son. Throughout the video, they were sure to show the happiness in both father and son, but they also showed adults peering in and judging the father for being so childish. Although the father’s in this video were clearly being judged, they always continued their efforts to make their child happy. In return, the father were filled with genuine happiness because they were able to go back to being a child while still making their children happy.
This video is very effective in expressing the importance of adult engagement in children. There are no unnecessary distractions within the video which allows the message to be carried without confusion. The director’s obvious use of smiling, angle shifts, and lighting allow emotional expression to be picked up on by the consumer.
Rowan Counterintuitive 