Issue #4 - This is why Ryan Reynolds is a billionaire!

In the below showcased 2021 ad, we see Percy Jackson(officially known as Walker Scobell, but hey, Percy is Percy)

What do you get when you throw in a celebrity who owns brands and well, is a brand himself? A killer commercial. 

If there’s one person today that can give 1960s Madison Avenue suits a run for their money, it’s Ryan Reynolds. Actor, Multimillionaire, total goof.

The above advertisement is one of my most favourites for three distinct reasons:

1. It’s hilarious

2. I didn’t need any context or information to understand what was going on

3. It promotes two ‘products’ in one - Kraft Mac and Cheese, and the 2022 movie, The Adam Project

Comedic writers often use a lot of ‘tools’ to help them with their craft - many of which come into brilliant use in advertising. This ad is no different. Let me dive a little deeper breaking down the tools that run wild between the lines:

1. Attribution Swap - A tried and tested tool - when the writer gives someone or something attributes that belong to another. You find it funny when a baby talks or worse, swears? Attribution swap!
   
   Here, we see Walker Scobell, who plays a younger version of Ryan on-screen in the movie ‘The Adam Project’, embody his off-screen qualities and quirks of random, sarcastic one-liners and an almost dead-pan delivery. While this doesn’t tell you anything about the film itself, it gives you the basic plot and sells the idea anyway.
   
   A very clear example for this one would be Flipkart’s ad campaign featuring children, dressed as adults, in grown-up professions like that of a Soldier, Doctor and in one instance, members of a rock band. You can watch one of the ads from the long-running campaign here.
   

2. Incongruity - This is a child, selling a product widely consumed by families. For decades now, all these ads follow the same template. Seems pretty neat - except, that’s where they flip the script. Incongruous humor comes from inserting unfamiliar ideas into familiar situations.
   
   The messaging here is hard enough for adults to handle(In a safe way, of course), and the fact that it’s an ad aimed towards children makes it a howler.

3. Misdirection - The final switch. Ryan apologises for the behavior of his younger co-star and explains why - he’s gotten used to playing him. Now, we’d expect him to calmly explain the rules to Walker. But nope. We’re met with a barrage of bleeps, before cutting to Walker eventually delivering the ‘right’ message. But that’s the point - they’ve already sold both the product and the idea to me.

While Kraft Mac n’ Cheese is a product I haven’t tried due to Geographical reasons, The Adam Project was a film I thoroughly enjoyed and this ad played a huge role in setting a precedent. 

What about you, reader? Is there any ad that contributed directly to you purchasing a product or trying out a service?