The article below was written as part of the activities of the Media Critics Club which is moderated by Ms. Loida Claro of the HS English Department.

      A delectable biscuit snack filled with a chewy chocolate center – is the idea this television advertisement attempts to invoke unto its viewers. In its effort to capture the attention of the average couch potato, this snack company decides to use a little ‘spice’, aside from the premise of the recognizable snack jingle which has existed well before the age of Lays and Pringles. However, the commercial, with the help of a storyline that completely negates the message that it seeks to let out, goes so far to distort certain moral and societal principles.

     From saucy Asian lass to leather-clad seductress to sultry cancan dancer, the ad sets its sights on the male viewer: so easily swayed by ravishing female figures, plunging necklines and head-turning miniskirts. Obviously, had the makers of this product decided to employ a pudgy 50-year old bloke in leather tights to be the focus of this commercial, viewers would certainly find themselves coughing up their lunches instead of purchasing chocolate-filled snacks.

      By exploiting this chink in a man’s armor, this commercial lowers itself to the level of a pin-up poster, where less is supposedly more. Sadly, this deals another blow to the already-battered image of females as mere eye candy. Advertisers and their creations nowadays attempt to tickle their viewers into believing that their products will somehow guarantee partnership, or enhance whatever relational ties they may already have. Surely enough, any sane person will notice that deodorants do not attract hoards of attractive girls. Beer, though it may make other women seem more attractive, does not guarantee a gorgeous woman to simply appear out of nowhere and into one’s lap.

      The commercial’s menial theme revolves around the attempts of the woman to present herself in a way that appeals to her suitor, who waits outside her hotel door. She repeatedly sheds her outfit, revealing more skin with each subsequent undressing. It culminates in the woman turning into an animal of sorts, sporting long claws, striped skin, feline eyes and a seductive roar to boot. She drags her chisel-jawed date into the room, followed momentarily by a segment on the snack product and its slogan. In the end, the man walks out of the room casually, not noticing that his blazer is caught in the doorframe. His “outfit” tears off, revealing underneath a shaggy-haired teenager with a skateboard. Apparently, her date isn’t quite the attractive, clean-cut man she was preparing herself for.

     The question of “who-fooled-who?” now enters the arena, as the woman, who seemed to be the slyly desperate fox, was actually fooled by her “attractive” date who was supposed to be on the receiving end of this sordid prank; she faked her identity to impress her man, while he was hiding a geek inside him all along. Neither the woman nor her male companion got what was desired of each other – not quite the “delectable, chewy center” that the commercial tried to present.

     Still, one must admit that the commercial is appealing. The visuals were impressive, which makes it head-turning to a certain extent. It sparks curiosity, and it effectively caters to the youth through its vibrant, upbeat style. However, one cannot just simply accept things at face value alone, for the sole fact that skin does not equal blood and that form does not equal essence. Quote Antoine de Saint Exupéry’s The Little Prince : “What is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Disclaimer: The writers of this review do not intend, in any way, to discourage readers from buying the said product.

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