GOLF WANG is a fashion brand created by American musician Tyler Okonma, (usually referred to by his stage-name Tyler the Creator),it was named after his music collective Odd Future, which he was a co-creator of. The clothes are designed by Tyler himself and many higher-end products of the clothing line are often released under the name GOLF le FLEUR. The brand had partnered with Converse to release a series of footwear products. The advertisement for the products was released on the GOLF le FLEUR and Converse YouTube channels respectively and was through the form of a short comedy sketch, produced by Tyler the Creator. The ad is tongue-in-cheek in nature, with the businessmen surreally depicted as all sharing the same clothing and hair style, perhaps as an on the nose reference to the typical boring nature of people in high ranking jobs and the conformity that comes with the industry. The performances by the actors, including Tyler and his friend Jasper, are over the top and cartoonish, with exaggerated movements and reactions (especially when a suggestion is made), contrasting with the professional environment. The ad ends, with the camera turning to someone sat at the table, uncannily having the face of a dog, suggesting they add a dog to the shoes design, which causes the other men in the room to over-react with Jaspers’ character falling onto the table after, quite self-awarely stating, “we’re going to make so much money”. The ad appeals to explorers, who may desire the unique designs that the brand are offering or the stated variety of the ten different colours the shoes come in. They may be drawn by the unconventional method of promotion as most professional companies tend to advertise sensible and never stray too much from the norm, rather playing it safe, to appeal to as many people as possible. It also appeals to the Aspirers as naturally a high-end fashion brand would be materialistic, whilst played as a joke, the advert still shows people responding positively to the shoes, instilling the message that the shoes are something to get excited for and care about. The ad is solely focused on the shoes appearance rather than its functionality. In terms of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, this ad will provide esteem needs as the fashion clothing is for self-confidence and admiration of others.
For Gillian Dyers’ theory of appeals, the main appeal here would be comedy & humour as that is the primary content of the ad, which comes across more-so like a short comedy sketch rather than corporate propaganda. Out of the 15 basic appeals, I’d say this ad only appeals to the need for attention, prominence and autonomy, in the sense that these shoes are a limited stock and won’t appear in regular clothing shops and many may use them as a sign of wealth or as a rare collectors item. Outside of appeals, the primary target audience would be Tyler the Creator’s fan base, who are often capitalised on, due to their extreme loyalty and willingness to support him through purchases of his products
For my media product, I have chosen the music video for the song Runaway by Chicago Rapper Kanye West. The song Runaway was released a part of Kanyes 2010 album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” the album served as Kanyes comeback following the Taylor Swift controversy in 2009. Preceding the album, the short film also titled, “Runaway,” created by Kanye, released about a month prior, it served as the music video for some of the songs on the album, with snippets of them being played throughout the narrative of the 34 minute film, whilst other songs were played fully. One of these songs was “Runaway,” often regarded as the best song on the album, but also as, one of, if not the best Kanye song released. The Song ties into the core themes of the album being redemption, the critique of celebrity status and the dark side of fame. The song features Kanye reflecting on his negative aspects and how they harm other people, especially when it comes to romance and his failed relationships, it also addresses the media’s perception of him at the time. The music video includes Kanye dressed in a white suit performing on a piano, after getting up from a dinner table inside a large white and green hall, whilst ballet dancers dressed in black perform an interpretive piece based on the song. The iconography of the ballet dancers in black, paired with the green background was later used for one of the albums many covers. The music video also features a very expressive and emotional act by Kanye, which matched with the movies colour grading and cinematography, creates a very stylish and visually striking piece of art. The primary target for the media’s audience will be fans of Kanye, but more broadly speaking fans of music, specifically rap/ hip hop with this song featuring elements of R&B and Pop. It appeals to the explorer, for the song being very unique within the context of its conceptualisation and meaning, but also in the songs production itself. The themes of the song, may resonate with the reformer, due to the authenticity of the music and its critique of celebrity and fame, being to an extent anti-materialistic. Strugglers may relate to Kanyes personal problems as they listen and apply it to their own and may feel inspired that even wildly successful artists like Kanye have hard times, similar to them. Appeals would be Elite people, as the reason the song resonates with so many people is due to a personal investment in Kanye as a person, it also appeals to art, self-evidently as it is a music video, shot with the budget of a short film. Out of the 15 basic appeals, the music video satisfies the need for aesthetic sensations, through the ballet dancers and the song itself, it may also satisfy the need to escape, as many use music as a venue to relax and immerse yourself in a world, away from your problems or stresses.
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