In this commercial for Tide laundry detergent, a mom speaks directly to the audience while her young daughter is focused on playing with wooden blocks in the living room.  Mom wishes that Tide was less effective at getting the stains out of her daughter’s clothing so that Mom would have an excuse to throw out her daughter’s “hoodies and cargo shorts.” The last frame of the commercial reads, “Style is an option.  Clean is not.”

discussion

Why do you think the mom wishes that her daughter’s clothes were ruined in the wash?

How are the visuals (e.g. colors, styles) used in this advertisement to add meaning to the words being said?  What does the use of color convey that the script does not include?

What common assumptions about motherhood and child-raising does the marketer build upon to make this an effective ad?