Available at: https://vimeo.com/320804677

“I Was in Your Blood” is a short film directed by Joseph Sackett. The film begins by showing montages of a red-haired babysitter playing and caring for a young boy. The most notable montage involves the boy and the babysitter watching Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” together. It is made abundantly clear that there is a close bond between the two.

The boy then proclaims his love for the babysitter. The babysitter shrugs this off. Later, the boy steals the babysitter’s lipstick when she is out of the room. He surreptitiously puts the lipstick on in the mirror in the bathroom, and subsequently washes it off before his mother catches him.

The film then cuts to a dream sequence. The boy narrates: “I had a dream about you. I was in your body. I was in your blood … I was part of your world”. The visuals of this sequence were crudely rendered 3D graphics of the inside of the human body. This sequence fades into an image of the babysitter smiling.

This story resonates (Keller, 2012) with me for a variety of reasons.

Firstly, the overall aesthetic of the movie is unique and appealing. The film was shot on 16mm film. This gives the video a grainy overlay, which is distinctive in the 4K era. The crude graphics of the dream sequence are reminiscent of early 2000s era CGI and video games. Further, the soundtrack consists of early techno and synth-wave. These factors came together to produce a cohesive and unified piece of art. As I grew up in the mid 2000s, the holistic vibe of the film triggered a nostalgic elation within me. This is important from a marketing perspective, because the overall atmosphere of a skilfully designed marketing setting may inflict a sensual impact upon the bodies and minds of consumers (Biehl-Missal and Saren, 2012: p.168).

Secondly, I can strongly identify with the boy. I was born to parents that both worked long hours. As such, I have many more childhood memories involving babysitters than I do my own parents. While I never “fell in love” or “wanted to be” any of my babysitters, the premise of the film nonetheless struck a chord with me. Indeed, encouraging consumers to identify with brands, without overriding their individual agency, is a vaunted marketing objective (Bhattacharjee, Berger and Menon, 2014).

Thirdly, the actor who played the young boy looks uncannily similar to my younger brother. This is another reason why I emotionally connect with the film.

Finally, the cryptic nature of the plot fascinates me. However, my interpretation of the film is that the young boy ultimately wants to experience autonomy and freedom through living vicariously through the babysitter. This is because the boy never leaves the house throughout the film, yet the babysitter is constantly leaving and arriving. Nonetheless, the film is a mystery to me. And this is precisely what makes it so engaging.

References:

Bhattacharjee, A., Berger, J. and Menon, G. (2014). When Identity Marketing Backfires: Consumer Agency in Identity Expression. Journal of Consumer Research, 41(2), pp.294-309.

Biehl-Missal, B. and Saren, M. (2012). Atmospheres of Seduction. Journal of Macromarketing, 32(2), pp.168-180.

Keller, K. L. (2012). Strategic Brand Management. 4th ed. Boston: Pearson.

“Australia Reborn”

Target Market:

The target market of the NFFA is Caucasian males older than 50 years old employed in blue collar industries who reside in rural and suburban areas. This segment is in political no-man’s land. Blue collar workers traditionally vote for Labor. However, Caucasian males over 50 living in rural and suburban areas is a demographic who overwhelming favours the Liberal party. Therefore, this segment is low hanging fruit for a political party that can effectively reach out to it.

Brand Image:

The NFFA seeks to convey an image of a rejuvenated Australia, both economically and culturally. This is evident in the name of the party. The “founding fathers” part harks back to the great men of Australia’s past, such as Sir Henry Parkes, Captain Arthur Phillip and Ned Kelly. The “new” part manifests that the legacy of these Australian heroes is being rightfully inherited by contemporary political candidates.

The juxtaposition and simultaneous harmonisation of the “old” and the “new” is the core of the NFFA’s brand image. Essentially, the NFFA strives to evoke feelings of nostalgia, while inspiring hope for the future.

Key Value Offering:

The NFFA is seeks to establish both points of parity and difference from the Labor, Liberal and United Australia (UAP) parties. Similar to the Labor party, the NFFA associates itself with the “underdogs” of Australian society, and firmly advocates for giving workers “a fair go”. However, the NFFA distances itself from the Labor party by criticising Labor’s supposed fixation on what it deems as “frivolous” or “trivial” issues. These include the rights of women, indigenous Australians, refugees and animals.

The NFFA communicates points of parity with the Liberal party. Firstly, that both parties are shrewd economic managers that will prudently administer the treasury. Secondly, that both parties prioritise secure control over Australia’s borders. Nonetheless, the NFFA establishes a point of difference in that the NFFA claims that it is not beholden to powerful corporate and overseas interests, in contrast with the Liberal party.

The most proximate competitor to the NFFA is the UAP. This is because both parties espouse populist rhetoric and position themselves as viable alternatives to the hegemonic Labor and Liberal parties. Therefore, the NFFA seeks to establish marked points of difference between themselves and the UAP.

Firstly, the NFFA asserts that Clive Palmer, the founder of the UAP, has made countless business deals with Chinese interests over the course of his career. Therefore, the nationalistic promises made by the UAP are inauthentic. Secondly, the NFFA contends that Clive Palmer’s handling of the liquidation of his Queensland Nickel company has left workers short-changed. Accordingly, the NFFA establishes by default that it is the only major party which advocates for ordinary working Australians.

“Australia Reborn”

Disclaimer: this blog is created purely for assessment purposes for MKTG3023 at the Australian National University. The views expressed by this blog do NOT represent the views of the author IN ANY WAY.