Foundation of Media Analysis - Week 2 Project

First Analysis
Nike - You Can't Stop Us (2020)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcXTnyCmQbg

It used an extremely catchy title/headline. The phrase "You can't stop us" begs the question of who "us" refers to and also who is trying to stop "them" from something.
The visuals used are extremely stunning because, throughout the entire video, the screen is split between two different video clips being shown of people who are in no way related but are doing extremely similar actions.
The ad was very short and precise, with no words wasted. The questions inspired by the title were answered with contrasting words throughout the 1-minute and 30-second video.
Whoever made this ad also did not spare the controversy of things that people sometimes react negatively to (the pride flag, hijab, disabled people, black lives matters, etc).
The ad allowed the audience to think and left room for disagreement. It opened up lots of discussion, as can be seen in the YouTube comments
My general impression of the Nike ad is that "us" refers to everyone, and nothing can "stop" people from accomplishing what they want to do when they keep trying and working as a team, no matter what obstacles come their way.

I also viewed many of the comments on YouTube, and I believe many of the people who disliked it did not provide specific reasons why they said that this ad was garbage. One went so far as to say they would block Nike and remove all Nike clothing from their house. Even so, the response was overwhelmingly positive.

Like many other people, I must compliment whoever did the video editing of this Nike commercial because it must have taken hours of editing and probably weeks of research to find just the right clips that could be edited together in the first place!

Second Analysis
The Queen's Gambit short by Levy Rozman
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f_UqFFwi_rs

Levy chose an extremely clickbait title for this video because he knew the popularity of the Netflix show by the same name. However, he didn't steal the name because the show is based on an actual Chess opening that has existed for hundreds of years.
This video was designed to be extremely short and to the point, even more so than the Nike ad. You can tell that Levy had to take multiple shots and then edit them together because he was speaking very fast with the goal of squeezing as much as he could into the 26-second video. However, the information was accurate and well demonstrated.
He used social proof because he was making use of the popularity of The Queen's Gambit show on Netflix as a springboard to teach what he believes is the best way to respond based on whether the opponent accepts or declines the gambit.
He made really good use of visuals. The quick scroll to the picture of the actress for the show was guaranteed to catch people's attention who are familiar with it. I also love his design choice for how he put his camera video on the bottom but then the Chessboard above as large as could be within the dimensions of a YouTube short, which is always in a vertical layout of 1080x1920.
This was extremely actionable content. It was clear that the only action the viewer needed to take was to try playing these moves in their Chess games.
This video wasn't really an ad at all, but it was the first video I saw by Levy Rozman, also known as GothamChess. The result was that I kept watching his videos and even bought 4 of his courses on chessly.com as well as his book: "How to Win at Chess". The main point I want to make is that Levy is the Chess teacher, which I derive much of my inspiration from, and so I read and watch a lot of media produced by him because he is the #1 Chess teacher on the internet. It's also worth mentioning that he is not even the best Chess player in the world, but I don't think anyone could disagree that he is the most successful at teaching everyone in the world how to not only play Chess but also win the game.

"Now go win the game. I believe in you!" - Levy Rozman.

Third Analysis
Tetris Forever - Official Gameplay Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHaDYtFtEAQ

The trailers use a lot of images and video footage to show the gameplay of each of the games included in the Tetris Forever collection.
The trailer also has background music that does not conflict with the type of sound effects in the old games. This experience is not only visual but very audial
Although no words are spoken in the video, there is a lot of text that emphasizes the history of Tetris. It appears to be communicating the 40-year history of Tetris
The call to action, "wishlist now", is very clear. The game will be coming out very soon, near the end of 2024. No date is given, but it says it can already be wish listed for notifying users when it is available
I chose this trailer as my third analysis because Tetris is the best single-player video game ever to exist. I have bought every Tetris game I can obtain because all of them retain the same gameplay but provide a different visual and audial experience. I also think this trailer was unique because, unlike the Nike ad, which was very human-focused, the trailer shows only words and Tetris blocks and nothing at all like human faces. What I like the most about Tetris is that it has no connection to humanity and is a game that I go to when I need a break from thinking about humans. I think the trailer does it great justice, and so I want my compliments to the Tetris company and Digital Eclipse for the trailer and the game. Even though I haven't played it, I have added it to my Steam wish list. This ad was super effective!