Make Yahoo Your Home

The sound of Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home” fills the TV speakers while a funny dude with a mustache hits the screen.  He sits in a floral chair in his living room, lovingly petting his little black puppy. As he sings the words “I am a dreamer”, he opens a shiny purple door to a world of excitement. His first adventure is walking into a classic concert hall, complete with a NASCAR pit chief passionately playing the piano as he burns in his bright orange suit and helmet.  The mustached man then struts onto a concert stage, stealing both the guitar and the spotlight from a punk rock band.  After rocking the stage he then rides the stock market bull, as stock prices roll and dollar bills fly.  His thirty-second adventure ends in his new living room.  The wallpaper is the same, the floral couch is still his seat of choice.  Yet the puppy is now full-grown.  The new backdrop of the living room is the Yahoo homepage.  And the man is no longer lonely and instead surrounded by cowboys, rock stars, soldiers, and NASCAR.  By just opening that purple door, the man now has all his favorite things in one place, bringing him to his knees in excitement.

This thirty-second commercial is ridiculously clever.  It shows the power of the Yahoo search engine by undeniably connecting to the consumer.  The first scene of the commercial expresses a normal existence of an everyday fellow, complete with a newspaper on the coffee table and an ugly floral loveseat.  When the song begins, the everyday man looks like he wants more out of life.  He looks like he wants more than his puppy to keep him company.  He wants excitement right at his fingertips.  He wants to experience different walks of life within a few seconds.  Every consumer can relate to this boredom of routine and this longing for adventure.  Therefore, with the help of Motley Crue’s famous ballad, the consumer is drawn to the commercial from the start.  With the second scene of a NASCAR pit chief caught on fire while tickling the ivories, consumers cannot help but raise their eyebrows as NASCAR plays in a classic concert hall meant for the days of Mozart.  Here the man in the basic plaid shirt is experiencing classic piano in a classic setting while watching the thrills of American car racing.  The consumer gets the sense of experiencing yearnings of any time or place.  Next the concert scene demonstrates this simple man living his childhood dream of rocking out on stage as the lead guitarist, complete with screaming fans and a mini-firework lighting effect.  His expressions and actions tell the consumer that he is loving every rock star second, even seen jumping off the stage presumably into the crowd.  Regardless of age, race, or gender, every consumer has wondered what it would be like to live the rock star life.  This man is so relatable that it makes the scene that much more believable and glamorous.  With the sports, the music, and the flashy lifestyle demonstrated, a money scene understandably comes next.  Riding the famous stock market bull, the man is on one heck of a ride as stocks are traded and bills are released.  Consumers quickly recognize this bull and the stocks rolling in bright neon lights.  Consumers long to be a part of this financial ride, with the hopes of money flying from the sky. This shows that he has access to the stock market and has control of his financials, both of which are necessary for an everyday consumer.  The last scene of the commercial is the man walking to that same floral seat he first sat in.  This time, the puppy has become a full-grown dog too big to sit in his lap.  The dog has matured and journeyed through life, just as his owner has.  Now the living room has the backdrop of the Yahoo homepage.  The man is no longer alone, but instead surrounded by all of his favorite things. This last scene is the first mention or visual of Yahoo.  For the first two-thirds of the commercial, the consumer is simply watching the man journey through various scenes.  Because the choice of adventures is so random yet so understandable, the consumer is completely engaged by the time the wallpaper splits at the end to demonstrate the Yahoo homepage.  

This commercial successfully shows the power of using the Yahoo search engine.  Consumers can access anything and everything through this one website and therefore Yahoo is the easy, convenient means to an any end.  By using Yahoo consumers can transform a dull existence into a thrilling adventure, for it helps consumers on their way to their favorite things. With its great understanding of the consumer, this commercial successfully convinces the viewers to make Yahoo their new home sweet homepage. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM8nq6MSBWU

~Emily Langsenkamp is a Business & Enterprise Management major with a concentration in Marketing.