Cruise to California

The Dreamers TV commercial - Dream Big, Visit California is one of the commercials created by Visit California, the state's travel and tourism commission. The commercial addressed the typical stereotypes of the state and Californians by embracing them in a light hearted manner and incorporates iconic landmarks, celebrities, out-of-the-box activities and breathtaking scenery to entice viewers to visit California. As you will see, the commercial is beautiful, eye-catching, upbeat and plays to perhaps a younger audience but a deeper dive of some of the scenes will show that for the average viewer what is being presented as activities are just dreams. I can say without a doubt I am dreaming about my upcoming trip to California. While it will not include a single activity captured in the commercial it will indeed include big money. Here is the entire ad for your enjoyment.

The commercial begins with singer Sara Bareilles sitting on the hood of a classic convertible playing the guitar right underneath the Hollywood sign (Figure 1). The shot sets up the commercial as being a dream and lets the audience know to start daydreaming even though the producers of commercial so desperately want their concept to be a reality for you and me. But seriously, if I could even find a classic convertible in mint condition to drive around California and then get within 100 feet of the Hollywood sign with no smog to block the view...I would have to dream.

Figure 1. Sara Bareilles

The commercial continues the dream with other iconic California landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge (Figure 2), the Pacific Ocean (Figure 3), the Giant Redwoods (Figure 4), and a movie set (Figure 5). These visuals incorporate activities I might be able to at least entertain doing...well not riding the crazy bike.

Figure 2. Golden Gate Bridge

Figure 3. Pacific Ocean

Figure 4. Redwoods

Figure 5. Move Set

While the iconic landmarks are beautiful this commercial blends in the truly beautiful and famous to sell their state besides Sara, including actor, William Shatner (Figure 6)and pro volleyball player, Kerri Walsh Jennings (Figure 7) and then just a beautiful lady laying out on a beautiful pool (Figure 8), which I am sure is at the local 2 star hotel in K-Town that I will be frequenting in July. In fact there is not one obese, low-income, straggly toothed person in this commercial truly feeding stereotype that all Californians are the physically fit and beautiful (well maybe not the 2015 version of Captain Kirk.I know every visitor to the golden state has those killer abs and therefore, I will, without a hesitation, walk down Venice beach in my booty shorts and bikini top. 

Figure 6. William Shatner

Figure 7. Kerry Walsh Jennings

Figure 8. Beautiful women floating in pool

While this commercial might not be the realistic trip to California for the average viewer, it does contain an excess of outrageous visual eye candy and if Californians have been stereotyped as nothing but excess...because at the end of the day don't we all want to skateboard in the middle of the ocean (Figure 9), camp in the trees (Figure 10), and propel ourselves high in the California blue sunny skies (Figure 11) instead of sitting in eight lanes of traffic on the 405 eating an Animal Style In-N-Out burger for hours.

Figure 9. Skateboard in the middle of the Pacific

Figure 10. Camping in the trees

Figure 11. Propelling over the ocean

Maybe the whole point of this commercial is to dream, dream big as the last slide in the commercial says and the only text in the commercial Figure 12. I will continue to dream about my California trip about the little airbnb studio I will be staying in blocks from Venice beach, the Koji tacos and Korean Fried Chicken I will be consuming, and the crazy fun I will have with my sister. But this commercial...is not my dream...well except maybe to surf (Figure 13).

Figure 12. #dreambig...I mean really BIG!

Figure 13. Me in 6 weeks, I wish....