Larabar Ad Analysis

Cancer, tumor, illness. All three of these things bring about a negative thought to the mind. The aches, the pains and the not-so-good feeling that comes from them are not enjoyable either. Just like feeling sick or having poisonous toxins in the body, food can have a similar effect on the body. Preservatives, dyes and syrups are put into many foods today that give off that not-so-good feeling. Larabar claims to be different from the rest of the food bars in which they are all-natural and will not give off a sluggish feeling. They achieve this sense of happiness and energy through positive emotional appeal, contrasting word choice and imagery between Larabar and their competitors.

A big marketing strategy that is used in this ad is the theme

of happiness. The smiling faces of the people and the cheery jingle that plays throughout the ad generates the sense of happiness. When the audience sees the customers for Larabar, they are smiling and dressed in vibrant colors (Larabar). This connects the sense of happiness from Larabars to their consumers by using the theme of bright colors and an energetic environment around them to change the mood of the audience. The consumers watching this ad also see kids playing in the backyard and this correlates to the energetic mood that Larabar claims to give after consumption (Larabar). Another positive appeal shown is when a woman drives down the street in her little, yellow car giving off a sense of joy because the color yellow is usually correlated with happiness (Larabar). Happiness is also supported because the woman has a smile on her face and the landscape is full of green and the sun is even shining. Larabar is portraying all the qualities of a good day with smiling faces and sunshine. They are declaring that, with their food bars, everyday can be a good day.
In addition to the pathos appeal of the ad, the creators also add a cheery jingle.

Larabar’s jingle is upbeat and filled with joy. Instead of using comedic gestures or action packed scenes, Larabar chose to go the song route. For their purpose, the song matches the emotions alongside of the actions that are shown in the ad. When an audience hears a song and finds it catchy, they usually remember it and sing it in their own head. With that, since the song is cheerful; when the audience hears it, they may smile and become joyous. Larabar’s jingle seems to match the feeling that they are claiming to create when a person consumes their bars. The melody is not the only aspect of the song that plays a role in the ad, alongside that are the lyrics. At the start of the ad, there is a contradiction between the cardboard boxes at the stores and Larabar’s boxes. In the store, there are “little boxes filled with ticky tacky…[and] little boxes all the same” (Larabar). With this line of the song, Larabar is stating that they are different from the other uniformed boxes consumers see in the store. Then, there is another negative line stating that “some have food dyes and syrups and are made with preservatives…” and with that, the product is viewed as artificial. However, Larabar rebuts with the fact that they are made with “fruits, nuts and spices”, giving them a more natural appeal (Larabar). So, in the song, the beginning portrays the negative aspects and ingredients in the competing

brands, whereas Larabar consists of the real food and claim to generate positive vibes in their customers.
An additional support of the claim that Larabar food bars are all-natural and give off real energy is portrayed through the multiple uses of imagery.

Boxes are a common theme throughout the ad and there is a large contrast in the way Larabar is conveyed versus the competing brands. Larabar uses the phrase “little boxes” a multitude of times in the ad to show the contrast in their products. Their boxes are smaller and with that, Larabar customers are able to fit more boxes in their grocery bags (Larabar). The more the merrier. On the contrary, their competing brands, sell cardboard boxes which are larger and tend to take up more space within the bags. These cardboard boxes also have a bland, dreary look to them compared to the bright, vibrant colors of the Larabar boxes. The contrast in color supports the claim that Larabar has a sense of joy from their products compared to the dull feeling that comes across in the competing brands. Larabar declares to be different than others with their little boxes. This is continuously supported by the lyrics, “little boxes all the same” and is portrayed in the ad by aligning all the dull, cardboard boxes in perfect rows and columns, indeed, illustrating that they are all the same (Larabar). Larabar’s little boxes continue to be different from the rest, not only in ingredients, but with color and care as well. There is a sense of carelessness from their competitors with the depiction of certain boxes possessing dents or sitting in storage

rooms, collecting dust (Larbar). Negligence is even portrayed when cardboard boxes are being loaded and unloaded into the moving truck without care and ease (Larabar). Dents and dust are not what customers particularly look for when purchasing their food and that is why Larabar claims to give their fresh food directly to the stores to be put on to the shelves. Larabar is believed to handle their products with care.
Everyone wants that feel good feeling. In Larabar’s ad, a sense of joy and energy is shown throughout its entirety with whether it being visually with colors and actions, or mentally through song and word choice. That not-so-good feeling comes from the preservatives and toxins that are placed in other food bars. However, Larabar promises to give a healthy, happy food that can generate a happy feeling. Larabar claims that their “little boxes” will also give that child-like energy to their customers like the children playing in the backyard. Their food is made from real food, not the ticky-tacky ingredients (Larabar).