Shot-by-Shot Analysis

Diet Coke Commercial circa 2006

Shot 1
Description: Girl opens a Diet Coke
Technique: music begins when Diet Coke is opened, medium-shot, special effects (bubbles)
Meaning: This establishes the girl as the main “character” in the commercial; the music begins when she opens the can of Diet Coke, tying in drinking Diet Coke to having a good time (or the good times can start once the Diet Coke is opened); music evokes mood of fun, summer and happiness

Shot 2:
Description: Girl drinks Diet Coke, looks around, stands up
Technique: wide shot, special effects (bubbles)
Meaning: Girl can start her activities now that she drank a Diet Coke

Shot 3:
Description: Girl is roller skating with a guy, in a circle, with Diet Coke in hand
Technique: special effects, medium close-up music
Meaning: Diet Coke leads to fun, skating with a cute boy, giving a girl confidence to go up and skate with a guy

Shot 4:
Description: Girl is roller skating with the guy
Technique: wide-shot, low angle shot, special effects, music
Meaning: same as #3

Shot 5:
Description: Girl is roller skating with the guy
Technique: wide shot, high angle shot, special effects, music
Meaning: same as #3

Shot 6:
Description: Other girlfriends join in
Technique: medium shot (but from feet to waist), low angle shot, special effects, music
Meaning: Girl is bringing her friends out to join her, buoyed by the bubbles of Diet Coke; they are all having fun in the sun

Shot 7:
Description: focus on the main girl for a second
Technique: medium shot of main girl, special effects, music
Meaning: Establishes that the girl is having a great time

Shot 8:
Description: view of group or people roller skating, in sync/dancing together
Technique: music, medium shot (but from legs to waist), low-angle shot, special effects

Shot 9:
Description: girls dancing
Technique: music, wide shot, special effects

Shot 10:
Description: Girl and guy dancing
Technique: music, wide shot, special effects

Shot 11:
Description: Girl spinning around
Technique: close-up, music, special effects
Meaning: establishes the main girl having a good time

Shot 12:
Description: Guy dancing alone
Technique: wide shot, low angle shot, music, special effects

Shot 13:
Description: Main girl with her friends
Technique: close-up shot, music, special effects

Shot 14:
Description: group dancing at night
Technique: wide shot, low angle shot, lighting, special effects, music

Shot 15:
Description: Main girl sitting down, drinking her Diet Coke, text “live like it’s your party”
Technique: special effects, music, medium close-up shot, fade out

Overall, this advertisement is trying to get across the message of if a person drinks Diet Coke then they will have fun on a summer evening. The song in the background, Paul Oakenfold “Starry Eyed Surprise”, has a chorus of “I dance all night, we gonna dance all night, dance all night to this DJ”. This song choice adds to the element of summer and that the group is dancing (and that Diet Coke is the thing is the bubbles that are causing all this good morale and happiness. The different shots help to show many different kinds of people having fun and the bubbles (of Diet Coke) carry on throughout each shot, joining them all (the shots and the people) together with the main girl and her open can of Diet Coke