Response to Pantene commercial

The Pantene commercial’s ending slogan reads “you can shine,” a blissful idealism stemming from one of two factors: either the near-miraculous deaf violinist’s shining performance, or the fact that she used Pantene shampoo and conditioner hours before, that which launched her into stardom because of the incredible shine of her hair. Regardless, the advertising professionals responsible for the ad seem to know that both of these meanings are likely to get the viewers of the commercial to buy Pantene products: not only did Pantene have a great ad, but it was inspiring, too.

Or, perhaps the ad’s air of self-referential inspiration and its fairy-tale ending were not intended for welcome acceptance; maybe the ad’s over-the-top sense of miracle was intentionally campy, and the ending slogan merely confirmed the suspicions of its eye-rolling viewers. The slogan and meaning would then be interpreted differently, maybe as a playful joke to assert the idea: “you may not be a deaf violinist performing the piece of a lifetime, but you can have her shiny hair.” This idea is partly evidenced by the cinematography during her performance: spotlights shine on her beautiful, pin-straight hair and wind blows up from nowhere, letting the violinist’s hair shine more than a brand new million-dollar diamond ring.