10 Jan Three Commercials, story structured

Direct TV – Peyton on Sunday Morning:

Exposition: Former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning stands at the front of the checkout line at a grocery store wearing a bathrobe. The cashier is scanning his items. No one is phased by the fact that a legendary professional athlete is standing in front of them.

Rising action: Manning begins explaining to the cashier and the woman in line behind him about how Direct TV NFL Sunday Ticket allows people to watch their favorite teams no matter where they are. He makes allusions to his career by bringing up the Broncos and the Colts, the two teams he played for, and also remarks that he’s standing in aisle 18, his old number. It seems someone must surely recognize him.

Climax: No one says anything about this being Peyton Manning talking, more of a lack of climax, like a comical letdown.

Resolution: Manning realizes he has a coupon for the item currently being scanned.

Geico – Game Night with a Sloth

Exposition: A game of Pictionary is taking place. Two people attempt to guess a picture being drawn by a sloth. The sloth is drawing so slowly that it has only managed to make a straight line, which it is still in the process of drawing.

Rising Action: The two people guess objects that could feasibly be straight lines. All of them are incorrect. The other team shakes their heads, they know this will end poorly for their opponents. The man on the timer calls ten seconds. The team guessing continues to try to find the right answer, without avail.

Climax: Time runs out, the correct answer was a tandem bicycle.

Resolution: The losing team dissolves into frustration. The spokesperson steps in to let us know that as long as sloths are slow (as previously demonstrated) you can count on Geico saving people money.

Gatorade – One More

Exposition: A football coach motivates his players to perform one more rep on the practice field. “One more, one more!” he yells. His players are clearly tired, their training is intense.

Rising Action: The featured player in the commercial drinks some Gatorade and his tone changes. He carries his coach’s words through the rest of his training in the weight room and on the practice field. His intensity increases, he relishes the training and he cries out for one more rep no matter how much sweat pours from his body.

Climax: The player and his team take the field in a game, chanting a fight song and looking fully battle-ready.

Resolution: A player slams down a Gatorade bottle as the rest of the players leave the locker room. The tagline flashes: win from within.