THE WARPFRAME OF CARTIER: ANALYSIS OF A VIDEO ADVERTISING

The term warpframe is made up of warp and frame and refers to all those visual and conceptual communication techniques that act in depth within a video narration, and whose stories they support.

“L’Odyssée de Cartier” is a short film directed by Bruno Aveillan.  Here you can find the warpframe of this commercial.

Just like a tambour, in order to have a fabric, you need the threads of the warp to be weaved with those of the plot, and likewise the creation of an advertising video results in an emotional response, while infusing in the minds of the addressees certain desires.

Here more infos about it http://semiomarketing.blogspot.fr/2016/05/warpframe.html

The purpose is the generation of unconscious associations, which require deep perceptive and narrative structures.

Warpframe, a semiomarketing technique used to optimize business video communication, is made up of ten items that have to be taken into account before producing the storyboard or writing the script, as follows:

Identity

• The sender (Cartier) is represented by the jewel-encrusted panther , which breaks free from its dormant state and travels from France to Russia, China and India (the new emergent markets of luxury). 

Relationship 

• The relationship between the sender Cartier and the receiver is based on reliability, safety, tradition. 

Style 

• The communication style is sophisticated , elegant, exciting, full of mystery, wonder and discovery. 

Signs 

• The encrusted panther is  a symbol of Cartier.  
• The Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris, the birthplace of Cartier. 
• The flying gems are a symbol of freedom and change. 
• The sleigh, pulled by white horses is a symbol of Russia and of a journey, freedom and change. 
• The six great rings are a symbol of obstacles but also icons of jewels. 
• The gold dragon is the symbol of China and of prosperity. At the beginning the dragon is an obstacle, then, when it  recognizes the panther of Cartier , it transforms itself in the Great Wall and becomes a helper for the brand. 
• The garden with the tree full of animal jewels is the symbol of richness. 
• The crocodile jewel and the snake jewel, are symbols of India. 
• The peacock jewel is a symbol of luxury, vanity and richness. 
• The beautiful palace on the enormous elephant is symbol of India, too. 
• The airplane built by Alberto Santos-Dumont, to showcase the classic Cartier Santos watch (first commissioned by the Brazilian aviation legend in 1904) is a symbol of modernity but also tradition, innovation but also of passion for the past. 
• The great staircase is a symbol of upward social mobility. 

Signs of Odyssée de Cartier

Codes 

• The architecture codes  imply we are in Russia, China, India and in France.  
• The furniture codes send an idea of richness, luxury, privilege. 
• There are many closed circles in the video ( the six rings, the bracelet of the woman in red,  the domes) that send an idea of privilege, elite and closure. 

Figures 

• In this video clip there are many synecdoches ( the woman’s hand represents the woman in red who is looking for the panther, the Eiffel Tower represent the whole Paris, the Great Wall represent China and so forth). 

Roots 

• The panther is the archetype of the wanderer. The wanderer's goal is autonomy. Freedom is like the air he breathes. His task is to develop his sense of identity and assert his ideas. He fears conformity and compliance with written rules.  
• The woman in red is the archetype of the innocent. She is at the height of her accomplishment and has no further goals to achieve. She could only but fall, and fears the loss of bliss, of Paradise. 

The woman in red and the panther: archetypes of innocent and wanderer

Roles 

• The subject is the panther who desires to reach the woman in red (object). 
• The opponent is the distance between it and her. 
• The helpers  are the panther’s strength, the gold dragon, the plane. 
• The sender is the brand Cartier, the receiver is the target. 

Balance 

• precious - Cartier Jewels and the woman in red 
• ordinary - the Parisian street, the frozen river 
• not precious - the sleigh, pulled by white horses, the great staircase 
• not ordinary - the airplane of Alberto Santos-Dumont, the dragon, the elephant, the panther  

Sub-limen

• There are the presuppositions:  the animal jewels  are masterpieces of Cartier jewellery and the commercial takes for granted that the audience has this knowledge 

Conclusion
This commercial was made to celebrate the 165 years of Cartier.
It suggests that the jewellery of this historical French brand has a long tradition and the capability to innovate,  bringing  to the whole world the Cartier style