Culture Code - The Code for America

      Speaking of America, many Americans can immediately think of the term “American Dream”, of the land of freedom, the land having a gamut of scenery, congregation of people from different countries and cultures.

      In regard to America, the American Culture Code for it is also DREAM as per Rapaille’s research result (Rapaille, 195). By applying this finding, the Brand USA created the global tourism campaign for the U.S and the commercial “Land of Dreams” in April 2012 to encourage travelers throughout the world to visit the U.S. The TVC was said to air in U.K, Canada, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, etc. 

      In the commercial, audiences can see typical American people and things, such as a cowboy at the beginning, tough motorcycle riders, a big family gathering right beside a forest, a marching band right on a street, a same-sex couple in a bus, the Color Run, a pile of crawfish, an eagle landing on a skydiver, and especially a group of diversified people singing and playing harmoniously beside the Brooklyn bridge. Moreover, the commercial briefly shows the magnificent landscape of America, such as a California beach, New York’s Times Square, New Orleans, and Grand Canyon. Those are just some of the uniqueness that can be seen, heard, and experienced in the U.S only. Especially, there are variety of people in terms of their races, ages, and nationalities featuring in the commercial. They all smile, laugh, play, run, walk. It exemplifies the Americans’ dream of being forever young (196) and the optimistic side. It illustrates the notion of a free, beautiful country full of delighted citizens.

     Besides beautiful shots of American locations and people, music also plays a critical part in the commercial. It’s a very typical American one, a country song performed by Rosanne Cash. The artist was surrounded by musicians with various types of instruments and representative costumes. As American folk song is easily to be played along, America is open to anyone to join in.

     The commercial not only emphasizes the dream and beauty of America and its people but also taps into the desires of people all over the world which are freedom and joyfulness. By employing the key word “Dream”, the commercial achieves the “America’s mission to provide dreams to humanity” (198).