Socially Acceptable - shock value?

At first, these commercials may startle you --- and motion your little cousin out of the room in a hurry.

In class today we talked about the social impact of advertising, and what is acceptable or offensive in different target audiences.

The advertisement above is very recent. Levis jeans campaign is currently running on TV. The first one is called "First Time" and just like the name suggests, you think it's about....sex. But in reality, the commercial is about taking risks (like jumping into that lake) and how that brand helps you achieve that confidence.

But it certainly has some sexual shock value.

In the U.S., this kind of ad is just a little extreme, but for the most part acceptable. Levi hooks you in, because you want to know WHAT THE HECK this commercial is about?!?!?! It definitely puts a personality and abstract idea of youth and freedom on the brand of jeans.

The video below uses that same shock value of "oh my gosh, little brother cover your eyes!"

But what i've found is that most people that watch these ads end up saying:

"all that was just for a pair of JEANS?!?!"