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Josue Adame

Professor Massie

English 1301

9 September, 2020

Flex Paste commercial

“Flex Paste commercial” is a commercial made by the Flex Seal team which pitches their

new product called Flex Paste, a​ super thick rubberized paste that you can spread, shape, form

and seal virtually everything (Flexsealproducts.com). Like many other flex seal commercials,

this commercial maintains a comedic and energetic mood. This commercial starts with Phil Swift

introducing himself and the name of his new product, and throughout the video explains how his

product works by causing similar problems and claiming that the solution is their new product. ​In

Flex Seal “Flex Paste commercial”, the spokesperson’s personality, music, and repetitive visual

representation of flex paste’s uses create a compelling advertisement, encouraging people to trust

the company and purchase their products.

Phil Swift, who is the spokesperson for this commercial, is a very energetic and

charismatic character. When introducing a product it is important for a spokesperson to be

energetic because this allows for them to captivate and entertain the audience. Throughout the

video Phil maintains a smile, whether it'd be fake or not, it helps to make the audience feel

welcome. According to Blackburn & Elrod (an orthodontist company) ​one study published in

Neuropsychologia, a medical journal, indicated that smiling activates the part of your brain that

processes sensory rewards. So, when you smile at someone, they feel rewarded

(blackburnelrodortho.com). Another action that Phil does which makes him more likeable is his

implementation of catchphrases and slogans. Some of the slogans that Mr.Swift uses are “That's

a lot of damage!”, “It even works underwater!” and “I sawed this boat in half!”. These “catchy
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quips” that Phil uses have become a part of his brand, the same phrases can be seen on other

commercials displaying different products.

The music that is introduced to the audience in a commercial is ​an indirect influence on

the viewer's attitude towards a product. An example that perfectly represents this is when dog

adoption centers create commercials. The purpose for those commercials is to push people to buy

puppies, therefore they use depressing music and pictures of puppies which causes greater effect

on people than it would if they decided to use rock music. ​The music that the Flex Seal team

utilizes plays a pivotal role in maintaining the up-beat and fast paced mood that Phil casts

throughout the video. The commercial begins with some slightly loud rock music but once Phil

does anything that is dangerous, for example pulling out a chainsaw, the music intensifies.

Additionally, anytime that Phil’s tone changes, the style of the music playing in the background

also changes but it still has the upbeat/energetic feeling. These elements are included to keep the

audience pumped up and ready for whatever crazy idea he might have. Phil Swift also

contributes to the pacing of the video by creating a short and objective monologue which is

always followed by an action which maintains a fast paced video. Overall, the impression that

the music helps cast on the viewer is that flex paste is a fast acting paste which can instantly fill

gaps and holes.

From the beginning of the video all the way to the end Phil creates visual representations

which introduce the ways that Flex Paste is useful. As soon as the camera starts rolling, Phil

whips out some paste and creates a hole on a wall with an axe and instantly fills it. He then

allows for the audience to see the paste in action from a different perspective, by horizontally

filling a hole which has a window on the side which faces the camera. This leads to his claim that

you can “spread it, shape it, to take on just about any form”. After this he claims that the paste
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can work on “wood, metal, all types of surfaces.”, the claim is then backed up by showing us

how the paste clings on to wood, metal and 3 other types of materials. He then Grabs a chainsaw

and tears through a barrel filled with water and seals it right back up with Flex Paste. Afterward,

it shows a different example, one which includes a kid and his father modeling a terrain for their

toy train. This offers more use for a different audience, whereas before it seemed to only be used

for fixing small holes, now people will think of using it for hobbies which involve modeling or

something similar. Another claim that Phil makes afterward is that Flex Paste works underwater.

What they do to prove this is scoop some paste and hold it underwater and then stick it to the

inside of an aquarium tank. Finally, Phil explains to us his final crazy idea. He decides to make a

boat that is completely made out of Flex Paste. He Shapes chicken wire into a boat and then

covers it with only Flex Paste, most people would simply stop here, but not Phil Swift. He

continues to functionally ride the Flex Paste boat on a lake to prove that it can create an airtight

seal.

The combination of these subtle elements convince the audience that flex paste can fix

holes quickly, permanently, and instantly. Thus encouraging the audience to buy a product that is

versatile and easy to use. Music, charisma and examples all work to attract people to their

product, and work to leave the audience with the impression that they need Flex Paste. The catch

phrases that Phil Swift uses will forever hold a place in people's hearts because they are iconic in

the meme community.

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Works Cited

Swift, Phil. “Flex Paste™ Commercial - Phil Swift.”

https://www.flexsealproducts.com/product/flex-paste/​, 14 2 2020. Accessed 23 11 2020.

Blackburn. “How Smiling Affects You — And Those Around You.” ​Blackburn & Elrod​,

https://www.blackburnelrodortho.com/how-smiling-affects-you-and-those-around-you/#:

~:text=How%20Your%20Smile%20Affects%20Others&text=Interestingly%2C%20one

%20study%20published%20in,Additionally%2C%20smiling%20is%20contagious.

Accessed 23 11 2020.

Seal, Flex. “Flex Seal Family Products.” ​Flex Seal Family Products​, Phil Swift,

https://www.flexsealproducts.com/product/flex-paste/. Accessed 23 11 2020.