Please Don't Trick Me.

Swedish House Mafia has over 2.5 million fans on facebook. That’s 2.5 million people who took the time to search for the electronic trio and press the like button. Swedish House Mafia (SHM) fans are some of the most dedicated music fans around. Back in December 2011, SHM sold out New York’s Madison Square Garden, a venue with capacity of 20,000 people, in NINE MINUTES. That’s 540 seconds. That’s a minute short of our pwr presentations. That’s crazy. And that’s how dedicated SHM’s fans are.

Most of SHM’s music videos have over 1 million views, with “Save the World Tonight,” one of its most recent singles, reaching just over 41 million. On March 12, 2013, SHM released their music video for their newest single “Greyhound.” It is rather safe to say that it will surely reach over 1 million views. I myself have already seen it twice.

Here went my thought process as I watched it:

Oooh. Futuristic race car with girls dressed up in cool/weird costumes, haven’t decided which one. Both?

I wish I had a snazzy butler bringing me drinks in the middle of a desert in a bunny mask. Oh, it’s absolut vodka. Interesting how the camera lingered for long enough for me to notice. Hmmm.

Cool costumes. Definitely.

YEAH. Music is starting.

Music starts building as the race begins. I can dig it.

This is pretty cool. Gonna post it to my facebook.

Wait, did I just watch a 3 minute commercial?

The music video finishes with a still of a bottle of Absolut Vodka, a fancy drink, and delicious looking grapefruit. That lasts about 4 seconds, long enough for the image to register but not quite long enough to seem like a full blown out commercial. All of SHM’s fans that watch this music video will also be left with this image. Unknowningly, they have all been primed by Absolut Vodka, myself included. I’m not quite sure how I feel about this. What I do know is that I did not appreciate being tricked into watching this 3 minute commercial. At least at the beginning of YouTube videos when there are advertisements they are clearly labeled so by the word, "Advertisement." Is this the future of advertising? Catching the consumer by surprise? I hope not.

-Marielisa Argueta