The New Audi Advertisement
In the sale of goods and services to consumers, organizations invest in advertisements. These are important in persuading the consumers to buy their products through the use of various theories and principles. For instance, advertisements are appealing to the logic, emotions and belief systems of the target audience. Therefore, consumers end up purchasing the products that they really do not require because of this impact of advertisements. It is therefore, necessary to analyze advertisements critically so as to understand the hidden meaning. Critical analysis of adverts reveals the use of different stereotypes for influencing the buying decisions of the consumer (Look 12). For instance, the new Audi advertisement uses the stereotypes of perfection, animal rights and non-compromise.
This paper analyzes the new Audi advertisement to determine the underlying stereotype impacts that are aimed at influencing the target market.
Audi targets the elite and young community, especially the young men who are employed and able to buy the vehicles at the relatively high price. This class of people is also attracted to the classic look of the car since it upgrades their status among colleagues. The new Audi advert is a funny clip that depicts an un-proportional dog called Doberhuahua. The name is obtained from two dog breeds, Chihuahua and Doberman Pinscher. Therefore, the dog is considered a literal crossbreed of the two dog breeds. The result is a small dog with a big head. This advert is aimed at communicating the adverse impacts of compromise through the use of a mutant dog. This is a representation of the culture of chasing after perfection, and how people fail at attaining it. It is alluded to the elusive nature of happiness and perfection through the hunt of the young couple for a perfect dog (Feloni 1).
The advertisement then replays the adverse impacts of compromise through the destructive nature of the cross breed. This is an implication of how compromising a product will adversely affect the customers and in essence, focuses on the need for uncompromised products. By downplaying the effects of compromise, the Audi is trying to give its customers a better brand. It is essentially communicating the information that its products are high quality since they are not compromised. Therefore, the consumers expect to achieve classic luxury, high performance and remarkable design. This creates an image of perfection in the mind of the target customer, who will then rush to the market to attain this form of perfection.
The advertisement also communicates its message by alluding to human rights. This indicates that it is not fair and inhuman to compromise. Although this is a baseless comparison, it is still appealing to the target audience, making them to choose Audi as the better option. The advertisement is further laced with humor, enhancing its appeal and memorability. This is effective in growing the popularity of the motor vehicle since the impression is long lasting. It also complements the American’s appeal for mystery (Look 15).
The love for animal pets is a cultural practice that is valued in America, especially when it comes to dog pets. Several people try to keep the best breed of dogs in their homes for companionship. Audi bases its advertisement on this stereotype that American people love dogs and will give anything to get a perfect breed. The Super Bowl viewers could therefore, relate to this advertisement from the beginning. This offers them a staying power and the connection with Audi will definitely increase sales and the ratings of popularity. This is one of the ways through which advertisements can subconsciously manipulate the viewers’ minds.
The use of human rights activist Sarah McLachlan is also another marketing strategy. This is because it is clear that Sarah advocates for the love and protection of fury animals. However, she is still attacked by the mutant dog despite her dedication. This is an indication that the adverse impacts of compromise do not favor anyone, not even the owner. The organization uses this animal rights activist in communicating values that have existed for quite a long time. The protection of human rights, as illustrated in McLachlan’s song, is appealing to the big group of people who are opposing the exploitation of animals through scientific techniques. The Doberman has not been coincidentally used since the animal has become popular in the media in the recent past. This is eluded to the use of recent stereotypes in the American market (Feloni 1).
It applies a manipulative way in persuading the audience of this aspect. This is because it uses a rather far-fetched and unrelated analogy to pass the message. This appeals to the various senses of the viewers and as a result, the viewers buy the idea that Audi is the best brand. Audi as a brand has consistently offered good quality and luxurious products. However, there may be no truth in the assertion that it is the best brand in the market. In this advertisement, it gives the implication that all the other products in the automobile industry are compromised, apart from Audi’s. This is a deceptive way in luring the consumer to purchase Audi (Feloni 1).
In short, the overall message in the advertisement is to avoid compromise because they are expensive. Audi sells itself as the brand that does not compromise on any aspect. Therefore, it provides consumers with a wholesome product that is high quality in design, luxury and performance. It is appealing to the love of pets by Americans to communicate its point. Besides, it also alludes to the elusive search for happiness and perfection that all humanity is involved in. The audience is also able to relate to the Doberman dog and Sarah McLachlan since the two are prominent in the media. This makes sure that consumers prefer Audi to other types of cars (Feloni 1).
Works Cited
Feloni, Richard. “Audi’s Super Bowl Commercial is the Story of a Doberhuahua Apocalypse.” Business Insider. 2014. Web.
Look, Guy. The Discourse of Advertising. New York: Psychology Press. 2001. Print.