Saul Greene
English 360-01
December, 4th
2014
Affluence
of the Automobile
Class and social standing are extremely prevalent themes
in auto advertising. Though to rhetorically analyze auto advertising as a whole
would be to analyze all of what is current modern advertisement, one way that
auto advertising differs from past rhetorical texts is its abstract nature and
the way in which it suggests social stratification or lack of, as a method of
persuasion. It is extremely effective and utilizes many of the rhetorical
conventions covered to date in Ancient
Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. On a more specific note, luxury auto
makers such as Audi do an exemplary job of using both ethical and pathetic
appeal in their advertising. The rhetorical advertising strategy implemented by
Audi is one that evokes a sense of superiority to all others and a sense of
class. High class, high performance vehicles that are the best because of where
they came from and where they are going. Heritage and history are extremely
important in Audi`s targeted message. Their advertisements somehow touch on
this history while still maintaining an abstract nature that creates a certain
genesequa for their brand and rather than telling you how great they are, Audi
shows you.
No
commercial exhibits Audi`s ability to appeal to superiority, performance, and
history than the “White Whale” commercial. This commercial quite obviously
eludes to Moby Dick and definitely
showed the separation of class that Audi was looking to express. The commercial
starts with an old mountain man out in the snow with his tow truck next to a
broken down car.
He says “I’ve been out there most of my life, you name it IV hooked it, but there’s
one, one that’s
always eluded me.” (“Audi Quattro”) The ad then cuts to an abstract shot of a white Audi speeding by in the snow. The old man then says that he almost
caught it a few times,
showing him in a setting
that looks like he is tracking an animal in the
snow. The next cut to the car is after he says “it’s
got those eyes, those unmistakable eyes” and the Audis
headlights which are one of Audi`s icons show through the fog. It then shows him hunting one more time. He says “sometimes I actually think its mocking
me” at which point the car speeds
by his tow truck performing
exceptionally well in the snow. Then the man yells “QUATTRO!” because
he cannot catch up to the car. Quattro
is Audi`s transmission system that allows
for amazing handling in the snow and the ad hints that it is something that cannot be caught or had by those that are
lesser. (“Audi
Quattro”) Here there is a great amount of pathetic appeal. The “white
whale”; something no one can have, except “you” if you ascribe to the Audi
claims of superiority and seize the moment.
Images of the Audi outrunning the “lesser” equipped
vehicle speak volumes to their main audience. This ad just as with the other hints that even though
others couldn’t, Audi could. It
shows the class separation that Audi aims for especially well because right from the start it is easy to
see that this man in the commercial is of the lower class and aspires
to have the accomplishment
of attaining the Audi, but he cannot
because he is not equipped
enough and does not have the privilege. By giving the implication that he is an exemplary
hunter, Audi shows that even though
he should be able to “catch” this one he cannot because
he is merely an old low class tow truck driver.
This seeming requirement of privilege to own an Audi is something that the brand carries not only into American minds,
but internationally Audi has been able to employ this strategy. In fact, in China “the black A6 has become
the automobile of choice
for practically any party official
or military officer
with enough clout to secure
one” (Wines) and because of this there is a uniform of
affluence associated with these cars in China just as within the United States.
Audi does a great job of employing Kairos in their
advertisements in addition to creating pathetic appeal to men. Middle to older
aged men are Audis primary target market and though there are many ways to
explain why superiority and performance are so pathetically appealing to men,
none explains it quite as simply as biology. Human beings, and males in
particular are biologically programmed for obtaining resources, dominating
competition over these resources, and displaying their dominance. Well, purchasing an Audi requires a
great amount of monetary resources, the Audi`s performance dominates in
competition, and the four little circles that define a vehicle as an Audi
effectively display this dominance. At least this is how Audi rhetorically
approaches the issue and why it is such an effective method of persuasion. In
fact, studies have shown that driving sports cars boost testosterone, the
primary hormone responsible for male competition and displays of
dominance. In a study, researchers put a
number of men in an old Toyota to drive for an hour and then put that same
group in a $150,000 Porsche 911 Carrera 4s Cabriolet supercar. To no surprise
of any man who has ever sat in a sports car, the “guys who
drove the Porsche experienced significant and substantial increases in T levels
after driving the Porsche”
(Sutton). This is no coincidence, which Audi knows and
uses to their advantage.
This appeal to
men becomes especially apparent in Audi`s “Prom” commercial. A high school boy
is shown suiting up for prom and it quickly becomes apparent that he is going
without a date. As he opens the door to leave his father stops him, throws him
a car key which we soon learn is to the fathers Audi S6 as is made apparent by
the dumbstruck look on the boy’s face. At this point the commercial jumps to a
shot of the S6 turning on with the boy behind the wheel, again highlighting the
headlights of the car (one of Audi`s signature elements). The boy begins to
drive to prom and at a stop light pulls up next to a group of other students in
a stretch limo drunk and having a blast. The boy then peels out and outpaces
the limo immediately. Arriving at prom the boy seems to now show a confidence
that was not present at the beginning of the commercial as he parks in the
school principal’s spot. Confidently striding into prom he walks up to the prom
queen and kisses her boldly at which point the prom king is shown walking
towards him upset. The ad cuts to the boy driving exceptionally fast on the
highway with a fresh black eye and a huge smile on his face. He yells out a
scream of excitement and then the ad cuts to black with text on the screen
saying “Bravery. It`s what defines us” (“Audi Prom”).
This commercial
employs much of the same rhetorical appeal as the others, but here Audi
highlights what a privilege it is to drive one of their cars. This is seen at
the beginning of the ad when the boy gets excited and confident after receiving
the holy keys to “dad`s Audi”. Firstly, the fact that the father throws him the
keys and no words are exchanged, just a smile and nod supports Audis ever-present
subliminal message that the technology and prestige of their brand speaks for
itself, they don’t need excuses such as fuel economy or economic price points.
Notice that there is no spoken dialogue, just the statement in text at the end
of “Bravery. It`s what defines us” (“Audi Prom”). Most might think that this is
Audi trying to include all those that think they are brave into their target
market, however, I feel that this statement further exemplifies Audi`s
exclusivity and dominance complex. They are saying that bravery is what defines
Audi, and since it has already been established that driving an Audi is a
privilege, they seem to claim that most cannot be brave. It’s almost a taunt or
a call to action from Audi and to their delight it works like a charm.
Audi unlike
lower end car brands does not explain their specific vehicles in detail in
these commercials because they know their target market wants inspiration and
they understand that the higher class man who has the means and motivation to
buy an Audi does not want to be told what to do. It is almost demeaning to this
targeted audience to be told the features of the cars. Rather, the audience
here is assumed to be motivated and intellectual in a manner that would allow
them to look up the information on their own. This is why Audi uses rhetorical
appeals of emotion and history to inspire that person to look into it on their
own. Audi need not support their claims because as they seem to suggest, any
reasonably intellectual and sophisticated person who looks into it would
plainly see that they are the best option here.
It would
however, be naïve to assume that there were not those who imitate Audi and
other luxury brands rhetorical appeal. Take Kia for example, a company that is
not well known for luxury or performance, or even sophistication. They don’t
have a rich history like these luxury brands and as such must admit that they
were not always prestigious in order to support a claim that they now have some
level of sophistication. The new commercial for the Kia Cadenza starts
with the city skyline
and just plays music while the car is driving
the whole time until the end at which
point the narrator says “remember that girl you didn’t notice
in high school?”
The car then parks and a
beautiful woman walks out of the car. The narrator
then continues by saying “Were
a lot like that” ("Impossible to Ignore") which admits that they
were ugly in the past, but now are a beautiful force to be reckoned with. This commercial basically states that there was room for improvement from the past, but saying
that the improvements have been made does not necessarily directly suggest that the car is at full potential. In fact when people
refer to the Cadenza as “the conservative offspring of a Toyota and a 5 Series, minus
the athleticism of the BMW” (Ulrich)
it would seem to still
imply that Kia is imitating and living in the shadows of the higher
end vehicles. If Kia wants to claim that they are “playing
with the big boys” then they better be ready for evaluation and scrutiny on the
same playing field. The rhetorical approach
that this ad takes is to say if you drive this car it will make you better
and comparable to the high end vehicles. Whereas
the high end vehicles
take the stance
of saying that you should
drive their car because it is the only car good enough to fit someone
as good and successful as you. In Audi`s case, it is not that the car will make you
better, but rather that the car itself is better than others just like you are.
In essence, the car itself is an extension and announcement of the person and
their sophisticated well off standing in society. Kia attempts to imitate Audi
by being abstract and catching the audience’s attention before drawing to a
conclusion that claims they are attractive and beautiful. This may be true, but
their whole basis of argument relies upon the fact that they used to be bad and
now they are attractive.
The real issue when assessing the differences between low
end and high end vehicles is that their arguments do not meet stasis. Audi
makes the argument that only their cars are good enough for “you” assuming that
you fit into their exclusive elite target market. Whereas, Kia makes the
argument that their cars are better and more fitting to “your” everyday needs
and economy. Kia makes many logical arguments to suggest that they provide the
same as a luxury brand but with added economy. Audi does not acknowledge Kia
though, they simple argue that they are the best and always have been. Audi has
no need to tout because they are at the top of the food chain. When selling
exclusivity there is no need to diversify your target market, Audi overtly
exhibits exclusivity in their advertisements and do not apologize for it. This
form of advertisement arguably adds a level of credibility in my opinion
because Audi never has to make petty claims to sell their cars. They an exemplary job of using both ethical and
pathetic appeal in their advertising without going overboard. The rhetorical
advertising strategy implemented by Audi is one that evokes a sense of
superiority to all others and a sense of class. High class, high performance
vehicles that are the best because of where they came from and where they are
going. Heritage and history are extremely important in Audi`s targeted message.
Their advertisements somehow touch on this history while still maintaining an
abstract nature that creates a certain genesequa for their brand and rather
than telling you how great they are, Audi shows you, because Audi does not sell cars. Audi Sells their name
and the inherently affluent lifestyle associated with it.
Work Cited
Audi “Prom” TV Commercial. 2013. Video. YouTube
Web. 21 Nov. 2014.
< https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky7ic1Ro9yw>
Audi Quattro® TV Commercial. 2012. Video. YouTube
Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGmCKxTgSrI>.
Steinhauer ,
Jennifer. "When the Joneses Wear Jeans." New York Times [New York] 29 May 2005. Web. 18 Nov.
2014.
Sutton, Bob. "More on Testosterone Levels: Driving a
Porsche vs. Toyota Camry." Tyoepad.
1 Jan. 2009. Web. 26 Nov. 2014.
Ulrich, Lawrence. "Getting Comfortable on a Bigger Stage.
“New York Times [New York] 12
July 2013. Web. 19 Nov.
2014.
Wines, Michael. "In
China, ‘Audi’ Means
‘Big Shot’." New York Times [New York] 16
November 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
2014 Kia Cadenza
Commercial "Impossible to Ignore". 2013. Video. YouTube
Web. 21 November 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya17jbkOKDk>.
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