Super Bowl 50 Portraits Commercial
Jibran Khalil, Period 3A (Jeep Portrait Commercial)
Product (A.)
The name of the product being advertised in this commercial are all the cars manufactured by Jeep (brand name), including jeeps (type of car), SUVS, and crossovers.This includes the lineup of Compass Jeeps, Wrangler Unlimited Jeeps, Grand Cherokee Jeeps, and Patriot Jeeps. Furthermore, this commercial promotes the values and integrity of the company as well as their history.
Demographic (B.)
One of the greatest factors of this ad is the large demographic it appeals to. This ad appeals to both genders. To continue, this commercial entices both young and old people. The commercial appeals to young kids and teens that can’t drive by increasing their desire for a Jeep. It displays all the amazing places the Jeep has been and makes the demographic believe that owning a Jeep can help them arrive in those exciting situations. Furthermore, the video appeals to people who are currently purchasing a car by indirectly displaying a standard quality; if Jeep can survive wars, the arctic, and is fit for a queen, then it will meet whatever expectations the demographic has. Finally, the commercial also appeals to seniors who are buying a car for their children or grand children. This ad continuously shows pictures which an older person can relate to, such as the war in Normandy. These reminiscent pictures will immediately strike a chord with an older demographic, and will make them more likely to purchase the product. This commercial is specifically targeted at people in America (since the Super Bowl is aired in America) who have the money to afford a Jeep. This includes the middle and upper class. However, banks are increasingly likely to distribute loans, so this ad could also be addressed to a lower class that has the ability to receive a loan. Overall, this ad brilliantly encompasses a large majority of Americans, regardless of their race.
Psychographic (C.)
The psychographic of this commercial is the explorer. This ad specifically targets excitement, new experiences, adventure, and uniqueness. All of these fall under the category of an explorer. An explorer is a thrill seeker, one who loves adventures, and wants to experience unique moments - this is exactly who the commercial caters to. Throughout the commercial, mentions of exploring things are mentioned over and over. For example, the narrator describes how Jeep has, “Trekked, wandered, and roamed.” This directly appeals to what an explorer loves most. Furthermore, the Jeep is described as having, “Reached the far corners of the earth.” Again, this is an example of how many new places the Jeep can go, which is exactly what an explorer enjoys doing - exploring new places. The ad increases its psychographic range by mentioning certain areas the Jeep excels in. Intelligently, the commercial mentions situations that certain categories of people can relate to. For instance, it mentions that the Jeep has been in wars, has served for kings and queens, and has overcome many obstacles. This appeals to an extreme of the psychographic range: people who are explorers and love to have an adventure, regardless of the danger.
Propaganda Techniques (D.)
One of the tools present throughout the commercial is transfer. The commercial makes a point by transferring the prestige and excitement of certain events and situations to the Jeep company. For instance, the ad mentions “The beaches of Normandy,” and displays images of astronauts in space. The ad transfers the respect and strength of the soldiers in Normandy to the Jeep, as well as feelings of excitement and exploration conjured in the mind when thinking about space.
Furthermore, the video utilizes glittering generalities. The commercial uses words that sound nice but in a very broad sense. For example, the narrator talks about, “Great beauty,” and “Faced the faces of fear.” Both of these are extremely general terms that have a powerful impact. Great beauty brings thoughts of luxury and elegance, while faces of fear brings up images of strength. However, both these terms are general and not specific; these terms paint with a broad brush.
Finally, this ad uses plain folks. In this ad, the audience constantly sees pictures of regular people of all ages. The ad also closes with the final statement that “We don’t make Jeeps. You do.” By displaying pictures of ordinary people, the commercial makes the audience understand that Jeep is meant for everyone, even the ordinary audience. By making the final statement that Jeeps are made by everyday people, the commercial brings a sense of community and unity to the plain folks watching the video.
Analysis (E.)
This ad plays on the audience’s emotions by using Pathos. Pathos is very strong and powerful, and can manipulate an audience’s emotions. This commercial does that in multiple ways. A piano song is played throughout the length of the commercial that makes the audience feel inspired. The melody of the song and the way it gradually changes speed and pitch excites the audience's emotions. Furthermore, the ad flashes images that draw out emotions. For instance, the commercial flashes an image of Normandy. The audience will automatically be reminded of the event. Jeep makes the point that their product was used in those series of events, which makes the audience thrilled and have a sense of pride that Jeep was part of that. The audience is emotionally engaged. The ad also uses black and white pictures, which evokes a sense of nostalgia in the audience by bringing back a feeling of the past. Finally, the ad uses pathos by stating that Jeep has been around for 75 years. By this alone, the audience feels some pride and is emotionally attached to the historical company. Overall, the commercial uses pathos by emotionally manipulating the audience’s feelings in a positive manner towards Jeeps.
Evaluation (F.)
This ad was very effective. It utilized many techniques strung together in a beautiful way to emotionally engage the audience. Even though the ad used only pictures, it brought out powerful feelings of strength, community, pride, respect, exploration, and elegance. The pictures take the audience on a roller-coaster ride of emotions; every picture draws out on an individual emotion, and before the audience can internally analyze the emotion, another picture is flashed. This rapid-fire of picture leaves the audience stunned at the finale of the commercial, where the last lines are displayed, “We don’t make Jeep. You do.” This final statement draws all the pictures together and makes the audience want to purchase a Jeep to be part of a greater, historical movement. To conclude, this Super Bowl commercial effectively advertised its product to millions of people by using their emotions, appealing to a wide demographic, and using techniques like transfer and glittering generalities.