Describe:
Subaru's "Best Friend" commercial hit the air on September 24, 2012, and still airs today. The commercial opens with a man pulling up to a cabin in a wooded area with his puppy, as he opens the door the puppy scurries out and runs into the tall grass.The second scene immediately follows and shows the man pulling up to the same cabin with his significant other, and the same puppy, but this time he's grown. The door is opened for the dog and he runs off to play in a similar manner as before. The third and final scene shows the same man pulling up to the cabin with his significant other, but this time there is a baby in the back seat and the dog is much older now. Even though he is grey in the face, the door is opened and he runs out to play. Then you hear, "We're lucky; it's not every day you find a companion as loyal as a Subaru." It's important to note that the scenes showed the man growing up with his dog and creating a family, while driving the same Subaru. The advertisement is only 30 seconds long, but in that time frame you feel personally connected to the growth of the family and the loyalty of the dog and Subaru.
Analyze:
Subaru's use of the plain-folks pitch is what gives this advertisement it's validity. This approach allows them to become relatable and simple, which gives them the ability to tug on your heart strings. There are no star athletes, irritation, or snob appeal. Subaru only shows a simple family utilizing their Subaru to be adventurous with their families and pets in their commercials. This advertisement does effectively use television broadcasting, because it allows connectivity between viewer and advertisement. Print advertisement would not effectively translate what is in the commercial, because the emotional value would be lost.
Interpret:
I believe that this ad is new and different, because it's simple and very effective. Subaru has built a loyal following because of their ability to connect with their consumers, and they do exactly that in a mere thirty seconds with this advertisement. After watching this ad, you understand that Subaru is about simplicity, loyalty, and family. In essence, Subaru has managed to break through the clutter. With this commercial, Subaru hopes to target Subaru brand loyalists, family-oriented viewers, and those who are on-the-fence in regards to purchasing a Subaru. For the skeptics, Subaru wants to display how simple and loyal they are while demonstrating that they understand what matters most to you: family. The only stereo-type I see is that they use a dog to demonstrate inter-personal bonds. The bonds between man and dog, and man and car. Demonstrating that these two relationships can coincide peacefully, because the Subaru was built with enough room for family and pets.
Evaluate:
Well, I don't want to beat a dead horse, but most of the strengths of this advertisement have been listed throughout the paragraphs beforehand. Loyal, Honest, Simple, Family-Oriented, and Adventurous are a few that come to mind. With that being said, I'm not sure if there are true weaknesses in this advertisement. If there was a checklist that categorized the things it took to be an effective and simple commercial, I would have to say that all the boxes are checked. One of those boxes would have to be, "Is this commercial memorable?" In short, yes I believe it is. It has managed to stay on the air since September 24, 2012 and still is effective. The times are changing and companies who can relate to their consumers and demonstrate their ability to be loyal and listen are the ones who are succeeding. Subaru has built a large following of brand loyalists for that very reason. As stated previously, I do believe that this commercial does effectively connect with the target audience, and perhaps even those who weren't in the targeted demographic.
Engage:
Based on this ad and the others I've seen previously, I would buy a Subaru. Actually I already have, but if I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I would. Or buy a second one, just because. This advertisement taps into the relatable side that appeals to your emotions, but other commercials show the rugged capability a Subaru offers, and that's what drew me in. The fact that they can handle anything, are cost-effective, and are utilitarian is why I bought one. I would definitely recommend Subaru to others. There is no question about it.
Conclusion:
During this assignment I've learned that in advertisement, simple is better. Appealing to emotion will get you a lot farther with the viewer, and will show that you are relatable. When I took a closer look at this ad, I was surprised that in the short span of thirty seconds an entire story was told. In that time, we got to watch a man and dog grow up while a family was formed. A picture is worth a thousand words, but a thirty second commercial could write a short story.
Thank you for your time in reading this, and I hope you enjoyed it. If anything, I hope you gained insight on a different perspective about the same advertisement you watched.
If you haven't watched the commercial previously, the link will be posted below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wa_6g9WNgU
I found this blog post after I wrote mine, and it's almost funny how parallel our posts are. (Theirs is far more eloquent than mine, being an instructor and all.)
http://uwmarcom2013.blogspot.com/2013/01/subaru-commercial-spotlights-mans-best.html
NBC News article "Subaru barrels through recession; Automaker succeeds by knowing its customers well."
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/37274797/ns/business-us_business/t/subaru-barrels-through-recession/#.Ueikdo21H5g
Interpret:
I believe that this ad is new and different, because it's simple and very effective. Subaru has built a loyal following because of their ability to connect with their consumers, and they do exactly that in a mere thirty seconds with this advertisement. After watching this ad, you understand that Subaru is about simplicity, loyalty, and family. In essence, Subaru has managed to break through the clutter. With this commercial, Subaru hopes to target Subaru brand loyalists, family-oriented viewers, and those who are on-the-fence in regards to purchasing a Subaru. For the skeptics, Subaru wants to display how simple and loyal they are while demonstrating that they understand what matters most to you: family. The only stereo-type I see is that they use a dog to demonstrate inter-personal bonds. The bonds between man and dog, and man and car. Demonstrating that these two relationships can coincide peacefully, because the Subaru was built with enough room for family and pets.
Evaluate:
Well, I don't want to beat a dead horse, but most of the strengths of this advertisement have been listed throughout the paragraphs beforehand. Loyal, Honest, Simple, Family-Oriented, and Adventurous are a few that come to mind. With that being said, I'm not sure if there are true weaknesses in this advertisement. If there was a checklist that categorized the things it took to be an effective and simple commercial, I would have to say that all the boxes are checked. One of those boxes would have to be, "Is this commercial memorable?" In short, yes I believe it is. It has managed to stay on the air since September 24, 2012 and still is effective. The times are changing and companies who can relate to their consumers and demonstrate their ability to be loyal and listen are the ones who are succeeding. Subaru has built a large following of brand loyalists for that very reason. As stated previously, I do believe that this commercial does effectively connect with the target audience, and perhaps even those who weren't in the targeted demographic.
Engage:
Based on this ad and the others I've seen previously, I would buy a Subaru. Actually I already have, but if I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I would. Or buy a second one, just because. This advertisement taps into the relatable side that appeals to your emotions, but other commercials show the rugged capability a Subaru offers, and that's what drew me in. The fact that they can handle anything, are cost-effective, and are utilitarian is why I bought one. I would definitely recommend Subaru to others. There is no question about it.
Conclusion:
During this assignment I've learned that in advertisement, simple is better. Appealing to emotion will get you a lot farther with the viewer, and will show that you are relatable. When I took a closer look at this ad, I was surprised that in the short span of thirty seconds an entire story was told. In that time, we got to watch a man and dog grow up while a family was formed. A picture is worth a thousand words, but a thirty second commercial could write a short story.
If you haven't watched the commercial previously, the link will be posted below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wa_6g9WNgU
I found this blog post after I wrote mine, and it's almost funny how parallel our posts are. (Theirs is far more eloquent than mine, being an instructor and all.)
http://uwmarcom2013.blogspot.com/2013/01/subaru-commercial-spotlights-mans-best.html
NBC News article "Subaru barrels through recession; Automaker succeeds by knowing its customers well."
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/37274797/ns/business-us_business/t/subaru-barrels-through-recession/#.Ueikdo21H5g
