If you would like to see the commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCs8B-TlylY (This will not be included in the essay, it starts below)
Every commercial has a message, and every commercial tries to convince its audience of its message. Car commercials are particularly interesting because they are applicable to such a wide audience, and all those viewers fall into different categories. For example, some companies steer their commercials toward the upper class, while some gear their ads towards the middle class. Different types of cars, sedans, truck, and SUVs all need different types of arguments to persuade their audience that their product is the best. Nissan released a commercial for its all-electric Leaf, which posed the question “what if everything ran on gas”? The commercial depicts a small town where all things that need power run on gas. Everything: alarm clocks, coffee makers, microwaves, hair dryers, iPods, cell phones, computers, even dentistry tools. At the end of the commercial, the narrator asks, “what if everything didn’t” and shows a Leaf driving away silently. Nissan uses ideas that everyone can relate to and explains them in a logical, ethical, and emotional manner to tell the audience why their car is the smartest purchase.
In order to have a successful advertisement, the company needs to convince its viewers that their product is applicable to the main stream population. Nissan does this by using multiple common places which allows the viewer to connect and relate to the ad. The commercial ends with the statement “innovation for the planet, innovation for all,” leaving the viewer feeling almost uplifted. Nissan is using the idea that we want to do the right thing, we want to be a part of helping create sustainability. However, they also know that not everyone feels that way, so the phrase could also be interpreted that by buying the car, its owner will be on the cutting edge of technology. A Nissan Leaf owner is driving the next big thing, which makes them cool; who does not want that. Nissan also plays on the common topics of degree by alluding to that fact that innovation is greater than the norm. People know the standard technology in a car, and if they are impressed with that, then the Leaf will astound them. Not only that, but the fact that the car is electric may seem futuristic to some viewers. This only adds to the appeal of the car and its status as scoring above average. The advertisement makes it easy for people to connect to the message, as well as make their own positive assumptions about the new era of automobile.
Another way Nissan convinces the viewer to buy their car is through logic. In the world they create, everything runs on gas, and they try to show how terrible it would be. Things are loud, exhaust fumes riddle the characters’ lives, and maintenance is needed to keep everyday object working properly. They want the audience to question how things work in the world today. Nissan wants the viewer to think, “If most things in our lives run on electricity, but they could run on gasoline, why do our cars run on gasoline when they could run on electricity?” Society does not think it is weird or odd that everything else runs on electricity, so why should it be such a novel idea to use that technology in our cars? While these thoughts are running through a consumer’s head, the narrator then speaks for the first as the commercial nears the end. These words come just as an image of a man filling his Chevy Volt up with gas appears. This is important because the Volt is the Leaf’s main competition. The Volt uses a gas powered engine to assist the battery pack and electric motor when the battery pack is depleted. Since all of these terrible images of a gas powered world just passed before the potential buyer’s eyes, logically, why would someone want to buy a car that still uses gas when they could buy a car that is completely gas free? Nissan hopes to portray the Volt as continuing to pursue ancient technology and their car as the smart and logical purchase.
Using a very relatable character, and various other methods, Nissan is able to portray itself as a reliable corporation. The man that is followed throughout his day seems very like an average, middle class American, which is important for viewers. It makes the audience feel like the situation is plausible. The man wakes up early at 6:20 to get ready for work, makes coffee and breakfast, brushes his teeth while his wife dries her hair, talks on his phone on his way to work, sits at a computer all day, makes a water fountain type break, and even goes to the dentist. When the viewer sees the man filling up his car with gas, nothing seems out of the ordinary. All of these activities are things the viewer does as well. This connection gives Nissan credability as a “safe” company because it seems like they know how the consumer functions and how they live. The phrase at the end “innovation for the planet, innovation for all” also plays into how they are viewed as a company. They make it seem like they are sharing a secret with the world, that they are giving everyone their product. In doing so, it helps them to create an image of honesty and of trust. As a potential customer, a viewer will feel more comfortable purchasing an item, in this case a car, from a company they feel understands his or her lifestyle and is open and trustworthy.
This commercial also uses emotional appeal to convince people they need to take action and take steps toward sustainability by buying the Leaf. The commercial starts off with a rather loud engine sound, and an alarm going off, which really grabs the viewer’s attention. However, as soon as the alarm goes off, music starts playing which continues through the rest of the advertisement. It is very repetitive and has various key changes, which helps keep it seem like there is movement and progression, just as the gentleman progresses through his day. As it nears the end of the commercial and the climax, the music begins to swell, and slowly more layers are added. At the point when the Leaf is seen for the first time, a soft drum beat has started and voices are singing very subtly. As the music becomes more complex and richer, so does the plot of the commercial, as Nissan shows off its car. As the music reaches a pinnacle, the viewer’s emotional relief peaks, as the “solution” has been found. Looking solely at the plot, there is emotional appeal as well. The man never really looks happy, and actually looks quite depressed at points. It seems life has taken its toll, and the redundancy and repetition in this man’s life bores him. The man has an almost jealous and longing look as he gazes off towards the Nissan Leaf and the man unplugging his car. Even the clothes people are wearing suggest an unhappy lifestyle. With few exceptions, everyone stuck in the “gas world” are wearing natural beige colors and surround themselves with drab colors. In stark contrast, the Leaf is bright blue and the man unplugging the car is wearing a purple shirt with a well-tailored sports coat. Through the changes in music, apparent enjoyment of life, and sense of fashion, Nissan makes it seem that consumers that buy their car will live a pleasant and gratify life.
No commercial tries to merely tell its viewers about a product, but rather it tries to convince the audience it is the best product of its kind. Nissan is no different in its marketing of the all-electric Nissan leaf. Cars can appeal to an extraordinarily wide and varying audience, so Nissan picked the largest category, and attempted to appeal to the “common” family. By portraying their car in a way that is relevant, logical, ethical, and emotional to the middle class of America, Nissan attempted to convince the American public an electric car was the car for them.