10) Automotive

1.Which of the nine (9) types of advertising does the ad belong to?

- Brand advertising

2.The four (4) roles of advertising. Which are relevant for this ad?

- Marketing role, communication role

3.What does the ad. want the audience to do or not do?

- Buy the car 

4.Who is the target audience?

- People who love cars and have a big budget.

5.What are the target audience’s needs, concerns and interests?

- Luxury cars, safety.

6.What is the message?

- The Mercedes-Benz E-class is safe.

7.Discuss the message being conveyed.

- The message is simple, the car has a mechanism that increases safety measures - breaks.

8.Who does the message appeal to?

- People who desire luxury cars.

9.What is the desired communication outcome?

- The Mercedes-Benz E-class offers safety as well as prestige.

10.What other communication channel is most effective?

- In this particular ad, a visual demonstration of the car being able to break immediately is a requirement to convey the message. Therefore, video advertising remains as more effective at communicating the message.

11.Identify the ad and specific product being advertised and describe the ad.

- The ad features a Mercedes car. A young man is driving the Mercedes along the road in the forest, when he is suddenly greeted by the 'grim reaper'. The grim reaper apologizes for attempting to end the mans life. However the car manages to break and stop instantly avoiding an accident. The young man then apologizes back to the grim reaper.

12.What does the ad show, people, products, scenery, etc?

- The ad shows 1 young man and 1 old man. The product displayed in the ad is the Mercedes-Benz Eclass. The scene happens in the middle of a forest.

13.What is not discussed about the product?

- The price of the car. Other functions the car may have.

14.What image is portrayed?

- Life is good when you own a Mercedes and even better when that Mercedes can save your life.

15.Is it true to life or puffery?

- The ad is True to life with a bit of puffery. Road safety is a critical issue, and being able to address that problem does not present itself as puffery. However, the grim reaper presenting himself is superstition.

16.Is the ad a slice-of-life, fear, humor, sex, or other type of ad?

- the ad is humorous.

17.Who is in the ad, if a star, what image does he or she portray?

- Ferdinand Piech - Chairman of the supervisory board of Volkswagen group. He is portrayed as the grim reaper.

18.What is the mood of the ad, colors used, music played?

- The theme of the ad is a mischievous one.

19.Is the ad memorable?

- No, It fails to impact me on a creative level. 

20.Would you buy the product being advertised, why or why not?

- No, i cannot afford. In the context in which i can afford it my opinion may be different.

21.Be sure to include your opinion (have a specific point of view, love it or hate it) about why you would deem this advertisement a success.

- The ad would be successful in conveying the message that the car possess an extra safety mechanism. Other than that no other compelling message is derived from it.