Let's Get Lusty.
Citation Information:
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/volkswagen-s-auto-distance-control-keeps-you-away-from-your-brother-s-girlfriend-118069.html
May 24, 2017
Minhea Radu
Guatemala
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/volkswagen-s-auto-distance-control-keeps-you-away-from-your-brother-s-girlfriend-118069.html
May 24, 2017
Minhea Radu
Guatemala
The Lil' Pic
The Volkswagen Guatemala advertisement is a creatively nuanced depiction of the parallels between self-discipline and VW's new automatic distance control. The text is simple but straightforward, conveying the thoughts of whomever is currently attracted to Sexy Bowling Girl. As the behind-the-camera "lover" continues to consider Sexy Bowling Girl's assets, he finds himself more and more attracted to her (hence the progressive zoom). Yet his common sense shifts into gear when the logical parts of his brain manage to stumble over Sexy Bowling Girl's luscious locks, white smile, and confident stance and remind him that this girl is his brother's girlfriend and that the "lover" needs to back it up- just like VW vehicles will.
The Big Pic
Sexy Bowling Girl is hot. That much is obvious. Not only does her relaxed positioning speak to her self-assurance, but Sexy Bowling Girl is also flashing The Eyes. These fateful eyes are most commonly found on sirens and are almost always responsible for the demise of their victim's logic and sensibility. Additionally, she's showing some skin- not in a provocative way, but in a manner that certainly shows off her fit, smokin' bod. She's attractive, and Sexy Bowling Girl's looks are what carry the advertisement. While the text sufficiently stands out in order to facilitate VW's message, the font is small, white, and minimal; not much else is needed to convince us of our probable likeness to the lover's drooling brain. Though VW establishes that Sexy Bowling Girl is also smart and funny, VW also predicates its ad on the understanding that humanity is obsessed with visuals.
And yet the allure of Sexy Bowling Girl is instantaneously placed on the back-burner when the lover manages to snap out of his/her trance and into a more coherent mindset. The brother's girlfriend? That fact brings to light the shared knowledge that Sexy Bowling Girl is inherently off-limits. In integrating this into their ad, VW references an ethics system that perceives the approach of a family member's partner as wrong. Much like the lover, VW's ad indirectly assures you that their cars innately have the logical frame of mind to stay away from their brother's girlfriends- er, sidewalk curbs, passerby, squirrels, etc.
Intended Audience
Though Volkwagen's explicit audience is the Guatemalan citizens in the country it was released to, the ad appeals to anyone who has ever been confronted by universal standards of beauty and the human sex drive. In acknowledging the bottom tier of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, it's understandable that the desire for sexual connection is simply a biological necessity across the human race- we are wired for reproduction, and VW uses this idea to create an ad that targets the universally lusty desires within its audience. Additionally, VW's ad predominantly excludes the social and economic background of its viewers, as its main appeal is that of sex. However, VW does prey on the culture of Guatemala's third-world nature in order to provide a more resounding impact. With an estimated 50% of its population living in absolute poverty, VW argues for the American dream- and the face of America is too often a depiction of the stereotypical white majority. In essence, the ad is holding a carrot over the heads of those in its original audience. It boasts of the elusive comfort of admiring an objectively attractive woman in the luxurious comfort of a bowling alley, surrounded by nuclear family. This scenario is likely impossible for about half of Guatemala's population, and Volkswagen knows it (most everyone is aware of Central America's impoverished countries, and if not already, can easily look up statistics). Nevertheless, VW boisterously asserts itself upon residents of Guatemala.
Honestly, to me, it seems Sexy Bowling Girl is a little immoral.
Additional Citations
Picture:
N.a. Dutch Renaissance Press LLC. 2013. www.timavandevall.com. Accessed 21 October 2013.
Guatemala Statistics:
N.a. Swirk Online Education. N.d. http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-57_u-493_t-1347_c-5177/contributing-factors-to-guatemala-s-level-of-development/wa/a-developing-country/. Accessed 20 October 2018.
And yet the allure of Sexy Bowling Girl is instantaneously placed on the back-burner when the lover manages to snap out of his/her trance and into a more coherent mindset. The brother's girlfriend? That fact brings to light the shared knowledge that Sexy Bowling Girl is inherently off-limits. In integrating this into their ad, VW references an ethics system that perceives the approach of a family member's partner as wrong. Much like the lover, VW's ad indirectly assures you that their cars innately have the logical frame of mind to stay away from their brother's girlfriends- er, sidewalk curbs, passerby, squirrels, etc.
Intended Audience
Though Volkwagen's explicit audience is the Guatemalan citizens in the country it was released to, the ad appeals to anyone who has ever been confronted by universal standards of beauty and the human sex drive. In acknowledging the bottom tier of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, it's understandable that the desire for sexual connection is simply a biological necessity across the human race- we are wired for reproduction, and VW uses this idea to create an ad that targets the universally lusty desires within its audience. Additionally, VW's ad predominantly excludes the social and economic background of its viewers, as its main appeal is that of sex. However, VW does prey on the culture of Guatemala's third-world nature in order to provide a more resounding impact. With an estimated 50% of its population living in absolute poverty, VW argues for the American dream- and the face of America is too often a depiction of the stereotypical white majority. In essence, the ad is holding a carrot over the heads of those in its original audience. It boasts of the elusive comfort of admiring an objectively attractive woman in the luxurious comfort of a bowling alley, surrounded by nuclear family. This scenario is likely impossible for about half of Guatemala's population, and Volkswagen knows it (most everyone is aware of Central America's impoverished countries, and if not already, can easily look up statistics). Nevertheless, VW boisterously asserts itself upon residents of Guatemala. Honestly, to me, it seems Sexy Bowling Girl is a little immoral.
Additional Citations
Picture:
N.a. Dutch Renaissance Press LLC. 2013. www.timavandevall.com. Accessed 21 October 2013.
Guatemala Statistics:
N.a. Swirk Online Education. N.d. http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-57_u-493_t-1347_c-5177/contributing-factors-to-guatemala-s-level-of-development/wa/a-developing-country/. Accessed 20 October 2018.
Wow...this was an absolute TREAT to read!!! I love the way you convey your thoughts in such a relaxed and chill manner, it creates such an inviting and comfortable tone and it really draws people in. Not only that, but you manage to combine both the amusing and analytical aspects of this blog so well. When you get down to it, your analysis of the ad is interesting and insightful, taking into account both the style of text and the country it's from. One thing that I thought of while reading your take on the ad's audience was the sin of avarice/greed. When you use the word "prey," that idea of corporate greed and corruption would not be too uncommon to pop into the minds of your readers. Lastly, I'm just going to take a second to appreciate your naming of Sexy Bowling Girl, verrrry charming. Major kudos Anne Ross, this makes me look forward to your future posts! :)
ReplyDeleteHey Anne Ross!
ReplyDeleteUgh (in the good way), you have gotten me addicted to your blog, Anne-Ross! Not only do I love the ad that you chose (I have never seen an ad like this and props to the people who made it), you add such a great style of writing and personality into it, like Sexy Bowling Girl, The Eyes, and a lot more . I also really appreciate how you organized the post in order to make sure that you hit all the points that Mrs. Genesky wanted us to hit on in the assignment. Being super duper picky, the only thing I'd say is maybe talk about the effect of the color choices in the ad. I had to read through your blog post twice and read through the assignment to give this feedback. Again, keep being a queen, Anne Ross, you're killing it. What an idol. <3
This blog is amazing!!! I love How you made it so personal and entertaining while still fully addressing the question. I loved reading this, had i not known the assignment , I still would have fully understood what you were addressing and been entertained regardless. Your takes on the differences between the little picture and big picture were refreshingly different. I always seem to find myself writing roughly the same thing for both, but you really didn't have this problem!
ReplyDeleteHey Anne Ross! As usual, I love how your voice comes through in all of your writing. It really has your personality. I appreciated how you took this specific advertisement and broadened it so that it applied to many different real-world situations. It was cool how you took "Sexy Bowling Girl" and used her as a symbol for distractions/bad decisions, as well as the human fixation on visuals. I also liked your analysis of the different camera zooms, which I would not have otherwise thought about, but I'm assuming we can thank your film class for this observation. It definitely added to the analysis of the advertisement and the tones/themes it was going for. Keep it up, and I too am addicted to your blog now.
ReplyDelete