The use of rhetoric in adverts plays a significant role as they bring out feelings and emotions persuasively. Companies adopt this trend to play on the target audience’s fears, emotions, and beliefs (Carroll Bolin 47). The Chevy Commercial 2014, an advertisement sponsored by Chevrolet Automotive company, is an excellent example of a rhetorical approach implementation. Indeed, it narrates the logical, emotional, and affectionate story of a young woman’s life and how her golden retriever accompanied her. Brands mainly advertise their products to attract an audience and raise sales more than their competitors. Chevy Commercial 2014 uses Maddie to attract audiences and convince them that Chevrolet Automotive products will be loyal and reliable to them, similar to the dog’s loyalty and reliability. This is because, across the scene, it is evident that Maddie provides emotional support to her owner during both difficult and joyful periods. Therefore, through various rhetorical advertising techniques, Chevy Commercial 2014 ad aims to convince their targeted audience that, like Maddie, they will be reliable, trustworthy, and loyal.
The targeted consumers for this ad are families and dog lovers within Detroit, Michigan, and worldwide. Thus, a potential buyer can be described as an upper-middle-class representative with a family, possibly with a pet, a house, or a flat, and demand for a reliable vehicle (Jankowski). From the advert, Chevrolet’s quote, “a best friend for a life’s journey” (“2014 Chevy Commercial-Maddie.”), convinces audiences that the car they are selling could be part of their journey, similar to Maddie. It signals the targeted consumer’s characteristic of having family and recalling their current or past experiences of having a pet. Moreover, the scene where the girl’s family owned the car from her tender age to when she moved from her parents’ house is important. The frames of events like buying a dog include a vehicle is a sign of the potential buyers’ socioeconomic status in which having an automobile is essential. That is, they will always offer support during difficulties, protection, stay with them wherever they go and be a best friend like the dog.
This advert uses logos to convey the logic and reasoning that persuades the target audience. Therefore “logos are used to appeal to an audience’s intellectual side and assist them in inquiring facts of the matter and present logical statements” (Carroll Bolin 52). This is illustrated when the young girl leaves the vehicle and heads toward her new apartment while carrying a box. When her parents inquire about the safety of the new building, she tells them, “it is old, but it has big windows and lots of lights” (“2014 Chevy Commercial-Maddie”). This is logical because it clearly shows how the young girl compares the window of the old place with the car. She also clearly states that the apartments are aged, and the vehicle is old but still in good condition. The logos convince the audience that the cars are durable and long-lasting. The quote “a best friend for a life’s journey” emphasizes that Chevy products will last long, similar to a loyal friend.
This advert appeals to ethos because, at the end of the Chevy Commercial 2014 ad scene, a symbol is used to emphasize that the advertisement is trustworthy. It also symbolizes that Chevrolet Company owns vehicles in the advert. Ethos is also illustrated in the scene in such a way that the car has lasted through Maddie’s journey, shown through flashbacks till it became fully grown. This indicates that Chevrolet cars are reliable, durable, and always in good condition.
This advertisement entails the use of syllogism and the rhetorical device. The logic is evident through the commercial that Maddie is a reliable dog, similar to Chevrolet cars; therefore, this shows that the vehicle is connecting with Maddie. Consequently, it is clear that having a Chevy is like having a trustworthy dog. They also use rhetorical devices such as metaphors when they tend to use a pet to symbolize a car. In the advert, there is the use of visuals, according to Cohn, where the silver-gray color of the subcompact crossover is a show of impeccable and relaxed taste (26). The company used a car with such a description to show the quality of its products.
The subtext of this advertisement is that a Company tries to force the relationship between Maddie and the products in attempting to stress that they can be trusted like Maddie. This is ironic because they use the same silver car several times at different places in the video while fearing that their goods and services will be available when customers need them. This clearly shows that the company may fail to meet its promises to its targeted customers and may be having inadequate products. This was a good instance when Chevrolet motors failed its customers in India (Balakrishnan). Their brand was among those named to have poor resale value and unreliable.
The pathos in the advertising relates to how the authors of the video script created a correlation between Chevrolet and Maddie. The emphasis on the dog was exceptionally necessary to make viewers feel secure and trust the brand. It can be observed throughout the advertising that there are specific memories that are associated with Chevy products. This kind of connection is rather important for the pathos element of the advertising because it hints at how the company will subsist the test of time. As potential customers, ad viewers can trust Chevrolet because the car will always go wherever the owner will be. It furthers the connection between the audience and the brand while illustrating that Chevy is a brand that can be trusted without hesitation. Every scene in the video features the same car, proving the point of comparing a Chevy car to a dog, a human’s best friend.
The next element that can be seen as a supporting act for pathos in the 2014 Chevy advertisement is the emotional inception that follows the presentation of the owner going through a breakup. This is a susceptibility that does not require additional explanations and complex exposition. Instead, the intensity of the car’s presence in the frame is increased gradually to highlight the fact that Chevy can become a perfect filler. The void set up throughout the advertising can be filled equally by both Chevy and Maddie since both can be trusted. Indeed, Cohn states that “visual rhetoric can also be used to help people understand a concept, break down an idea, or access important pieces of information” (22). The strength of pathos increases toward the end of the advertising because human experiences with their pets are always touching and make people elicit sympathy and affection.
Two cultural myths demonstrated in the Chevy Commercial 2014 advert are related to families’ lifestyles and are included to identify the targeted consumers more clearly. The first evident stereotype is having a pet: Maddie was emotional support to the young woman during her adolescence and early adulthood. For instance, when an individual experiences heartbreak or when the owner is happy, she has always acted as a sibling. It is a relatively stereotypical representation of childhood because many families have no pets. However, the advert uses this myth to show individuals that their vehicles are reliable and can play similar roles to Maddie. Another stereotype is that golden retrievers are an example of a reliable and trustworthy pet for a family. The advertisement with Maddie convinces the audience that Chevrolet products are the same beneficial for them and their children’s well-being because of the friendly image typical for this breed.
Additionally, Chevrolet automotive company shows the importance of a family and an emotional relationship with their pets. Dogs are amazing and beautiful creatures that deserve nothing but unconditional love, and they safeguard their owners’ lives. Through the advert, the company convinces its viewers that its product will play the same role. It is also clear that pets are life-changing and bring peace when life tries to let one down, comfort, make people laugh, and bring joy into their life, which is similar to Chevy products. The furious show of Maddie at the man trying to kiss its owner after the heartbreak shows that the dog has been loyal and concerned with its lady’s happiness and trying to protect her from those who only provide short-time joy.
In conclusion, through the use of various rhetorical techniques, the Chevy Commercial 2014 uses the symbol of a dog that is Maddie, to show the reliability that they share. For instance, Maddie acts as a trustworthy, loyal and reliable pet to its owners, similar to Chevy Company, which promises to offer responsible products to its customers. It is also clear that the 2014 Chevy Commercial ad uses the story of a girl with Maddie to attract dog lovers and families so that they can purchase the company’s products. In the advert, the symbol of Chevrolet Automotive is shown at the end of the scene to assure its targeted customers that its products are credible.
Works Cited
“2014 Chevy Commercial-Maddie.”YouTube, uploaded by Lloyd Lee Choi, 2014.
Balakrishnan, Ravi. Beaten: Why Chevrolet Drove out of India. Brand Equity. 2017.
Carroll Bolin, Laura, “Writing Spaces” Readings on Writing, vol. 1, pp. 46-58. Parlor Press.
Cohn, Jenae “Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing” Understanding Visual Rhetoric, vol. 3, pp. 18-39. Parlor Press.
Jankowski, Paul. How Chevy Is Winning With Gen-Z And Millennials.Forbes, 2019.