Introduction
The Pepsi Harrier Jet Commercial ad was released in 2007 and received mixed reactions from viewers. The commercial featured a jet fighter aircraft offered by the soda company as part of a promotional giveaway program. While some people were intrigued by the offer, others found it irresponsible and over-the-top for an advertisement for a soft drink.
This review examines the ad and its potential effects on viewers to understand why it was so controversial and could be perceived as a poor advertisement. By examining the ad’s content, target audience, and production elements, we can gain insight into what made it so polarizing. Although aspects of the ad could be viewed positively, several elements could potentially damage the Pepsi brand.
Route of Persuasion Used in the Advertisement
The Pepsi Harrier Jet Commercial was likely designed to persuade the recipient via central and peripheral routes. The commercial adopts a humorous approach, featuring comical visuals and exaggerated dialogue that encourage a more lighthearted, low-level thinking process. The offer of a jet at an affordable price may also make viewers more likely to accept it and less likely to analyze it critically (Conklin, 2022). This message is more conducive to central route processing, so deeper thinking is likely necessary to absorb and consider the message. Thus, it appears that Pepsi designed this commercial to persuade viewers through central and peripheral routes.
Features Targeting the Central and Peripheral Routes
However, it could be argued that this ad was not an effective route to persuasion due to its controversial nature. Many people felt that the offer of a jet for a low number of points was too good to be true, leading to significant backlash. This could have caused people to view the ad more negatively and possibly even reject the entire message (Stilwell, 2021).
Thus, it is possible that Pepsi’s attempt to persuade using both routes ultimately backfired. Pepsi’s commercial was designed to persuade the audience through both central and peripheral routes, but this was not entirely successful due to its controversial nature. Despite Pepsi’s intentions, it is possible that such a bold advertisement ultimately caused more harm than good.
The Pepsi Harrier Jet Commercial primarily uses the peripheral route in its messaging, targeting viewers’ emotions and feelings rather than their rational thought processes. The ad features a dramatic introduction to the product—a Harrier jet—and visually exciting images of people engaging in activities like skydiving and snowboarding with the jet as a backdrop. The advertisement utilizes music and sound effects to heighten the audience’s excitement and drama, while presenting an opportunity to obtain the jet for a seemingly reasonable number of points.
The dramatic images, sound, music, and appealing offer influence people’s attitudes towards Pepsi without relying heavily on facts or logical thinking (Diable, 2019). This type of messaging can often be seen as manipulative. It could lead to a decrease in the ad’s effectiveness, as well as an adverse reaction from viewers who feel manipulated or offended by such tactics. Additionally, this ad could come across as overly aspirational, weakening its appeal by alienating some viewers who may be unable to relate to the message.
Impact of Advertisement Features on Persuasive Effectiveness
The Pepsi Harrier Jet Commercial is a well-made ad that primarily targets viewers’ emotions and feelings to influence their attitudes toward Pepsi. However, this type of messaging can come across as manipulative and overly aspirational, which may lead to an adverse reaction from some viewers (Heritage, 2022). Thus, it is vital to consider the potential adverse effects of such messaging when creating advertisements.
The dramatic introduction to the product, along with visually compelling images of people engaging in activities with the jet as a backdrop, enhances persuasion by creating an emotionally captivating experience for viewers (Non-FPS, 2007). The sound and music heighten the drama and excitement, while the offer to acquire this jet for a supposedly affordable amount of points may motivate viewers to take action. However, many people viewed the ad as irresponsible due to its offer to buy such an expensive item for a relatively low price. This could be seen as a way to influence people to purchase large amounts of Pepsi products, disregarding the actual cost of the jet.
Furthermore, the ad fails to acknowledge the environmental effects of such a luxurious item and how it could be seen as excessive, which may lead to negative feelings towards Pepsi. This ad may have a powerful impact on some viewers due to its emotional appeal; however, it can also be perceived as irresponsible and potentially damaging to the Pepsi brand (Koschmann & Sheth, 2019). This type of communication may also seem controlling and excessively focused on lofty ideals, which can reduce persuasion by alienating some viewers who feel uncomfortable or offended by the methods employed. Additionally, it is essential to consider the balance between emphasizing facts versus emotions when creating an advertisement—too much emphasis on emotional appeal can lead to decreased effectiveness.
Strategies to Resist Persuasive Influence in Advertisements
One way to buffer against the persuasive influence of this advertisement is to be aware of cognitive biases. Cognitive biases can lead people to overestimate the value of what they are offered, causing them to make irrational decisions (Leković, 2020). People should review the offer and consider whether what is presented in the advertisement is something they can afford. This will help to guard against impulsivity and provide a more reasonable evaluation of the offer.
Another way to buffer against persuasive advertisements like this is to question the message’s source and consider any potential agenda behind it. People should pay attention to who created the advertisement and their motivations. Advertising for a company’s financial gain may not always be in the consumer’s best interest. People should consider their values and beliefs when evaluating persuasive advertisements. For example, in this case, it is vital to consider that Pepsi created the ad and what kind of message they were trying to send through it.
Ultimately, individuals can protect themselves against persuasive advertisements by being aware of how emotional appeals may be used to influence them. They should analyze and consider why they feel this way to make an informed decision rather than one based on emotion. By understanding how emotions play a role in persuasive advertisements, people can more effectively buffer themselves against their influence. Being aware of cognitive biases, questioning the source of the advertisement, and understanding how emotion plays a role in persuasion, people can buffer themselves against the persuasion of ads like this one.
Conclusion
The Pepsi commercial for the Harrier Jet is an influential yet controversial advertisement. Although it presents an exciting opportunity to purchase a Harrier Jet at a seemingly low cost of points, this advertisement has several potential drawbacks that should be considered. The offer has been criticized as misleading or even fraudulent because it implies that the Harrier jet is more accessible than it is.
Additionally, the high-end product being sold in a commercial can give the impression that Pepsi is targeting only people from higher socioeconomic classes. This could create an elitist image and alienate potential customers who do not have the means or privilege to purchase a Harrier Jet. Therefore, the Pepsi Harrier Jet commercial is a prime example of how an ad can successfully capture attention but potentially damage the brand if not approached responsibly.
References
Conklin, M. (2022). Pepsi’s Harrier jet commercial: A class activity covering contract formation and more. SSRN Electronic Journal. Web.
Diable, N. (2019). The Pepsi fighter jet case: Nick Diable. Juriosity. Web.
Heritage, S. (2022). ‘Pepsi weren’t counting on a dreamer like me’: The student who sued a soft drink giant for a $23m fighter jet. The Guardian. Web.
Koschmann, A., & Sheth, J. (2019). Do brands compete or coexist? A response to the responses. European Journal of Marketing, 53(1), 31–36. Web.
Leković, M. (2020). Cognitive biases as an integral part of behavioral finance. Economic Themes, 58(1), 75–96. Web.
nonfps. (2007). Pepsi Harrier jet commercial 1 [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Stilwell, B. (2021). How Pepsi fought a lawsuit over a Harrier jet contest prize. Military.com. Web.