Introduction
The advertisement picked up by me is that of BMW cars in general, that appears in different magazines and commercials in conveying the message to potential buyers about why a BMW car is the ultimate attraction for those looking forward to an overall excitement as conveyed by the picture. Every aspect of the car buying decision and the later experience of enjoying the car is portrayed in the advertisement, all of which is evident from its detailed analysis as under.
Main body
Upon seeing the advertisement one is instantly taken to a different state of mind which brings in compelling feelings of excitement and wonder as to what exactly the ad is trying to convey. All viewers of the ad will ponder in their thoughts by associating themselves with the character who is experiencing exciting moments with the creation of sensual desire that is then associated with the BMW car. Immediately there is feeling of credibility about the brand in conveying that here is one car that has the potential in bringing about the much desired excitement as related to sensuality.
There are various elements to the ad in portraying different aspects that appeal to the human psyche. The first impression is that of a young and beautiful couple sharing intimate moments, and along with the pictorial depiction of this aspect is the picture of the BMW car staring him right in the face thus implying that what he is enjoying is the car. The early morning rising sun as seen from the window signifies the start of the day meaning that such experience with the car starts first thing in the day. The neat and clean bed on which they are lying conveys the neat interiors of the BMW car, and the perfect bodies of the two characters in the ad clearly indicate similar perfection of the car. The writing on the ad in saying that it is the ultimate attraction gives away the motive in that there is nothing better than the BMW car. Hence the pictures and the copy are perfectly balanced in conveying the desired message. Surely the ad follows a systematic pattern in making every aspect of the picture to be associated with the kind of experience the car can provide in terms of ultimate comfort, excitement and perfection. The arrangement of the ad suggests that the car is perfect in all respects.
There has been lot of expertise put into the advertisement in regard to white space. There is very little text written in it which is not too crammed with text and graphics giving clear indication of an excellent design. The ad has lot of white space but it is very much in the context of the reader visualizing his aspirations as being materialized by associating himself with it. The basic function of too much white space in this ad is justified since the element of the advertising design warranted the same. The ad had succeeded in creating an ambience of clean sensuality and class coupled with perfection as depicted from all aspects of the pictures and minimal text used.
The only sign and symbol present in the advertisement is the BMW logo that goes a long way in depicting that the advertisement is not an effort to enhance the sexual sensuality in people but that it is associated with the BMW car that has been advertised. All the excitement and perfection depicted in the ad is to convey that such an experience is definitely associated with the BMW car, and that the presence of its logo, placed quite prominently is clear evidence of the same.
The figures in the ad are that of a young couple; both are perfect as far as their bodies are concerned, they are in a very composed position signifying that they are in full control and that they are relaxed in what they are doing. The man’s face gives away the sense of admiration in his glances which are directed at the face of the girl which inevitably is shown as a picture of the BMW car, thus signifying that his admiring gestures are directed at feelings towards the car and not towards the girl. Obviously the glances of the young man are a token of the sense of admiration of the car in as much they would have been in admiration of a girl with such a beautiful figure. Obviously also, in as much as the man is intimately connected to the girl in the picture, he is also shown to be connected in the same manner with the car.
The setting in the ad conveys an atmosphere of serenity and relaxation as conveyed by the picture and it is significant in that the BMW car is perceived as implying the same kind of significance with all those who own it.
The plot of the ad clearly gives away the motive of the couple in enjoying some intimate moments that will be full of excitement and satisfaction. The ad depicts a stage when the couple is all set to share intimate, sensual and exciting moments and that there is no expectation or inclination on their part to get disturbed in any way. They are looking forward to share relaxing moments, and the fact that the girl’s face depicts a picture of a BMW car, is clear indication that the car too will give similar experience to its buyer.
The language used in the ad is minimal in saying that the car is “the ultimate attraction”. However, these words have been used very tactically in conveying the hidden meaning to all those who view the ad. On the face of it the reader is first made to understand that the girl is the ultimate attraction, but upon shifting the glance towards the face one realizes that the same fatal attraction is implied for the car in conveying that it will entail similar excitement. The text is certainly not informative, because an ad is supposed to evoke emotions in attempts to alter behavior. In this context the emotion conveyed is clear in owning the car as a prized possession as much as what is depicted amongst the couple. The wordings as also the pictures do connote a double meaning but they are simple to understand. The first set of meanings are inferred from the face of the ad after viewing the picture, and the second meaning instantly dawns on the viewer that this is pertaining to the BMW car. There are no quotations in the advertisement.
The immediate effect of the typeface in the ad is to register in the viewer that there is nothing other than the BMW car in being “the ultimate attraction” for any person who is excited by seeing the picture of the ad and that just as the picture excites and changes the mental state, so will the car prove to do.
On the face of the ad there is no picture of a car but from the logo it is clear that the ad pertains to BMW cars. The logo is placed so that one gets to know that the ad is for BMW cars. There is a picture of a car placed on the girl’s face in clear indication that the car is of the same significance as that of the young girl in bringing the beauty and excitement in one’s life. The car plays a vital role in the life of most Americans in that it is almost a necessity in commuting to different places for work and pleasure. The use of the car in the ad is very much consistent with its role especially as portrayed in the ad. There is lot of competition in the automobile market and car manufacturers have to be very creative in luring and attracting customers into buying their cars. With the kind of competition in this sector, advertisement is a very effective means to change consumer opinion in their favor, and it is in this context that the advertisement is in the nature of appealing to the sensual feelings in associating it with the BMW car.
Photography is the core strength of the advertisement design in this ad. The positions and the placement of the subjects have been done so as to create the right lighting and color effects in creating a focus that is in keeping with the desired impact that the ad is to create amongst its viewers. The lighting is focused on the couple and other things in the room are comparatively dimmer, in keeping with the aim to make the facial expression and body textures clearly visible to convey the meaning behind the ad. It was essential to create such effects because otherwise the message would not have gone through.
The ad depicts an open taboo free society that is open to these types of advertisements which may not be acceptable and tolerated in conservative, communist and Islamic countries.
Evidently the ad does not suggest any standard for family life but it is clear in portraying the importance and relevancy for beauty and gender relationships in stressing such roles for meeting one’s aspirations. The ad attempts to reinforce the importance of one’s status as being directly related to the importance given in one’s relationships and emotions.
This advertisement is very different as compared to other car ads since most of the car ads invariably depict a model of the car in question in attempts to highlight the technological and comfort aspects as also in being specific about the subject matter of the ad. The advertisement is unique for BMW since most of its other ads specifically give pictures of the car.
The ad appeals to the internal desires of the car customer because it is human tendency to associate his desires with what he considers as being very important. Intimacy and a nice companion are internal aspirations of every young man and if the car can be portrayed as complying with such an aspiration, the advertisement will certainly appeal to the consumer who will give a second thought to the advertised brand, and then perhaps go ahead in buying it.
Conclusion
The advertisement appears in the print media and particularly in glossy magazines read by the high end customers who have the financial capabilities to reach up to their aspirations in meeting their emotional requirements.
References
Al Ries, Jack Trout, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, 2000, Mc Graw Hill.
Berger, Arthur Asa. “Sex as Symbol in Fashion Advertising and Analyzing Signs and Sign Systems.” Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and Writing 2nd. Ed. Diana George and John Trimbur, eds. New York: HarperCollins, 1995.
Jon Steel, Truth, Lies and Advertising, Wiley, 1998.
Marc Gobe, Emotional Branding: The New Paragigm for Connecting Brands with People, 2001, Allworth Press.
Richard Bayan, Words That Sell, 1987, Mc Graw Hill.
Thomas O Guinn, Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion, 2002, South Western College Publishing.