Advertisements and their Effectiveness
Advertisements are one of the strategies that companies apply for the promotion of their products. It is essential that commercials are highly persuasive, interactive, and keen to deliver critical features of the advertised product that convince viewers to go for the product rather than those of their competitors (Winston, and Granat 24). Coca-Cola and Toyota are some of the companies that invest heavily in product promotion through commercials. This work assesses two commercials made for the companies' products.
Description
Coke's 'Brotherly Love' commercial captures the attention of its audience in every media platform that it is played. The advert depicts the typical relationship between brothers. The various scenes display events of conflicts and love between the brothers. The commercial begins with an innocent-looking boy sitting on a couch as he plays a video game. His focus on the video game is unbreakable even after his bigger brother pushes his hat downwards severally. In front of the young boy is a bottle of Coca-Cola placed on a table. In the second scene, the younger brother tries to reach the headphones that are high up on a shelf. However, his elder brother walks in and places them on an even higher shelf. In the third scene, the two brothers are walking under an umbrella. Suddenly, the bigger brother outpaces his partner who is left in the cold rain. In the next scene, the boys are at a family dinner table. The bigger brother stomps on his younger brother's red and white sneakers. There is also a Coca-Cola Zero bottle on the table, together with glasses bearing the name 'Coca-Cola.' In the final scene, the elder brother helps in securing a bottle of Coca-Cola from his other bullies. The two boys smile as the commercial ends.
The commercial done for the Toyota Prius also helps in creating awareness of the efficiency of the vehicle. The advert begins with a robbery that involves four guys. The individuals find that their escape vehicle has been towed away. They pick a red Toyota Prius that is at public parking and drive away. The individuals are amazed by the car's features such as ample space, its efficiency, speed and ease of handling. The police who are in pursuit also emphasize the car's high speed. The advert depicts that the vehicle can move for long distances without refueling or recharging it. Media houses are also engaged in the advert, and they play a significant role in emphasizing on the car's efficiency. Bystanders on the highway are also seen holding posters expressing their love and cheering for the Toyota Prius. At the last scene, even after the fuel is over, the car is still able to apply its hybrid engine technologies to go past police barriers.
Analysis
The commercial markets Coca-Cola's products creatively and persuasively. The commercial targets the young and old consumers. Viewers could be irritated by the relationship between the siblings which is filled with bullying and abuse. However, the commercial seems to send the message that a beverage from the company brings togetherness, happiness, and love between people. Besides, the commercial helps in establishing the idea that the drink will always be there when you need it just as the elder brother's presence in the last scene. Further, the red and white colors, that are evident in all scenes as well as the bottle and glasses that are seen at various scenes help in promoting awareness of Coca-Cola's beverage among viewers. Besides, the commercial integrates the cover version of Avicii's hit; "Hey Brother."
The music helps in building the intensity of the advert as well as keeping the viewers interested in knowing what will happen next. The music is very soft and calm and helps in establishing the point that brothers will always stand for each other despite their conflicts. Additionally, the mise en scene, as well as the cinematography applied within the advert, contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the commercial (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson 198). The commercial effectively employs the method of persuasion of pathos through creating emotional feelings among the audience of the relationship between brothers. The commercial is entertaining, captures one's attention and promotes the idea that Coca-Cola's products bring shared happiness and love across the globe. The advert also helps in developing the company's campaign 'Taste the Feeling.'
On the other hand, the advert for the Toyota Prius is captivating and entertaining. The commercial is like an action movie that thrills its audience as the police chase after the four robbers. All incidences are keen to depict the differences between the Prius and other cars. Viewers may find the approach highly persuasive especially in the manner in which various cinematographic approaches have been used to depict the explicit design of the vehicle (Ramage et al. 197). The commercial also applies ethos through engaging personalities in media houses that claim the efficiency of the Toyota Prius. However, as compared to Coca-Cola's advert, the Toyota Prius commercial is less appealing and persuasive. It fails to integrate deep emotional feelings that promote the product. It is just like a typical action movie that applies less creativity. Further, the fact that the vehicle is used by robbers to escape puts the target of the commercial in question.
Conclusion
The Coca-Cola advert is more appealing and detailed as compared to that of the Toyota Prius. The advert integrates music, and cinematographic principles that persuade viewers of the ability of the company's products to promote shared feelings of happiness, and affection for one another.
Work cited
Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. The Allyn " Bacon guide to writing. Longman, 2003.
Winston, William, and Jay P. Granat. Persuasive advertising for entrepreneurs and small business owners: How to create more effective sales messages. Routledge, 2014.
YouTube video: Coca Cola - Brotherly Love | Coke / Avicii Hey Brother by Darren MGreevy. (Published on Jan 31, 2016).
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdPXQLrueRg. Accessed on October 22, 2018.
YouTube video: 2016 Toyota Prius SUPERBOWL Commercial - FUNNY ᴴᴰ by devodid. (Published on Feb 7, 2016).
Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EluvJby2baA. Accessed on October 22, 2018.
