Comparison of Two Commercials Essay Example

Comparison of Two Commercials Essay Example Comparison of Two Commercials Essay Comparison of Two Commercials Essay Outline Thesis statement: When compared side-by-side, there are differences in the two. Some of these include that the Lexus ad uses predominantly the logos, or logical, appeal whereas the second uses pathos, the emotional appeal, the target audiences for both commercials, and the effectiveness of each. 1. Pathos or logos? 1. VW uses more pathos than Lexus. 1. Humor is effective tactic in advertising. 2. By using humor, advertisers make their product more memorable. 2. Lexus uses more Logos than VW. II. Target audiences. 1. VW targets younger viewers but could be effective on almost anyone. 2. Lexus targets a more mature, serious audience. III. Effectiveness. 1. VW is more effective because it provides information, and it is entertaining as well. 2. The Lexus ad fails to be memorable. Rough Draft: Volkswagen vs. Lexus Over the last few decades, American culture has been forever changed by the huge amount of advertisement the people are subjected to. Advertising has become such an integral part of society, many people will choose whether or not they want to buy a product based only on their familiarity with it rather than the product’s price or effectiveness. Do to that fact, companies must provide the very best and most convincing advertisements as possible. Those companies have, in fact, done just that, and often times use varied methods of persuading consumers. By comparing two automobile commercials, this essay will look at how the first ad uses predominantly the logos appeal whereas the second uses pathos, the target audiences for both commercials, and the effectiveness of each. First, the commercial by Volkswagen uses primarily the pathos appeal (â€Å"Meet†) whereas; the Lexus commercial uses mainly logos (â€Å"Engineering†). The VW ad uses humor to get its message across (â€Å"Meet†). Humor is a very effective tactic used in advertising because it entertains the viewer, and that makes them more likely to remember the product being promoted. In contrast, the advertisement by Lexus presents facts about their product to persuade the audience to consider their vehicles (â€Å"Engineering†). This is also a good way for companies to inform their potential customers. Businesses build up credibility by presenting factual information rather than meaningless entertainment. In that way, they are using the ethos appeal by using the logos appeal. These two approaches to advertising are both effective, and which appeal a company focuses on may be largely contributed to the audience being targeted. On that note, the target audiences for both commercials will be compared. The commercial by Volkswagen uses humor to captivate the viewer and throws in a few facts while the audience is being entertained (â€Å"Meet†). The Lexus commercial, on the other hand, is much more serious (â€Å"Engineering†). It leads the viewer to believe that they have the answers to questions about future fuel demand and provides information in support of that (â€Å"Engineering†). The audience being targeted by VW is made up of more young people than the Lexus ad; however, it could also appeal to some older individuals as well. Lexus is targeting specifically a more mature audience in their ad. One can tell this because they spend less time on entertainment and more time for facts. This type of advertising would appeal to more serious and educated individuals. The goal of advertising is to convince the target audience to buy the product being advertised. With that being said, which one of these two commercials is the most effective at doing that? Though both do a good job getting their messages across, the ad by VW is more effective. This is because VW uses pathos, logos, and some ethos. By using all of the appeals, Volkswagen of America is able to grab the viewer’s attention, use ethos, in the form of an old car that they used to make, to establish credibility, and then provide logical information about the vehicle to inform the consumer (â€Å"Meet†). The Lexus ad does a good job of providing information, but fails to provide a way for the audience to remember their advertisement for very long after watching it (â€Å"Engineering†). In conclusion, the commercials by Lexus and Volkswagen both make the viewer consider their product. To do this, they use different methods of advertising. Also, both companies target different audiences. When all is said and done, they have varying degrees of success in doing so. Advertising is a fundamental force in today’s society, and because of this, companies must provide the most effective commercials with presentation of as many logical appeals as possible. Word Count: 607 Meet The Volkswagens – Jetta TDI Meets Prius Youtube. 18 May 2009. Web. 10 October 2011. † youtube. com/watch? v=JXK63kvUi6U Engineering Amazing Commercial Wall Youtube. 9 June 2011. Web. 10 October 2011. † youtube. com/watch? v=AJTYPq0gNCofeature=pyv Final Draft: Volkswagen vs. Lexus Over the last few decades, American culture has been forever changed by the huge amount of advertisement the people are subjected to. Advertising has become such an integral part of society, many people will choose whether or not they want to buy a product based only on their familiarity with it rather than the product’s price or effectiveness. Do to that fact, companies must provide the very best and most convincing advertisements as possible. Those companies have, in fact, done just that, and often times use varied methods of persuading consumers. Two commercials that provide a good view of the different types of advertising used today include a commercial by Lexus Motor Company featuring all the ways that their car is prepared for the future (â€Å"Engineering†) and a commercial by Volkswagen of America that provides some factual information but mainly focuses on humor (â€Å"Meet†). When compared side-by-side, there are differences in the two. Some of these include that the Lexus ad uses predominantly the logos, or logical, appeal whereas the second uses pathos, the emotional appeal, the target audiences for both commercials, and the effectiveness of each. First, the commercial by Volkswagen uses primarily the pathos appeal (â€Å"Meet†) whereas; the Lexus commercial uses mainly logos (â€Å"Engineering†). The VW ad uses humor to get its message across (â€Å"Meet†). Humor is a very effective tactic used in advertising because it entertains the viewer, and that makes them more likely to remember the product being promoted. In contrast, the advertisement by Lexus presents facts about their product to persuade the audience to consider their vehicles (â€Å"Engineering†). This is also a good way for companies to inform their potential customers. Businesses build up redibility by presenting factual information rather than meaningless entertainment. In that way, they are using the ethos appeal by using the logos appeal. These two approaches to advertising are both effective, and which appeal a company focuses on may be largely contributed to the audience being targeted. On that note, the target audiences for both commercials will be compared. The commercial by Volkswagen uses humor to captivate the viewer and throws in a few facts while the audience is being entertained (â€Å"Meet†). The Lexus commercial, on the other hand, is much more serious (â€Å"Engineering†). It leads the viewer to believe that they have the answers to questions about future fuel demand and provides information in support of that (â€Å"Engineering†). The audience being targeted by VW is made up of more young people than the Lexus ad, however, it could also appeal to some older individuals as well. Lexus is targeting specifically a more mature audience in their ad. One can tell this because they spend less time on entertainment and more time for facts. This type of advertising would appeal to more serious and educated individuals. The goal of advertising is to convince the target audience to buy the product being advertised. With that being said, which one of these two commercials is the most effective at doing that? Though both do a good job getting their messages across, the ad by VW is more effective. This is because VW uses pathos, logos, and some ethos. By using all of the appeals, Volkswagen of America is able to grab the viewer’s attention, use ethos in the form of an old car that they made in the past to establish credibility, and then provide logical information about the vehicle to inform the consumer (â€Å"Meet†). The Lexus ad does a good job of providing information, but fails to provide a way for the audience to remember their advertisement for very long after watching it (â€Å"Engineering†). In conclusion, the commercials by Lexus and Volkswagen both make the viewer consider their product. To do this, they use different methods of advertising. Also, both companies target different audiences. When all is said and done, VW’s advertisement is the most effective because it uses all of the appeals to convince their audience. Advertising is a fundamental force in today’s society, and because of this, companies must present as many logical appeals as possible and provide the most effective commercials possible. Word Count: 675 Meet The Volkswagens – Jetta TDI Meets Prius Youtube. 18 May 2009. Web. 10 October 2011. † youtube. com/watch? v=JXK63kvUi6U Engineering Amazing Commercial Wall Youtube. 9 June 2011. Web. 10 October 2011. † youtube. com/watch? v=AJTYPq0gNCofeature=pyv