Buy Me, Please

            Everyday the average American is exposed to some form of advertising whether it is in the form of a billboard on the side of the highway, a print ad in your favorite magazine, a commercial during your nightly shows or an ad on the radio while driving to work.  Advertising is intended to appeal to ones wants, needs and/or desires.  The Dodge ad printed in 1933 was no exception.  The ad portrays the Dodge 4 door sedan surrounded by very admiring well dressed couples in a luxurious setting.  The picture oozes with glamour and status. 

            Over the years Dodge has used every possible means to sell its vehicles to possible consumers.  The company has used the play on ethos, logos and pathos when deciding what type of consumer it is targeting.  Depending on the targeted audience dictates what form of advertising they will use.   If you want to attract the individual that is drawn to hard facts then you would use logos.  Maybe you choose to appeal to ones character, here you would want to use ethos.  The most effective in my mind, is to play to ones emotions by using the pathos technique.

            The advertisement used by Dodge to sell its new 4 door sedan uses pathos to appeal to its consumer.  The picture was made strictly to play on ones emotions through desire.  The men are decked out in evening suits and the women dressed to the nines with fur shawls draped over their shoulders.  The picture shows you society’s elite admiring the newest edition to Dodges fleet of vehicles.  The very well dressed models portray a lifestyle that the average American would want to aspire to.  The ad plays on ones beliefs that if they own this vehicle that they too can be apart of this seemingly ideal lifestyle.  The car is made to act as a status symbol in this picture.      

            The setting in which the car and models are placed also play towards the lifestyle being portrayed.  The sedan is in the middle of what looks to be an expansive ballroom with an expensive oriental rug underneath.  This not only continues with the theme of luxury but also appeals to those that already live this lifestyle.  The next time you depart to one of your evening outings such as a charity event or business social, you want the first impression to be the vehicle you arrive in.  The ad makes you believe that this is the car that all your friends will be arriving in and you don’t want to be left out with your outdated model. 

            The picture also uses something else that is not very normal in the 1930’s and that is that portrays a woman behind the wheel.  In the early 1900’s it was a rare sight to see a women driving herself anywhere.  If a family could afford the more expensive vehicles being made, either the husband or a driver would drive the woman of the house around.  This picture shows that is perfectly acceptable for a women to be seen driving.  This plays towards a women’s sense of independence and need to do things on their own.

            The use of each of the logos, pathos and ethos techniques have proved very effective over years.  Advertising agencies around the globe have used each of these to convince buyers that their product is worth their hard earned money.  There is no difference when it comes to the Dodge advertisement.  The main goal behind the advertisement was to sell their sedan to possible consumers.  Their advertisements have changed over the years however the goal behind them has remained the same; sell as many vehicles as possible.  You simply indentify your current target audience and create an ad that speaks to that crowd.  The advertisement published in 1933 by Dodge appealed to the masses, those that already live a luxurious lifestyle and those that aspire to be a part of that elite society.