Eng. 2
Vance Smith
I was searching through magazines in preparing for this assignment and came across an ad for a beautiful Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. This vehicle, black in color, was pictured barreling through a very muddy trail throwing dirt everywhere. When looking at this advertisement, my old fashioned male ego consisting of only the need for hot wheels could not help from taking over. It was truly a beautiful machine. Not till studying this ad, did I realize the concept and image that Jeep was really trying to convey to the readers of the magazine.
The ad has a dark colored Jeep Grand Cherokee pictured in the middle of the page. It is spinning and kicking dirt and mud in every direction. It has keywords like 4- wheel and off road underlined to the top of the page describing the vehicle as being the "4 x 4 of the Year." Below this statement is a phrase saying, "Suffice it to say, it ain't no beauty contest." Two-thirds of the way down the page, is the fine print and the body of the advertisement describing the features of the new Grand Cherokee. The features that are described are those of the engine, horsepower, and the "legendary off-highway performance." Finally, highlighted near the bottom of the page is the Jeep logo with the slogan "There's Only One" below.
The magazine that I found this advertisement in was an issue of Newsweek. Newsweek is a current event, news magazine. Its readers tend to be 35 and over and are usually found in the upper-middle class to upper class range. The readers of this magazine grew up or raised a family in the 50s and 60s. These people grew up in a time when hot rods and their drivers ruled the streets and Western's ruled the air waves. This is the affect that Jeep is trying to recapture with its ads. In looking at the name of the vehicle, the Old West stands out. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited is a name that remembers the movies with John Wayne and all the other cowboy and indian movie actors that the people who read Newsweek can appreciate. The name symbolizes freedom like that enjoyed by the cowboys just riding home on the range. Jeep tries to portray the vehicle like a trusty steed, such as the Lone Ranger's Silver, able to get the person anywhere through any territory. Jeep is saying that this vehicle will never let you down. It has been proven that vehicles, like the Jeep, were named after something from the West. With names like Pathfinder, Explorer, and Cherokee, advertisers are aiming right at America's love for the West using it for every penny. Also, in the name, is a sense of urgency. It is a Grand Cherokee Limited. This tries to excite the reader, as other companies also use this tactic. Ford, for example, has an Explorer, but not an ordinary Explorer. It is a Limited Edition Explorer.
The Old West is the ultimate symbol of freedom and escape. It also was the simplest of times with the famed outlaws and heros. Jeep is effectively conveying their message by using the name of the vehicle, the picture of the vehicle, and the actual ad . Terms such as "Suffice it to say, it ain't no beauty contest" and "when the mud settled" bring back the attitude of the West. The background of the ad appears to be somewhere in the West. The area looks very dry and bare like the plains. Jeep has truly created an image for the reader of this magazine hoping to feed off the need to escape, or feel young again by using the west like it has. Even the color of the machine is meaningful. If one thinks back of the hot rods, these vehicles were usually black in color. The Jeep pictured in this ad is black. Black was the color for speed and bad boys of the 50s and 60s. Just think about the show Happy Days. The "Fonz" was never found without his black leather coat. Everyone knows that the "Fonz" was cool.
In the 50s and 60s, hot rods ruled the high schools and streets of every town in America. Jeep is using this love for an automobile to help sell its vehicle. The readers, as established earlier, tend to be 35 and older in the upper-middle class to upper class range. These readers remember what it was like to have the hottest car in town. These type of people tend to be business men and women, may be living in the suburbs with a family. Jeep is conveying freedom to these readers who may not be satisfied with the family station wagon. A vehicle and a license are the ultimate symbol of freedom and a Jeep allows "legendary off-highway performance" to anyone buying this vehicle. Jeep offers a sense of ruling the roads again and even the off-road with this machine. This type of advertisement reaches a surburbian, business man with the kids and wife of 20 years or more. This is the type of reader that reads Newsweek so the ad is aimed at the right target audience.
Times change and Jeep has changed with them. The advertisers know that a souped up 65 Mustang is not the vehicle of choice. Off-road vehicles and trucks are becoming more popular than ever. They are replacing the BMW's at the country club and the Lexus' at the office. Tie in the effect of the Old West, the afffect of the hot rods of the 50s and 60s, and the fact that off-road vehicles are being made by everyone in the car business, and Jeep has a very efffective advertisement.