The language of the two adverts is very different. The language of the Mercedes advert is soothing and very personalised. The section at the top is written and laid out like a poem. It places the reader in the centre immediately, with ‘with all the reassurance of a vacuum sealed vault’. It suggests that the passenger is in the vault, and also flatters, by saying that the passenger is precious enough to be in the vault in the first place. It then reinforces that message by saying ‘I sat back in my seat and watched the world outside’. It gives the feeling that the reader is in the car. It also reinforces the feeling of a cinema screen by saying ‘watched the world outside unfold upon the screen as if it were a silent movie’. This makes the reader feel important, and detached from the outside of the car. This is the feeling that the writers want to convey, as it presents a positive picture of what being in the car would feel like. This image that has been presented, of the reader in the driver’s seat, is backed up by the picture of the view, through the windscreen, from the driver’s point of view. The language used in the top section is very flowing, as the ride in the car would be, and it has been made smoother by use of alliteration such as ‘watched the world’, and ‘unfold upon’.
The bottom section of text starts by saying ‘Picture the scene’. This immediately makes the reader think of a scene in a movie, and then it backs that up by saying ‘set against the evenings pale and chaotic backdrop’. It also makes the reader the most important person in this scene by saying that everything is pale and boring, and chaotic in comparison to the Mercedes and its owner. The text then goes on to make the car seem more that just a machine by using a lot of personification such as ‘awaits you’, ‘assists you’, ‘cocoon you’ and ‘responds, whispering to you’. It also uses alliteration to make the Mercedes seem even more relaxing and calming, for example ‘cradled in comfort’ and ‘cocoon you from the cities clamour’.
In contrast, the Chrysler Voyager advert is concerned with making the car seem exciting and fun. It is not very personalised as it says ‘They scream…’ or ‘They gasp…’, as opposed to placing the reader at the centre. It begins by deliberately misleading the reader into thinking that the advert is for Busch Gardens as the dominant part of the picture is of the ride, and the first thing it says is ‘America’s favourite family ride’. This makes the reader think of roller coasters and having fun. But then it goes on to say ‘Leaving Busch Gardens’, and then the car in the foreground is noticed.
The Mercedes advert is trying to make the reader feel relaxed and calm, but the Voyager advert tries to exited the reader by using phrases like ‘power them along’, and ‘most twisting of mountain tracks’. This makes it seem powerful but also exciting. But then it contradicts that by saying that you could ‘never describe the Voyages as a white knuckle ride’. The writers of the advert are careful not to make the Voyager seem dangerous or scary, and they then take some time to point out some of the Voyager’s safety features, such as airbags, and its comforting features, such as air conditioning. The Voyager advert is very exaggerated. It describes the inside of the car as a ‘cavernous walk-through interior’ and says that the owners of the car ‘scream with delight’, whereas the Mercedes advert was very understated and relaxed. The Voyager’s advert is also very descriptive, to project a very vivid, positive picture of the car.
The target audience of the Mercedes is wealthy working-people, as it begins by saying ‘heavy from the day’s toll’. It is for people who like sophisticated relaxed rides, and are willing to pay for it. The Voyager on the other hand is very much a family car. it describes it as ‘Americas favourite family ride’, and the majority of people who go to Busch Gardens, where most of the comparisons come from, are families.
Both of these adverts are describing cars, but the similarity end there. They advertise different sorts of cars to different people by appealing to two very different personalities and preferences. I prefer the Mercedes advert as I think it is more thoughtful, and I like the fact that they make comparisons to a cinema. I think it does a better job of making the car feel safe and secure as it does not have to contradict itself in order to get this message across, however both of the adverts are very effective and well thought out.
Florence C-S, 10a.
