Whether we want to or not, we all remember our first cars. Small, slow, clunky, and sometimes a little rusty, they usually weren’t something impressive. Transporting us to work, school, and home again and providing a level of freedom that we had never enjoyed before, they were necessary in our everyday lives. For that, we all retain fond memories; however, we all acknowledge that, when given the choice, we would have chosen to drive the coolest car on the market, especially when we have people to impress.
Chevrolet’s “Boy Meets Impala” commercial of 1958 plays on this scenario, featuring strong pathos, connection to a specific audience, vital contextual ties, and persuasive content meant to encourage families to purchase the Impala convertible. The advertisement heavily relies on the value of pathos, or emotional connection. For example, there are long sequences that show the boy gazing longingly at his father’s contemporary Impala. Showing those scenes encourages viewers to pity the boy while highlighting the aesthetic beauty of the vehicle.
It also conveys the boy’s opinions, which seem to be that the Impala is an admirable car. Along with the boy’s intense gaze, the mother and sister both peer at the father with expectation. Looking expectantly exhibits that they feel the boy deserves the opportunity to drive the Impala to his prom; this encourages the viewer to commiserate with the boy and his cause. Portraying the boy’s car as aging, beat-up, and mundane also support Chevy’s message; it is meant to remind viewers of their own first cars and the dread associated with having to drive their own antiquated cars to important events.
Being reminded of their own experiences compels the viewers feel sorry for the boy and further understand his jealousy of the state-of-the-art Impala. Scripting the boy to kiss his sister on the cheek, obviously a rare occurrence, shows viewers that driving the Impala gives great happiness. The excessive usage of pathos supports the commercial’s cause by allowing the viewer to identify with the family featured in the commercial. Additionally, the commercial targets a specific audience consisting of families with an interest in purchasing a new, “cool,” reliable vehicle.
The family featured in the advertisement is completely typical and inconspicuous; they are the average mother, father, son, and daughter. Showing the actors as normal and just like anyone else causes viewers to feel as if owning an Impala is within their grasp, even if they aren’t rich or affluent. The plot of the commercial also utilizes the featured characters to flaunt the car’s attractiveness; the son being thrilled when the father lets him borrow the car coerces the viewers into feeling that they should desire the car too. Letting the son borrow the car also suggests that the car is safe and reliable.
If the vehicle wasn’t, the father probably wouldn’t allow the son to borrow it in fear that the son would be irresponsible, possibly resulting in an accident. Solely by utilizing the everyday family as the characters in the commercial, Chevy confirmed the idea that Impalas are both trendy and reliable. The commercial leaves viewers with a sense of familiarity and a feeling that families are brought closer together by Chevrolet Impalas. Several features of the commercial also reflect the era in which the advertisement was filmed.
Originally produced in the late 1950s, it exhibited several elements of traditional gender roles. For example, neither the mother nor the sister spoke up for their opinions. In that time period, men’s opinions were considered of a higher value than women’s, meaning it wasn’t common for a mother to compose a decision such as that that would have been required to allow the son to borrow the Impala. In addition, cars just became a commodity in recent years. Therefore, most families didn’t have firm loyalties to a certain brand.
Allowing Chevrolet to get their name into the public domain, advertising encouraged the masses to purchase Chevrolet vehicles. Validating that commercials were the right choice, television was also a brand modern way of spreading news and supporting brands to larger numbers. Social standards and necessity define “Boy Meets Impala. ” Highlighting the product, the content of the commercial serves an immensely practical purpose. The commercial was filmed in a way that pleasantly frames the Impala convertible’s features, purposely pushing viewers to purchase the product.
The boy’s excitement and the way the producers contrasted the Impala with the boy’s current car, making the Impala seem impeccable, sways viewers in a favorable direction. The slogan, “What a gal, what a night, what a car! ” implies that the car impacted the night and made it highly memorable and enjoyable. However, there isn’t much real evidence. The advertisement relies too heavily upon the use of pathos, which doesn’t have confirmed facts to back the feelings that it evokes. If the commercial had significant logos, or factual evidence, to back it up, it would show itself to be consistently reliable.
Examining the source of the commercial, it also becomes obvious that it came from a highly biased one. Since Chevrolet’s goal is to sell a large volume of Impalas, they’re quite willing to enact anything that it may require to convince customers of its worthiness. Combined with the fact that commercials are essentially meant to persuade customers that a certain product is superior, it becomes obvious that Chevrolet was not a reliable source for the production of the commercial. Along with suggesting that the Chevrolet Impala convertible is superior, the commercial evades addressing other competitors’ products.
This suggests that Chevrolet doesn’t have enough evidence to demonstrate that their product is superior to that of its competitors. Analyzing the overall content of the commercial reveals that the commercial doesn’t have a firm, factual basis. “Boy Meets Impala” features several elements, including pathos, connections to a firm audience, imperative contextual markers, and unreliable content to persuade viewers to purchase a Chevrolet Impala convertible. Pathos effectively plays viewers’ emotions to establish a feeling as if purchasing an Impala will make them “cool” and bring them closer to their families.
The audience, families interested in buying new cars, allows the producers to target a precise group using highly effective techniques. The context in which the commercial appeared greatly influenced its content and the effect that it had on prospective buyers. Although practical, the commercials content, upon closer examination, proves to be less than adequate. Though the advertisement may evoke positive feelings and appear to be a persuasive masterpiece, it is a strong example of why consumers must thoroughly research using outside sources before making a final decision.
