Visual_Analysis

Audi Commercial Analysis Most Americans know that the Super Bowl is the biggest football game of the season, but it is also a time for companies to promote their products through clever and usually funny commercials aired during prime time. In Audi’s A8 commercial, the company persuades viewers that Audi is better than Mercedes, or other luxury cars, by using contrasts and alluding to the Christian philosophy of the Seven Deadly Sins and antiquated luxury. The commercial begins with a tour of the many rooms of the house. It begins with a view into the dining room during the night time where a lavishly decorated table is illuminated by candle lights. The table is surrounded by burgundy vinyl chairs with lots of marble accents in the backdrop. All of these elements are very classical definitions of luxury. It is obvious that the house belongs to someone rich but the style reflects the past based off of the antiquated approaches to luxury; candles are used instead of light bulbs, and burgundy vinyl chairs are used instead of black leather. The commercial says “goodnight [to] gluttony”, one of the seven deadly sins (Youtube). Many Americans know what the Seven Deadly Sins are from the Christian religion and any Christian friends they might have. Other Americans may even consider the Seven Deadly Sins common knowledge. Viewers can assume that anything that proceeds this statement would be on the same level of wrong and is intended to be seen as inappropriate based on its juxtaposition. The candles are blown out as the scene progresses to show an end to gluttony. The idea of outdated luxury can be seen as the commercial progresses as a woman lays on a couch asleep. Another of the seven deadly sins, sloth, is referenced here. The narrator says “goodnight [to the] expected” (Youtube). She is wearing a brown ruffle dress, long gloves extending past her elbow and a fur animal around her neck. This type of outfit was popular among the wealthy in the mid 1900’s as a way to show off their money. The furniture and walls are brown or tan, plain ordinary colors, in this scene as well as the first scene. The lights in this particular room are turned off as well, representing an end to the expected. The narrator says “goodnight stuffy” as a man take off his cufflink and places it on an overfilled pile of other cufflinks (Youtube). Greed is demonstrated here by the growing pile of cufflinks as well as the few that are on the floor already. The man exhibits many aspects of luxury from the way he is dressed to the look of his bedroom. He has on black slacks and a white dress shirt, a typical and expected outfit for a formal event. His bed frame is the same shade of mahogany as his dress and has extravagant wooden designed along the frame. The last scene of the house embodies the most stereotypical images of classical luxury. Marble floors and columns, a crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the room, decorated beige walls, and red velvet couches, the camera backs away from the room as all of these luxurious elements come into view. The light emitted from the chandelier is extinguished as the camera view exits the house. The next scene makes the purpose of the commercial apparent when the narrator says “goodnight bygones”, something that belongs to an earlier time period, when a white Mercedes is in the same frame. The Mercedes’ headlights are turned on but go off right before the camera changes scenes. The multiple uses of lights turning off is used to connect each deadly sin to the Mercedes. The company that made the video wants to persuade viewers that Mercedes, or any luxury brand of car, is inferior and is avoided through the commercial’s use of light to darkness and the reference of sins. The presence of a Mercedes to represent old luxury is especially effective, because the car brand has been established for 125 years (Mercedes Benz), A critic mentioned that although the commercials attacks the existence of luxury and greed as evil, an Audi A8 still costs approximately $80,000 and contradicts the point the commercial tries to make (Sauer 1). The immediate scene proceeding the Mercedes is an Audi A8, whose headlights turn on as the sun in the background rises. The rising sun is an archetype for birth and creation (Character Archetypes). It exemplifies the idea that the Audi is new luxury, a change and distinction from the past. The vehicle’s GPS and locks rise, mimicking the rising of the sun and the idea of enlightenment when it comes to car luxury. The idea that Audi is the modern example of luxurious cars compared to Mercedes is also demonstrated through the use of contrast and juxtaposition. All of the sins that were listed were done so during the night time as well as the presentation of the Mercedes. The darkness is an archetype for melancholy, mystery, and death (Character Archetypes). It is used to reinforce the reference to Goodnight Moon to show that old luxury is dead along with the popularity and style of Mercedes. Goodnight Moon is likely to be well known among viewers, because it was written 64 years ago (Sunny). On the other hand, morning and sunlight signify prosperity, a fresh beginning and life (Character Archetypes). The Audi is only shown when the sun is rising in the morning, which reflects all the attributes of the archetype for the morning. The use of night versus day expresses the idea to viewers that the difference between Audi and Mercedes should be as easy to distinguish as day and night; Audi being the superior one between the two. The second contrast comes from the color of the cars. The Mercedes is white, where white can be an archetype for death (Understanding Literary Archetypes). This is used to show that the luxurious appeal of Mercedes is dead where as the Audi is a sleek black. Black can have a positive relation to intelligence and knowledge (Understanding Literary Archetypes). The company conveys the idea that the purchase of an Audi would be the smart decision. Once again, the extreme difference in car color shows that the differences between the two vehicles should be as apparent as black and white. Juxtaposition is also an important technique that Audi uses to persuade viewers. The commercial places all three of the deadly sins it use in sequential order and has Mercedes as the last of its list, displaying that all four of those items should be placed on the same level. The close placement of Mercedes and Audi in time frame emphasizes their differences. It’s extremely effective to have the items being compared to come right after the other because viewers can easily recall each item’s appearance and make a judgment between the two. The unlikely allusion to “Goodnight Moon” and biblical sins help effectively emphasize the difference between luxury car brands such as Mercedes and Audi. The listing of the Seven Deadly Sins in conjunction with blatant contrasts effectively supports the idea that Audi is superior. Works Cited "Audi Taps ‘Goodnight Moon’ Nostalgia For New Ad." www.brandchannel.com. Sauer, Abe. Brandchannel, 17 Jan. 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. “Audi – Goodnight Commercial.” youtube.com. Youtube, 11 Jan. 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2011 “Mercedes Benz.” http://www3.mercedes-benz.com/mbcom_v4/us/en.html. Mercedes Benz. Web. 3 Nov. 2011. “Understanding Literary Archetypes.” http://www.readprint.com/article-3. Readprint. Web. 3 Nov. 2011. “Character Archetypes.” http://www.listology.com/list/character-archetypes. Listology. 15 Feb. 2006. Web. 3 Nov. 2011. “Goodnight Moon – One of the Most Famous Children’s Books Ever!” http://storytimeforme.com/topics/goodnight-moon/. Story Time For Me. 3 Nov. 2011. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.