Propaganda - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages Propaganda The word ‘propaganda’ was defined by Linebarger (1954) as consisting of “the planned use of any form of public or mass-produced communication designed to affect the minds and emotions of a given group for a specific purpose, whether military, economic, or political" (p. 39). With the definition, one could effectively present an analysis of an advertisement that has been recognized as one of the best viewed ads of 2011: “Volkswagen’s “The Force”, in which a young Star Wars fan tries to use “The Force” on his father’s new Passat” (Holmes, 2011, par. 2). The advertisment definitely falls under the definition of a propaganda in terms of using mass-produced communication through the television and posting online with the purpose of eliciting emotion from the audience regarding the launching of 2012 Passat. In this regard, the paper aims to proffer issues pertinent to an analysis of the ad according to the following categories: context, ideology, visual appeals, language, identification and otherness. The main message of the ad would be discussed as well as its effectiveness in eliciting emotional appeal from a wide range of audience. Context The ad was created by Interpublic Group's Deutsch Inc.'s Los Angeles office and was released online on February 2, 2011 (Hall, 2011). It was created for the Super Bowl, but, according to Holmes (2011), “VW had posted the clip online two weeks before the sporting event — allowing the clip to rack up 10 million views before it ever aired on TV” (par. 2). It was reportedly posted in YouTube and has topped the most viewed and shared branded video totalling “4.71 million social media shares and 46.05 million views since its online release” (Hall, 2011, par. 1). Description of the Ad? The advertisement began with the famous Star Wars music at the background and a boy in a Darth Vader suit walking along the hall of their home trying his supposed telekinesis powers on different objects: the stationary bike, the dog, the washing machine, a doll seated on a bed, and even a plate of sandwich that was reluctantly pushed over to him by his mother – all to his dismay and disappointment. When he heard his father’s car coming through the driveway, he immediately tried his power on the new Passat. Without his knowledge, and as observed by his parents over the kitchen window, his father used the remote control to start on the ignition of the Passat to coincide with his prodding for ‘the force’ - in total amazement and surprise of the boy. ?Message The message of the ad was that the vehicle responds to the needs of the family, including an unsuspecting boy – who wanted to test if he has any powers on objects. By responding to his efforts, the new Passat would be emotionally appealing to the boy and to the whole family. As reported by Pathak (2011), its creator, Mike Sheldon, CEO of Deutsch LA, the West-Coast arm of Deutsch Inc., disclosed that the main message of the ad was to focus on tapping “into humanity rather than sheet metal. "We've got every element, from John Williams’ music to a cute six year old," he said. "The Passat is a family car, it's new this year and we have to reach those people"” (Pathak, 2011, pars. 11 & 12). Ideology The basic ideology that framed the worldview in this ad is the human appeal provided by the new Passat by being packaged as a family car – more than seeing it as a piece of steel parts and for its functionality. By using a boy and the appeal of the Star Wars character, Darth ...Download file to see next pagesRead More