Maddie Chevy Commercial Analysis
Your lifetime best friend doesn’t always have to be a human. In 2014, a masterpiece was created. A commercial found on YouTube by Lloyd Lee Choi, Chevrolet is trying to sell their 2014 Chevy model. The “2014 Chevy- Maddie” commercial features a family and the dog their daughter picked out as a child. This commercial shows how they aged and grew together over the years and how her dog was always there for her. Furthermore, it shows the emotional side of life, the importance of always having someone there for you, and always having someone to rely on. The 2014 Chevy Equinox is the product being sold, although it may have been hard to understand and comprehend for a younger audience. The “2014 Chevy- Maddie” commercial is effective due to the emotional appeal, the wide variety of audiences reached, the logical appeal behind the car, and the social message it puts across.
The claim presented is to sell a Chevy car, but it shows its importance through a deeper understanding. Their target audience would be towards anyone who is of driving age who needs a new car. Which could range from parents buying for themselves, or their teens, to even finding a car that could be fitting for a family vehicle. You can tell because as the commercial shows a child growing up with the puppy it is telling a story that leads to the end of the commercial and the quote by Chevrolet, “a best friend for a life’s journey”. This quote persuades the audience that the car they are selling could be there for you and your family throughout life as a dog would. I feel as if the concept of the commercial is efficient but could also be hard to understand for younger audiences.
The advertisement's appeal to pathos seemed to be effective. It draws you into the emotional life story of a girl and her dog. Chevrolet hit a soft spot while showing the powerful relationship between a girl and her dog. Attention is instantly grabbed by the audience when they see the dog in the commercial. Not only do we watch the girl go through important and impactful life stages but also the dog along the way. We get to watch how the dog reacts to certain situations and how he supports her while also seeing how she grew up and matured over the years. It not only pulls at the heartstrings but also pertains to the product they are trying to sell. In the commercial, Chevy is trying to sell a vehicle while also trying to draw in the attention of the audience. While younger audiences may watch it, they will not understand the full message. Older audiences are their target audience because they need someone who can drive and are able to buy a car therefore, I feel as if this commercial was effective. At the least, this commercial would draw it’s audience in to want to learn more about the car. Additionally, using the dog played into the final quote of the commercial which was previously addressed. When the commercial ended with the quote “a best friend for a life’s journey” they were referring to the car and how a good car will be there for your life’s journey, how the dog was there for the girl throughout her life and throughout the commercial. Lastly, the emotional appeal rises when they include scenes of the girl adopting the dog. The commercial worked in reverse chronological order adding to the emotional effect because you see the most emotional moments in the end of the commercial which keeps you around to see the scene with the car (the product they are selling) in the end.
On another note, the commercial also brings in a trustworthy appeal using ethos. Throughout the commercial they are trying to build your trust through the different life events that are happening to the girl. Using reverse chronological order brings the audience to realize that the dog was not only there in her owner's adult life but also in her childhood. The producer is trying to build trust throughout the commercials. In the end you will trust that the product is a good product that is worth their money. The ethos appeal is effective because again leading back to the quote they used in the end of the commercial “a best friend for a life’s journey”, they built the trust between the audience and the family in the ad. Due to the trust built they may bring in more of a family audience who is in need of a car that will be there for them throughout all of their big and little milestones.
Additionally, commercials can let off many different emotions and even social messages. In the “2014 Chevy- Maddie” commercial, I noticed that some of the social messages I caught were race/ethnicity and social class. In the commercial, Chevrolet’s feature a white family of four which may make other groups not respond to the product. Leading me to believe that their demographic may rely more on white, middle-income families than a bi-racial, middle-income family. The implied message helps this commercial because it is reaching towards an effective audience who would help the company in sales. The producer of this commercial claims that this car will be there to support you or your family throughout life's ups and downs.
Overall, throughout the “2014 Chevy- Maddie” commercial we are taken on an emotional rollercoaster that ends in us learning about the 2014 Chevrolet’s Equinox. Commercials like these can get you thinking about other commercials you have seen throughout your life and their true meaning behind them. Although some commercials may seem entertaining or as if there is no certain purpose to them, there is always a deeper meaning. Whether it be reaching an emotional appeal, a logical appeal, or just trying to reach their target audience. Doesn’t that start to make you think about every impactful ad or commercial you’ve seen? In the end, what matters most is if the commercial is effective or not. The more popular commercials you have seen were more than likely effective to the company which is why they have more views, are shown on more channels, or are shown more often than others. Let this be a reminder that everyone and everything has a backstory so never just a book (or a commercial in this case) by it’s cover.
