Automobile Advertising and American Consumerism Culture
This paper examines the relationship between automobile advertising and the growth of consumer culture in the United States. It analyzes several persuasive techniques employed by automakers and their advertising agencies, including celebrity endorsement, bandwagon appeals, and targeting children and college students. Using specific examples such as Cadillac's use of actress Kate Walsh, Hyundai's family-focused commercials, and a notably creative BMW advertisement, the paper argues that automobile advertising has not only made the car an indispensable consumer product but has also continuously reinforced materialist values. The paper also touches on ethical considerations in advertising and concludes that expanding technology will only deepen the reach of consumerism.
- Introduction: The Automobile and Consumer Culture: Automobiles reshape consumer culture through advertising
- Celebrity Endorsement and Status Appeals: Celebrity association elevates automobile status and desirability
- Bandwagon Appeals and Everyday Consumers: Bandwagon technique targets ordinary buyers with relatable ads
- Targeting Children and College Students: Ads reach parents and students through child-directed marketing
- A Case Study: BMW's Creative Advertising: BMW commercial blends humor, ethics, and brand recognition
- Conclusion: Advertising and the Future of Consumerism: Technology will deepen consumerism and advertising's cultural reach
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds abstract advertising concepts in concrete, named examples — Kate Walsh for Cadillac, Hyundai family commercials, and a specific BMW ad — giving its claims immediate credibility and specificity.
- It moves logically from broad cultural context to individual advertising techniques, building a coherent argument about how consumerism is sustained by diverse persuasion strategies.
- The BMW case study serves as an effective synthesis moment, tying together creativity, ethics, brand recognition, and audience targeting in a single example.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied rhetorical analysis: it identifies named advertising strategies (association, bandwagon) drawn from a cited theoretical source (Pricken, 2004) and then applies those frameworks to real commercial examples. This move — theory to evidence — is a foundational undergraduate analytical skill and shows the writer understands how to operationalize academic concepts.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a cultural overview establishing the automobile's centrality to American consumerism. It then proceeds technique by technique — celebrity endorsement, bandwagon, child-directed advertising, and school-based marketing — before closing with an extended case study of a BMW commercial that synthesizes the preceding points. A brief conclusion ties the analysis back to the broader cultural argument. Each body paragraph is clearly organized around a single technique or audience segment.
Introduction: The Automobile and Consumer Culture
The automobile has completely revolutionized consumer culture. From being a novel invention that very few could afford to own, to becoming the number one purchased product in the United States, the automobile has not only changed the way that individuals travel independently — it has also altered the advertising industry. Advertising is the mechanism by which consumers become aware of the products that are being made and sold (Pricken, 2004). This has in turn created a culture based on materialism and consumerism. Individuals now purchase items that are not necessarily essential, but those items are presented in a way that leads consumers to believe their lives could not function appropriately without them.
When it comes to the automobile, the techniques are no different. In modern, developed countries, the automobile is as common as having a bicycle and is heavily relied upon for nearly everything. Households in these countries often have more than one vehicle. Advertising for this product not only allowed this revolution to occur in the first place — it continues to feed it.
Celebrity Endorsement and Status Appeals
In order to appeal to a wider audience and get a product sold, the correct persuasive techniques must be implemented. A popular technique is association, which takes advantage of a celebrity's status (Pricken, 2004). Celebrities are pop culture symbols and, as such, they have become part of the consumerism that has engulfed modern society. Actress Kate Walsh has advertised for Cadillac on numerous occasions (Cameronsfx, 2008). This advertising has helped Cadillac sell automobiles while maintaining the image that the brand is in touch with popular culture.
Choosing a celebrity to represent a product signals that the product has already reached a status that makes celebrities willing to attach their names to it. When celebrities sponsor an item, consumers begin to believe they can emulate those celebrities by purchasing the same product. This places greater emphasis on the social status the automobile will confer rather than on its practical utility.
Bandwagon Appeals and Everyday Consumers
Another technique used in advertising is appealing to ordinary people and convincing them to join the crowd — a strategy known as the bandwagon approach (Pricken, 2004). Although a complete contrast to celebrity endorsement, this technique acknowledges that automobiles are practical products that allow individuals to lead easier and more convenient lives. As seen in various automobile commercials — particularly Hyundai commercials that target economically challenged consumers — showing real families using their cars for everyday errands convinces viewers that ordinary people are purchasing these vehicles (HyundaiWorldwide, 2012).
Families depicted leading their normal lives with the automobile allow more viewers to associate themselves with the commercial. The advertisements also give the impression that everyone is buying this car because of its affordability, and that every person should follow suit.
Conclusion: Advertising and the Future of Consumerism
Advertising has completely revolutionized American culture. Consumerism is a phenomenon affecting nearly every individual in the United States, regardless of economic status. Technology has changed the way people encounter advertisements and has expanded the formats through which advertising is possible. Because products can be so easily advertised and so easily accessed, American consumerism will only continue to expand. As more advertising techniques are developed and existing ones are reinvented, the automobile will remain a driving force in today's consumer market.
References
AAAA. (2013). Standards of practice. American Association of Advertising Agencies. Retrieved from
BMWUSA. (Producer). (2012). BMW 3 series — the close call. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOBU5dEUfVg
Cameronsfx. (Producer). (2008). Kate Walsh extended Cadillac CTS commercial Excel quality. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DfGknbfFYE
Horovitz, B. (2010, October 3). Marketers get creative targeting hard-to-reach college students. USA Today. Retrieved from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2010-10-03-marketing-to-college-students_N.htm
HyundaiWorldwide. (Producer). (2012). Hyundai TV commercial: 'Live Brilliant'. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnZHg-_T7AA
Pricken, M. (2004). Creative advertising: Ideas and techniques from the world's best campaigns. New York: Thames and Hudson.
Shah, A. (2010, November 21). Children as consumers. Global Issues: Social, Political, Economic, and Environmental Issues That Affect Us All. Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/article/237/children-as-consumers
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