Targeting Demographics and Diversification Challenges in Advertising
Car manufacturers are increasing their advertising via televised platforms that promote their products to their target market. The critical observations in this report will analyze demographics, gender, storyline, type of humor, and effectiveness of 20 commercial ads to their target market. The commercial ads are taken from Youtube and iSpot, 10 of which are from BMW, and the other 10 from Lexus. These observations are analyzed from a marketing lens to conclude the extent to which they have effected their viewers.
between quality and great value, both BMW and Lexus would fall under quality. these are not cheap cars. I chose these two brands for the analysis because even though both brands sell luxury cars to similar markets, both have interesting marketing campaigns that are unique to their brand. BMW premieres a storyline with (an increasingly) diverse representation, and Lexus has a narrowed focus on the car itself and its qualities.
Lexus uses marketing programs and strategies that align with its company’s mission “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection.” With a prestigious position as a leader of exclusivity in the luxury car market, Lexus continues to stay popular among buyers. Similar as a leading brand (but also different) to Lexus, BMW is a leader of safety standards and regulations. BMW, whose marketing is the lifeblood of its brand, also has a powerful brand image as being a leading car manufacturer in the world. It is interesting to see how the Japanese and German brands differentiate themselves in the luxury market.
The ad, once featured in Kuwait, follows a young woman in class, who opens her BMW app to turn the car on along with the A/C as the class begins to wrap up. As she exits the building, her friend mentions “cars outside are ovens” to indicate the severe heat of summer time in Kuwait. With a smile, she continues to walk, sending the viewer a signal of her worry-free heat troubles. As she enters her cooled car, she receives a phone call on her Bluetooth, from what appears to be her fiancé/newly-wed husband asking her where she is. She says she is leaving college, she wonders where he is. He nervously responds “Me?... I am at the restaurant with your parents… Do you know the way?” upon which she lies “Uh, yes! Yes, I do.” After they hang up, he returns to sit in the restaurant with her parents, and she turns to her GPS, asking for directions to “Gathering” restaurant. She parks and arrives “right on time” as her father surprisingly asks “Good, you know your way?” and she confidntly responds with “Yes, of course,” he asks “Did you lock the car door?” and again, she responds “Yes,” in which she turns back to her app and hits the LOCK button.
This ad was meant to target younger, upper-middle class college women where juggling their many tasks for the day could be made easier with a click of a button. She will need ConnectedDrive to accomplish her goals seamlessly. BMW uses the brutality of the summer heat and combines it with a solution to a problem the student might have had to deal with any other car. It is appropriate to think about how the ad assumes women are in a generation of forgetfulness and naïve to the road and driving. There are some blurred sexist tones to the ad, implying that women are too forgetful to do much of anything without help; there is a cultural acceptance to this idea. The GPS, which spoke in a (not so automated) soft Lebanese accent, which BMW chose over the native accept, in hopes of making the system sound more appealing to the driver.
The significance of the ad lies within the social elements BMW incorporated with its demographic. The ad shows the viewer that in the end, the woman still wins because she managed to not get her skin burned (from the heat on the leather seat) when she started the car, not get lost getting to her destination, and locking the door when she forgot to, without anyone knowing the tools she used to seem like she had it all together. The significance of the ad lies within the social elements BMW incorporated with its demographic and attempted to solve achieve some problems.
BMW is advertising with the same actors from Ad 1, but this time, it is targeting young males. The scene starts out with the young woman asking a young man “Are you lost” he says no, she confirms “Yes, you are lost,” in which the kid cries out “uncle Yaqoub, we are going to be late for the movie!” The young man responds by activating the BMW ConnectedDrive in the car. GPS asks how it may help, he responds “Excuse me, I am not lost, but could you give me the location of the Kout Mall on the navigation?” the GPS finds it, and the young man points out with excitement how in fact he really was not lost at all. After they park, the family parts ways as the two guys head to the movie and the woman goes for a shopping trip. But as she leaves to put her bags in the car, she has trouble finding the car. After she calls him, the young man uses the app on his phone (while she is on the other line) to honk (so she could spot the car) and then unlock the trunk without his need to leave the movie and hand her the car keys. And with a one-touch, the trunk slowly self-closes. She is happy, he is also happy. Everybody gets what they want because ConnectedDrive was built to make these “hard situations” easy.
This ad was meant to target younger, upper-middle class men who refuse to admit they are lost but would be willing to ask for some direction. No one wants to be late to the cinema, so the event follows a story line of performing many activities without missing the movie. And when his wife/fiancé is not in the movie but would still like to place some shopping bags in the car, she is able to due to the ConnectedDrive program in the car.
There are some observations worth mentioning when looking at the effectiveness of Ads 1 and 2. First, BMW attempted to solve the problems of the young university educated woman. It tackled problems related to weather, road navigation, and car operations. Second, it painted an image of what issues come to mind for a young busy woman trying to get through the day. Third, BMW shows that her day is made easy thanks to BMW’s ConnectedDrive. It tries to do the same with Ad 2 (1:30min), using the same people but targeting the male who is trying to get somewhere in time, while still using his phone app to solve other issues. The ads use the same concept (solving problems) but with different demographics in the society. this type of marketing understands the local culture well, because these situaions are relatable to the target audience.
This ad was meant to target an older man who is a father of two, and follows a dramatic-type of comedy. The ad starts out with an angry father directing a phone call to his son for over-sleeping, because they had errands to run for the day. The son, who is defined in the beginning as “The Prankster Son” tells his dad he cannot join him because the car is haunted. His dad tells him to stop playing around. The son uses the ConnectedDrive app on his phone to lock the car, honk, and play music, causing his dad to pass out. In a manic worry, the son throws his passed out dad in the back seat, and asks GPS to take him to the nearest hospital. The dad, as he awakes, realizes that it was his son just using the car’s automated system to freak the dad out from the beginning, and angry dad tries to hit prankster son but fails. He calls out his older son, who is nicknamed in the ad as “The Nightmare Son” to chase after his younger brother. To add more drama, the older son is in all black and on a white horse. But now, angry dad turns to the GPS asking “So, how did you say we can get to the hospital?” he intriguingly asks the GPS more questions, such as “So, do you know the way to all the banks, the malls, and everything else? What about my friend Aziz’s house? Can we go there?” the GPS responds “Of course, sir” and then he asks the GPS “Are you a real person, or just fake?” this question in particular brings about a generational difference with knowledge on the GPS and its capabilities. Eventually, dad says “Alright, please let’s go to the hospital, my back hurts!”
This ad was meant to target younger men, but it also included dads in the segment, as a way to signify that fathers and sons can use this car. Looking at it another way, including the father signifies that this is a great car to get for your son, that way he can drive you to the hospital or other places in comfort and style. Showing other family members in Ads 1,2, and 3 shows that this young target market are not the ones buying the cars themselves, their families are included in the purchase decision. Although Ad 2 did not show any parent presence, it did show a kid who was more likely to be their nephew or baby cousin (his reference to the young male as Uncle Yaqoub) which can indicate a presence of extended family members nearby the couple’s life.
Drifting in the Gulf region is typically male oriented, unregulated, and dangerous hobby young men engage in either crowded highways or empty deserted roads. There are some official drifting competitions held in the U.A.E, but drifting is usually associated as a Bedouin pass-time. The company takes the concept of drifting into another spectrum, closing down the street to drift its cars. Most drifters will not use expensive or luxury cars, but BMW takes the dangerous concept of drifting on its own cars to signify safety, high performance, and reliability.
This ad targets the younger, less careful, daredevils who are in a rush and can be evaluated as reckless drivers. They need space to perform, and move quickly along the road. This target market is not in the mood for something slow, they need a fast vehicle that can get them to where they need to be and provide them with a rush of adrenaline they crave. It also seems to target heterosexual, younger men because the police officer who was featured in the beginning as an interested onlooker is now letting go of her hair and jumping in the car to join in on the fun, completely ignoring her duty as an officer who is supposed to be on the job. Alongside these sexist tones, a marketer should wonder whether the same scenario would have taken place had the officer been male.
The quote is “when it drives like new, you want to treat it like new” where a mother drives home followed by two muddy boys in a cab behind her. Instead of having her kids ruin the interior of the car, she pays a cab driver to bring them home instead. This ad targets a young mother who would still like to maintain a luxurious lifestyle despite the mud. The ad tried to catch the attention of the viewer by showing a mysterious cab driver following a car all the way home. It is not explained what is going on until the very end. The ad’s effectiveness will depend on whether this target market believes that the solution BMW provides is reasonable and realistic. The element of humor added to the commercial wants to make their target demographic (suburban, single/married mothers with young/active kids) believe in the idea of maintaining a luxurious car by finding other means around the dirt.
This ad targets young and wealthy, suburban women who are ready for new beginnings. BMW wants to prove that the best way to close the chapter is to literally “dump” the leftovers behind. The company plays along a similar concept of Beyonce’s “irreplaceable” video where the woman is independent, wealthy, and needs to let go of the bad (he ex-lover) and embrace the good, i.e. the fabulous car that just dropped off “the bad.” In this case, the ad is highlighting cargo space (all that stuff fit just fine in the trunk), and excellent performance (the car handled the drop off activity perfectly). The car is shown for only 8 seconds; the remainder of the ad shows the ex-lover sheepishly explaining what is happening to his neighbor. There is a clip that briefly shows the interior for a second, but then the scene moves to a woman who is smiling as she drives away.
This ad managed to market the vehicle to both spouses. In a sense, the husband was able to find out (through the technology in his car) that the mother in law was visiting as he was driving and he has a chance to get away. On the other end, the wife knows that he is receiving the messages, so there is no getting away. You never see the wife but you know she is watching, which is a perceived reality BMW makes of suburban married couples in a humorous fashion. But the viewer can see that husband is not driving away, even though the look on his face shows that he really wants to. Would this ad urge the male targeted demographic to purchase this car? Possibly, because it tries to show that he found information before he arrived at his destination regardless of whether he was able to change his course of plans. The pull in humor could make the ad more memorable in the viewer’s mind for future reference back to the brand when deciding to buy a car.
This ad focused its attention on a mid-age (35-45) African-American couple who were on the road for a mini vacation at what they thought would be a cute getaway cottage. They appreciate technological advancements and they want to find quick information that can help them make quick decisions. The ad highlights Siri and BMW Assist in times of emergency. Hearing the ad without any visuals, the advertisement uses simple sounds of the driving car, and the sounds of humans followed by robots helping them out of this pickle. Finally, the ad takes place in a forest to signify the car’s ability to perform in areas where there are no paved roads. It also highlights BMW Assist’s ability to maintain a signal in a rural area. This was the first American ad on iSpot in this analysis to highlight a black couple’s experience with the car, which is interesting because it shows how BMW is attempting to appeal to a wider audience.
This ad, aired on the Super Bowl featuring Katie Couric and Bryant Gumble, is geared towards the older generation that is getting used to new technology. The ad cleverly brings in a segment from 1994 where the talk show host is trying to understand what the internet is and how sending an e-mail does not make sense (“what’s that A, with the ring around it?”). Fast-forward to February 2015, that same talk show host (Gumbel) is trying to understand what it means to drive a BMW i3, a car that has nothing under the hood. As the two discuss the car’s “fan-bine,” the question of defining this car is then directed to Alison. To ad humor to the ad, they put in a bit about twerking, which has become a popular term in pop culture for younger generations. BMW uses celebrities to target their demographic of older, wealthier individuals who might remember what 1994 was like and are able to afford this new technology. They bring in a real clip from 1994 when the host asked about the internet, implying that the viewer should probably know what the i3 because it is going to be the next big thing, just like the internet.
Working on a festive theme for winter 2015, this ad looks at a speedy Santa driving in his red clothes and red car to spread cheers along the way. The ad is reflecting Santa as an older, wise man out to spread gifts of happiness. And with that, he gives himself a little gift of joy this holiday season with a BMW car. Intuitively, Santa is saying that if you are a giver of nice gifts, you should give yourself something nice as well. They never actually show Santa’s face or where he is going/coming back from, but we know he comes out of the car to look at a card that reads “Happy Holidays” with the BMW logo on it, signifying a “speedy” greeting from the manufacturer to the potential customer. There is less focus on people, and stronger concentration on car performance.
There are observations to note between the BMW Arabic and English ads. First, most of the Arabic ads seem to be at the (1:30) minute mark vs the American ads that are around (30-1:00) minute mark. Second, newer Arabic ads tend to be more family oriented in a collective sense vs. the individuality of the American BMW ads. Finally, both ads tailor to the same target markets except that they are in different geographic regions. The client base is at least upper-middle class, independent, in need of speed, enjoys reliable safety, and needs advanced technology to help make the daily tasks run smoothly.
Lexus places big emphasis on customer service and exclusivity. Choosing this type of marketing strategy places a different perception of Lexus in the consumer’s mind. Common slogans from Lexus commercials include better horse power than any of its German competitors, speed, performance, and breaking barriers. The first ten commercials observed of Lexus almost always featured a male, either single or in a relationship with a woman who is never in the driver seat. There is a certain image Lexus is sending to its consumers and it is usually one that revolves around the male experience. Lexus injects ideas of the “ideal male” by associating its brand with attributes of class, success, speed, and the occasional heteronormative beauty standard of a gorgeous woman in the background. Lexus creates a narrow target market ideal and attempts to encourage its audience to be that person in the ad. They also have many commercials where there is no driver featured, and the main image is focused on the car itself, so the consumer has room to imagine themselves in the driver seat instead, so long as they are men.
With at least 35 cuts, this ad shows a ‘need for speed.’ It features a young, confident-looking man walking through a dark area and stops as he is approached by a white Lexus. The unlocking of the car through the remote causes an explosion, signaling the strength of the car. As he gets in and drives away, the generic voice-over explains the facts and performance of the car. Lexus uses the male actor, Wes Bentley, as a way to dynamically engage the viewer with a mysterious series of clips that end with him speeding through the road. If this is an actor that young men can relate to, then from a marketing perspective, this was an effective ad that would encourage young men to purchase this car. If this is a demographic that Lexus is trying to appeal to, then this ad is saying “you want to be this cool guy.”
This ad focused more on keywords that would make the consumer think about specific attributes that belong to the Lexus brand such as handcrafted, innovative technology, and luxurious vehicle. The target market is the same from Ad 1, this time without using a celebrity, and focusing more on the voice of the ad that is speaking on the quality of the car. There are some clips on the creation of the car, and a better view of the car interior.
This ad features three households (with a focus on the one with young kids) as their garage doors open and family members pile up in search for equipment hung on their garage walls. The main focus was the car’s ability to carry heavy things, and its spacious interior. This ads target is active families that have a lot of things and would enjoy taking road trips. For most of the ad, there is only music, and the sounds of car doors and tires on the road. The advertisement was for 3 of their larger vehicle models, and positions itself differently from Ads 1 and 2. The appeal for this ad shows durability of the car to handle heavy trips of multiple people, vs the speedy car in the city with the adrenalin rush of the single driver. For a family looking to purchase a car, this ad would be more relatable.
Gearing towards a heteronormative male demographic, the ad features a couple on a date to the art gallery that has an odd exhibit of dots as paintings. They look at each other as he shrugs, indicating uncertainty in the quality of this “dot” of a painting. Moving to another scene as they are served two plates with tiny food portions in a restaurant. Again, she glances at him as he makes a face, unsure about the experience. The third scene is a furniture shop as the woman uncomfortably tries to sit on what looks like a chair. The immediate scene follows her being seated in a Lexus seat, smiling as she gets comfortable. Throughout the ad, the narrator talks about the evolution of the brain expecting less and why the consumer should always expect more with Lexus. There are different shots of the car’s interior, side mirror, and exterior. From a marketing perspective, this ad can be relatable to a real life situation, where this couple has been to (what seems like) an upscale gallery, restaurant and experienced small and uncomfortable things. Lexus then comes in with a concept where more is not only better, but should also be expected. They are targeting the individual who is willing to spend the money for an upscale vehicle, but who is also looking for something spacious.
This French ad brings a romantic element to the brand’s image. With a similar target market of Ad 4, the ad features 7 places that the couple drives to, starting with a party. The ad portrays two strangers meeting at an event, and leaving the party for dinner, a game of pool, a ride at the merry-go-round, a drive around the city, a shared kiss near the river, and an extended invitation from the woman to the man to come inside. The twist is when their kids greet them in the morning, showing that this couple are not stranger but in fact are raising a family together. This was an effective ad because it shows couples that they could have a lot of fun if they have a Lexus. It showed a spicy, sassy, and dynamic side to Lexus that meet this coupl's needs. This feature romanticized the ad and also added a humorous twist at the end.
At 14 seconds, this ad wastes no time in quickly identifying its target market, slogan, and specifications it thinks the viewer would like to hear about. With only 6 scenes, the focus is on the male driver who is going out to dinner with a date. Catch words such “exquisite, extraordinarily, unforgettable” are meant to capture the viewer’s ears and associate these characteristics to a Lexus Hybrid.
Just as BMW had done in Ad 1, Lexus uses the weather as an example of how this car can solve the consumer’s problem. Rather than excessive heat, this ad can be perfectly relatable to mid-western weather of snow, rain, and slippery ice. As the actors hurry across to get to the warmth of their car, the viewer hears “capable, adaptable, all weather drive” to present a reliable car that is known for exclusivity but is should also be known to handle tough weather. It is important to note that, first, this is one of the few ads that show a woman driving at the end of the commercial. As a marketer this ad can be effective in geographical areas that experience harsh weather. Second, this ad is for the 2016 model, this means that Lexus is slowly beginning to expand its demographic to reach more consumers.
Accompanied with bold music in the background, this ad showed a more playful side to Lexus. Also a 2016 new commercial, this shows two cars driving up a hill as if engaging themselves in a fun race. Using scenic views in the beginning of the ad and throughout, this tool could be used to keep the consumer’s attention and relate to the beauty of nature with the beauty of Lexus. As the couple arrives to the hotel (with a woman driving one car, a rarity for Lexus older ads featured on iSpot) the ad’s tagline proves that there is more than one way to the top. This ad was very effective but not for all the reasons that make a Lexus brand great, but because of consumer curiosity for the location in which the ad was shot (check iSpot comment section). Scenic routes do effect the consumers in a positive way.
This ad attempts to incorporate humor with the idea that some things may not be what they seem to be, such as man #2 walking and finding man #1 shirtless in his apartment with man #2’s lover. He was only there to help, but the viewer understands how bad the scene looks, which Lexus was hoping to get a giggle out of. But the ad continues to say that other things are exactly what they seem to be, with the angry man chasing after the strange man from his apartment earlier. Man #1 takes off in his Lexus, saving more than just that apartment’s water bill while also sending a subtle message of reliability and ability to perform quickly.
Similar to Ad 3 in its reflection of targeting outdoor/active young men. However, in Ad 3, the focus was families with small kids. This ad has the same concept, but geared more towards couples with no children. The music is bold, and the storyline is relatable to those who crave the outdoor activity and are in need of extra space for their gear. The ad was able to appeal to a wider audience range, but still maintains its mostly male-oriented target market.
These ads represent the image car manufacturers try to sell to their consumers. Whether their consumers identify with and live up to that images portrayed in the ads, or want to lead a certain personality or lifestyle, these ads play on human emotions, perceived notions, and unique specifications that their demographics would appreciate or relate to. As marketers of these ads try to keep up with the trends of their demographics, auto manufacturers are now shifting their budgets from traditional television and print to digital media in order to capture the attention of where consumers increasingly are. This means that companies like BMW and Lexus are changing the way they structure their advertising budget, and will soon be allocating its majority towards online platforms and creating ads that would be more effective to their target audience.
Digital ads are especially important when trying to reach millennials, where some will one day be able to afford a luxury car. BMW has followed a successful advertising campaign thus far, while competitors such as Audi try to replace BMW as market leaders. The addition of online advertising comes with complexities, challenges, and higher budget costs in reaching the consumer. BMW and Lexus are not the only ones. Companies worldwide are following the path of either starting to advertise online, or increasing their budgets on new media advertisements.
Will TV ads ever go away? Not necessarily, but there is an increasing diversification of platforms that companies are getting their hands on to advertise in. Alongside the diversification of advertising platforms, target demographics are increasing as companies diversify their profiles. Lexus fails to diversify its demographics and their unique situations in older ads, but BMW has a variety of faces to pick from as they try to relate to different groups of the upper-middle/high classes in the United States and elsewhere. Lexus and BMW will both continue to innovate in their brand image, add creativity in their commercial ideas, and lead marketing campaigns that accomplish their goals.
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