CCT356+-+Online+Advertising+Critique

Online Advertising Critique Chevrolet Chevrolet is a vehicle brand produced by General Motors (GM). General Motors is one of the largest vehicle manufacturers and marketers in the world. As a major automaker in the market, General Motors must find affective areas in the world to advertise their products. Chevrolet has appeared in various areas, but now, online advertising has been a leading solution in exposing the product to a large audience.

The first time I’ve encountered a Chevrolet advertisement was through commercials on television; however, it was not the only place I’ve encountered it – it began appearing everywhere. Today, a large portion of advertisements are seen online, especially on sites where the products’ specific demographics are aimed towards. The company utilizes and takes advantage of the fact that a large demographic of potential Chevrolet customers are using the internet; therefore, a large number of Chevrolet advertisements are seen on the internet. As a student, I am engaged in internet usage, especially in social Medias and public spaces. Chevrolet and the General Motors company began catching up – understanding where and how to their demographics are and how to approach them. As a car brand, Chevrolet aims towards the demographic of people that can drive, usually around the age 18 – 64. The Chevrolet is disclosed with features that would attract a wide audience with similar interest, such as in quality, efficiency and pleasure. Although Chevrolets may be represented to aim towards a large demographic, there are commercials and advertisements that may attract the interest of specific demographics. [fig.1] (General Motors) [fig. 1]

I first encountered this advertisement on Youtube’s homepage. I was first presented with a video featuring a new Chevrolet – The commercial showed a bright red car with a large range of features - which caught my interest. The [fig.1] Chevrolet advertisement displays a specific feature, “Customize your ride event” with the same strong assets of a regular Chevrolet; however, it includes additional customizations and cash credits. The Chevrolet advertisement is used in a way to attract customers through various features. First of all, the background colour, along with the clouds shows where the vehicles belong, which is outside. Also, the title used is “customize your ride event”, exaggerating the “…YOUR RIDE EVENT” to give the audience the sense that they are in control. To add on, the vehicles shown on the advertisements are different. By placing different vehicles, the company will be able to reach a larger audience with different interest.

The target audience in this case is the old and newly attracted Chevrolet potential purchasers; however, the specific event aims more towards 18 – 34 year olds due to the special customization event. Through statistics, customization has been seen to be more popular with younger drivers, which may be because of Medias that include special customized products in movies such as “The Fast and the Furious” or television shows such as “Pimp my Ride” (Consumer Reports). With the technique of adding three different vehicles, the people of different demographics are able to enjoy the special feature. As for the customization feature, it shows that it is not for specific cars, but for a variety. The technique General Motors uses for Chevrolet allows people to create a car that is suitable for them – one that fits their personality and their interest.

There is a large number of advertisements show online, but are they affective? Are people acknowledging them? Chevrolet has been through varies advertisements to attract different audiences, but aiming towards customization is something new. It is an attractive approach because the event brings out an aspect of people that already customize their cars. Statistics shows shows that 73% of people have or plan on customizing their car one way or another (Consumer Reports). In gathering statistics, many spend money on customization, whether it is a car alarm or floor mats.

__Sources__ Consumer Reports. "A New Era of Car Customizing: Defying Demographics." //Car Information, New Car Prices, Used Car Values, Used Car Reviews, New Car Reviews - MSN Autos - MSN Autos//. 2006. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. .

General Motors. //GM Canada HOME//. 2011. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. .

Zumba media type="youtube" key="DWNjKMOk55Q?version=3" height="197" width="317" align="center"

(Zumba Web Ad) Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance calorie-burning fitness program. It combines the cultural dance technique and music, along with steps that are easy to follow, yet gives one the opportunity to work out and have fun. The moves in Zumba inspire people to have fun and exercise all in one program. Every move in this exercise works every inch of ones body, from head to toe. It is a great program to “lose weight, lose fat and achieve a sexy body” (Fig 1).

I have always been interested and involved in physical activities. A few years ago, I found myself working at GoodLife Fitness and this is when I encountered Zumba. GoodLife is a gym - like many gyms - full of workout equipments, personal trainers, and exercise classes, Zumba being one of them. When Zumba became one of the programs offered at GoodLife, I was sent a package and various advertisements to learn and educate others about it. This led me to look up Zumba on the internet and further research on the program.

Zumba targets everyone that wants to have fun and put in a work out all in one; however, as seen in the commercial, the program’s main targets are young adults to middle-age people. The routines are fit towards those that want to have a slimmer and sexier body, also, aiming towards the women population.

This commercial took advantage of media and had it placed on the internet. This campaign featured people of different demographics: age, ethnicity, and gender. As an exercise routine, the package includes workouts for different people. For example, Zumba: the 20 minute express allows those that are ‘tight on schedule’ to put in a full routine in a short amount of time. The commercial incorporates results of people that have purchased and participated in the routines to show, which allows potential purchasers to feel as if they are in control. It allows people to feel like they could achieve results as well. Also, the video previews routines for the audience to view in order to see what they would potentially receive. Lastly, they offer special deals through the internet by including equipment to benefit the workouts, along with a money back guarantee to show the companies’ confidence in the program.

Zumba, the Latin-inspired dance fitness program has been growing in popularity since it first came out (Rosencrantz). As seen on various news programs, Zumba attracts more people every year. I believe the commercial has attracted much attention on the internet, as seen in new articles such as this one:[| Article] (NBC News). Personally, the commercial attracted me in wanting to join the fitness program. It shows the fun aspect of the program, along with the fact that it is a workout. Also, it gives people the opportunity to try various workouts through their numerous sets of dvds. It allows potential buyers the opportunity to purchase online. This is a great way to use the web, as users are viewing advertisements on the web, pushing them to purchase right after.

__Sources__ Rosencrantz, Rene A. "Zumba Crazy: Latin-inspired Dance Workout Gains Popularity | MLive.com." //MLive//. 02 Aug. 2010. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. . NBC News. //Zumba Workout Craze Grows in Popularity//. //Happy News - Real News. Compelling Stories. Always Positive.// 02 Mar. 2010. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. .

//Zumba Web Ad//. Dir. Zumba. //YouTube//. 39 June 2009. Web. 02 Feb. 2011. .