volkswagen

 

 

This Volkswagen commercial first appeals to our emotions (pathos) by presenting us with a typical frustrating, mundane Monday; it opens with the elevator scene in which the occupants are complaining about this day. The stereotypical feeling in which one usually feels about Mondays is negative. The appeal to pathos is also expressed when the guy is having bad luck with the drink machine; it’s not working properly. This demonstrates the feeling of frustration.

As the commercial progresses from the beginning, these negative connotations towards Mondays are positively transformed as the viewer is introduced to the guy who appears in the elevator. He tries to brighten everyone’s day and bring a smile to their faces. For example, he extracts parts of Bob Marley’s famous song, “Every little thing is gonna be alright,” and says, “Everything will be alright.” He also tells Julia, “Turn that frown the other way around.”

Not only does this commercial appeal to our emotions, but one may also find it appealing to humor because of the accent in which the cheerful guy talks. It sounds like a Jamaican accent that one would hear in a reggae song.

As the commercial comes to an end, we see the lively, energetic guy in a conference room full of business workers with dull, emotionless faces. Subsequently, he says, “You know what this room needs—a smile.” His manners, emotions, and cheerful personality positively transform the initial bland faces into the smiling, jubilant ones in which they become as they’re sitting in the Volkswagen. Furthermore, a song plays in the background with lyrics “Come on, and get happy!” This song is a perfect fit for this commercial because it represents what one will feel if he buys a Volkswagen.

 One can clearly conclude that the main purpose of this commercial is to convince the viewer that he will experience happiness if he chooses “the power of German works,” a Volkswagen.