Each year, Super Bowl commercials become more popular and anticipated. Because of this, advertisers are putting more effort into their messages and videos. I chose to critique an ad by Kia Motors for their new Kia Seltos.
Automobile ads are my least favorite. I always feel annoyed when I get them; I am not any company's target market. They're always a re-hashed version of two scenes: a very shiny car doing something "impressive", and people doing something to spark emotion. But this ad was different. It begins with an up-close shot of a young African-American boy running. We see him run over a bridge, under a highway, and over a fence. A voice narrates as the boy runs, saying: "Sometimes I wonder what I would tell my younger self if I ever saw him." The camera switches focus to show Josh Jacobs, a running back for the Raiders, driving in a car and watching the young boy run. He gives the boy (his past self) advice. The next shot shows the boy sitting in the car with Jacobs, who continues to elaborate on his advice. As they arrive at their destination, Jacobs leaves his past self with the final advice: "Push yourself to be someone. And I promise someday, you will." As the younger version of Jacobs runs onto a football field, a scene of current-day Josh Jacobs is shown. Crowds are cheering and shouting his name-- he finally became someone, despite his turbulent childhood. The video ends with a few seconds devoted to the new Kia: it shows the car once, and then leaves the words "give it everything" (advice that Jacobs gave to his younger self).
I liked this commercial for several reasons. It was well-made. It varies in shots: we begin with an up-close and front shot of young Josh Jacob. You can hear him breathing heavily as he runs, and the camera bounces with each of his steps. The colors of most of the scenes are dark, which adds to the somber mood (Jacobs was homeless as a child). Various sounds are added to make the video more interactive: we hear dogs barking, a train's whistle, and the clink of a metal fence. It makes you feel like you're running with Josh and makes you wonder where he's headed.
The second reason I liked this commercial was that it didn't focus too much on the new Kia model. While there are a few shots of the Kia Seltos, most of the shots occur within the car. And Jacobs is the main focus: he briefly tells his life story in ways that many can relate to. He explains how he overcame challenges and became the person he is today. All of this makes the video feel much more personal and less commercial, which I think is a smart move for car ads.
I think the target market for this ad was Kia customers or potential Kia customers who relate to Jacob's message of overcoming challenges. The main message of this commercial was that life can be challenging but if you stay true to yourself, set goals, and work hard, you can achieve them. It presents a message of hope that is appealing to many people.
As I briefly mentioned before, the underlying message is of challenges and hope. Jacobs had a very difficult childhood. But despite economic challenges and familial problems, he found his passion in life, worked hard, and made his name known to the world. Thus, the underlying message is to "give it everything". Kia chose to connect this message to its brand, probably to imply that they support dreams, and their company works hard to improve their product and listen to consumers.
Overall, it was a good commercial. It was personal but not insincere. It had good shots and was aesthetically pleasing. And while some people might think that a car commercial should feature the car more, I thought this ad was well-made in its choice of model shots. It felt much more like a motivational story than a sales pitch, which I really liked.
Automobile ads are my least favorite. I always feel annoyed when I get them; I am not any company's target market. They're always a re-hashed version of two scenes: a very shiny car doing something "impressive", and people doing something to spark emotion. But this ad was different. It begins with an up-close shot of a young African-American boy running. We see him run over a bridge, under a highway, and over a fence. A voice narrates as the boy runs, saying: "Sometimes I wonder what I would tell my younger self if I ever saw him." The camera switches focus to show Josh Jacobs, a running back for the Raiders, driving in a car and watching the young boy run. He gives the boy (his past self) advice. The next shot shows the boy sitting in the car with Jacobs, who continues to elaborate on his advice. As they arrive at their destination, Jacobs leaves his past self with the final advice: "Push yourself to be someone. And I promise someday, you will." As the younger version of Jacobs runs onto a football field, a scene of current-day Josh Jacobs is shown. Crowds are cheering and shouting his name-- he finally became someone, despite his turbulent childhood. The video ends with a few seconds devoted to the new Kia: it shows the car once, and then leaves the words "give it everything" (advice that Jacobs gave to his younger self).
I liked this commercial for several reasons. It was well-made. It varies in shots: we begin with an up-close and front shot of young Josh Jacob. You can hear him breathing heavily as he runs, and the camera bounces with each of his steps. The colors of most of the scenes are dark, which adds to the somber mood (Jacobs was homeless as a child). Various sounds are added to make the video more interactive: we hear dogs barking, a train's whistle, and the clink of a metal fence. It makes you feel like you're running with Josh and makes you wonder where he's headed.
The second reason I liked this commercial was that it didn't focus too much on the new Kia model. While there are a few shots of the Kia Seltos, most of the shots occur within the car. And Jacobs is the main focus: he briefly tells his life story in ways that many can relate to. He explains how he overcame challenges and became the person he is today. All of this makes the video feel much more personal and less commercial, which I think is a smart move for car ads.
I think the target market for this ad was Kia customers or potential Kia customers who relate to Jacob's message of overcoming challenges. The main message of this commercial was that life can be challenging but if you stay true to yourself, set goals, and work hard, you can achieve them. It presents a message of hope that is appealing to many people.
As I briefly mentioned before, the underlying message is of challenges and hope. Jacobs had a very difficult childhood. But despite economic challenges and familial problems, he found his passion in life, worked hard, and made his name known to the world. Thus, the underlying message is to "give it everything". Kia chose to connect this message to its brand, probably to imply that they support dreams, and their company works hard to improve their product and listen to consumers.
Overall, it was a good commercial. It was personal but not insincere. It had good shots and was aesthetically pleasing. And while some people might think that a car commercial should feature the car more, I thought this ad was well-made in its choice of model shots. It felt much more like a motivational story than a sales pitch, which I really liked.
Great call outs on the commercial. To be honest, the first time I saw the commercial I didn't like it...I felt like it was forced and didn't line up with Kia's values. However, the second and third time I saw it I liked it a lot more as I focused on the "give it everything" message. I think it took me a few views to stop thinking of Kia as the hamster car company (a lot of their old ads had giant hamsters dancing, etc.) and let them change their brand identity to a more serious and impact focused tone.
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