The Chevy advert wants to make the viewers connect with the roots of the car. The commercial is basically aimed at showing the Chevy as ‘ an American car’. The Silverado is the product of a company that has built cars for a long time. Their cars have been associated with some of the historical events. As such the Silverado is a product of experience and is meant to serve the American people. It has used clips from the Martin Luther King Jnr ‘ I have a dream, speech, The landing of Neil Armstrong on the moon and the Hurricane Katrina.
Showing martin Luther king Jnr in the commercial as the theme song progresses with the words “ I believe there is a dream for everyone” is aimed at provoking the mind of the potential customer that the Silverado is their dream car. It is also a car for the entire American population; black or white. The use of the images of Armstrong on the moon shows it can be viewed as a truck of prestige. The landing of man on the moon was a prestigious occasion for America. The technology involved in doing it could also suggest that the Chevy is a technologically advanced truck. There are images of the hurricane’s devastating effects with an older make of the Chevy being used for the reconstruction. This portrays the Chevy brand as reliable trucks.
The three historical events have all brought the American people together. It could be in different fronts but their happening has brought a sense of unity to the country. The Martin Luther King brought the fight for civil rights and won the fight against racial segregation. This united the American races. The landing on the moon for the first time also brought Americans together in pride. The hurricanes that have devastated the people of America have also seen the country unite in agony and gloom. The larger picture is that the car is a unifying factor. They show the Silverado as a car with rich history and indispensable value. Chevy has used these events in their commercial effectively but not accurately. If the events were to compel the buyers, they should have had more emphasis laid on them. The events should have been played slowly. The commercial is very fast paced and has a very busy theme with so many clips flashing by. However, the average American should understand the context.
Apart from the used historical events, Chevy could have considered the use of the bombing of the W. T. O. It would have portrayed the vehicle as a strong truck against the background of the falling houses. This would not be any different from the Hurricane Katrina event. It was a gloomy time fort the country and the people were united in shock and grief. If anything, it would have served better. They could also have used an image of their very first car at the beginning of the commercial. Just like the landing on the moon, it would portray innovation and pride. T would also have the touch of growth and continuity as they show other models up to the Silverado as the commercial progressed.
The commercial is a trial of showing the American people as united and communal. It has portrayed them as industrious and innovative. It has showed some hallmarks of our history and the history of the Americans.
