Analysis: The purpose of the Eminem/Chrysler commercial was clearly to sell cars. It is selling an image of a strong American who has been knocked down and clearly gets back up time and time again. The images are strong, yet poetic. There was a clear choice in connecting Chrysler not only with the famous rapper, Eminem, but also with Motor City efficiently pointing out that if one wants a strong, American car, then one should buy from a company that builds cars in a strong, American city.
Audience: The Chrysler company is building an image of American strength in the video. While it is clearly male-dominated, with Eminem as the "lead character" and the narrator being male, there is still appeal to a female audience to want to attract a strong, American male who is tough, and yet seemingly sensitive. There is some strong competition for the appeal of tough American made car. It made me think of the Chevy Silverado commercial that uses the country western song "Strong". In the Chevy commercial, the ideals of Americana are portrayed very differently. The "main character" of that video is a hard-working mid-western man who uses his truck to make an honest living for his family. However, the glamour of the Chrysler commercial is lacking in the Chevy commercial.
Representation: The characters in the video are portrayed as fighters - who always manage to come out ahead. It is an urban view of a classic car. This is not necessarily a family car commercial, like the Volkswagen commercial. This is more of a luxury reward car that one treats himself to when he overcomes obstacles and finds himself still thriving.
Design: I think the images of Detroit were all specifically chosen to convey images of strength and stability. Detroit might not be thought of as one of the most glamorous cities, but this video showed that the city was resilient. The addition of the choir at the end of the commercial was also a smart choice because it showed diversification. Eminem was not used in this commercial to portray a rambunctious rapper; he was shown with class and style. Commercials are common place for the sale of cars, but this video plays up a glamorous and still strong image of a proud American product.
This commercial does do a great job of selling the city of Detroit as well as the car company. We all hear the bad things about it, but this makes me feel that the city is on a comeback, ready to sell me a car that has been made by people who care. You are right about the role of Eminem, he definitely exudes a class that we may not ever think of him as. He looks confident as he walks on the stage, they clearly want to increase our confidence in the car company as well!
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