Advertisements Built Ford Tough Essay Research Paper

Advertisements Built Ford Tough Essay, Research Paper The target audience throughout the 129-year history of Popular Science magazine has traditionally been working age males. The advertisements within that magazine reflect the audience in whom they are attempting to reach. From new technological gadgets to old-fashioned tools, the advertisers know what will be attractive to the reader, and to the reader?s wallet. Of these advertisers, the most popular by far have been those from the automotive industry. The Ford Motor Company has chosen to strategically advertise within the pages of this magazine on numerous occasions and with various ads that were meant to lure new customers into buying Ford vehicles. It is interesting to notice that the styles of these advertisements are

schemed with just the right qualities to attract as many male consumers as possible. The January, 2001 issue of Popular Science depicts a classic, two-page advertisement from the Ford Motor Company displaying its new F-150 SuperCrew pickup truck. From the colors of the ad, to the write-up found on the pages, it is very clear that the purpose was to attract males by using some of advertising?s basic appeals. The advertisement appeals to men by providing an outlet for their need for affiliation, the need to aggress, and the need to dominate. One of the most common appeals toward men in advertising is concerning the need for affiliation among men. This advertisement depicts a photograph of six hard-working men performing various duties ? all around a brand new Ford truck. Above this

photograph is another picturing six empty styrofoam cups of coffee. These subtle innuendoes are intended to support one of the major themes of the ad ? that this particular truck provides seating for six. The way the cups are pictured, lying atop of one another supports the idea that many men hold that friendship and comradeship is greatly important to the success of their lives. Another detail supporting this idea is the fact that the men in the picture are dressed primarily the same. They all wear dark jeans, dark work shoes, and white tee shirts. This gives an impression of uniformity, and of the need for affiliation with friends and co-workers. The advertisement inconspicuously displays a sense of belonging ? if the reader decides to buy a new Ford truck! The need to aggress

is depicted by quite a few aspects of this ad. First of all, the strong lettering at the tops of both pages of this advertisement depict a sort of cynicism toward mainstream thinking ? a sort of ?go against the flow? mentality. The largest words are written in black and white and read, ?I don?t?? This type of skeptical behavior is felt by many people ? especially men — who are trying to establish themselves as independent of their wives and others. The skepticism is continued in the rest of the wording: ?I don?t ?bring anything to the party.? I bring the party.? It continues by stating, ?Houses don?t raise themselves. And it?s amazing how much of the job is still done by hand. If your truck can carry six guys?well you do the math.? Many men feel tamed at home. They become

fathers and husbands who fear losing their own identities. This ad demonstrates the right of these men to be who they want to be and accomplish what they want to accomplish ? as long as they have a truck big enough to hold their friends and coworkers. The final appeal is directed toward the need for men to dominate. Male masculinity is considered crucial to male independence. Many men often feel the need to impress others with their masculinity by showing a dominating nature. This advertisement portrays the dominating nature men often desire to possess by modeling guys who each look to be in control of their jobs. Each model is performing a separate task, in which everyone seems to be dominant. And who would be the most dominant in the picture but the owner of the truck? The red