1/25/2013
The Hyundai Hybrid Hype The advertisers for the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid have tucked the slogan and theme for their ad on the line following the company name, and the make and model of the automobile, they are showcasing. In very small fine print, almost subliminally, it whispers to the reader from the corner of the page, “New thinking for new possibilities.” The ad graphically depicts a pastoral landscape of beautiful trees softly backlit by the golden glow of sunshine. In the middle of the page, an image of a man dressed in a suit and tie with a jet pack on his back flies through the sky on his way to work or an important meeting. An androgynous figure of what could be his spouse waves good bye to him from the balcony of a very large, architecturally modern, 3 story glass and steal beamed home. In the foreground of the ad is the star of the show; an icy blue Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The Sonata Hybrid sits on a drive way bed of tiny peat gravel with a border of stone. Coupled with the statement, “New thinking for new possibilities,” and the image that accompanies it, there leaves little room for doubt that the ad for the Sonata Hybrid by Hyundai was designed specifically to appeal to the reader’s pathos and ethos, while the use of logos in this ad is questionable. Hyundai is relying on our pathos, or sympathies, for the well-being of the planet in this Earth conscious, eco-friendly, age of the 21st century. The overall intent of this pictorial image is to play to our presumed understanding that we are now living in the modern age of hybrid vehicles. The advertiser expects us to accept the fact that it will not be long before we will all be flying off to work with our jet packs and using our hybrid vehicles only for trips with the family or other groups of people. But, for now, if we care anything for the environment, the very least we can do is buy the hybrid. Ethos plays a moderate role here by asking us to trust Hyundai because they have our future and our best interest at heart by hybridizing one of their standard vehicles. Americans have long been targets of the wizards of the advertising world of Madison Avenue and their attempts to play on a company’s trustworthiness. This especially holds true when dealing with our ever changing obsession with saving our planet and our need to nurture the environment. Whether Global warming is real or imagined is irrelevant in today’s advertising market. The agencies responsible for mass marketing the global warming phenomenon have found willing participants in the American public. Hyundai is only the latest automobile manufacturer to use this approach with their new hybrid, the Sonata. The trust factor here is directed at a select few consumers since we can all probably acknowledge that those who will buy the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid are going to be limited. Hybrid cars are not the most cost efficient vehicles to purchase, and Hyundai had to spend a few million, if not tens of millions, of dollars researching and developing this product, so compared to the standard model, it isn’t cheap. The market will be fairly small for those that will spend more on a hybrid than the identical non-hybrid vehicle simply to be eco-conscious and Hyundai is well aware of that. Therefore, ethos is really not a huge issue since the ad campaign is focused on a specific consumer group that is looking to buy a hybrid, Hyundai or not. It would be difficult to make the argument that this ad depicts much, if any, logos. There is not much logic involved, at least not yet, with the imagery of a man strapped with a jet pack on his back flying through the air in a suit and tie, off to a business meeting or to work. We do live in a modern age, but jet packs speak to a more futuristic, than contemporary, society. This is a prime example of advertisers utilizing forward thinking to capture our attention and it certainly does just that, but no real logos in the true definition of that word. The logical fallacy here can be found in the fact that although we may have the knowledge to build and utilize jet packs, we do not use them in the general public on a daily basis as an accepted type of transportation. The real thrust of this ad is being played strongly on our pathos by relying on our modern sympathies to be eco-friendly and take responsibility for our planet. In the advertising world any product that people are convinced of as being “good for us” is almost a sure thing. Just look at the booming vitamin supplement industry if there is any doubt. Advertising agencies are paid to find a sympathetic approach to peddle their client’s wares, and we are all too eager to give them a chance, especially if we believe they have our best interest at heart. More often than not, it becomes irrelevant if we can afford the product if the ad agency can accomplish these two feats. After all, we are modern Americans, it is the 21st century, and we are called to do our ecological duty by driving a hybrid and thus reducing our Carbon footprint. Why wouldn’t we want to? We should. Hyundai is counting on our sense of adventure, and more importantly, our sense of responsibility and driving a Sonata Hybrid by Hyundai will do just that! Remember: “New thinking for new possibilities.”

Works Cited
Sonata Hybrid by Hyundai. Advertisement. GQ 12 (December 2011): n. pag. Print.