AD ANALYSIS
Tata Motors launched in 2012, a poster in Malaysia which aimed to promote their new car, Tata Nano and also to promote the safety of the civilians by offering a safer and cheaper option of transportation. The advertisement text – ‘change the burden’ tries to convince the Malaysian families which are poor and are in large numbers the dangers of travelling by bikes or second-hand cars. This is depicted by the big picture in the advertisement that shows 5 people sitting on a bike and they all look very uncomfortable and the lady at the back is almost falling off the bike. Tata Nano solves this problem as since it is cheaper the lower middle class Malaysian families can now afford it. It is a much safer option as large families can fit into it comfortably and it is less expensive. It costs only around RM8,330.
The advertisement aims to sell to the lower class Malaysian families that have large families and low income. The purpose of this advertisement is to sell cheap, small cars to those who, until now, could only afford motorcycles. The writer uses an informal form of English, which is most likely understood by Malaysians and contains influences from the Malaysian language. Another purpose of the advertisement is to make the public aware of the various dangers of civil transportation and to familiarize them with the Malaysian law which states that a motorcyclist will be fined if he is carrying more than 2 passengers on his bike. It is very common in Malaysia for more than 2 people to ride on one bike. Hence the law is mentioned in the advertisement to increase the public awareness.
Content-wise, the ad depicts an unsafe situation with 5 people on one motorcycle. It describes a Malaysian law regarding motorcycle restriction and its dangers and consequences. It shows a safer alternative mode of civil transportation which is the Tata Nano. In the advertisement it is shown by the use of the question – ‘Now you can afford it, why still go for the motorcycle?’ that the Tata Nano is a much safer and a reliable option of transportation than the bike. It also shows the contrast between the dangerous motorcycle and the safe, affordable car which costs only around RM8, 330.
At first the tone of the text is quite sinister. It puts the reader in a wary and cautionary mood. The advertisement talks about the dangers of having more than 2 passengers on a motor bike and about endangering their own lives. They include a rhetorical question- ‘If you have a car to greet and send them off, why you want to take risks? The word ‘you’ is used to speak directly to the reader to try and convince the reader that he is jeopardizing his life as well as his family’s by using a motorbike for transportation. Towards the end of the advertisement the mood is empowering as he is offered a safe and cheap solution to his problems- the ‘Tata Nano’ which is available for only RM8, 330 while a motorcycle costs around RM 6, 900 – 9,600. The people feel a sense of security and safety when they read the advertisement because the advertisement informs them of the dangers of a motor bike while at the same time offers a simple solution for their problems.
The text is very direct, as it refers to 'You'. Lines like "You can afford it" activates the readers. The word ‘You’ is repeated many times in the advertisement to create emphasis on the word. ‘You’ is used to speak directly to the reader. Tata Motors is now directly speaking to the readers to take action to cut down the probability of accidents and to value their lives. The advertisement also makes use of vibrant and bright colours like blue and yellow to capture the attention of the readers. The picture in the advertisement is drawn very big to capture the attention of the readers quickly. There is only one literary device used in the advertisement and that is rhetorical questions like – Why do you want to take risks? and Why still go for a motorcycle? The advertisement does not want the answers to these questions but wants to make readers aware of the dangers of riding a motorcycle and wants to offer a solution to these dangers which is the Tata Nano. The advertisement also uses a non-standardized form of English like – ‘The Tata Nano is costs around RM8, 330’ purposely so that the Malaysian people can have a better understanding of the advertisement.
The advertisement has all the common structural devices of an advertisement. It contains a heading – ‘Change the Burden’ that is used to signify the importance of the Tata Nano over the motorbike. It contains a prominent image – the big picture of the 5 people sitting on a motorbike that is used to show the dangers of a motor bike and the benefits of a Tata Nano. It also contains the signature of the advertiser – the Tata Motors sign and the picture of a Tata Nano shown at the lower right hand corner