I refer to the advertisement “The Arte at Thomson” by the City Developments Limited published on The Sunday Times on 21st June 2009 Home Section.
Selling the Arte’s executive apartments highlighting “Affluence Made Affordable Arrival Made Grand”, this advertisement has a huge photo plastered in the centre. Instead of using the usual pictures that place importance on condominium facilities, the stunning views of the city skyline from the sky villas, the main photo of the advertisement actually features a Mercedes parked right in front of the condominium’s lobby. I think that the advertisers are trying to borrow the image of the Mercedes to raise the condominium’s image. The Mercedes is what many Singaporeans recognize as a classic luxurious car. Contrastingly, the features and facilities are printed in miniscule together with a tiny photo of the night view of the condominium blocks at the bottom left corner of the comparatively large advertisement that took up almost the whole of the page, which gives me the idea that they were perhaps banking more on the “Mercedes image” rather than what they themselves have to offer. The advertisers in this case want to influence people to match the idea of the level of luxury of the car with the “class” and hence “quality” of their apartments – affluent people who drive Mercedes live at ‘The Arte’; so, to be affluent or look affluent, you have to live at The Arte.
This newspaper ad was published in The Sunday Times. This clearly shows that the advertisers (gatekeeper) want to get their announcement across the general public, in fact, as many people as possible in Singapore through this form of the Mass Media by printing their advertisement in the broadsheet paper which most people read to attract anyone with (or without) the financial means to purchase an apartment for a better life. After all, the broadsheet is what most people read every day; rich people read the newspaper; the not-as-rich people also read the newspaper. Newspapers allow us to get the latest news without having to glue our eyes to the television at a particular time every evening or to listen really carefully for the news on the radio.
The advertisers are hoping that some people will fall under the “Powerful Effects Theory”, where the mass media was said to have strong effects on passive audiences, influencing audiences in the direction of advertisers’ intent. However, most people still fall under the Moderate effects models, where the ability of the media to influence its audiences remains.
As Shaw and McCombs say,” The mass media may not be successful in telling us what to think, but they are stunningly successful in telling us what to think about.” Although I did not succumb to the temptations of wanting to get a premium apartment at The Arte’s after reading the advertisement; however, this commercial has for a moment made be imagine how it would be like if I can ever afford a luxurious apartment. :)
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12 comments:
It is definitely an interesting point that you brought up about the developers riding on the Mercedes image for their own product development.
It is obvious that you were not their target audience when they ran the advertisement. We can also make some references why they chose THe Sunday times(a broadsheet) paper instead of The Newpaper to run their ad. Or would you know if they have similar ad in the other local Newspapers?
I believe somehow mass media has influenced us in any kind of ways. The thing is most of the time, when the issue given and we are not interested towards it we usually just take it for granter where we most of the time cannot be bothered. But if the issue is so interest us, we usually will put attention towards it. Therefore, may be mass media is indeed a very effective influence towards the audience, if the issue in it is attractive.
I think the Mercedes car is there to give a sense of "prestige" to the apartments. Another way to look at it is that it appeals to the reader's sense of wanting to be special. Inside everyone of us there is some level of elitism. The desire to be a part of something special, accessible to only oneself and a small group of like minded individuals.
This ad caters to that latent elitist mindset present in all of us. We know that not many can casually afford a Mercedes car, hence have a perception of the prestige a Mercedes car non-verbally communicates. That same sense of prestige would translate to the apartments in this ad.
To own on of these apartments would equate the owner to being "special" like how one would own a Mercedes car.
hi mytake101, I don't think condominium commercials like these are published on papers like the newpaper, but i wouldn't be surprised if i see them in the chinese broadsheet too. Yes, i am definitely not their targetted audience, maybe that is why i managed to see the "loophole" of this advertisement.
yes, surely they will not run their ad in The Newpaper as it is a tabloid newspaper whose main readers will never be able to afford such a condominium unit. I think even european car brands such as mercedes use only the broadsheet to promote their products.
The ad was trying to bring up its status such that it equates that of the mercedez. that's like "if you want to look rich you need to own the merz" evolving into "if you want to look rich you need to own the merz and the condo".Creating this effect that this condo and the cars are both complimentary in making individuals look good.
While I personally prefer an image of a beautiful cityscape against the backdrop of a sunset, this advertisement method of using one thing to promote another is widely used.
It may not always be cars or products; most advertisements make use of famous celebrities to promote particular brands. This, in a way, is also a form of what I would call 'power-lending', riding on the image of one thing to promote another.
Surprisingly, it works.
After looking at the advertisement, I am wondering if Arte paid Mercedez to feature its car in the ad? It does interest me. Imagine driving a beautiful car back to a beautiful apartment. That's life! This should be what the ad was trying to show..
I agree with you, gamemaker,that this advertisement is probably borrowing the prestige of the merz. It is slightly different, though not entirely like when we get skimpily dressed models to pose beside cars in adverts. The most important part about adverts nowadays is not really to explain all about the product in great detail, but instead to raise interest and awareness within the public.
Another viewpoint i feel that the advertisers are trying to make is "If you own a Mercedes, you should own an apartment in Arte."
Since the cost of that condominium is not within most of our reach, the advertisement can be said to target the richer ones. While the advertisers have noted the Powerful Effects Theory, they might have failed to realise that it might have limited effects. For one, a group of this rich people might be already staying at a place better than this. Hence, they would easily ignore this advertisement.
Actually, I feel that it is not necessary for the advertisers to borrow Mercedes' brand name. Arte is located at Thomson, which is an area one would associate with the affluent. While i agree that Mercedes does elevate the status of Arte, Arte could have achieved it all the same by simply mentioning that it is situated at Thomson, the widely acknowledged area of residence for the rich.
I second jy.'s comment. The advertising of Arte's was already at one of the last phases, could it be that they just ran out of photos?
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