I find it very interesting to see just how much an ad can pidgeonhole the demographic it wants to reach. Mercedes Benz brought out this advertisement during the Superbowl, for its new Mercedes Benz CLA. The automobile is clearly geared towards the 24-32 year old male demographic, for a whole host of reasons:
– It is priced at under 30,000 dollars, making it a reasonably affordable car for a young professional or tradesperson.
– Kate Upton is featured in this ad, as well as the whole ad campaign. She is widely considered by many 20-something males as one of the best looking models gracing magazines and advertising worldwide, and is an easily recognizable name for most men this age.
– Willem Dafoe, playing the Devil in the ad, is a widely recognizable villain for this demographic of men, stemming from his role as the Green Goblin in Spiderman, a movie many men now able to buy this car saw as teenagers.
– Usher, a musician whose career has also grown with the musical tastes of the target demographic, is featured with the ad’s protagonist dancing. His lifestyle is probably something this typical male would want to be involved in.
– Wired magazine and GQ are both popular magazines for the 20-something male, and they are both featured in the ad, with the protagonist gracing their cover. These magazines appeal to the interest in the high roller, gentlemen’s lifestyle and techno-savvy image men this age like to convey.
– This ad was shown at the Superbowl, an obvious event for the intended audience to watch.
Mercedes Benz knew exactly who they wanted to sell this car to, and exactly what buttons to push. This is an example of simple, effective marketing that targets a demographic and goes straight for the wallet. It was successful.
Sources:
http://ca.askmen.com/celebs/women/model/kate-upton/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIgRFQv92dM
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/04/02/mercedes-benz-cla-suv-diesel-sales/2044331/
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