Ford Tough vs. Mercedes Benz Cherise’ Bruce

Commercials of all kinds aim to target a specific set of audiences in any and all possible ways. Automobile commercials are no different. When comparing the audiences of a Ford F350 and a new Mercedes Benz, while the Ford truck appeals to younger men who can relate to getting dirty or getting their trucks dirty, the Mercedes Benz appeals to "higher class" men and women who may be "more mature, more socially conscience, and more sophisticated".

The audiences of the commercials are similar in a couple basic ways. In addetion, the audiences are people who are old enough to drive. This is a given fact. Secondly, the commercials appeal to people who are financially stable enough, to buy or lease a new car. Both commercials also stereotype the people they are appealing to.

A common stereotype of the upper class is that they are more mature, more socially conscience, and more sophisticated than other social classes. The Mercedes Benz commercial accentuates this stereotype in the language it uses, the lack of actors, and the lack of a theme song, which is common to other commercials. The Mercedes Benz commercial shows a sleek car winding through mountain roads at fast speeds. The language is very vivid. Also in the Mercedes Benz commercial, there are no actors, just a single narrator who describes the financial aspects of owning a Mercedes Benz, discusses crash test ratings and such, talks about how the car will impress the owner's friends, and lists various awards that the car has won. This appeals to a more sophisticated audience, because it uses more vivid language, and it is a common stereotype that with wealth and class comes a superior attitude, so the desire to impress friends is more appealing. "Lower class" commercials have jingles that are designed to be easily remembered, so that when customers go out to buy a product they remember the jingle and think about the product advertised by that jingle. The Mercedes Benz commercial does not have a jingle. This appeals to the "more sophisticated" audience because it once again stereotypes the upper class with a feeling of superiority that some may be able to relate to. The Mercedes commercial also appeals to both men and women, which appeals to the stereotype that higher class people have better educations, and would therefore be more inclined to feel that both sexes are equal.

The Ford F350