Volkswagen Precision Parking
At first glance, the message behind
this
Volkswagen is advertising their new
technology that helps the driver park in tight spaces without hitting other
cars. The alignment of the fish in the bags and the porcupine resembles the
scene of parallel parking spaces and the tight squeezes driver often must make.
The porcupine quills are centimeters from popping the bags where the goldfish
reside. The diagonal pattern does not allow the actual amount of space to show
between the fish and the porcupine, but the gist of the message is still easily
attainable.
This advertisement seems to be very
effective. The use of animals instead of people typically appeals to a wider
range of viewers. People also seem to be more sympathetic and understanding
with animals. The possibility of the porcupine, which represents the viewer,
harming the fish creates an unsettling feeling. By using a porcupine with sharp
quills surrounded by fish in bags, the creator of the ad appeals to an
emotional side of the viewers when they represent humans as animals.
The main emotion provoked is fear.
There is a sense of fear with the goldfish so close to death because of the
porcupine. This fear the image creator brings up relates to that when drivers
are forced to park in tight spaces and Volkswagen shows that their technology
can help prevent that fear.
The scene in the advertisement also
adds a sense of humor and irony. It is ironic that a porcupine would ever be in
such close quarters with goldfish in bags. This effectively proves how accurate
the Volkswagen park assist technology is.
By using the comparison of the
porcupine to the viewer and the fish to other drivers, the viewer can easily
relate to the struggle of parallel parking. The visual representation the
creator uses portrays our societal dislike of parallel parking. Volkswagen
nonverbally states that their cars can help society with its fear of parking.
The design of the advertisement is also
very effective and appealing to the eye. The white background allows for good
contrast with the fish in the bags and the porcupine. The placement of the
porcupine follows the rule of thirds and lies at the intersection of the
vertical and horizontal lines.
The viewer’s eye is instantly drawn
to the out of place porcupine. This focal point is proportional to the sizes of
the fish and the bags the fish are in. Both the size and placement of the
porcupine are pleasing to look at.
The dark colors of the porcupine
balance out the light background and the light color of the fish bags. The
orange of the goldfish creates a nice pop of color that adds a little bit of
drama to the advertisement.
Diagonally aligning the animals
creates eye flow from the porcupine to all of the fish. Even though there is
good eye flow, the placement of the text may stand out a little more in a
different location.
Looking at the laws of Gestalt
Theory in terms of continuity, the viewer has a line of direct eye flow to the
top right corner that has the website link. This is important because without
this diagonal line of fish and a porcupine, the viewer could easily skip over
information about where to find these Volkswagen cars with park assist
technology.
Volkswagen made a smart choice to go with
such a lighthearted and humorous advertisement for their precision parking
technology. The coloring and the placement of the focal point in the ad create
a pleasurable sight for the viewer. The caption and website URL are both placed
thoughtfully but the URL is in a more effective place in regards to the eye
flow of the image. Even so, the ad is deemed a success.
Maybe for the first time ever, a porcupine
and bags of fish do go together.
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