Image Attribution: “VISA 1500-01 – Advertisement Analysis” by Abdul is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA. (See interactive map)
Abdul Shaan
Terryl Atkins
VISA 1500-01
January 21, 2021
Assignment 1: Part A
Originally made by the Japanese brand Honda this window poster is prominently displayed near the Rtr Performance entrance. It is a motorsports store located on the East Frontage road in Valleyview. Rtr specializes in selling all sorts of motorcycles along with all the associated gear. The poster shows a man riding his bike with a woman sitting in the back. The purpose of the ad is to appeal to consumers who might be in the market for a motorcycle.
The picture depicts a man riding across the country on his motorbike. Behind him is a woman with similar black leather clothing, and they both seem to be staring into the horizon with an expression of wonder and excitement. The blur of the road gives the impression that the bike is travelling at high speed, and in the background, we have what looks like blurred grasslands and behind that tall mountains. We can see only one text above their heads, which says cruise—edited to look like it has been stamped on the photo.
On a closer look, the thing that struck me the most was that even though it was an ad by a motorcycle company, the ad wasn’t trying to sell the bike in the photo but rather the lifestyle they portrayed came with owning a Honda bike. A lifestyle filled with thrill and adventure. The argument can be made here that they are also trying to show masculinity by mimicking patterns of behaviour or “Archetype” that have long been associated with manliness (Winchester, 2003).
Overall I think the ad does a pretty good job of getting the message across. Showing a fun outdoor lifestyle accounts for most of the consumer’s desires suggested by the recent growth in bike sales (Bubbers, 2020). The advertisement doesn’t affect me as I don’t know how to ride a bike. Therefore, I’m not in the target demographic of consumers.
As for this advertisement’s ecology, I would say it is placed very effectively to directly be seen from the road even by someone driving by. This gets even better when we consider the other store in the neighbourhood like Princess Auto and Lordco, which suggests that the chances of someone interested in this field are quite likely to commute using that road, therefore, coming across the ad.
Honda is quite a renowned brand worldwide who are known for their reliability and exceptional service. Consumer report places them in the top five most reliable motorcycles (Bartlett, 2015). As for sustainability, Honda has a solid track record with various Environmental Sustainability Initiatives and only a few recall here and there.
References
Bartlett, J. (2015). Who makes the most reliable motorcycle?
Bubbers, M. (2020, July 22). Motorcycle sales experience big rebound as a new generation of riders hits the trails. Retrieved from The Globe and Mail: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/mobility/article-motorcycle-sales-experience-big-rebound-as-a-new-generation-of-riders/
(2020). Honda Sustainabilty. Honda. Retrieved from Honda: https://global.honda/about/sustainability.html
Winchester, M. W. (2003). Masculine Scripting and the Mythology of Motorcycling. Journal of Interdisciplinary Gender Studies 7.1 & 2, 161.