Advertising. Sucks. There, I said it.

A while ago I wrote a piece (or to use hiphop slang, I spit a joint, yadda yadda) in which I claimed Honda advertisments were religious in nature.

And thank you Gus, but no matter where the mod culture began, and regardless of whether or not Honda has co-opted it with factory mods and such, it’s still religious in nature. I say this because they’re not selling the car on the basis of it’s intrinsic quality, but because they’re selling mystique. They’re involved in the same business as many religions, at least partially; you become a part of a groupthink, a culture, an ideal. Something that unites people. And that is part of the appeal of religion, is it not? Okay, so they’re not saying believe on the Honda and thou shalt be saved, not out loud. But they are saying believe in the Honda and thou shalt be cool. The difference is that people nowadays are more concerned with image than with value; saved is value, cool is image. Their religion is just better-tailored to the masses of today.

No tag for this post.
Posted September 13th, 2004 in main.

7 comments:

  1. Philosopher king:

    They aren’t selling anything - They are showing you what they are and in an attempt to play on your cultural experiance showing you that they are united .. so if you look for a bunch of people to call your groupie .. then purchase a civic…

    Religious, Uh, I guess in a narrow view I could agree..

    It’s public relations.. not avertising, The goal is to ride off the hype.. and as a result of the “mass amounts of bloddy civics” tempt you into thinking that because there are lots, it must be good…. and if you want the groupie.. purchase a civic..

    [im aware of my repetition.]

    Isn’t all brand loyalty ,however, something of a religious nature ? I mean, I love mazda - but its not like I don’t know anything else…

    I bought my car not because It’s a mazda.. but rather that it suited my needs… and objectively I liked it .. just as mutch as subjectively at that..

    I looked at fords, vw’s, hondas , a few select gm products [mostly oldschool cars though] a pontiac of some form… anyway.. lots of things. but advertising had very little to do with my purchase into my “religion” :P

    Advertising from Honda has to do with Image of the company, You should do more research into their advertising [more so in the states then here] You will find they try and present to a very specific target market by making certain features [perhaps even useless] seem like.. “da shit” and based on the word on the street can sell vehicles.. The problem I see is that Honda virtually needs no advertising because If you don’t buy a civic.. the next person [ confused in my mind.. lol.] will …

    Anyway.. I agree so mutch as to say That their advertising is somewhat unique… and does come close to “religious” in nature..
    However the car IS sold on its quality .. and those who buy it for the Groupie are getting quality anyway.. The tuner market of brand new civics is soo minute … the majority of civic owners are not looking for the car as a mystique.. but rather as a good form of transportation, regardless of what you would like to apply to the add… The coupe btw is the “racing” one…

    Sorry Dax I still have to many reservations on this one..

    note the following from Honda http://autonet.ca/AutonetStories/Spotlight/Stories.cfm?StoryID=11354

    Honda states it’s looking at several markets that would be attracted by the newly redesigned Civic, which is made in Alliston (Ontario). The company expects the Sedan to be popular with families and those of over 30-years of age, while the coupe is expected to attract age-groups slightly younger, and mostly female buyers, as recent trends have shown female buyers account for 55 per cent of Civic coupe sales.

    September 13th, 2004 at 12:21 pm
  2. Scatterfingers:

    I didn’t say it was entirely religious. I said it had a religious component. I said it had religious overtones. Of course as a company they’re not trying to start a religion in order to sell cars. The real point of this all is that marketing in general is religiously-themed.

    They’re using universal themes present in all religions to move product; the fact that this co-incides with our culture’s religion of consumtion is not really a co-incidence after all, wouldn’t you agree?

    Honda in specific and marketing partners in general aren’t converting people — they’re preaching to the choir. Our religion of materialism states that more and better makes happier. They’re just marketing to the converted.

    In that sense, very, very religious in nature. And it bothers me, because I tend to materialism myself; the attraction to a car with that tradition of community isn’t lost on me at all.

    Also, check out your statement. They aren’t selling anything - They are showing you what they are and in an attempt to play on your cultural experiance showing you that they are united .. so if you look for a bunch of people to call your groupie .. then purchase a civic…”What kind of fool commercial isn’t about selling what it’s about? Maybe I’m missing the point here, but it seems to me that the groupies and the cars and intertwined, and that selling one is selling the other. Even you said “purchase a civic”. I rest my case.

    September 14th, 2004 at 11:28 am
  3. Philosopher king:

    Your right, CHECK MY STATEMENT :)

    They aren’t selling anything.. refuring to the aforsaid comment by you, ” but because they’re selling mystique” They aren’t selling it based on materialism even though that might be the hook that catches you..

    “Even you said, purchase a civic” Yeah, But I also can tell people to go to hell .. Your point ? [one and the same for me actually .. lol] If you wish to purchase the groupie that you see around you .. do it.. But if you wish to purchase a civic based on it’s tract record then purchase it knowing that the commercial hasn’t done anything to you :)

    “honda advertisments were religious in nature” - Sorry I din’t think that that meant.. ” had religious under/over tones..

    From a marketers point of view You want to play on what people do.. You don’t care what that is, only so far as how to best call out to it,

    Could you attempt to figure out who the target market is with “civic nation” like demographically .. It would warm my heart :)

    September 14th, 2004 at 12:11 pm
  4. Scatterfingers:

    Back to the original advertisement, then.

    1) The advertisement it meant to sell cars. This is what advertising does. It sells things.

    2) The advertisment in question (like many others) isn’t selling the car based on the car per se. The car is involved in the ad, but only in a cursory manner.

    3) The ad focuses on the mystique, the clique, that whatever of owning a Honda Civic. Not the Honda Civic — that is to say the engineering specs, the quality record, the manufacturing prowess, or any of those things — of owning a Honda Civic.

    4) The ad appeals to a base human emotion, that is, the feeling of wanting to belong. This is a big part of most religions, especially most cults.

    5) This “being part of bigger something” is thus religious in nature, has religious overtones; call it what you will. I specifically used the word “overtones” in the original, if you recall.

    6) The religion is secretly materialism. Material (the Honda Civic) will gain you acceptance (the groupies).

    I don’t see how it can be anything else. Frankly, I don’t care what the marketing department wanted to do, or what they thought they were doing, but rather what they did. That is to say they appealed to a base human instinct. It’s irrelevant what the demographic is, then, unless you consider the entire human race to be a valid demographic descriptor.

    Also, if materialism is the hook that catches you, based on the fact that they’re selling a car via mystique, how is that different than saying “Your materialism causes you to believe that the Honda Civic will give you inclusion into something”? My point was that you invalidated your own argument by claiming they weren’t selling anything and then turning around and talking about how people purchase Civics based on ads.

    September 14th, 2004 at 3:35 pm
  5. Philosopher king:

    Advertising sells very little. I don’t care what you think they did, the fact is they still did something else :)

    I didn’t invalidate my point because you assumed my point was that they aren’t selling HONDAS.. My point is that they are not selling you a religion of Honda.. they are preaching to you , the choir who is allready predisposed to the “word on the street” about the civic.. and you mearly accept that as reality..

    If you want to call it religious.. it is a religious document geared at those who are allready in the religion - Not materialism but rather “hondaism”

    Advertising does very little for companies if they don’t have a valid name backing the add.. A simple search of the past years from around 97 and up..will attest to you that advertising does very little for a company [ in fact it has killed many ! ] if they have no name to go behind it..

    Explain religious attitudes of Walmart adds ? Materialism.. ? low low prices ?
    Well you and I know that wallymart sells alot of crap.. but yet they do exceptionaly well .. WHY ? because the product and advertising are geared towards a certain portion of people..

    Its about a companies image dax.. You can keep saying im invalidating this and that.. Most likely.. Why ? cuse Im stupid.. But I do study marketing.. and have whisked this idea of yours off to some people who know more than I ever will hope to.. and so far.. Your P.R. Is great .. but your advertising sucks…

    Lol.. I don’t mean to cause a stink.. but I thInk I forgot what were actually debating anymore.. I agree that if you wanted to project religion on the add you can.. but that isn’t what it is.. sorry..

    September 14th, 2004 at 4:47 pm
  6. Scatterfingers:

    That the stupidest thing you’ve ever said. If advertising doesn’t in the end sell things, why do they spend so much money on it? Public service. Come on. It’s the point of advertising to sell things.

    Let me ask you this: if all these people were pre-disposed to buy Hondas already, why the ad? This Honda-ism you talk about is a function of materialism, plain and simple.

    You can pull out all the marketing studies and PR reps and tell me how you need a name to sell products. But you keep forgetting that I’m not talking about Honda’s overall strategy; you focus on what they were trying to do, and the market data they used behind it. If you tried for a moment to be objective, you might notice that all of those things are irrelevant. The religion of the ads in unconscious, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there.

    September 15th, 2004 at 3:22 am
  7. Anonymous:

    Its me, I don’t know my account stuff..

    Stupidest thing I’ve ever said ? If you would be objective for a moment and look up some marketing info.. You might just see that advertising isn’t what sells, it’s what fuels talk…

    Your still applying what you wish onto this add, I am taking what it is designed to do. Now if you would like to say that the creators who made the add to the directed audience “target market” are reveling in materialism and thats why they can’t help but put the “religious elements” in the add You might have a point.. but to say that the add is religious.. Is bunk.. sorry man.. still not convinced.

    Once again.. something from honda..

    “Honda searched Southern California for the most aggressively styled Civics on the road. We found over 100 Civic owners who happily agreed to show off their customized vehicles to the nation. It’s all a part of a unique TV campaign that showcases the free expression and creativity of Civic owners”

    Materialsim might not be the religion, Free expression might be :)

    I think materialism is something you project upon something, like when it comes to buying a … civic… It isn’t the cheapist car to purchase as is.. but its not to say that it is a rip off…

    I still find it darn hard to accept religion as having much to do with the final product. Because then wouldn’t most adds be religious in nature ? speaking to the “YOU NEED THIS” materialistic nature of humanity..

    I reiterate - I accept the idea that it can be religious, but Still don’t hold that religious nature towards the creator , but rather the viewer of the adds.

    September 15th, 2004 at 8:19 am

Leave a response: