TOW #2 (Chevy Superbowl Commercial)

Superbowl XLVI took place on February 5th, 2012 during which a Chevy commercial debuted depicting the rumored apocalypse of December 21st, 2012. In the advertisement, the only survivors are revealed to be those who drive Chevy trucks. It is intended to be humorous, referencing several popular descriptions of the end of the world. The commercial is intended to entertain the Superbowl's 111.3 million viewers (The Guardian), while simultaneously promoting Chevy-made automobiles as reliable and long lasting. This is in an effort to continue the "Chevy Runs Deep" campaign, to show the long-lasting positive effects of owning a vehicle made by one of the most successful car manufacturers in the world. The commercial begins with views of a destroyed city, as well as a close-up on a newspaper describing the Mayan Apocalypse. These two shots quickly establish the context of the advertisement. The music that plays in the background sounds sad, but is not frightening or tense, so does not cause the viewer alarm. The subject of the commercial is made evident when a Chevy truck pulls out of a pile of rocks, which logically leads viewers to the conclusion that Chevy trucks can withstand disaster. The music then shifts to lyrics of "Looks like we made it!" and the camera shows the live driver and dog (a common duo in disaster films). The commercial appeals to humor as the car drives through areas of total chaos, depicting many different predictions of the apocalypse, ranging from giant robots to volcanoes to alien spacecraft. By using such imagery, the commercial establishes how tough a Chevy vehicle is designed to be. The protagonist then drives into a circle of survivors, all standing in front of their parked Chevy trucks, each of which represented a different generation or model. The viewer quickly makes the assumption that in order to survive the depicted apocalypse, one has to be driving a truck. The men all wear flannel or denim, some have beards, and all are cloaked in dirt. This makes another association for the audience, making the desirable stereotype that men who drive trucks are rugged and manly. The best use of rhetoric comes when the protagonist asks where his friend Dave is. It is explained that Dave did not survive, because he did not drive the "longest lasting, most dependable truck on the road," which is assumed to be a Chevy. This is confirmed when it is revealed that he drove a Ford. This acknowledges the competition between Chevy and Ford, but then makes it clear, at least in the context of the commercial, that owning a Chevy is the better option. I think the commercial does fulfill its purpose. It is very humorous, and brings the reader to several conclusions (all relating to how dependable a Chevrolet tuck is), whether they are aware of it or not.

Good to know Twinkies survive, too.