It's an extreme (mini) adventure!

The above advert utilises the extreme situation template as proposed by Goldenberg, Mazursky and Solomon (1999), in particular the extreme attribute version of the template, to promote the qualities of the mini roadster vehicle.

 

The advert uses the extreme, if not clichéd, film –like scenario, of hanging precariously off of a cliff to sell the notion that purchasing a mini roadster and the extreme adventuring this will provide or enable may lead to unexpected consequences. To this extent the advert also utilises another of the templates championed by Goldenberg, Mazursky and Solomon (1999), the consequences template. The advert uses both the extreme situation and consequences templates to promote the unique selling point of the mini roadster, epitomised in the vehicle’s slogan “Another day, another adventure”; with purchase of the mini roadster will come unprecedented excitement and adventure.

 

The advert alongside other adverts in the “mini-adventure” series utilises a narrative, a story associated with the product or characters within the advert which engages the viewer, creating a sense of familiarity, intrigue and anticipation, (Gurevitch, 2009). We want to be witness to the next instalment of the saga, or in this case, adventure on which the mini and its passengers may embark. In this instance, the mini and its extreme adventuring capabilities, have caused the passengers themselves to end up in an extreme predicament. It is hyperbolic, but stresses the excitement and extreme motoring possibilities open to owners of the new mini roadster. Any severe or extreme consequences experienced (hanging off of a cliff) will have been well worth the adventure preceding it. By only showing the consequences of the narrative, further intrigue is caused as viewers attempt to place together events which may have lead up to this point. Viewers can only speculate about this exciting adventure / back story and hope one day that they too experience the same excitement.

 

Mazursky, D., & Solomon, S. (1999). The fundamental templates of quality ads. Marketing Science, 18(3), 333-351.

 

Gurevitch, L. (2009). Problematic dichotomies: Narrative and spectacle in advertising and media scholarship. Popular Narrative Media, 2(2), 143-158.