Car Commercial/Visual Argument

For my blog post, I chose the Subaru car commercial. I think the main type of ideology that is being communicated in this commercial would be the importance of family and loyalty. The aspect of loyalty is conveyed through the dog in the ad as it ages from a puppy to an elder dog. Both the dog and the car remain with the man throughout the entire commercial, aging as he does but never leaving or breaking down. Also, as time passes the man gains a girlfriend/wife and then a child. The growing family is something that is important to many Americans and for the car company to show the family in the car, it shows that this car would be trustworthy to have your family riding around in. The intended audience would definitely be people with or starting a family who want a reliable car. The reliability is shown as the car stays intact throughout the years along with the comparison to the dog. The fact that there is a dog in the commercial would appeal to many animal lovers as well. Based on the three types of visual “reading,” I believe that I have used negotiated reading to break down the meaning of this commercial. I think I look at it this way because I do not really object to the commercial since a Subaru may be a very good car. However, I can look deeper into it that just agreeing with it wholeheartedly such as in the dominant-hegemonic reading since I don’t know for sure that this commercial is 100% accurate since I have never owned one. Obviously more people than just a family man with a dog would buy this car; however that would be target audience. Showing a relatively serene setting with a family would appeal to many American families and cause them to be more interested in this particular car because it seems that it would be reliable and safe for their family.