Andrea Toledano

Rhetorical Theory & Practice

Spring 2017

Porsche Ad Analysis

At first glance, it might seem to be another unoriginal ad, but this ad speaks to a

myriad of men, to the men with wealth to go around. This ad is promoting the Panamera

Turbo, overlooking the water, with a mountainous scenery from afar. What is truly more

spectacular than the ad itself is the rhetoric effort behind its carefully calculated design.

First and foremost, before we focus on the visuals, we must address the pitch

that Porsche uses to entice consumersin the age range that desires such luxury most.

There is a strategic use behind the line, "Rare are the times when your wife respects

your mistress." In a way, this is the point where the ad reaches stasis; both the ad-

makers and the potential customers can agree that there might be different ways of

achieving the means (in this case, the respect from ones wife), though Porsche seems

to think that it should be achieved through the purchase of such a car. The typical

middle-aged man is being targeted, hence the stereotypical reference to the 'mistress'.

Porsches ad design team tried to spin it and appeal to consumers' sense of humor,

however, by claiming that, in this particular situation (or, only in this situation), the wife

will indeed have respect for the mistress.

That is not all. The rhetoric (which is using pathos, in order to appeal to the idea

that one could escape the mundane aspects of daily life) in the mistress reference goes
deeper than that; by making such a claim, it is implied that the car is 'forbidden' or,

perhaps, exclusiveas we always want what we cannot have and this is an influence

that might not be very good, in the normal sense of the word. It is fast and possibly

encourages wild behavior, which is the connotation that seems to be associated with a

new model luxury sports car. The mistress reference might indicate a man's 'need for

speed' and his desire for sexual fulfillmentand his ardent desire to get away from

familial responsibilities in order to spend more time with a less-than-positive influence.

The word choice and usage of certain keywords were certainly plotted to meet a

certain need. Rare are the times is already an implication that you will want to read on,

that you will indeed want to learn morebecause the opportunity might not come again.

The line is speaking to men everywhere because it is saying that something that is

normally controversial or rare is now at reach.

The genius part of this line is that it is directly speaking to the exact demographic

that is most likely to buy the car by using pathos, mixed with the ethos of the companys

name, and the logos that will make men say, This is the one instance where I can get

away with spontaneity. The combination of all three is part of what makes the ad so

great and powerful, accomplishing what it set out to do. The text in particular, though, is

what made this ad different from other Porsche ads, even if they usually do aim for

irony or comedic charm.

Upon analyzing the rhetorical implications of the text, we realize that there is

more text to be analyzed"Respect is something you aren't born with or you can find in

expensive mall. You can only earn it through brave choices and stunning performance.

Just as the four doors in a sportive car able to run from 0 to 60 in 4.0. Respect makes
you say yes when you'd have said no. Panamera Turbo, the perfect marriage between

strength and beauty." This is where the pathos gives way to a mans realization that he

must introduce a wild toy into his lifeperhaps one that can go from 0 to 60 in four

seconds.

This plays out to the middle-aged man well, especially because it also tries to

resonate to this persona by referring to the 'perfect marriage'. Many people feel stuck as

the years go by and a routine has long since felt boring, so the freedom of a car

enveloped with 'strength and beauty' directly influences his thoughts by reminding him

of the all-too-clichd better times. This choice is all his own, resembling his masculinity

and providing him with the respect of othersand, in an effort to add spontaneity back

into his life, he is more likely to want to buy the Porsche. With this in mind, the company

unveiled a beautiful picture of the car in paradise.

If we take this idea (the lack of fulfillment) one step further, we can now begin to

analyze the picture itself. The angle is perfectly shot, in order for the scene to seem

retrospective and far away yet within reach. On the horizon are the beautiful mountains,

appealing to pathos (after all, consumerism is dependent upon pathos), but there seems

to be one small mountain that can barely be recognized if one does not look carefully.

This might be planned in order for the picture to be representative of simultaneous

solitude and liberation. The visual of the sun is supposed to add a bit of brightness and

beauty (by the use of the sunset) into the life of the man, but the fact that the sun is only

half shown might indicate that lack of fulfillment in his life.

Pathos is also used when one first stares at the picture. It ignites a feeling of

needing relaxation. In fact, if we look at the picture as a whole, there is a sense of

tranquility mixed with defiance and adventurewhich might prompt a man to buy the

car, as the Panamera is promoting excitement, a 'getaway', a world of possibilities as

well as the influence of speed in one's life. All of this can be seen with a quick glance of

this ad, considering it is a mans universal desire to crave respectas dictated by the

textand to crave that sense of masculinity. That is exactly what this car offers; it is

associated with a sense of masculinity, considering speed promotes it.

The ethos in the picture is represented by the fact that it is Porschea reputable,

luxurious car companyand the logo is merely a formality because it is pop culture to

know that it is Porsche. The respect text is placed in small letters because generally

companies place important information in small text so as to not disturb the content and

the flow of the advertisement. By placing it underneath the picture in such a small

manner, they meant to encourage consumers to actually read it and pay close attention.

It is evident once it is read, however, that this is solely a way to sell, as it does not state

prices or the type of information that one would expect to find there.

By not having prices written out, the demographic is clearly targeted, because

the men who would desire to buy a Porsche already know the price range and/or could

afford to pay it. Also, it is a way for other demographics to become curious and look into

them before getting scared off by the blatant price in the text. The ad is supposed to

represent the esteemed Porsche in its best light, prompting consumers to overlook, or

even forget, the pricing in return for a reliable luxury sports car.

There are endless decisions that companies go through when designing their ads

strategies range from photo angle to contentbut the bottom line is that there is more

than meets the eye. In addition, there are things that we realize only subconsciously,
because the ads are oftentimes designed that way. Companies psychologically play to

our emotions in order to reach their targetour attentionand, ultimately, our money.

Porsche does no differently, but Porsche does it well.