SWA #5: Advertisement Analysis

The advertisement I chose to analyze for this assignment is a commercial for Nationwide Insurance. It features a little boy at a bank, because it is “Bring you kid to work day”, and he sees the teller place the tube in the vacuum to send to the customer. As the next car pulls up, the boy decides to send a coffee mug filled with pencils and pens through the vacuum and they go through the car and some go through the window and others get caught in the headrest. He then decides to send rolls of quarters through the vacuum tube, which pierce the side of the car. Before the commercial is over, he has sent many objects through the vacuum tube, and all of them hit the car on the other end of the tube.

This commercial provides the consumer with a scenario that, though very unlikely, could happen to someone. By doing this, the advertiser creates a need for the consumer so they come to believe that they need this particular insurance because it will insure them if this ever happens. It also shows the consumer that anything can happen, whether it is very likely or unlikely. This leads to the consumer wanting to insure their car with Nationwide because they believe they will cover everything. After all, Nationwide’s motto is “Life comes at you fast,” showing that anything can happen and whatever does happen, you want to be covered with Nationwide Insurance.

There are also signs in this commercial that are very relevant to the product or service being sold. In this commercial, the guy in the car that is being attacked with flying objects immediately calls his Nationwide representative, who assures him that he is covered in this particular instance. This exemplifies Nationwide’s policy that a claims representative is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The narrator of the commercial also repeatedly states that a person that switches can save up to $523. This sign appeals to the consumer wanting to save money on auto insurance while still getting excellent coverage. This Nationwide commercial does an excellent job of creating a need and want for the consumer by showing the consumer that just about anything is possible, and they should always be covered by the best, and the best is Nationwide.