I recieved a mailer from Ford today. It is an 05 college student purchase program. The headline says "define yourself". Just in the nick of time! The cover has an awesome rock poser guy whaling on the guitar in a back breaking pose, which is complimented by colorful and blury pictures of a rock concert and head bangin chic gettin down. I already have my credit card out.
I flip over the card and actually read further...
How do you define yourself?
A free spirit? Adventurous? Wild and crazy or simply laid back? whatever your personality - we have a vehicle to match your own unique style.
I'll spare you guys the rest but it goes on to talk about $500 cash bonus (which is foot noted for some fine print) and a chance to enter and win the ford "define your prize" giveaway (another foot noted event) I can get an itunes gift card, or an ipod photo, or $10,000. YAY! (I've never seen so many exlamation points on such a small piece of paper!)
I wish there where html tags for emotions cause I'm pissed and not sure if all the sarcasim is coming through my blog right now. How did they get my address? Why are they sending me this bullshit? And why are they wasting so much energy sending out this bullshit? Does it really work... ever... what the dilly yo? Someone please graduate and teach Ford some "truth in advertising" and not a bunch of new and shiny bullshit.
I have to say I do feel that your vechicle is an extention of you and your personality but not a definition of it.(Unless you're shallow and need a car to define you. Maybe the market Ford is targeting here?) Why is such importance placed on the things we own? I've heard many quotes about material things, ecspecially well designed material things having souls. I disagree, even in the case of well designed artifacts, they are still just things. I'm not tryin to slam design, but any importance/personality/"soul" that an object posseses is put there by us as owners, or an advertisements as sellsmen. It is rediculous to me that a car, house, t-shirt, etc. could define me or my personality. I think the opposite is true we, as owners/consumers, define it. We are the ones with the power to place impartance on objects.
OK my point... you're not you're fucking car you're something greater, have some self respect.
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2 comments:
I think the idea that an object, a t-shirt or a truck, defines its wearer/driver is not only rediculous, but completely true in our society. It blows my mind on a regular basis how much "value" is put on the kinds of associations we make by showing the world what kind of things we spend cash on.
Like Ford. I think there are alot of issues about why people buy SUV's, to me the most important are insecurity, and outer appeal. Insecurity about the cars we drive is a whole different topic, so I'll leave it alone. On outer appeal, I think The "mastery" behind alot of marketing, especially in autos (because they have mulitple models, trimlevels, options to fit any need, desire) is that they transend barriers in society, and thousands of people buy the new F-150 every three years, when they really have nothing in common. thugs, construction workers, family dads, small ladies who need big trucks, etc. Its pretty disgusting when you think about it, how Ford uses design and advertising to speak to the entire country with one vehicle. Maybe its bland design that allows itself to be adapted so easily by all of the users. Maybe its genius marketing that tricks the consumers into thinking they are actually different for buying the most popular truck EVER.
It brings up alot of things for me to bitch about, but that would not be productive. I think I have to say that I agree with Tarvis about having self respect, because we are more than the way we look, dress or drive. The sad truth is that alot of insecure people have been tricked into thinking that just the opposite is true. If we can;t express ourselves by the things we can touch, what ever will we do? Surely not communicate verbally!!!!
By the way, I hope that my being a carnut doesn't lump me into this category of person. If I went off what my car expresses, I would be broke, dirty, and disregarded... oh wait.
tarvis, I think small ladies need big trucks (warning: stereotype coming) becaue they are insecure, and need to feel powerful on the road, hence a vehicle that can smash anything.
I'm not sure if the aspect of versatility in the market is really used in a positive way. I said that Ford can market theur vehicles to fit any persons needs, but I don;t necessarily think that the vehicles are designed to meet any specific needs, at least not needs defined in their marketing. The point is that something designed to meet a variety of needs and uses might not be truly versatile, but rather designed with no real direction. This goes for more tha just Ford aslo.
I guess I'm trying to define how psychology of marketing can affect the physical design of somethng, which should be the other way around if you ask me. Ford makes big trucks, big cars, small truck, small cars, big-ish car-trucks, small0ish truck-cars, etc. These are called "crossover vehicles" meaning they cross-over the boundaries of traditional auto design with size, power, accomodations, layout, and so on. It's like they don't really knwo who they are designing for, so they have to make odd, direction-less cars that might catch on to more than one demographic due to its confusing profile, not its veratility as a sports car or a SUV.
I hope your thinking of my DP when you were writing this, because its definetely something I've neen thinking alot about. How do designers define needs, adress them, and make them easy to fun and easy to use and look at? and furthermore, how do they sell it?
I can't tell you. I can say that in my expereince, knowing who you are designing for provides more effective results, albeit in a smaller market. If I can speak directly to design students with my desk, then I see it as effective. Honestly, the needs of my user are more important than how somebody else can adapt my unit for their needs, but good for them. I think sometimes people lose sight of their core audience (like BMW, as Moira mentioned) in efforts to appeal to a broader, less orietned group. I think that if designers have to make generalizations in concept or product, something is lost. Like you said, let them personalize it themselves, for their own needs if necessary. But I shouldn't sacrifice design integrity for one goup of people to speak to a larger, less energetic group.
inspired design that is geared to effect certain people in a certain way should theorhetically be more effective than design that is geared to effect less-certain people in a less certain way. Marketing people may say they are targeting different aspects, but i think they are targeting less importanat aspects when they take that step.
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