Winter Driving and Car Commercials
It is springtime. The end of dealing with snow and cold for a while. And the end of winter driving.
Where I live, the winters are long and storms are frequent. During these months we are inundated with car commercials focussed on how certain makes and models of cars can drive through any kind of weather. There are scenes of snowbanks bursting apart while the driver howls with glee, there are ‘ice trees’ try to ‘catch’ escaping vehicles… Ad nauseum.
There is one particular ad in which the woman driver of a big SUV is admired because she drove through winter conditions on winding roads without spilling her coffee. Everyone is looking at her with admiration and a bit of envy.
Advertising is all about influencing behaviour. I would argue that this particular ad touches a few behavioural buttons. One, every driver likes to think of themselves as a good driver. Two, owning a large vehicle, especially an SUV, generates a bit of swagger over the ability of that vehicle to power through any kind of weather. And finally, no one wants to be considered the wuss who cancelled plans because of poor driving conditions.
At the same time these ads are playing, our news feeds are inundated with car crashes on snowy roads. Police officers valiantly face the cameras and repeat the same message; these accidents could have been avoided if drivers would adapt to the conditions. Or stay home.
I may be way off base here, but I don’t believe it is the make and model of vehicle that makes for safe winter driving. The police are correct in telling drivers they must adapt to conditions regardless of what type of vehicle they operate.
Those ads inspire overconfidence, and who hasn’t been tripped up by overconfidence?
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