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To really see the contrast in the way SUVs are marketed to different audiences, it is best to compare advertisements for the same vehicle across the different magazines. Here is an advertisement for the Chevy Blazer that appeared in Time. According to the text of the ad, this SUV "is prepared for the worst of Mother Nature," a claim that is reinforced by the outdoor-themed picture. Compare this with the ad for the Blazer from Ebony pictured below. |
Time: January 20, 1997, back cover |
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Here is an advertisement that appeared in Ebony for the same Chevy Blazer pictured above. This ad substitutes a decidedly urban image for the outdoor theme featured in the ad from Time. Not only is there no outdoor theme, but this ad practically makes fun of the outdoor identity, commenting that "the harshest roads aren't necessarily located out in the boonies. And they're not tamed by cowboys named Hoss and Jake." This SUV, at least as it is marketed in Ebony, is made "for people named Tony and Susan on the way home from the firm." |
Ebony: November 1996, p. 133 |
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This final example is a comparison of advertisements for what was perhaps the first SUV, the Jeep Wrangler ("the original go-anywhere vehicle"). This ad appeared in Outside magazine and it is fairly typical of other SUV ads in the magazine: the vehicle is shown in the Great Outdoors, and the text encourages off road adventure ("axle ratios geared low enough for rock crawling"). Contrast this with the Jeep ad below from Ebony. |
Outside: October 1998, p. 54 |
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Here is an advertisement for the Jeep Wrangler that appeared in Ebony. The two models appear ready for a "serious party" a more urban brand of leisure than that which is suggested by the photo in the above Jeep ad from Outside. Once again, not a single SUV from Ebony used the outdoor leisure identity to promote the product. |
Ebony: November 1997, inside cover |
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