LYFT Advertisment Reaserch

Lyft: June (life is better when you share the ride)

AUDIENCE

Age

the advertisement can be viewed by all ages, and i think this advertisement is marketing/trying to get the audience to do one of two things:

Become a lyft driver
Use the lyft service.

For the first one, the target age group would be the minimum driving age and up. Since the advertisement was made to be aired in the US, it would be from 16 up. Normally, there would be an upper limit, but the main character/driver was a old grandma type character, suggesting that no matter how old you are, you can still become a lyft driver.

For the second one, the advertisement is targeted towards the same age range/group. This is because the age for getting a debit card in the US is 16. Services like lyft require a debit or credit card(18 years), meaning that to use their service, they need to be accompanied by or be at least a sixteen year old.

Gender and Ethnicity

The advertisement is aimed at all genders and ethnicities. This is shown through the large variety of passengers’ ethnicities and genders depicted in the advertisement. As for drivers, both are depicted with darker skin, so Lyft may want to encourage more of the darker skinned minority groups working for them.

Demographic

As for demographics, the advertisement is aiming for people from D to C to use their service. However, the demographic for the people they want working for them would be from E to C2. For them it would either be a side/secondary job(D-C2) and for E it would be their main job, moving them into the D category. I will not include demographics higher than C2 because the money earned from lyft will most likely not be worth it compared to their main jobs. However, Lyft drivers need their own car, and thus it would be unlikely for E/D group people to work for Lyft unless they already have a car

Psychographic

the psychographics for this advertisement are Mainstream groups, Explorers, and strugglers. Mainstream because Lyft is a mainstream brand/company, and the storyline/style chosen depicts it as a “Family” brand. Explorers because they are driven by a sense of discovery and want to try out new experiences. If they had not used this service before, they would most likely try it in the future. Strugglers are included because they “Live for today”, they will most likely not have a car, and use public transportation services as well as services like Lyft to go to far places. Visual impact is also important to them, and this advertisement has an uncommon look/visual approach.

Location

It would be the US, as the soldiers depicted have the american flag on their shoulder.

FORM

Narrative

This advertisement effectively utilizes narrative to engage the audience with the life of the main character and thus the brand itself. It’s narrative follows an old woman. Following the destruction of her car: a keepsake of her late husband, she heads out to buy a car. After doing so, she becomes interested in Lyft due to a few encounters with them, and becomes a driver for them. It shows how she becomes cheerful and happy again after that. Before one of her lyft drives, she gets stuck in a snowstorm. Then, her Lyft riders come together and help her out, showing the audience a sense of community with lyft.

Discursive

The lyft advertisement may not have any explicit explanation of their service. However, in the beginning of the advertisement, the daughter says:(part where she explains lyft), which allows the audience to have an understanding on how the service works without even realizing it. Throughout the rest of the video, use of the service is demonstrated through the grandma’s experiences using the service.

Animated or live action

this piece is a standalone animated short. The use of animation shows that it is aimed at a younger audience. It also makes the advertisement more memorable and allows it to stand out from some of the other commercials airing on television.

STYLE

Themes

The advertisement utilizes a mixture of themes such as serious ones, dramatic ones, etc. However, the main style/theme the commercial has is a heartwarming, feel good one. The themes chosen can be consumed and be understood by all age groups, including younger audiences. The themes also connect with the mainstream psychographic, because of the emphasis on community and connection between drivers and passengers. The advertisement also appeals to older audiences in the resigned psychographic. It portrays the past(roughly around 1940) in a nostalgic/favourable light.

Overt or Covert marketing

The advertisement does not directly tell you to use Lyft, but it is quite overt and open about what they are advertising.(not like those ads where you have no idea what they are selling until the end card)

Techniques

The Lyft advertisement uses a variety of techniques to draw in the audience’s attention and interest. Exaggeration is used when describing the positives to driving for lyft. Music is also used to highlight the moment the grandma changes from her previous negative self to the new positive Lyft driver grandma.

throughout the entire advertisement, a variety of dramatic shots and interesting editing is used. This is especially evident around the middle of the advertisement, when the wheels have en intresting effect. (reference the “making of” video for this)

Construction

Camera angles, Shot types, framing, etc

This advertisement was shot/planned like a short film.

While they used a large variety of shots like long/extreme long shots and full shots, the ones used most often are closeups, medium closeups and medium shots. The wide/long shots are used to establish what is happening. E.g: arriving at the car yard, cars are everywhere and the audience can immediately tell where she is from the visuals. The wide/extreme long shots are used are also used to keep the pacing and maintain interesting visuals.

The camera is kept steady for most of it, but when the grandma gets stuck in the snowstorm, the camera movement becomes shaky, showing her fear and stress.

Editing

i believe the animation was planned extensively before production to limit the amount of wasted frames. This means that the cuts would most likely have just needed to be put into chronological order. There is a great amount of sound design/music, so this would have most likely been the bulk of the editor’s jobs.

Lighting

the characters typically have 2-3 skin tones, meaning that in most scenes there are around 2-3 light sources. However lighting would be different for this as it is animated.

Sound

the sound effects are very convincing, and immerse the viewers. Throughout most of the short, there is a light/soft soundtrack. At 3:17, the soundtrack shifts and becomes a song called “Movin” by a lyft driver called Sir the baptist. The music then changes back to a more subtly/background music near the end when the accident occours.

Graphics/ Special FX

the advertisement has some areas where the animation is used to create effects. This is when the grandma begins driving people as a Lyft driver. The scenes constantly change with “a lot of kinetic action in a kind of kaleidoscopic explosive quality of color and movement and spinning wheels” quoted from their Behind the scenes video. Other than that most of it is just typical 3d animation.

AIDA

Attention and Intrest

attention and interest was maintained through the compelling story. The advert aimed to move audiences by engaging us with this story, a story with lft at the centre.

Desire

people may wish to become a lyft driver or use the lyft service to become part of the close knit community depicted in the commercial.

Action

(None)

Regulations

UK

If released in the UK, the advertisement would like the toyota advertisement not break any of the guidelines and regulations. Even if it was back in 2015 when there were regulations regarding distance selling, the advertisement would have most likely been fine.

US

However, the advertisement would have been broadcasted in either america or canada, as this is the scope of Lyft operations. In america, the main regulatory body, the FTC do not have any guidelines or regulations that oppose the advertisement’s airing and release on television and on the internet.

Canada

As for the Canadian code of advertising standards, the advertisement does not follow the rule “No advertisement shall be presented in a format or style that conceals the fact that it is an advertisement.” This is because it is shown in a narrative format. While it is obvious to an extent it is an advertisement for Lyft, some people may not realise this. Other than this, the advertisement does not break any of the canadian code of advertising standards rules