The Force: Volkswagen Commercial

This commercial incorporates the cultural values of Americans ultimately outlining the "American Dream". We first see the visual of a child dressed up in a well-known costume of Darth Vader from Star Wars. The next visual we are shown at 0:07 is the child trying to make the exercise bicycle do something with his Darth Vader powers. The exercise bike is symbol for the cultural value of a healthy and fit body. At 0:11 we see the child trying to make his dog move. We can then suggest that this home is wealthy, probably of an upper-middle class with a dog and luxurious furniture. The child goes through various rooms in the house trying to make things move with his Darth Vader powers, but nothing happens. It is not until 0:27 that we see the child's mom, who then makes him lunch, which thus suggests the mother is a stay-at-home mom. This then further implies the upper-middle class lifestyle, by suggesting that the mother need not work, they must be fairly wealthy. The child then at 0:29 puts his hand on his head suggesting frustration and adds humor. I can only imagine from the images that the child under the mask is in fact a boy, because it seems gender appropriate according to American cultural perspectives. As the car pulls into the wealthy neighbourhood at 0:32, we experience the famous below shot of the car implying dominance. The boy then proceeds to make the car do something and at 0:48 he turns it on. Of course he didn't actually turn it on, the next visual shows his dad pressing the "on" button with his keys. This provides a sense of magic that the car embodies, further creating appeal.

In the end you see the dad's face as he looks out at the boy. What I found interesting was throughout the whole day, the mother never did anything to help the boy do "magic" and yet when the dad comes home he becomes the "saviour". This is thus suggesting the male dominancy in the upper-middle class households. The dad works and provides for his family so that they can have "the American Dream". It is also key to note that they are a white family further promoting the "American Dream" through the stereotype of race.