Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
A comparative branding analysis of two
New Beetle brochures
May 5 2009
Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus University
Department of Language and Business Communication - English
Instructor: Sinne Louise Brandt Sprogøe
Student: Ditte Tolstrup
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
Table of contents
0. Summary of the comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures…………..4
1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….......7
2. The context…………………………………………………………………………………….9
3. Branding……………………………………………………………………………………...10
3.1. The identity structure……………………………………………………….10
4. The brochure as a genre……………………………………………………………………..11
4.1. The move structures of the two brochures…………………………….......11
5. Analysis of the British New Beetle brochure…………………………………………........14
5. 1. Verbal rhetorical strategies…………………………………………..........14
5.1.1. The level of formality……………………………….............14
5.1.2. Language functions…………………………………............15
5.1.3. Tropes……………………………………………………….19
5.1.4. Figures………………………………………………………20
5.2. Visual rhetorical strategies............................................................................22
5.3. Partial conclusion...........................................................................................24
6. Analysis of the American New Beetle brochure and comparison of the two brochures..25
6.1. Verbal rhetorical strategies...........................................................................25
6.1.1. The level of formality.............................................................25
6.1.2. Language functions................................................................26
6.1.3. Tropes..................................................................................... 29
6.1.4. Figures.....................................................................................31
6.2. Visual rhetorical strategies............................................................................33
6.3. Partial conclusion............................................................................................35
.
7. Conclusion................................................................................................................................36
8. References................................................................................................................................39
Appendices
1. The New Beetle and New Beetle Cabriolet. pp 1-32
2. 2009 New Beetle New Beetle Convertible. pp 1-24
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
0. Summary of the comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle
brochures
The first two paragraphs are the introduction to the project and a context analysis of the
brochures.
The purpose of this project is to find out how Volkswagen brands the New Beetle as well as the
company, differently to the American and the British market in terms of the use of verbal and
visual rhetorical strategies in two New Beetle brochures.
The focus of the analysis is on the verbal rhetorical strategies. It is not possible, however, to
include all strategies due to the limited scope of the project. The two brochures are as a whole
analysed, while representative pages are selected and analysed in-depth.
The third paragraph is on branding. The two Beetle brochures are acts of branding of
Volkswagen and the New Beetle, because a part of their purpose is to turn Volkswagen and the
New Beetle into brands (Sandstrøm, 2006:19). According to Aaker (2002:74), a brand includes
more than a product; for example it includes symbols, organisational associations and country of
origin.
Brand image is how the brand is perceived, while brand identity is how the company wants
the brand to be perceived (Aaker, 2002:71), and the identity consists of a core identity and an
extended identity (Aaker, 2002:85). Since only Volkswagen knows what their and the New
Beetle’s identities are, it is only possible to determine the brand images, which is what the
receivers perceive, but these should correspond to the brand identities.
The fourth paragraph is about the brochure as a genre and includes analyses of the move
structures in the brochures.
The two Beetle brochures are product brochures, which belong to a very dynamic and
complex genre (Frandsen et al., 1997:191), and the move structures of the brochures reflect this,
because they are not prototypical.
The main communicative purpose of the brochures is to present general and permanent
relations concerning the New Beetle, and a minor purpose is to turn Volkswagen and the New
Beetle into brands. The communicative purpose is realised by the move structure, and the moves
are realised through the rhetorical strategies (Frandsen et al, 1997:116).
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
The moves “attention”, “product information” and “contact invitation” which both brochures
contain, make up the most important parts of the brochure, so the brochures are not that different.
The differences between the two brochures are that the American brochure has more moves
than the British brochure, and that some of these moves have the single purpose of building the
image of Volkswagen.
Even though the move structures and the communicative purposes are similar, the major
differences between the two brochures are the rhetorical strategies.
The fifth paragraph is an analysis of the verbal and visual rhetorical strategies in the British
Beetle brochure.
The analysis of the British brochure shows that Volkswagen brands itself and the New Beetle
by using verbal rhetorical strategies in the following way: the consultative style of formality, the
informative and expressive language functions are dominant, there are only a few tropes in the
form of rhetorical questions and personifications, but there are many figures in the form of the
repetition of several keywords namely beauty and design, unique, enjoyment, easy and help,
safety, features and quality.
The visual analysis shows that the verbal and visual rhetorical strategies are connected since
most of the keywords are supported by the pictures. Furthermore, the many varied pictures
connote that the New Beetle is an all round car, which can be used for many purposes.
The sixth paragraph is an analysis of the verbal and visual strategies in the American Beetle
brochure.
The analysis of the American brochure shows that Volkswagen brands the New Beetle by
using verbal rhetorical strategies in the following way: the consultative style of formality, the
informative, expressive and poetic language functions dominates, there are many tropes in the
form of rhetorical questions, metaphors and personifications, and there are many figures in the
form of the repetition of a few keywords namely German, icon, fun and innovation.
The American brochure has many of the same visual strategies as the British brochure, but
there are differences; the British brochure focuses on the features, details and beauty of the car,
whereas the American brochure focuses on showing large pictures of the car in use and of
several people having fun.
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
The final paragraph is the conclusion.
The core identity of Volkswagen is that of a human company on the same level as the consumers
which has high safety standards and makes quality cars.
The extended identity of Volkswagen in the British brochure could be that of a company that
makes a beautifully designed car, which has many features, is unique, user-friendly and
enjoyable to drive.
The extended identity of Volkswagen in the American brochure could be that of a young and
modern German innovative company with a good sense of humour and a respect for the classics,
and of a company that makes a luxurious iconic car, which is smart, intelligent and fun to drive.
The brand identities are complex because of the complexity of a car.
Number of characters: 4386
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
1. Introduction
The starting point for this project is an interest in advertising material adapted to the specific
culture for which it is intended.
Cars are a very culturally specific and since I find quality cars interesting, a British and an
American New Beetle brochure from the German car manufacturer, Volkswagen, quickly
became the object of further analysis. Part of the reason for choosing these brochures is that on
the surface the brochures seem very different, but the image that Volkswagen wants to convey
could still be the same, only realised through different rhetorical strategies.
So therefore my thesis statement is as follows:
How does Volkswagen brand the company as well as the New Beetle differently to the American
and the British market in terms of the company’s use of verbal and visual rhetorical strategies in
two New Beetle brochures?
Theory and method
Roland Barthes’ theories on denotation and connotation of pictures are used for the analysis of
the visual rhetorical strategies. Barthes’ theories are a part of semiotics which theoretical
standpoint is that all cultural phenomena are communication between people, and that all these
phenomena are signs. Anything that means or refer to something other than it self in a culturally
defined context can be signs (Frandsen et al., 1997: 42). Barthes has been a major contributor to
the semiotic field and overall the sources for this project have been carefully chosen amongst
many theorists. It is always important to remember though that a theory is one out of many in a
field and therefore only one way of seeing things.
The theories on branding and rhetorical strategies were applied to selected pages of each
brochure and analysed in terms of verbal and visual rhetorical strategies. The selected pages in
the brochures were chosen because they are representative of the brochures as a whole. This
makes them good starting points for the overall analysis, which is then the next step in the
analysis. Then the brochures were compared in terms of the rhetorical strategies and the images
conveyed in the brochure and on the basis of this the thesis statement was answered in the
conclusion.
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
Delimitation
The focus of the analysis is on the verbal strategies, although it is not possible to include all
strategies because of the limited scope of the project.
The visual rhetorical strategies and the link between the visual and verbal strategies will also
be analysed but not as thoroughly, because of the limited scope. Furthermore, the focus of the
analysis will be on selected pages (pages 5 and 8 in the American brochure and page 2 in the
British brochure). But the two brochures will, as a whole, be analysed.
The structure of the project
In order to introduce the brochures and establish their context, is first a brief analysis of the
International Market Communication (IMK) model. Secondly, is a paragraph on branding and
image in order to account for the theory behind the project.
This is followed by a genre analysis with a paragraph on the brochure as a genre, together
with an overall comparison of the two brochures based on an analysis of their move structures.
After this is the in-depth analysis of the verbal and visual rhetorical strategies in the British
brochure with starting point on page 2 of the brochure. Next is the analysis of the American
brochure also of the verbal and visual rhetorical strategies with starting point on pages 5 and 8,
together with a comparison of the two brochures.
At the end is the conclusion which answers the thesis statement. After this will be a list of
references and the Beetle brochures are appendices.
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
2. The context
In the following paragraph, the IMK model by Frandsen et al. (1997:52) is used to analyse the
context of the two brochures. The model is from 1997 and therefore not entirely up-to-date, but
the elements of the model still apply for the communication situation.
Sender: The German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen.
Receiver: British and American consumers.
Text (rhetorical strategies): The brochures, “The New Beetle and New Beetle Cabriolet” and
“2009 New Beetle, New Beetle Convertible.”
Subject: The Volkswagen car models New Beetle and New Beetle Cabriolet/Convertible as well
as the denotations and connotations connected to the Volkswagen and New Beetle brands.
Code: British and American English.
Context/culture: British and American culture.
Media: a printed brochure which must be characterised as a high-involvement “media” because
the consumer has to be interested in the product in order to actively retrieve the brochure from a
car dealer.
Genre: company brochure (product brochure).
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
3. Branding
According to Sandstrøm (2006:19), branding is the internal and external processes whose
purpose it is to turn a company, a product, a service or a concept into a brand.
This means that the two Beetle brochures (external processes) are acts of branding of
Volkswagen and the product, the New Beetle, because a part of their purpose is to turn
Volkswagen and New Beetle into brands.
There are many definitions of a brand, image etc. and Aaker’s are just some of them, but the
important distinction to make, is between product and brand. A brand is more than a product,
namely symbols, organisational associations, country of origin, user imagery, brand personality,
brand-customer relationships, emotional benefits and self-expressive benefits (Aaker, 2002:74).
According to Aaker (2002:71), brand image is how the brand is perceived and the brand
identity is how the company wants the brand to be perceived.
3.1. The identity structure
According to Aaker (2002:85), brand identity consists of a core identity and an extended identity.
The core identity is the timeless essence of the brand, which is constant when the brand enters
new markets or develops new products (Aaker, 2002:85). The values of the organisation and the
core values should closely correspond to each other. The core identity should contribute to the
brand’s basis for credibility and should have elements that make the brand unique and valuable
(Aaker, 2002:87). It should be possible to capture the core identity in the slogan of a company,
but it can be difficult to capture the entire core identity (Aaker, 2002:87).
The extended identity completes the brand and adds details about what the brand represents
(Aaker, 2002:87-88). Aaker’s claim is that the larger the extended identity is, the stronger, more
memorable and interesting the brand is (Aaker, 2002:88). An important factor though, is to
consider the complexity of the product. If the product is fairly simple, the brand identity is not so
complex either (Aaker, 2002:89).
Since only Volkswagen knows what their identity is, it is only possible for this project to
determine the brand images, which is what the receivers perceive, but these should correspond to
the brand identities.
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
4. The brochure as a genre
In the following is first an introduction to the company brochure and next is an analysis of the
move structures in the brochures.
Company brochures have developed from being pure product descriptions to some being pure
image brochures, while others are a mix of both and are therefore complex (Frandsen et al.,
1997:191).
The target audience of company brochures is a small and heterogeneous group which is
interested in the company and/or its products, and the discourse community is therefore limited
quantitatively and qualitatively (Frandsen et al., 1997:194).
The main communicative purpose of the brochure is to present general and permanent
relations concerning the company or product. Other purposes are to inform about products,
development, activities etc., encourage to take contact, attract investors or to be an instructions
manual. Furthermore, companies need to differentiate themselves from their competitors because
of the growing competition in the globalised world. Therefore, another communicative purpose
is for the receivers of the brochure to get a certain memorable image of the company from
reading the brochure (Frandsen et al., 1997:197); in other words to turn the company or product
into a brand with a certain image connected to it.
The communicative purpose is realised by the move structure and the moves are realised
through the rhetorical strategies (Frandsen et al., 1997:116).
4.1. The move structures of the British and American New Beetle brochure
The move structure is the organisation of the messages in the text in moves. Each move has a
specific content trying to realise a specific sub purpose (Frandsen et al., 1997:112). By analysing
the move structure of each brochure, the contents of the brochures are analysed and compared on
an overall level.
The move structures of both brochures are more similar to product brochures than to image
brochures. However, even though the brochures are not image brochures, images of the New
Beetle and Volkswagen are still portrayed.
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
According to Frandsen et al. (1997:199), the move structure of a typical product brochure is as
follows:
1. Create attention
2. Introductory information about the unique character of the company
3. Description of the product(s): their utility value and technical characteristics.
4. Contact information and/or invitation to take contact
The move structure of the British brochure:
1. Attention - created by the front page with the red car. (p 1)
2. Product information about the various models. (The quality of the car, safety, colours,
equipment and technical information) (pp 2-31)
3. Customer service. (Volkswagen service for your peace of mind p 32)
4. Invitation to take contact (p 32)
It is now evident that move 1, 2 and 4 of the British brochure correspond to the prototypical
product brochure, but move 2 of the typical brochure (introductory information about the
company) is not included in the British brochure, and move 3 “Customer service” of the British
brochure is not included in the moves by Frandsen et al. (1997:199). The move structure of the
British brochure is therefore not that of a typical product brochure.
The move structure of the American brochure
1. Attention – created by the picture on the front page (p 1)
2. Introductory information about the company Volkswagen (pp 2-3)
3. Introductory information about the New Beetle (pp 4-5)
4. Product information (pp 6-22)
5. Customer service. (Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance Program p 23)
6. Relations to the surrounding world. (Volkswagen Carbon Neutral Project) (p 24)
7. Invitation to take contact/visit website (p 24)
In contrast to the British brochure, the American brochure contains all the moves mentioned in
Frandsen et al. (1997:199). In addition to these moves, the brochure contains three more moves
and is therefore not a typical product brochure either.
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
It has to be said though that product brochures belong to a very dynamic genre, which change all
the time (Frandsen et al., 1997:191), and it is therefore not unusual that the move structures of
the brochures are a little different than the typical move structure. Moreover, it has to be noted
that the move structure in Frandsen et al. is from 1997 and the genre has changed a lot since
then.
The differences between the two brochures are that the American brochure has more moves than
the British brochure, some of the moves have the purpose of building the image of Volkswagen
(moves 2, 5 and 6) and the brochures each have moves which the other one does not have, but
these moves are only small parts of the brochures. The moves attention, product information and
contact invitation which both brochures contain, make up the most important parts of the
brochure, so the brochures are not that different after all, but have the same communicative
purpose of presenting the New Beetle and establishing it as a brand.
Even though the move structures and the communicative purposes of each brochure are
similar, the rhetorical strategies could still be very different from each other.
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
5. Analysis of the British New Beetle brochure
The following paragraph contains first an analysis of the verbal rhetorical strategies in the British
brochure with starting point on page 2 and last a minor analysis of the visual rhetorical strategies
in the brochure as a whole. At the end of the entire paragraph is a partial conclusion.
5.1 Verbal rhetorical strategies
A rhetorical strategy is the use of specific linguistic and/or visual means which contribute to the
realisation of the moves (Frandsen et al., 1997:114). Verbal rhetorical strategies can be anything
from tropes, figures, change of code, intertextuality to the use of keywords, connotative words
and phrases, the use of ethos, pathos, logos, language functions and level of formality (Frandsen
et al., 1997:115) (Andersen, 2001:118 ff ). In the following is first the level of formality
analysed, then the language functions and last tropes and figures in separate paragraphs. At the
end of each of the four sub paragraphs are comments to the analysis.
5.1.1. The level of formality
According to Albrecht (2005:91), formality is degrees of social distance or proximity and there
are five degrees of formality: frozen, formal, consultative, casual and intimate.
The brochure is written in the consultative style, which is neutral/normal language which has
no informal or formal style markers. Everyday expressions and structures and direct speech are
also characteristic of the consultative style.
From page 2 and onwards there is no direct speech, but there are many every day structures like
personal pronouns and contractions.
Contractions:
“you’d” l. 3 p 2, “You’ll” l. 8 p 2, “you’ll always enjoy a comfortable place in the sun. It’s all
down to ergonomic design” p 3, “We hope you’ll agree” p 4, “We’ve” p 4, “They’ve” p 20.
Personal pronouns:
“we thought you’d appreciate” l. 3 p 2, “You’ll also find” l. 8 p 2, “provide you” l. 19 p 2,
“Wherever you sit in the New Beetle Cabriolet you’ll always enjoy” p 3, “We allowed” p 4, “We
know you’ll enjoy driving” p 9 and “And when you feel safe, you can enjoy” p 9.
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
Furthermore, page 2 and the brochure as a whole have no informal or formal style markers since
the brochure has no complex noun phrases, not many passives, it not impersonal, has no
academic or Latin words and does not contain many informal words or elliptical structures.
The brochure has a broad spectrum of receivers, but since they must be characterised as ordinary
consumers, it is wise of Volkswagen to make the style of the brochure consultative in order for
everyone to understand the message of the brochure. Even though the consultative style is not the
style used among friends, Volkswagen tries to make the brochure more personal by using “you”
and “we” many times. The direct address in the form of personal pronouns is also very
characteristic of the British adverting style (de Mooij, 1998:273).
The many contractions make the brochure more readable and give Volkswagen an image of a
young and human company, which is on the same level as the consumer because the company
writes like people talk.
5.1.2. Language functions
A language function is, according to Albrecht (2005:20), an aspect of the communicative event
on which language is focused. A text may be multifunctional, but most often it has a dominant
focus. There are six different language functions each with focus on a factor of the
communication situation: the metalinguistic language function focuses on the code, the phatic
language function focuses on the channel, the expressive language function focuses on the
sender, the informative language function focuses on the context, the poetic language function
focuses on the message and the directive language function focuses on the receiver (Albrecht,
2005:21).
The phatic language function
Phatic language can be greetings and small talk or in other words language which signals
openness, friendliness and willingness to communicate (Albrecht, 2005:23). The brochure has no
examples of this.
The metalinguistic language function
The metalinguistic language function is language about language (Albrecht, 2005:25) and there
are no examples of this in the brochure.
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
The directive language function
The use of imperatives and persuasion as a more subtle way of being directive are characteristic
of the directive language function (Albrecht, 2005:22). There are no examples of imperatives on
page 2, and this is characteristic of the rest of the brochure, which only contains a few examples:
“Simply unlock the New Beetle Cabriolet’s hood and then hold the operating button as the
electrically operated hood glides down.” p 6, “Releasing the hood is simple. Just push and twist
the handle to unlock, then leave the rest to the electric assistance.” p 6, “Please see the individual
specifications” p 20.
The poetic language function
Parallelisms, rhyme, rhythm, fragments and alliteration are some of the characteristics of the
poetic language function (Albrecht, 2005:23ff).
Fragments
Fragments are incomplete sentences (Albrecht, 2005:25). There are no fragments on page 2, but
the rest of the brochure contains several examples such as: “Standard on 1.9 TDI, 2.0 litre and
1.8T models.” p 3, “Always close to hand.” p 4, “Optional on all New Beetle models.” p 4, “An
open display of comfort.” p 18, “Not available on New Beetle Cabriolet.” p 19, “Parking made
easy with parking sensors.” p 19.
Many of these fragments, such as “Not available on New Beetle Cabriolet.” p 19 are standard
phrases used in cars brochures, so the fragments are not used specifically for this brochure.
Rhythm structures
A rhythm structure with three elements is a powerful means of repetitiveness which helps the
receiver remember the content of the phrase (Albrecht, 2005:23) and it adds impact (Brierley,
1995:182)
There are no rhythm structures on page 2 and this is also characteristic of the rest of the
brochure, which only contains a few of these structures: “It’s extremely durable, easy to clean
and has breathable qualities” p 18, “against abrasion, the weather and even the brushes of a car
wash” p 6, “not only seen, it can be heard and felt as well.” p 8 and “to offer the perfect
combination of performance, fuel efficiency and environmental awareness” p 20.
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the same letter in successive words (Albrecht, 2005:25).
Page 2 has four examples of alliteration: “integrated indicators” l. 5, “stereo sound” l. 10,
“dashboard design” l. 11 and “driver’s door” l. 18. There are several examples of alliteration in
the whole brochure: Page 3: “favourite flower”, “driver’s door”, “controls can”, “cabriolet can”,
“integrated indicators make your intentions”, page 4: “easy entry seats make it easier”,
“suncream or sunglasses”, “windscreen wipers”, “somewhat special”, “design detail”, “storage
space”, page 6: “folds flat”, “colour-coordinated”, page 9: “Provide protection to passengers”,
“safe and secure”, page 18: “sports seats”, “cruise control”, “simply set a speed”, “speed
setting”, page 19: “sports seats”, “pack provides”, “storage space”, “come complete”, “front
fog”, page 20: “six speed”, “triptronic transmission”.
Like the fragments, many of these examples are not intentional alliterations because most of
them are standard words and phrases in the field of cars, so they do not put focus on the message,
and they are not special for this Beetle brochure.
The informative language function
The informative language function is characterised by objective, factual and denotative
information (Albrecht, 2005:22), and this can also be found on page 2: “Like ESP, power
steering, central locking, front electric windows and body-coloured door mirrors with integrated
indicators which are also electronically heated and adjustable. The driver’s side door mirror is
also fitted with wide angle glass to make overtaking safer” ll. 3-7, “with six loud speakers in the
New Beetle and 10 in the New Beetle Cabriolet.” ll. 8-9, “is trimmed with ‘Eclipse’ cloth
upholstery” ll. 12-13, “includes a digital clock and exterior temperature gauge.” ll 15-16, “The
remote switches for the boot and petrol cover are positioned in the driver’s door” ll. 17-18,
“Sporty 16” Houston alloy wheels with 205/55 tyres are standard on the Luna 1.4 litre and Luna
1.6 litre models for both the New Beetle and New Beetle Cabriolet.” ll. 21-23.
The rest of the brochure also has many examples of the informative language function: Pages
11 to 16 included and pages 21 to 32 included are almost purely informative. Most of the text on
page 19 is also informative, for example “Sensors on the rear bumper monitor the distance to a
stationary obstacle. The sound repeats faster as the distance decreases.” Page 20 also contains the
informative language function, an example of which is: “The range starts with a four cylinder,
1,4 litre unit that develops 75 PS.”
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
The expressive language function
Characteristic of the expressive language function are connotative, personal and subjective words
as well as references to states of minds, feeling and health (Albrecht, 2005:22).
The first sentence on page 2, ll. 2-3, “New Beetle driving is about enjoyment. So to maximise
your enjoyment we thought you’d appreciate loads of great features” is expressive because of the
subjective words “enjoyment”, “loads” and “great”. Other examples of the expressive language
function on page 2 are: “powerful ‘Gamma’ radio/CD player” l. 8, “terrific stereo sound – it also
blends perfectly with the New Beetle’s dashboard design.” l. 10, “unique interior” l. 12, “useful
front centre armrest” l. 13, “extensive list” l. 15, “easy reach” l. 18, “clear and easy to read
dashboard” l. 19 and “important data” l. 20.
The rest of the brochure contains several examples of the expressive language function, some
of the best examples are: “The harmonious blend of design and function”, “The attractive and
durable”, “the feeling of pure freedom that only a cabriolet can deliver.”, “totally clear” all on
page 3, “handy storage”, “somewhat special” on p 4, “elegant operation”, When closed, its taut
fit is a particularly impressive element of the car’s design” on p 6.
All in all, it is now clear that the brochure is multifunctional with the expressive and informative
language functions as the dominant functions. This means that the brochure has focus on the
sender and on the context, and that the language in the brochure is a mix of connotative,
subjective, personal and denotative, objective and impersonal language. On the one hand, the
New Beetle is described very objectively in technical descriptions and descriptions of equipment
and on the other hand, it is emotionally described and since the expressive language also puts
focus on Volkswagen, the language helps build an image of the company and of the New Beetle.
The expressive language conveys the image of a company that cares about design, quality,
consumer friendliness and makes a perfect and unique car, which is enjoyable to drive.
The poetic language function seems to be prevalent but this is not the intention of Volkswagen in
my opinion, because the alliterations and fragments are standard words and phrases so they do
not put focus on the message.
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Bachelor Project - A comparative branding analysis of two New Beetle brochures
5.1.3. Tropes
Metaphors, metonymy, personification and rhetorical questions are all tropes (Frandsen et al.,
1997:115), but in this brochure only personification and rhetorical questions occur.
Personification
Personification is attribution of personality to an impersonal thing (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
Page 2 contains one example of personification of the Beetle: “body-coloured door mirrors” ll. 45.
The rest of the brochure and especially page 8 and 9 also contain some examples:
“A galvanised body can be admired for years to come.”, “The complete body of both models”,
“body panels”, “great body rigidity”, “Not only is body strength an important safety measure”,
“bolted to the body.” p 8, “the bodywork” p 9, “to be fitted securely to the New Beetle and New
Beetle Cabriolet’s body via eyes” p 9, “has breathable qualities” p 18
Rhetorical questions
There are no rhetorical questions on page 2 and this is also characteristic of the rest of the
brochure, which only contains 3 examples: “Why have all the fun, when you can share the
exhilaration?” p 5, “We all enjoy different things in life, so shouldn’t your New Beetle or New
Beetle Cabriolet reflect your own personal taste?” p 18, “For hours of uninterrupted music
listening, why not add a six CD autochanger?” p 18.
Similarly to fragments and alliterations, the personifications in the brochure are not used
specially for this brochure because “body” is the name for the car’s main part. The last two
personifications are more original personifications because they imply that the car has eyes and
that the leather of the interior can breathe.
The rhetorical questions make the brochure more personal because they are directed at the
receiver, who then considers the questions. Furthermore, the questions also breach the
declarative sentences and in this way make the brochure more interesting to read.
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5.1.4. Figures
Repetition, alliteration and rhyme are examples of figures (Frandsen et al., 1997:115) but only
repetition will be analysed in the following. Alliteration and rhyme were analysed under the
poetic language function where it was established that the brochure contains no rhyme and that
most of the examples of alliteration are names of car parts or equipment and therefore not
intentionally made for this brochure.
Repetition
According to Brierley (1995:182), repetition ads emphasis and consistency and aids
memorability and impact.
The repeated words can, because of their high frequency in the brochure, be characterised as
keywords.
Unique
The headline on page 2, “A unique exterior and interior.” is the first mentioning of the keyword
unique and other words and phrases which connote that the New Beetle is unique in some way.
Other examples are: “The unique interior of the New Beetle” 1. 12 p 2, “unique vase for your
favourite flower.” p 3, “the New Beetle and New Beetle Cabriolet are somewhat special when
you compare them with other cars” p 4 , “you can enjoy your New Beetle and New Beetle
Cabriolet in a very special, exclusive atmosphere” p 18, “Not only does leather have a unique,
luxurious fragrance” p 18, “provides the New Beetle Cabriolet with a special elegance and
perfectly complements” p 18, “air of exclusivity” p 18.
Enjoyment
The first sentence in the brochure, besides the headline on page 2, is: “New Beetle driving is
about enjoyment. So to maximise your enjoyment we thought you’d appreciate loads of great
features”.
The rest of the brochure lives up to the statement about enjoyment in the New Beetle because
“enjoyment” or “enjoy” is a keyword in the brochure, which contains the following examples:
“you’ll always enjoy a comfortable place in the sun.” p 3, “where the driver enjoys a clear view
of the instruments” p 3, “you’ll want to enjoy its classic design” p 8, “We know you’ll enjoy
driving the New Beetle” p 9, “And when you feel safe, you can enjoy the touring experience” p
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9, “We all enjoy different things in life” p 18, “With leather upholstery, you can enjoy your New
Beetle and New Beetle Cabriolet” p 18, “the sensual enjoyment of open-top driving” p 18.
Features
The third keyword appearing in the brochure is “features”: “loads of great features.” l. 3 p 2. A
few examples of the keyword are: “An extensive list of interior features” 1. 15 p 2, “extensive
list of features” p 3, “numerous features for your convenience” p 4, “numerous electronic
features” p 9.
Safety
Page 2 contains another keyword namely “safety”: “to make overtaking safer.” l. 7. The whole
brochure has many examples of the keyword such as: “For comfort and safety the front electric
windows feature a one touch open and close facility and anti-trapping protection, should
anything be in the way.” p 3, “As a precautionary measure, a hood warning light near the release
handle will inform you if the hood is not securely locked.” p 6, “The epitome of modern day
safety.” p 9, “we want you to feel totally safe and secure as well.” p 9 and several more examples
on page 9 and last “For added safety, an anti-trapping device immediately stops the roof if it
meets resistance.” p 19.
Beauty and design
“Beauty” and “design” are two more keywords first mentioned on page 2: “dashboard design” l.
11.
More examples in the brochure are: “It’s all down to ergonomic design” p 3, “The harmonious
blend of design and function” p 3, “The attractive and durable seat upholstery in ‘Eclipse’
design” p 3, “design detail.” p 4, “its taut fit is a particularly impressive element of the car’s
design” p 6, “Beauty needn’t affect functionality.” p 6, “Performance-enhanced beauty” p 7, “a
car that looks so good” p 8, “Perfect workmanship provides a perfect finish.” p 8.
Quality
“Quality” is also a keyword though it does not appear on page 2. “the New Beetle Cabriolet’s
high quality workmanship and attention to detail” p 3, “The choice of fine quality materials and
the highest standards of workmanship” p 6, “With the Volkswagen New Beetle and New Beetle
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Cabriolet, quality takes on a new importance” p 8, “The excellent build quality of the New
Beetle and New Beetle Cabriolet” p 8, “Impressive build quality is not only seen, it can be heard
and felt as well.” p 8, “The excellent quality also shows in another, crucial field” p 8, “the
exceptional build quality.” p 8.
Easy and help
Volkswagen wants to signal that a Beetle is practical and user-friendly: “easy reach” l. 18 p 2
and “easy to read dashboard” l. 19 p 2, “practical solutions are part of their appeal.” p 4, “carpet
mats help protect” p 4, “will help you” p 4, “Help ensure” p 6 and there are many more
examples.
Many of the keywords are adjectives and according to Brierley (1995:179), adjectives build up
the brand and thereby the image of the brand. Therefore, this strategy is used well by
Volkswagen if the company wants the Beetle to have an image as a user friendly quality car in
beautiful design that is enjoyable to drive in because of the many features and high safety
standards.
The names of the car, “New Beetle” and “New Beetle Cabriolet” are also mentioned many times
on page 2 and in the entire brochure. According to Brierley (1995:180), language games aid the
memory of the receiver and help the brand stand out and be original among the many brands
today. The brand name “New Beetle” is an example of a language game that helps the receivers
of the brochure remember the car because of its name and shape which is similar to a beetle bug.
5.2. Visual rhetorical strategies
In the following is first a categorisation of the pictures and next a paragraph on text and picture.
As mentioned in the introduction, the theories of Roland Barthes on denotation and connotation
are applied for the visual analysis of the brochures. According to Barthes, a picture contains
three messages: The linguistic message, the denoted picture which is the literal picture and a
connoted picture which is what society thinks of the picture (Barthes, 1977:17) or in other words
the cultural or symbolic picture (Barthes, 1977:46). Connotation is the imposition of a second
meaning on the picture (Barthes, 1977:20) and all we need is our knowledge and our perception
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(Barthes, 1977:36). The code of connotation is cultural; its signs are gestures, attitudes,
expressions, colours or effects with a certain meaning for each society (Barthes, 1977:27).
The brochure contains many pictures which can be categorised in the following way:
Symbolic pictures: 6 (pp 1, 5, 6, 7, 10, 17)
Detailed pictures: 52
Larger pictures of the interior: 4 (pp 2, 3, 18, 19)
The Beetle in use: no pictures of this, all though the picture on page 5 comes close to this
category because of the people lying beside the car who must have just used the car.
The pictures are a mix of the Beetle in nature and in or near large, raw concrete buildings and
this mix connotes that the Beetle is for city driving as well as for enjoyments in nature. The
pictures are also a mix of night time, day time and morning time pictures. Furthermore, the
Beetle is shown from every possible angle and almost every picture shows a new angle and a
new colour of the car. All of these varied pictures connote that the New Beetle is an all round car
that can be used for many purposes.
Overall, the pictures on page 2, like the text on page 2, are representative of the rest of the
brochure because they consist of a larger picture of the car and a number of smaller pictures
showing details of the car and all the pictures have numbers and captions.
Text and picture
According to Barthes (1977:16), the picture communicates with another structure, namely the
text and headline, and picture and text are therefore cooperative. Formerly, pictures illustrated
the text, but now the text loads the picture, burdens it with a culture, a moral, an imagination.
Furthermore, according to Barthes (1977:38ff), the function of the linguistic message is
anchorage, which means that the text helps identify the elements of the picture and it guides the
identification of the denoted picture and the interpretation of the connoted picture. This is also
the case for page 2 and the British brochure as a whole, because the captions of the pictures
correspond to the pictures: for example picture 5 on page 2 is of alloy wheels and the caption is:
“Sporty 16” alloy wheels”.
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Text and picture (verbal and visual rhetorical strategies) in the British brochure do communicate
with each other: Most of the keywords are supported by the pictures. “Features” is underlined by
the very fact that there are so many small pictures of details and features of the car, for example a
picture of a digital clock and remote switches on page 2. The many close-up pictures and
pictures of fine leather interior underline the “quality” and “uniqueness” of the car. “Safety” is
underlined by pictures of airbags and the ESP and ABS systems. ”Easy” and “help” are mainly
linked to the pictures on pages 4 and 6 that for example show the “easy entry seats”.
The beauty and uniqueness of the Beetle is also supported by the pictures because there is
focus on the car and not people in it since there are no pictures of people in the car. The picture
on page 7 is of a young woman sitting in a building and admiring a yellow Beetle. The picture,
together with the caption “performance-enhanced beauty” stresses the beauty of the car because
it implies that the car can be looked at for hours. One could actually get the association that the
woman should look like a visitor at an art museum or gallery who admires a piece of art which
again underlines the uniqueness of the car. The picture on page 10 also puts focus on the design
and the shape of the car because the car stands clearly out from the blurry water.
The last keyword “enjoyment” is only supported by the woman on page 7 who can be said to
enjoy the beauty of the car but other than that there are no pictures of any people enjoying
driving or using the car.
This overall agreement of picture and text means that from looking at the pictures overall, the
receiver gets the same image of the Beetle as from the keywords.
5.3. Partial conclusion
The total analysis of the British brochure has shown that Volkswagen brands the New Beetle by
using verbal rhetorical strategies in the following way: the brochure is written in the consultative
style of formality, the informative and expressive language functions are dominant, there are
only a few tropes in the form of rhetorical questions and personifications, but there are many
figures in the form of the repetition of several keywords.
Furthermore, the visual analysis has shown that verbal and visual rhetorical strategies are
connected.
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6. Analysis of the American New Beetle brochure and comparison of the two
brochures
The following paragraph contains first an analysis of the verbal rhetorical strategies in the
American brochure and last a minor analysis of the visual rhetorical strategies. During the
analyses the two brochures will be compared. At the end of the entire paragraph is a partial
conclusion.
6.1. Verbal rhetorical strategies
In the following is first an analysis of the level of formality, then an analysis of language
functions and finally tropes and figures. Pages 5 and 8 of the brochure are starting points for an
analysis of the entire brochure. At the end of each of the four sub paragraphs are comments to
the analysis.
6.1.1. The level of formality
Like the British brochure, the American brochure is also written in the consultative style.
Pages 5 and 8 and the brochure as a whole have no informal or formal style markers. The
consultative style markers, direct speech, contractions and personal pronouns are all present in
the brochure.
The only example of direct speech is on page 8: “’okay I guess I can sit here for a while until my
legs fall asleep’” but like the British brochure, the American brochure contains many
contractions and personal pronouns.
Contractions:
There are no examples on page 5. The contractions on page 8 are: “you’ll notice” l. 5, “You’ll
also find innovations” l. 7, and “you’ll take” l. 9.
Some examples from the rest of the brochure are: “It’s iconic. It’s a ragtop. It’s ridiculously fun.”
p 7, “you’ll get” p 18 and “you’ve grown” p 18.
Personal pronouns:
Like contractions there are no personal pronouns on page 5 but page 8 as well as the rest of the
brochure have several personal pronouns: “comes at you” l. 2 , “you’ll notice” l. 5 , “We mean”
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l. 6, “I guess I can sit here” l. 6, “You’ll also find” l. 7 , “you’ll take” l. 9, and “with you” l. 9 all
on page 8, “Don’t even get us started” p 7, “From the very first time you take a seat in the New
Beetle you feel welcome.” p 14, “You can also upgrade to R-line pedal caps so your feet have as
much fun as you do.” p 16, “You can lock” p 16. There are many personal pronouns on page 16
and this is natural considering the subject of the page which is personalisation of the Beetle.
For the same reasons as with the British brochure (ordinary consumers, normal language,
personal address and human company on the same level as the consumers) it is wise of
Volkswagen to write the brochure in the consultative style. Like the British advertising style, the
American advertising style is characterised by the direct address (de Mooij, 1998:272) because
Americans like this.
6.1.2. Language functions
The phatic and the metalinguistic language function
Like the British brochure, the American brochure has no metalinguistic or phatic language
functions.
The directive language function
There are a few imperatives on pages 5 and 8: “So hop in, buckle up and take off”, l. 8 p 5 “Start
down the road” l. 3 p 8.
The rest of the brochure has a few more examples: “Choose the New Beetle Convertible” p 11,
“Enjoy six introductory months” p 11, “Visit vw.com/safehappens to learn more” p 12,
“Personalize your icon.” p 16 and “Learn more at vw.com” p 24.
The poetic language function
Pages 5 and 8 and the brochure as a whole contain many of the characteristics of the poetic
language function, and the language function is therefore quite prevalent in the brochure.
Rhythm structures
Pages 5 and 8 contain many rhythm structures and the entire brochure is also filled with them:
“So hop in, buckle up and take off.” l. 8 p 5 is a monosyndetic parallel structure (Albrecht,
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2005:24), “You’ll also find innovations like the armrest storage compartment, an iPod docking
area, and even a rear-seat-pass-through on the Convertible.” ll. 7-9 p 8, , “It opens doors and
windows, has a panic button, and even the sophisticatedly cool switchblade key.” ll. 10-11 p 8,
“your new best friend zigs, zags and puts a smile on your face.” p 7, “Maybe it’s the roomy
dome-shaped interior, ample passenger room and flip-down rear seats. Maybe it’s the exterior
color trim panels that match perfectly with the interior colors and textures. Maybe it’s the bud
vase/lollipop holder/inspiration pod that’s comfortably tucked into the dash, the red and blue
cockpit illumination or the heatable seats.” p 14, “Downforce, aerodynamics and style are the
inspiration for your choice” p 16, “When building your version, you’ll get V-Tex seating
surfaces, sleek European black trim and all the interior bells and whistles you’ve grown to expect
in a VW.” p 18.
Some of the sentences in the brochure are parallel structures, which are also characteristic of the
poetic language function:
“It’s iconic. It’s a ragtop. It’s ridiculously fun.” p 7 is an asyndetic parallel structure because it
has no coordinator (Albrecht, 2005:24).
“More speakers, more power and more boom boom.” p 11, “a smoother, safer (and faster)
take-off.” p 12, “The New Beetle is iconic on the outside, roomy on the inside and full of
Volkswagen engineering all over.” p 18 are all monosyndetic parallel structures because they
have one coordinator (Albrecht, 2005:24).
Alliteration
The American brochure, like the British brochure, has examples of alliteration. There are two
examples on page 5 but none on page 8: “fun and fashion” l. 7 and “The world is waiting.” l. 9.
Examples from the rest of the brochure are: “Pair that pairing” p 7, “your new best friend zigs,
zags” p 7, “you better believe” p 11, “slick and slippery road conditions and kicking in corrective
forces.” p 12, “the Prevent and Preserve Safety System.” p 12 and “The Autobahn-bred brothers
of the New Beetle are the GTI and GLI.” p 16.
Rhyme
The brochure has a single example of rhyme: “To drive and thrive in a New Beetle” p 16,
whereas the British brochure had none.
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Fragments
Unlike the British brochure, which contains many fragments, the American brochure does not
contain any.
This reason for this is that the brochures are differently structured. Many of the fragments in
the British brochure are captions to small pictures and the American brochure does not such
captions.
The informative language function
Just as the British brochure contains many examples of objective, factual and denotative
information, so does the American brochure, although not as many as the British brochure. The
informative language on pages 5 and 8 is: “First brought to the world back in 1938, ‘the little car
that could’ soon motored all over the world and became the longest-running and most-produced
automobile of a single design” ll. 2-4, “winning the Baja 500” l. 5, “combines it with the latest in
German-tuned engineering and European styling” ll. 7-8 all on p 5, “elliptical headlights, semitransparent taillights” l. 4, “comfortable seating for four adults” ll. 5-6, “the armrest storage
compartment, an iPod docking area and even a rear- seat pass-through on the Convertible.” ll. 78 and “It opens doors and windows, has a panic button” l. 10 all on p 8.
A few of the best examples of the informative language function in the whole brochure are:
“It also delivers 20 city/29 highway mpg (20 city/ 28 highway mpg for Convertible). In addition,
the vehicle has a partial-zero emissions certification.” p 7, “An MP3 format-capable in-dash CD
with a 6 speaker stereo system and SIRIUS Radio is the core of the New Beetle system.” p 11.
Pages 20-22 are almost entirely informative, an example is: “New Beetle Convertible 16 Mali
alloy wheels with all season tires (…) Center console with adjustable armrest and integrated
storage box; EPS, ASR, EDL, EBD, ABS, TPMS.” p 21.
The expressive language function
On pages 5 and 8 there are several expressive words and phrases.
Page 5: “No vehicle is more iconic or enduring than the Volkswagen Beetle.” l. 2, “winning the
hearts of Americans in every walk of life” ll. 5-6, “the New Beetle brings the fun and fashion of
an iconic shape” l.7, “The world is waiting” l. 9.
Page 8: “Well rounded, inside and out” l. 1, “From a historic past to a bright tomorrow, the New
Beetle comes at you with a big smile and loads of innovative features” ll. 2-3, “unforgettable
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body design” l. 4, “inordinate amount of room” l. 5, “truly comfortable” l. 6, “You’ll also find
innovations” l. 7, “take some of that innovation and fun with in the form of your New Beetle’s
key.” ll. 9-10 and “sophisticatedly cool” ll. 11.
The brochure as a whole also has many examples of the expressive language function for
example:
“All around the world, it’s what the people want” p 2-3, “get to know the most iconic and funloving members of the Volkswagen family” p 2, “unlimited good times” p 7, “unbeatable
engine” p 7, “finely tuned” p 11, “simple pleasure” p 11, “The features work in harmony” p 12,
“match perfectly” p 14, “do their thing on a German interior, the results are pure Volkswagen” p
14, “you have to be a unique kind of person” p 16, “a little more sleek” p 16, “and your New
Beetle just became a sherpa.” p 16.
There are no phatic or metalinguistic functions and the directive function is not used much in the
brochure but like the British brochure, the American brochure is multifunctional.
The informative and expressive language functions are dominant just as in the British
brochure, and because of the many rhythm structures, parallel structures and intentional
alliterations that really put focus on the message, the poetic language function is dominant in the
American brochure. The expressive language conveys the image of an innovative company,
which has made a well rounded iconic car.
The poetic language sends out a signal of a young, fresh and modern company and car which
are hip and try to stand out by being untraditional.
6.1.3. Tropes
Rhetorical questions
The American brochure has a few more rhetorical questions than the British brochure but none
of them are on pages 5 and 8: “Did you know that Volkswagen has ESP standard on all 2009
vehicles? (…) How about right now, the VW forest is growing in Mississippi thanks to the
Volkswagen Carbon Neutral Project-the first U.S. Carbon offsetting program initiated by a car
manufacturer?” p 2, “What will we do first, next?” p 2, “How are you feeling inside?” p 18 and
“”The lap of luxury.” Whose “lap” is that referring to?” p 18.
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Metaphors
A metaphor means that a concrete meaning is used in a figurative sense (Frandsen et al.,
1997:142).
Pages 5 and 8 contain two metaphors: “to winning the hearts of Americans in every walk of life.
This journey is far from over” ll. 5-6 p 5. “walk of life” is the first metaphor and it means that as
people go through different periods in their life, they are attracted to the New Beetle no matter
which period they are in. “Journey” is the second metaphor and it is a metaphor for the life of the
car and by this Volkswagen means that the Beetle is an icon which has existed a long time and
will exist for many more years.
“Interior bells and whistles” p 18 is also a metaphor because the car has no bell or whistles so
it must mean something other than the actual words suggest. “Bells and whistles” is an
expression that people use when they want to say how great and fine something is and in this
case Volkswagen describes the interior of the Beetle.
Personification
Throughout the brochure, the old Beetle is saying little remarks in a microphone and this is a
clear example of personification because the car is made into a speaking person. On page 5 the
car says: “In Chile, they call me Moncho. In Japan, it’s Kabuto-Mushi!”.
The other remarks in the brochure are: “What will we do first, next?” p 2, “I have a sense of
humor about lots of things. Safety isn’t one of them.” p 13, “The German engineering is
standard. So is the fun.” p 14, “”The lap of luxury.” Whose “lap” is that referring to? I’ve always
wondered that.” p 18.
All of the remarks have something to do with the subject of the page. Pages 2 and 5 concern
the iconic status of the car all over the world, page 13 is about safety, page 14 is about the
German engineering of the car and page 18 is about the quality of the interior of the car. The
remarks from the car helps the receiver remember the key points of the brochure; the car is an
icon made in Germany and is of high quality, fun to drive and with high safety standards.
The brochure contains other personifications as well. There are two on page 8 “the New
Beetle comes at you with a big smile” ll. 2-3 and “unforgettable body design.” l. 4, and four
more in the rest of the brochure: “get to know the most iconic and fun-loving members of the
Volkswagen family-The Volkswagen New Beetle and New Beetle Convertible.” p 2 “Paired up
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with this unbeatable engine” p 7, “your new best friend” p 7 and “the heart and soul of the New
Beetle’s entertainment system was born” p 11.
The personifications in the American brochure are diverse and more noticeable than the ones
in the British brochure, and therefore, they most likely have more effect on the receiver.
The personifications connote that the Beetle is a smart and intelligent car, which can think for
it self and this is supported by the many safety devices that think for themselves on the basis of
how the driver acts or how the car drives. For example the ASR or the ESP device (p 12).
Volkswagen gets an image of a brave company with a good sense of humour which appeals to
Americans, who like humour in advertising (de Mooij, 2005:142). Furthermore, Volkswagen
shows a respect for the classics, because the company proudly shows the old Beetle a number of
times in the brochure which supports the fact that tradition and sentimentality are important
elements in American advertising (de Mooij, 1998:272).
The American brochure makes use of many tropes in the form of several rhetorical questions, a
few metaphors and many examples of personification.
6.1.4. Figures
Repetition
Like the British brochure, the American brochure has repetition of many keywords.
Fun
“Fun” appears a few times on pages 5 and 8: “as the New Beetle brings the fun and fashion” l. 7
p 5, “And you’ll take some of that innovation and fun with you, in the form of your New
Beetle’s key.” ll. 9-10 p 8, and there are many more examples in the rest of the brochure: “the
most iconic and fun-loving members of the Volkswagen family - The Volkswagen New Beetle
and New Beetle Convertible.” p 2, “The people want to make getting there more than half the
fun.” p 7, “Fun to look at. Even more fun to drive.” p 7, “And speaking of fun, don’t even get us
started on the New Beetle Convertible. It’s iconic. It’s a ragtop. It’s ridiculously fun.” p 7, “The
German engineering is standard. So is the fun.” p 14, “so your feet have as much fun as you do.”
p 16. From these examples it is quite clear that Volkswagen wants to present the Beetle as a fun
car which gives the driver many fun experiences.
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German
Volkswagen apparently wants to highlight the fact that the Beetle is German-engineered since
they mention this several times in the brochure, though not on pages 5 and 8: “German-tuned
engineering” l. 8 p 5, “German-engineered” p 7, “in a sound laboratory in Germany” p 11, “when
our German engineers do their thing on a German interior” p 14 and “The German engineering is
standard” p 14. The keyword “German” connotes that the Beetle is a quality design product with
the best technology because this is what Germans are known for.
Furthermore, the slogan “Das Auto.” stresses the fact that the company is German and proud
of it since the company uses the German slogan in an American context. The slogan connotes
that there is no other or better car than a Volkswagen.
Icon
Another keyword is “icon”/”iconic” which page 5 has three examples of: “An icon then and
now.” l. 1 p 5, “No vehicle is more iconic or enduring than the Volkswagen Beetle.” l. 2 p 5 and
“as the New Beetle brings the fun and fashion of an iconic shape” l. 7 p 5.
The rest of the brochure has examples of the keyword to: “get to know the most iconic and
fun-loving members of the Volkswagen family-The Volkswagen New Beetle and New Beetle
Convertible” p 2, “the New Beetle Convertible. It’s iconic.” p 7 and “The New Beetle is iconic
on the outside” p 18. Volkswagen wants to emphasise that the car model has lasted many
decades and that is has become an icon. Especially the shape of the car is iconic, and that is
probably why Volkswagen thinks that the New Beetle with the same shape as the original Beetle,
will be as much a success as the original Beetle was.
Innovation
The question from the old Beetle on p 2 “What will we do first, next?” signals that Volkswagen
is an innovative company. Other examples of the keyword are: “loads of innovative features.” l.
3 p 8, “You’ll also find innovations like the armrest storage compartment” ll. 7-8 p 8, “And
you’ll take some of that innovation and fun with you, in the form of your New Beetle’s key.” ll.
9-10 p 8. Much of the information on page 2 gives innovative associations, examples of which
are: “Or that we expect to be the first to make clean diesel available in all 50 states?” How about
right now, the VW forest is growing in Mississippi thanks to the Volkswagen Carbon Neutral
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Project-the first U.S. Carbon offsetting program initiated by a car manufacturer?” which again
signals that Volkswagen is the first to do something and is therefore innovative.
Like in the British brochure, the names of the car “New Beetle” and “New Beetle Convertible”
are mentioned many times and since this is a case of repetition of a language game it has the
great effect of memorability, consistency and originality (Brierley, 1995:182).
Intertextuality
According to Goddard (2002:51), intertextuality means that one text can point to or base itself on
another. In the brochure, there is one instance of intertextuality: “Safe happens” p 12.
It refers to the proverb “shit happens” and because “shit happens” Volkswagens has made a car
in which “safe happens” so the customer can drive safely.
The phrase is also a case of humour and ambiguity (Brierley, 1995:186) and Americans like
ambiguity and humour (de Mooij, 2005:142).
The American brochure contains an example of intertextuality which the British brochure does
not. On the other hand, the American brochure does not have as many keywords as the British
brochure has.
According to Andersen (2001:134), advertising with tropes and figures, no matter how good
the tropes and figures are, has much better effects on ad liking, ad recall and brand attitude which
suggests that the brochures are successful in creating a brand because of the many tropes and
figures.
6.2. Visual rhetorical strategies
The following is an analysis of the visual rhetorical strategies, first with a categorisation of the
pictures, next a paragraph on connotations and last is a paragraph on text and picture.
The pictures in the American brochure can be categorised like the pictures in the British
brochure:
Symbolic pictures: 5 (pp 1, 2, 3, 4+5, 21)
Detailed pictures (small): 11 (3 on page 8, 2 on page 11, 4 on page 16, 2 on page 18)
Larger pictures of the interior: 3 (pp 14, 15, 18+19)
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Pictures of the car in use: 8 (pp 6+7, 8+9, 10+11, 12, 13, 16+17, 23)
The pictures on pages 20 and 24 are out of category: P 20: small cars in different colours. P 24:
wild life refuge.
The categorisation of the pictures show some clear differences to the British brochure which
does not show the car being used, whereas the American brochure has 8 pictures of the car in
use. Furthermore, there are only 11 detailed pictures in the American brochure compared to the
52 pictures in the British brochure.
This gives a good indication of the different structures of the brochures regarding the visual
rhetorical strategies as well as the verbal rhetorical strategies: the British brochure focuses on the
features, details and beauty of the car both verbally and visually, whereas the American brochure
focuses on showing the car in use with several people having fun in large pictures.
Connotations
Like in the British brochure, the pictures are a mix of the Beetle in nature and in a big city which
connotes that the Beetle is for city driving as well as for fun in nature. The pictures are also a
mix of night time, day time and morning time pictures. The Beetle is shown from every possible
angle just as in the British brochure, and in the American brochure all the colours of the car are
shown either in large or small pictures. All the varied pictures connote that the New Beetle is an
all round car which comes in many colours and can be used for many purposes.
The pictures on pages 5 and 8 are representative of the whole brochure because they contain
large pictures which cover more than one page, they show people who use or have used the car,
the car is shown in nature (p 8) as well as in a city area (p 5) and finally there are a few small
pictures of car details (p 8), and these characteristics apply for the rest of the brochure.
The picture on pages 4 and 5 is of a green Beetle in a parking building in a big city and a
small picture of the old Beetle in the corner. Once again the design and shape of the car is in
focus because the New Beetle stands out from the background and sort of speaks for itself. The
subject of the pages is that the Beetle is an icon and therefore all what is needed are the pictures
of the New Beetle and the old Beetle. The picture on pages 8 and 9 is one of the many pictures in
which the car has been used by young people who are out in nature, in this case at the beach.
It is difficult to determine whether the sun is rising or setting on many of the pictures but a
rising sun connotes a new beginning, a new day and a new era for the iconic old Beetle and
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therefore it is more likely that most of the pictures include sunrises (p 6, 8, 12, 15, 16 and 19).
The last picture with the car, page 23, is, however, of a sun set which together with the Beetle
seen from the back driving away connote that this is the end of the brochure.
Text and picture
Like in the British brochure, the keywords in the American brochure communicate with the
pictures just as Barthes argues picture and text do (1977:16). The keyword “icon” or “iconic” is
supported the many pictures of the old Beetle (pp 2, 5, 13, 14, 18) which reminds the receiver of
the age of the car model. The front page picture highlights the shape of the car because of the
curved water fountain behind the car and this also emphasises the iconic shape of the car. “Fun”
is also shown in many pictures: pages 6 and 10 with smiling couples in the car, page 8 and 9 with
three young people ready to have fun surfing and page 12 and 13 show young people and a child
smiling and having fun playing basket ball. The keyword “innovation” is also shown on page 8
in the pictures of the innovative details of the car and on page 11 in pictures of the latest in
technology.
The keyword “German”, however, is not shown in any pictures.
6.3. Partial conclusion
The analysis of the American brochure has shown that Volkswagen brands the New Beetle by
using verbal rhetorical strategies in the following way: the consultative style of formality, the
informative, expressive and poetic language functions are dominant, there are many tropes in the
form of rhetorical questions, metaphors and personifications and many figures in the form of the
repetition of a few keywords.
Furthermore, the visual analysis has shown that text and picture are linked so the pictures
convey the same image as the text. Furthermore, the pictures signal that the car can be used for
many purposes because of the variation in the pictures.
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7. Conclusion
It can now be concluded that the two Beetle brochures are product brochures, which follow the
typical move structure as much as can be expected since the company brochure is a very
dynamic genre. The brochures are also acts of branding because they are external processes
whose purpose it is to turn Volkswagen and the New Beetle into brands.
Furthermore, it can be concluded that the brochures are similar on an overall level because they
have similar move structures; the most comprehensive and most important moves (attention,
product description, invitation to take contact) are the same in the two brochures and only a few
other small moves are different from each other.
The brochures also have the same communicative purpose of presenting the New Beetle and
turning it into a brand.
The major differences in the brochures lie in the rhetorical strategies, but some of the
strategies are similar.
First of all, the similarities in the verbal rhetorical strategies are the same style of formality
namely the consultative style. This is seen through the use of contractions, personal pronouns
and no formal or informal style markers, which convey the image of a young and human
company on the same level as the consumers.
Second of all, the informative and expressive language functions are dominant in both
brochures but there is a difference in the image that the expressive language conveys. In the
American brochure the New Beetle has the image of an innovative iconic car that is unique and
fun to drive.
In the British brochure, the expressive language conveys the image of a company that cares
about design, quality, consumer friendliness and that makes a perfect and unique car which is
enjoyable to drive.
Another difference is that the poetic language function is prevalent in the American brochure
in terms of rhyme, rhythm and alliterations and this gives Volkswagen a young and modern
image.
Concerning tropes, there are also differences the brochures between. The British brochure only
contains a few tropes in the form of personification and rhetorical questions, whereas the
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American brochure has many tropes in the form of rhetorical questions, metaphors and
personifications which convey the image of an innovative company that has made a luxurious car
of high quality, with high safety standards and that can think for it self because of its human
qualities which the British Beetle also has.
It seems that the focus of the American brochure is the New Beetle as a whole and the image of
the Beetle and Volkswagen and not so much a detailed product description as the British
brochure is. This can be seen from the keywords.
Both brochures have a lot of repetition in the form of keywords but the keywords in the two
brochures are not the same. The keywords in the British brochure focus on details of the car as
the keywords are safety, features, quality, beauty and design, enjoyment, easy and help and they
convey the image of a user-friendly car in beautiful design and with many features, high safety
standards and which is enjoyable to drive.
The keywords in the American brochure are icon, German, innovation and fun and they
convey the image of a long lasting car model which is fun to drive and made by an innovative
German car manufacturer. The reason why the American brochure uses icon as a keyword could
be that Americans value tradition (de Mooij, 1998:272), and the iconic Beetle represents
something traditional.
The name “New Beetle” is also repeated many times in each brochure which helps build up
the brand.
Some of the visual rhetorical strategies in the brochures are also very different from each other
because the visual strategies reflect the keywords which are different. Furthermore, the analysis
of the categories of pictures showed clear differences in the visual strategies which correspond to
the verbal strategies of the car as a whole and the features of the car. The British brochure has
many small and numbered pictures that show details of the car and that has captions to them,
whereas the American brochure has many large pictures that cover more than one page and that
show the car being used by both men and women. An explanation for this difference might be
that Americans like to see real people using the car in real life situations also called “slice of life
situations” (de Mooij, 2005:143) which the beach and surfing picture on page 8 is an example of.
The British receivers are more interested in the features, equipment and many details of the car
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because they value the fact that a product can be individualised and make them stand out (de
Mooij, 1998:273).
However, some of the visual rhetorical strategies are the same in the brochures since they in
both brochures convey the image of an all round car which can be used for many purposes.
Even though the move structures are similar and the communicative purpose is the same, it is
now established that Volkswagen brands the New Beetle differently to the American and British
market in terms of the use of different rhetorical strategies. This is remarkable because,
according to de Mooij (2005:117), American and British consumers have the same motives for
buying a car (based on the research made by Hofstede). Both cultures which are masculine and
have weak uncertainty avoidance have a need for status and want big and powerful cars and
therefore often buy SUVs. But this theory could, of course, be wrong.
Based on the analysis it is now possible to suggest what Volkswagen’s core identity and
extended identity are, as the core identity should be shared image in the two brochures and the
extended identity are the individual images of each brochure.
The core identity is of a human company on the same level as the consumers that has high
safety standards and makes quality cars.
The extended identity of Volkswagen in the British brochure could be that of a company that
makes a beautiful designed car which is unique, user-friendly, with many features and is
enjoyable to drive.
The extended identity of Volkswagen in the American brochure could be that of a young and
modern German innovator with a good sense of humour and a respect for the classics, which
makes a luxurious iconic car which is smart, intelligent and fun to drive.
The brand identities are so complex because of the complexity of a car.
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8. References
Aaker, David A. (2002): Building Strong Brands. London: Simon & Schuster UK Ltd
Albrecht, Lone (2005): Textual Analysis and the Production of Text. Frederiksberg C: Forlaget
Samfundslitteratur.
Andersen, Lars Pynt (2001). Reklamens form og indhold. In Hansen, Flemming, Bach Lauritsen,
Gitte, Grønholdt, Lars (eds): Kommunikation, mediaplanlægning og reklamestyring. Bind 1:
Metoder og modeller. Frederiksberg C: Forlaget Samfundslitteratur.
Barthes, Roland (1977): IMAGE, MUSIC, TEXT. London: Fontana Press
Brierley, Sean (1995): The Advertising handbook: Media practice. London: Routledge
de Mooij, Marieke (1998): Global marketing and advertising. Understanding Cultural
Paradoxes. Thousand Oaks: SAGE publications.
de Mooij, Marieke (2005): Global marketing and advertising. Understanding Cultural
Paradoxes. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Personification
Retrieved 22 April 2009 from
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/453037/personification
Frandsen, Finn, Johansen, Winni, Ellerup Nielsen, Anne (1997): International
Markedskommunikation i en postmoderne verden. Århus: Academica.
Goddard, Angela (2002): The Language of Advertising. London: Routledge
Sandstrøm, Lars (2006): Corporate branding – Et værktøj til strategisk kommunikation.
Frederiksberg C: Forlaget Samfundslitteratur
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Volkswagen United Kingdom (2008): The New Beetle and New Beetle Cabriolet. pp 1-32
Volkswagen United States of America (2009): 2009 New Beetle New Beetle Convertible. pp 1-24
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