For the love of the car adverts (26 Aug 2004)

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For the love of the car adverts (26 Aug 2004)
Life in the strange world of car slogans can be confusing. To move your mind, you'll need a Saab. To open your mind, however, you'd better have a Smart car. Want to shift expectations and you'll have to choose a Nissan. Staying curious will require a Suzuki.

The vehicle you drive has long been seen as a symbol of your wealth, taste, style and - some would say - virility. Now it's becoming a symbol of your state of mind too.

Adman Paul Glyde, who has worked on several car campaigns, says every car is to some extent aspirational in that all drivers want to make a point with what they are driving.

"The classic thing you get in focus groups is people who say they don't care what they drive, so long as it got them from A to B. But in just saying that, they are already demonstrating a taste for cars - just like people who desperately want to be seen as conservative might wear a grey suit."

Article URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3601818.stm

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