Comment by Michael B. Moore on September 12, 2010 at 12:59pm

I never intended to focus so heavily on one category but I've seen quite a few automobile ads lately that have drawn my attention. This Subaru one is quite well done, very emotionally resonant, and seems strategic to where I'm guessing the brand wants to go.

Obviously, there's real advertising brilliance in tapping into the universal parental anxiety about the first time you give your child the keys to the car. My oldest is only 12 and I'm already stressing about this moment! This spot does a great job of playing this out - which has even a bit more impact because it leverages the father - daughter dynamic. The spot explores this natural anxiety and positions Subaru as the solution. The copy at the end of the spot states, "We knew this day was coming. That's why we bought a Subaru." Nicely done.

I wonder about a couple of things though. First, is there enough brand ID in the commercial? In general, as it relates to logo presence in advertising, I'm a big fan of subtlety - particularly if a brand (and its look/feel/voice) is well established in a category. That said, obviously, there is a fine line between something that works or doesn't. This commercial opens looking down the driveway onto a Subaru, but the view lasts for only about a second. If your eyes don't focus down onto the logo on the car's front, you can quickly miss it. Frankly, with just a brief glance, the car could be any number of small to mid-sized sedans. Throughout the ad there are a number of shots into the car, but none clearly reveal the steering wheel hub logo either. If you know its a Subaru then it registers, I'm not so sure about that if you don't. One could easily get to the last second or two of the spot before realizing that its from Subaru.

Second, does the young woman in the spot really appear to be of an age where she would be driving alone for the first time? Perhaps this shows my disconnect with teens, but she looks like she could easily be even into her early twenties. Would the feeling of anxiety - and therefore the Subaru pay-off - be even greater if the girl more clearly seemed to be younger? This is a minor point.

My biggest question speaks to the "ownability" of the spot. Aside from whether they adequately branded it, in my mind Subaru is trying to strengthen its bona fides around safety and reliability (as they edge into the family sedan space?). To me, even though I can't remember any recent advertising from them, this is automobile positioning territory that Volvo still owns. Perhaps this spot will be a tool to help Subaru tread more legitimately into this new area. If so, and if there's some meaningful media behind it, I imagine it will be effective - particularly as Volvo wanes.

Going forward though, if they are growing into new space, perhaps they should 'up the volume' on their branding to make sure that consumers connect that it is a Subaru ad. If consumers equate trust and safety, for example, with another brand - then Subaru might not gain the full benefit of its advertising. In general though, I think its a strong effort. I look forward to seeing their future explorations in this space.

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