Porsche. A name that conjures up motoring enthusiast dreams across the world. Aside from just creating a vehicle that has won the heart and soul of the motoring world, Porsche has risen to become a dominant force in the advertising world. Through the use of visual representations that even the most uninformed viewer could understand, Porsche creates a dream that helps promote them as a car manufacturer that you, I, and hundreds of thousands would want to own. The main purpose of any marketing advertisement is to draw attention to and promote the object of interest in a way that makes it appear "better" than that of its competition. Porsche has done just this with their visual advertisement of the 911 GT2 RS. Through such elements  as visual text, lighting, picture angle, color choices, Porsche creates a picture that captures its audience within a dream. A dream many of us want to become a reality.

The visual text used in an advertisement is one of the most important design elements. Starting at the far right with the largest and most prominent words, the text reads, "Fastest Production Car Lap around the Nurburgring". Instantly these words claim the car is not only fast, but the fastest. Continuing on, the text provides proof of its accomplishment by showing a factual time (evidence) and then chooses to downplay their own achievement by implying that numbers are unimportant: theirs just "happen" to be faster. This phrasing gives the impression that they didn't actually work for their accomplishment  and puts them in a position to make their achievement seem even more important. So, how does downplaying one's achievement play into the bigger picture of trying to promote their own product? Achieving such a task as the fastest time around the Nurburging is simply put, impressive. But, by achieving the fastest time around the Nurburgring without even trying? It puts Porsche in a league of its own  and also invites the question: what if they had actually tried? In short, it allows them to claim a status that no other auto manufacturer can even come close to, even the directly competing Nissan GTR which is shadowed in the background.

Color and lighting also help to develop Porsche's advertisement. The entire right side of the picture fades to black, making it appear darker than the rest of the picture. At the same time, the text analyzed in the above paragraphs is both black and blending into the right side fade, a feature which  reinforces Porsche's view that the numbers are unimportant by making them less visible. Contrasting this darkened text is the bright, centralized car, which is gleaming while light bounces off of its side. By making the car bright and in a sense highlighted, it draws importance to what really matters: the car, not the numbers. Even further drawing upon this idea that numbers don't truly matter, the ad blends a competitor's lap time into the rear of the GT2 RS. Both the haze in the background and the competitor's time are a light gray, making it barely visible and ultimately less important, following the trend of downplaying the importance of numbers. Driving the point home, Nissan's time is posted location wise behind the Porsche representing that the GTR is ultimately the slower car.    
Another key element in the advertisement is the angle from which the picture is taken. Low in front and looking back at the car; this angle provides us with the "dream" aspect and the ideal of "no limits." Both of which furthers a concept of the perfect driving experience. First off, the angle provides us with almost no way to see into the car. We have no visual representation of who is driving this powerful, elegant vehicle. At the same time, the cockpit is dark and unlit also making it virtually impossible to see who is driving, while at the same time leaving an air of mystery. This mystery opens the possibility that "we" could be driving this legendary Porsche. Combine these factors and it plays on thousands of motoring enthusiast's dreams of one day owning one of the most iconic cars in the entire industry; a car that many would deem a "Supercar".

Continuing with this thought of the perfect dream, the low, in-front angle leaves us to imagine what is ahead in what appears to be a never-ending road. It could be a long straight road, which favors speed, or a curvy track, favoring agility. Either way, the picture allows the viewer to make the decision as to what his or her own dream is. The skies are clear, the road is perfectly smooth, the blurring of the road gives us a sense of speed, and all of these things combine to help create the enthusiasts image of the "Perfect driving scenario."

In Porsche's advertisement, many elements come together to help create an image of a product that people want to own. As motoring enthusiasts, we've all dreamed of owning a fast, exotic car for one reason or another at some point. Lamborghinis have devilish looks, the name Ferrari conjures up images of bright red sports cars, while Porsche has always derived its legacy from the experience and dreams it gives to people around the world. As Porsche famously says themselves, "There is no substitute". And many motoring enthusiasts will agree: Porsche delivers one of the fastest and the purest driving experiences far surpassing those of its closest rivals giving us something to dream about at night.
