Cupra Raval ad splits opinion between target audience and real buyers
The Cupra Raval ad has divided opinion between those who see it as real diversity and those who consider it a mistake that alienates the traditional buyer. The name of the...
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Cupra Raval: an electric car that scares off its traditional customer base?
The launch of the Cupra Raval, a 100% electric model, has peine the debate about where Volkswagen Group's sporty brand is heading. But not because of its technical specs – still undisclosed – rather because of its name and advertising campaign.
The name Raval evokes the well-known Barcelona neighborhood, historically associated with marginalization, immigration and drug dealing. For many, naming a car that aims to be modern and urban after it is, to say the least, controversial. "Have they released an electric car called Raval, like Barcelona's junkie neighborhood?", one analyst asked on social media.
But the main focus of the backlash is the campaign. It has been interpreted as an attempt to appeal to a young, multicultural and "empowered" profile, leaving out the traditional Cupra buyer: the middle-class, educated white man. The campaign antiestéticatures figures that some describe as a "gangster stereotype" – to the point of suggesting the car is paid for with wads of cash – alongside empowered women. The implicit message would be: "Studying is useless", according to a critical reading.
The reaction was not long in coming. While some argue that the advertising reflects real diversity, others consider it a "own goal" similar to that of other brands that embraced the proge agenda and lost their core customer base, such as Gillette or Budweiser. "Let [the groups it targets] buy that car", the argument goes.
The paradox is that the profile who can afford a Cupra – with prices starting well above 20,000 euros – matches the "educated loser white guy" more than the ad's stereotype. "Those of us who can pay for those cars will buy whatever suits us, which in no case will be the Cupra Raval", one observer concludes.
It remains to be seen whether Cupra will manage to broaden its customer base or, on the contrary, is digging its own commercial grave. Time and sales figures will tell.
The launch of the Cupra Raval, a 100% electric model, has peine the debate about where Volkswagen Group's sporty brand is heading. But not because of its technical specs – still undisclosed – rather because of its name and advertising campaign.
The name Raval evokes the well-known Barcelona neighborhood, historically associated with marginalization, immigration and drug dealing. For many, naming a car that aims to be modern and urban after it is, to say the least, controversial. "Have they released an electric car called Raval, like Barcelona's junkie neighborhood?", one analyst asked on social media.
But the main focus of the backlash is the campaign. It has been interpreted as an attempt to appeal to a young, multicultural and "empowered" profile, leaving out the traditional Cupra buyer: the middle-class, educated white man. The campaign antiestéticatures figures that some describe as a "gangster stereotype" – to the point of suggesting the car is paid for with wads of cash – alongside empowered women. The implicit message would be: "Studying is useless", according to a critical reading.
The reaction was not long in coming. While some argue that the advertising reflects real diversity, others consider it a "own goal" similar to that of other brands that embraced the proge agenda and lost their core customer base, such as Gillette or Budweiser. "Let [the groups it targets] buy that car", the argument goes.
The paradox is that the profile who can afford a Cupra – with prices starting well above 20,000 euros – matches the "educated loser white guy" more than the ad's stereotype. "Those of us who can pay for those cars will buy whatever suits us, which in no case will be the Cupra Raval", one observer concludes.
It remains to be seen whether Cupra will manage to broaden its customer base or, on the contrary, is digging its own commercial grave. Time and sales figures will tell.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (28 replies).
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