The Van Is Back!

Amanda Martinez
Michelle Quintanilla
Lauren Stewart



This Honda Odyssey commercial is a combination of psychedelic images and background music from the 1976 hit song "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker" by Parliament.

Almost the entire advertisement uses nostalgia beginning with the lava lamp, where the lava forms into the shape of the van, and then goes into the next image which is ascending smoke which takes the form of the van as well. This resembles smoking which was a favorite past time of "peace and love" young adults and teens of that time (1960-70s). There is also the art that was popular of that time which had a strong "flower power" feel to it, where flowers, plants and trees formed to make the shape of the van. It then shows outlines of of the van with bright neon colors, which resembles the 1970's coca-cola commercial we have seen in a previous class. It also embeds the slogan "THE VAN IS BACK" into the psychedelic visuals. It also shows a transformation of the van into a disco ball shaped van, then going back into the normal van being sold. There is also the slogan "Respect the Van" in psychedelic lettering with other mushroom cartoon visuals surrounding the van. While all these visuals are being shown, the lyrics are "We want the funk, bring back the funk", which are also relevant to popular music of that time, as well as representing a clear message Honda is trying to get out with this product.

The nostalgia seemed to be for the teens and young adults of that generation, where peace and love was the popular theme, as well as rebellion and a free spirited life style. There is also nostalgia for drug use or a drug educed trip that consumers of that generation might relate to. This nostalgia is certainly appealing to the particular age group that would have been young adults or teens during the 1970s. In a way nostalgia could be evoked for a broad audience, because many people could have wished they were young during that time, so this could sppeal to them as to the actual people during that generation.

The ad suggests this van will fulfill the consumers lack, because it is suggesting that the way they had fun in vans back then (which is also suggesting that it was the best time of their lives), with this van, they can relive those memories. This ad is suggesting more than this van is just as cool as it used to be, it is resembling all of the recognizable enjoyments many young adults had during that generation. They are using the van to evoke the state they were in when the van was one of the most popular cars, which could have been, more free spirited than they are now, youth, innocence, and offering this van as a way to relive those moments.