The Van is Back: HondaOdyssey

Amanda Martinez
Michelle Quintanilla

This Honda Odyssey commercial features psychedilic visuals and background music from the 1976 hit "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker" by Parliament.

Almost all of the commercial uses nostalgia through psychedilic visuals including the lava lamp where the lava forms the shape of the van and then goes into ascending smoke which takes the form of the van as well. this clearly makes a refrence to how smoking marijuana was a popular past time and more out in the open during the 1960's and 70's. There was also the outlining of the van with neon colors trying to resemble what it would be like on an acid trip. The art used also resembled a clear "flower power" theme (also popular during that time). it then transforms the van into a disco ball, which then follows into the real van being adversited. There is also the slogan advertised in the psychedilic visuals "THE VAN IS BACK" making refrence to the popularity of the "hippy van" during that time as well.

The nostalgia seems to be for people from that generation of "peace and love", where vans were the popular vehicle. The nostalgia is of course popular to teens and young adults of the 1970's. This advertisment can appeal to other age groups showing them that the van was once popular, and can help them relate to the "coolness" of the van that young adults of the 1970's already saw.

This ad suggests that during the times where the van was popular it was the happpiest time of their lives, and that by having this van, they can still have the time of their lives. It is the underlying notion that just because they're older doesn't mean they can't still have fun the way they used to, so it brings them back to a state of youth, and that with this van they can relive those moments.