Do Consumers Prefer Angry or Happy Vehicles?
Photo Credit: Gremmie
Fox News recently reported a study which has given car manufacturers the edge in knowing what kind of mug most consumers prefer on their vehicle. You’ve got your sappy mug on an AMC Gremlin, your happy mug on a Dodge Neon (you remember, the ones on the commercials that would say, “Hi”), the snooty mug of a Mercedes Benz, the smug mug Cadillac Escalade, and the angry scowl of determination on a Chevrolet ZR-1 Corvette.
Photo Credit: Carlos62
The concept behind this study stems from the tendency for peoples brains to attempt to put a face to most any nondescript image. This phenomenon is known as pareidolia and has been used to explain why we can see faces in such objects as clouds, textured walls, the moon, and the front bumper of a vehicle.
Photo Credit: Coach O.
Beyond the natural tendency to want to see a face in a vehicle, people have also been trained over the years to believe that vehicles have personalities. Popular movies and television shows, such as Herby, Christine, and Knight Rider have only helped this concept along. But now back to the question which was featured in the opening title…
Do consumers prefer angry or happy vehicles?
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It appears that most of the subjects in the study preferring the aggressive, angry looking vehicle front ends rather than the happy go lucky ones. The most preferred features on the favorite vehicles were wide slanted headlights (furrowed, aggressive brow) and an engaging, deep, open grille (simulating the mouth of screaming warrior going into battle).
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So does this mean that every manufacturer should alter their designs to simulate the aggressive faced features of a ZR-1? Probably not. As when we are choosing a life partner, not all of us are attracted to the same thing. Just because we all agree that Jennifer Aniston or Gerard Butler are beautiful people, does not mean that they would be your ideal choice for a mate.
Source: Fox News: Angry-Faced Cars More Popular, Study Finds
