Why I Got Emotional Over the New Volvo Commercial

The new Volvo "Epic Split" commercial was...well...epic; it certainly fascinated me. I must have watched it five or six times. Stunt artist and actor Jeane-Claude Van Damme performed the physical feat. The stunt consisted of the trained artist standing atop the mirrors in between two backward-moving Volvo trucks, slowly separating into a full split as the trucks moved away from one another. The video description indicates that the stunt was executed "to demonstrate the precision and directional stability of Volvo Dynamic Steering."

No doubt the actual physical feat was amazing, but I don't think that's what kept me hitting the repeat button. I'm not really into cars or trucks or anything of the like, so it certainly wasn't the appeal of the shiny trucks. I am fairly certain that the influence this ad had on me came from how it made me feel. More specifically, how it made me feel about life. My life. I experienced an overwhelming sense of pride, nostalgia, inspiration and hope that only comes every so often after a good war movie. The incredible stunt in and of itself wouldn't have caused the same reaction. The beautiful orange-pink sunset behind an open road with mountains in the background certainly enhanced the video's effectiveness. But with all things considered I have come to this conclusion:

It was the music.

Granted, I am very biased, but if we are analyzing this fairly, it's the one element that, if different, would change the entire mood of the advertisement. Enya’s “Only Time” accompanies this video. While only the introduction and first verse were used, the song choice was the right one for all the right reasons. I am going to get very technical and begin to use musical terms to make my case because I believe that there was a very musically-educated mind behind the selection of this song.

1.) The Voice

Not the show. The actual voice. First off, Enya's voice is just captivating by itself. The key of this song (Eb) provides a vocal range for the singer that is very soothing to the common ear. In the vocal world, there are three general ranges- low, mid and high- each of which is used very specifically and causes very different reactions in its listeners. The range most prevalent in this song is the mid-range and it is known to be able to "move" its listener.

2.) Slow and Steady

What's incredible about music is that, when everything fits, nothing is noticable without seeking it out. Everything just blends perfectly together to achieve its goal. The details of the piece are hardly detectable unless some aspect of the song  is awry. This leads me to point out that the tempo of this song is absolutely perfect in this video. The tempo is relatively moderate; not quite walking pace but not too slow, either. The meter (4/4) is the most common to the lay person, providing an even, steady subdivision of the beats. The specific benefit of the meter is that the common length of the notes is generally a quarter note. The smallest subdivision in this melodic motif is an 8th note. Imagine if all we heard was "taka taka taka taka."

All of these aspects fit together to enhance the focus, consistency and calm of the stunt. As viewers, it is logical to believe that this man isn't going to fail this stunt or get hurt. After all, Volvo wouldn't release an official "failed attempt" at what would have been a cool stunt. Yet, in our minds, we are still rooting for poor Van Damme and are therefore more likely to become stressed and panicked while we anxiously await a successful performance. The steady, slow tempo, combined with Enya's angelic voice, helps us to stay calm and have something consistent to hold onto while we wait for uncertain results. 

3.) Pitch and Range 

Along the same lines of "slow and steady," the range of the pitches almost consistently maintains a linear pattern. (This is when the notes in the melody directly follow one another in either direction, resulting in what resembles a somewhat traceable line in written music.) This affects the listener by relieving the ear of having to analyze leaps or intervals, which can distract and sometimes cause tension, depending on how complex or uncommon the leaps are. This is very effective when the composer wants to surprise the listener, or intentionally communicate an unsettling emotion.

The introduction to the song stays on tendency tones and notes from the tonic (1) chord. This provides a very settled and relaxed feeling. After the introduction is repeated several times, the verse comes in. While the chords change (1, 6-, 4), the melody remains between ti and re; "Who(do) can(do) say(do) where(re) the(t)i ro-(ti) -ad(do) goes(do)," where(re) the(ti) da-(ti) -y(do) flows(do), on(re)- -ly(ti) time(do), etc...

Naturally, lingering around the tonic (Do) causes tension because the ear wants to be taken there. But this little melodic motif is full of resolves, which is, quite literally, music to the ears!  In the instrumental break and the little "Celtic skat" Enya does, the melodic range still remains quite close, extending from la to mi, a perfect 5th.

4.) Lyrics 

Road. Day. Time.

Really? I think this song may very well have been written for this specific video.

I don't actually think that. But it seems like it. That, or the music supervisor has incredible insight. The latter is more likely.

Anyway, the lyrics are just perfect. "Who can say where the road goes?" There is literally a road in the video. The listener can not only stare at the stunt man and await the results, but he or she can betold what is present in the foreground. Additionally, roads are associated with vacations, road-trips, journeys and adventures, all of which are accompanied by a sense of awe and hope. The words all rhyme very well, which withholds possible tension from the listener. One other aspect worth mentioning is that many of the words are very open in their pronunciation, which means that the soft-pallet is raised in the throat, which naturally occurs when a person is smiling. 

Overall, this song choice achieved one very specific thing: it eliminated all possible conflict for the listener. There were no uncommon or non-diatonic chords or notes. Every tension was short and resolved immediately. The lyrics complimented the scenery so the viewer could focus on the stunt-man. Everything came together quite nicely. Perfectly, actually.

So much so that it actually made me emotional. I don't know if that's just me, or because I was actually quite inspired by this video. It was beautiful, impressive and deeply humbling. Many kudos to those involved with this project.

Watch it again but, this time, try to pay more attention to some of the details mentioned. Let me know of it changes your reaction!

-Nismah 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FIvfx5J10