Hey Car Designers, What The Fuck Does ‘Emotional’ Mean?
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Wow. Such PR. Very buzzword. Many catchy. So bullshit. The word "emotional" and whatever it stands for has a kudzu-like hold on the automotive industry at the moment and it's frustrating for consumers because no one knows exactly what the hell it means.
I reached my peak "emotional" when I saw it used in Patrick's story about the next design for the everything-but-emotional Toyota Camry. According to Bloomberg:
The aim for the next Camry is a "more emotional, more impactful design," Kevin Hunter, head of Toyota's U.S. design studio, said in an interview at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week. "Camry's taken some hits on styling, but it's still selling well. But we need to create better design for Camry in the future."
I don't know why "emotional" became the word of choice but it needs to die. Because it's being used for everything by every one. Cases in point:
The Acura TLX press release:
The all-new model will feature more emotional styling with tidier, sports sedan proportions wrapped around two all-new advanced powertrains that provide even more athletic performance, along with a host of signature Acura technologies.
On the first-generation Nissan Murano:
"Emotional design, emotional appeal. The second Murano probably lost a little bit of (that emotion)."
On the Toyota FT-1 concept, again from Kevin Hunter:
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Hey Car Designers, What The Fuck Does 'Emotional' Mean?