Description
Rhetoric, as we’ve defined in class, is the art of persuasion. We use
rhetoric constantly in our
everyday lives, from everything to trying to decide where to go for dinner to a more formal political
or ideological discourse. While rhetoric is often associated with speaking and writing, it is not limited
to those fields. We p
ersuade people, not only by what we say or write, but how we say it. We use
visuals and sounds, and we play with people’s connotations and associations.
One of the most obvious forms of rhetoric in today’s culture is the advertisement. Advertisements
for
certain products, etc., use rhetoric by choosing who acts in them, how they’re acting, the colors
used, the words used, even the music used. For this assignment, you’ll be
choosing an
advertisement, preferably no more than 2 minutes in length, and analyzin
g it rhetorically.
In contrast to the Literacy Narrative Essay, this essay will contain very little of your own experiences
and opinions. Your job, in writing this paper, is not to decide whether or not what is being
advertised is good or right or ethical
. Your job is to analyze
how well the ad is doing its job.
What
is persuading people of? How is persuading them? What cultural norms and assumptions are used in
this ad? What was the result of the ad? Was it successful or unsuccessful? I’d particularly lik
e you to
pay attention to elements
other
than words, though you are certainly welcome to include a discussion
of used dialogue and writing. Make sure that you are thinking about what decisions the company and
the creators of the advertisement had to make i
n order to produce what’s now in front of you.
Starting on
Wednesday, March 11
,
you’ll present your advertisement and give us a brief overview
of what they’re persuading people of and how they’re doing it. These presentations are highly
informal
and, real
ly, just serve as a way for students to understand how rhetoric works across a
variety of advertisements.
Presentations should be 2
-
3 minutes
not including the sharing of the
advertisement.
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Explanation & Answer
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Humans are easily moved. Whether by visuals, sound, or touch, humans are easy to
persuade and understand. Companies understand this and use various techniques that play into
both emotions and visual appeal in order to persuade their customers to buy products. On any
given day, there are thousands of commercials playing worldwide. These thousands of
commercials contain even more companies hoping that their products and message greatly
conveyed. Fashion companies specifically are well known for pertaining to a specific audience
using social messages. Instead of commercials simply being to sell products, now advertisements
also seem to be aimed to change minds and lives. In the advertisement titled, “Adidas Originals:
Your future is not mine”, the directors do an incredible job of creating a beautiful message for
their audience, young people. In this advertisement, there are various literary rhetoric techniques
used including the manipulation of color, the song selection, and the various scenes filled with
powerful symbolism.
Adidas has always been known for its powerful and memorable advertisements and this
is definitely one of them. The director chose to create a theme of empowerment that spoke rather
well to the youth. The directors and producers most likely chose ...