It All Counts!

This particular Nike advertisement is a perfect example of just how powerful rhetoric can be. It uses visual, written, and verbal elements to convey its message in a way that is both meaningful and effective. All of these tools are extremely effective in captivating the audience’s attention. While showing action clips of various athletes and other video clips from popular movies, a very upbeat song plays which catches the viewer’s attention and makes them want to keep watching. I actually found it difficult to look away from the screen while this advertisement was on, even after watching it several times.

The variety of the people included in the clips appeals to a diverse audience. This conveys the point that anyone can use Nike products, whether you are a pro athlete, celebrity, or anyone else. Words are simultaneously being flashed across the screen. And the repetition of the phrase something “counts” reinforces the overall message and theme of the ad.

Not only is this an advertisement for Nike, but it also advocates a way to live a better life. It encourages all viewers to work hard and make life and every event in it count. Nike’s slogan, “just do it,” focuses on encouraging people to go out, be active, and strive for something in life. In this commercial, they found a way to share experiences, create interest in their merchandise, and relate the message to just have fun. The metaphor used in this commercial is “life is a sport.” This means everyone should compete and play to win. Aim high and do not constantly worry about the outcome. I chose this advertisement because I thought it was really creative and effective. It definitely spoke to me and stood out from other commercials I have seen recently.

Get Glad about  GLAD !

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For my first Rhetoric and Civic life blog post, which also happens to be my first ever blog post, I chose to analyze the popular advertisement and slogan for the company Glad. The rhetoric that Glad and every other company present us with throughout our daily lives often goes unnoticed or gets overlooked. But I’m sure many are familiar with the slogan, “Don’t get mad. Get Glad.” It has been used in most of the Glad advertisements and commercials for years.  The three main forms of rhetoric: ethos, logos, and pathos, are combined here to create their advertisement. Glad establishes their ethos or reputation by making a comparison between a regular bag and a Glad bag. They express that their garbage bags are the best by demonstrating that they are super sturdy and odor-resistant, unlike your average trash bag. In doing this, they also exhibit logos because after seeing or hearing their demonstration it seems only logical to buy their product. After all, I mean who wants to smell their stinky trash throughout their entire house as the horrendous odors leak out through their typical trash bag? In their advertisement, like all other ads, they specifically provide you with several reasons why their product is better than the other brands that are available and therefore why it makes sense to use their merchandise. The pathos in this advertisement is found in their slogan. They cleverly appeal to the consumer’s emotions by telling him or her that using their product will actually make them happy or more specifically “Glad.” They even use a big, bold red font on a bright yellow background so that their entire slogan, including their brand name stands out. The colors they chose also ensure that the viewer is thinking happy thoughts. The advertisements that Glad has created are definitely successful forms of rhetoric in action, and it can be surprisingly interesting to take time to actually contemplate and analyze this.