Free Essay

Rhetorical Analysis of a Commercial

In: English and Literature

Submitted By karenleigh83
Words 1114
Pages 5
Rhetorical Analysis: Happier Than A Body Builder Directing Traffic
Insurance is known for being boring and tedious, something that nobody looks forward to dealing with. In their recent advertising campaign, however, GEICO stands out through their silly use of a body builder directing traffic and comparing him to how happy GEICO customers are. When you think about it, a bodybuilder is the perfect person to direct traffic. He's fit enough to move his arms around for hours at a time and he's big enough to be noticed by passing motorists.
In the commercial I have chosen to analysis, a bodybuilder is seen in the middle of a busy city street, flexing his muscles as drivers wait for their turn to navigate the intersection. All this is done in the name of directing traffic, and the wide grin suggests that he’s more than a little excited at the opportunity to show off his hard work with each point and wave. After about twenty seconds into the commercial, two guys are standing on top of a stage on the sidewalk in view of the body builder and they start a conversation:
Jimmy: “You know Ronnie, Folks who save hundreds of dollars by switching to GEICO sure are happy.”
Ronnie: “And how happy are they Jimmy?”
Jimmy: “I’d say happier than a body builder directing traffic.”
Ronnie: “He does look happy.”
At the end of the commercial, the company’s name and website are shown in the middle of the screen and the announcer says: “Get happy, Get GEICO. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.” Click <ctrl> and the link here to see the commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6iJMtnxBxs
GEICO has had many different styles of advertisements ranging from the talking gecko to the cavemen commercials but the slogan that has stuck throughout is the "fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance". This slogan can be thrown into their commercials or put on a billboard on the side of the road. Why do people switch to GEICO? It is not purely based on the cute, British speaking gecko or the infamous caveman or in this commercial, a body builder directing traffic. They persuade the viewers to switch to GEICO by using the rhetorical appeal logos. In the current economy, saving money is something the average family tries to do in all ways possible. Why not save with car insurance. Viewers latch on to the saving money aspect and want to switch to the cheapest insurance company. This slogan is also repeated throughout all of their commercials sticking with the viewers. By delivering this catchy slogan, GEICO convinces the public that they have the cheapest car insurance and that it’s a logical, no brainer decision to switch.
The rhetorical strategies used in this advertisement are to persuade the audience that switching to GEICO can save them money and in turn they will be happy. Also, it tells the audience how easy it is to save money by spending only fifteen minutes to save fifteen percent or more on their insurance. The rhetorical appeal pathos is used to put the audience in an emotional state of happiness. Seeing the body builder directing traffic with a huge grin on his face is hilarious and it shows the audience that they too can be happy if they switch to GEICO.
GEICO aims to attract the audience by using the rhetorical appeal ethos to decorate its commercials with humor and simplicity, and its strategy was to supply humor to its commercials through absurdity in the evidence. The car insurance company's approach of connecting the absurd evidence to the simple company motto assists in gaining the trust and approval of its viewers. In the commercial, the humor is thinking one can be happier than a body builder directing traffic by switching to GEICO and save money. By using the happy body builder in this ad, the company builds their credibility in hopes that the audience will believe they too can be happy, if not happier than the body builder if they switch to GEICO.
At the end of the commercial, GEICO uses a very simple tactic. The company’s name and website are shown and the announcer says, “Get happy, Get Geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.”This is a short and sweet to the point statement that catches the attention of the audience again by appealing to logos. With an audience composed of families the insurance company targets the parents through their need to insure their vehicles and protect their family’s worth. Many parents have full schedules and work hard to support their family. Therefore, a company that is going to save them time and money is very appealing. Logically, when comparing insurance companies the best company is the one that will insure them, and will be convenient and affordable and GEICO is making the argument that they are the best.
Although an audience of all ages views the commercial, customers of the company are generally adults. Anyone who has the ability to drive is eligible for car insurance and therefore an eligible GEICO customer. It was certainly clever on the part of the company to use such a simple comparison between the body builder and GEICO customers to provide humor in their commercial. It has the potential to provoke humor for all ages and therefore it will be most effective for their targeted audience. For example, a young child watches the commercial, finds it hilarious, and then forces a parent to watch it the next time it's on. That child was assisting the company by widening its viewers to the more targeted audience without even realizing. The ad's simple humor does not apply specifically to a certain age group through the use of cognitive lingo or new pop culture, but is so general that a person of any age can understand. This is precisely what makes the commercial so successful in appealing to its wide-range target audience.
Lastly, their appealing slogan cannot be denied by anyone, assuming that everyone is happy to save time and money. This was an effective advertisement by GEICO that appealed to the main three aspects of rhetorical argument, ethos, pathos and logos by comparing a body builder directing traffic to how happy GEICO customers really are. Switching your car insurance to GEICO could make you happier than a body builder directing traffic. Amazing, right? I mean, just look at his smile.

Works Cited

GEICO. Advertisement. YouTube. ADSweekly, 16 Aug. 2012. Web. 14 Sept. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6iJMtnxBxs>.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

How To Write A Rhetorical Analysis Of A Commercial

...Cash. Paper. Bank. Money. No matter what you call it, its impact is universal. With over 200 slang terms, ranging multiple languages, it has brainwashed our world and has become a driving force in societies today. We have been conditioned for decades to doubt ourselves. The Modern Warfare Two commercial uses the tool of appealing to popularity to persuade customers to buy their product. The majority of the commercial focuses on a old man in a chair that states that every sort of person is doing this one thing, every way and everywhere possible, and ends with the logo for Modern Warfare. The shared attitude today is that if a idea is perceived as being popular, it is automatically correct, but this is not so, especially in the society we live in where such things as clever marketing strategies and social power can manipulate this. By using sarcasm and taboo talk such as sexual innuendos, this commercial captures the viewer’s attention and plants a wonder in our minds on what they could be talking about. Although we are warned repeatedly as children not to give into peer pressure, we quickly learn as we grow up that it is a chief motive in most adult relationships. By concentrating on this...

Words: 558 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Rhetorical Analysis on Heidi Klum’s Carl’s Jr. Commercial

...The Carl’s Jr. “Jim Beam Bourbon Burger” featuring the beautiful Heidi Klum, is one of the company’s top ten commercials. It begins with the model dressed as a parody of Mrs.Robinson's from the movie “The Graduate”. She continues the commercial by asking a young man name Benjamin, located across the room if he likes bourbon burgers; then takes a big sexual yet nice bite of the burger in her hand. Walking across the room she stops the young man from leaving while shoving the burger into his mouth to bite. He then notices and confronts Ms. Klum of trying to seduce him as she gently touches on her body. The narrator for the commercial then says, “ With a taste of bourbon, it’ll make a man out of you.” Carl’s Jr. commercials like this one knows what crowd they are trying to reach. This commercial does a fantastic job on introducing the product and getting your attention, while making great use of pathos logos and ethos. Carl’s Jr. is an american based fast food restaurant that continues to expand in different countries. The restaurant was founded July 17, 1941 in Los Angeles California, by the founder Carl Karcher. Investing with his wife Margaret, Carl started off with a few hot dog carts that eventually grew into a drive-in restaurant where they decided to sale burgers. Throughout the years Carl’s Jr. continued to expand as it opened over 1,000 restaurants in fifty years. In the Late 1990’s the company started to notice the decrease in sales so they turned to their advertisement...

Words: 1118 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Nike Rhetorical Analysis

...For my rhetorical analysis, I plan on using a Nike advertisement. The intended audience for this advertisement would be consumers who like to stay active and enjoy working out. Through the use of this advertisement, Nike effectively utilizes the rhetorical triangle in order to persuade their audience into buying their product. The most prevelant aspect of the rhetorical triangle in this advertisement is the use of logos. This advertisement is organized strategically so that it illustrates a story of perserverance. Log. The story starts off with a woman staring up at a mountain of stairs. At first, she is intimidated by the intense workout ahead of her. However, once she starts running with her Nike sneakers on, she easily ascends the stairs...

Words: 345 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

A Rhetorical Analysis On Smoking Cigarettes

...Rhetorical Analysis on an advertisement Smoking tobacco has been around for thousands of years starting with our ancestors. During the 1920s the first medical report proved that smoking causes many health risks. A series of major medical tests had proved that tobacco caused MANY diseases. (cancer council) Once that was realized many people started creating anti-smoking ads', commercials, newspaper entries, etc. The main key to these type of influential advertisements is how to the author/artist used rhetorical analysis to connect with the intended audience. Miroslav Vujovic created the "Tobacco Teeth" ad and product with facts, emotion, and is supported by credibility behind the issue. If you look at the ad you can pick up the first obvious...

Words: 513 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Ethos And Logos

...watching the video, I was trying to think more like a writer and about the analysis part. I realized he talked in a very stern tone which he did that to get the point across. He starts out the speech with a little bit of background with slaves and the decloration of independance which helps makes his argument stronger becuase people know a little bit of where everything originated. He pursuades the audiance by saying how much better life would be if everyone was equal throughout the whole speech. For example, he says “And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.” Meaning America cannot be a good nation until it changes its ways. The reason he said the speech was to persuade America that everyone should be equal....

Words: 581 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

ASPCA Rhetorical Analysis

...was founded and has served as a helpful hand in stopping cruelty to animals. The ASPCA was the “first humane society to be established in North America and is still one of the largest in the world.” The ASPCA outlines its goals in their mission, which is “to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.” This non-profit organization is dedicated to ensuring that the safety and well-being of countless animals is never comprised. Non-profit organizations rely a great deal on contributions, such as financial donations from outside sources, to achieve their goals. The ASPCA organization utilizes their websites homepage and emotionally riveting commercials to encourage their audience by using numerous rhetorical devices, especially the rhetorical appeal pathos, in order to evoke to emotions within the audience. The ASPCA’s website layout, their content and...

Words: 2192 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Advertising and Consumer Culture

...the strategies employed to promote the circulation of goods as well as the impact of advertising on the creation of new habits and expectations in everyday life. Required Course Texts: Juliet Schor and D.B. Holt (eds), The Consumer Society Reader Joseph Turow and Mathew Mcallister, The Advertising and Consumer Culture Reader *Additional PDFs posted on Blackboard Assignments and Grade Distribution: Participation, Reading Quizzes, and any In-Class Assignments 10% Essay One: Ad Analysis 15% Midterm Exam 20% Essay Two: Branding 25% Final Exam 30% Essay One: Ad Analysis This short essay (500-800 words; 12 point font, double spaced) will offer an analysis of a single print advertisement of your choice. You must situate your discussion of the ad within a historical context (what are some historical trends that set the stage for this form of commercial text?). You must then identify the central trope or strategy being used and explain its rhetorical function. A strong essay will begin to suggest what is meaningful about the advertisement: does it suggest a notable change in how consumers are being “hailed,” does it target a specific audience in a way that might be culturally significant, etc.? Though this is not a “research” paper, you are expected to engage the class texts and dialogue, citing readings where relevant. You will be evaluated on...

Words: 1235 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Hero's Journey Rhetorical Analysis Essay

...“Hero’s Journey” Analysis The advertisement “Hero’s Journey” by Kia Motors America is effective at persuading the audience to invest in their cars. The star of the commercial, Melissa McCarthy, comically demonstrates how the 2017 Kia Niro is integral in her efforts to be an “eco warrior” (Kia). This commercial successfully takes advantage of timing, humor, and its audiences concern about the environment to promote the vehicle. Part of the commercial’s success is due to its use of pathos: the rhetorical strategy that influences emotion (Aristotle). Pathos, in the form of humor, is used to hold the attention of the audience. When Melissa McCarthy gets catapulted into the side of a boat while trying to save the whales, the audience gets drawn...

Words: 556 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Rhetorical Analysis

...Rhetorical situations are constantly occurring in our lives. But how do we recognize them? A rhetorical situation can happen in anything from an argument with a friend to something on a much larger scale like a presidential campaign speech. We see small rhetorical situations in commercials and even magazine and billboard adds. Rhetorical situations can be complicated so it is important for us to know how to properly analyze an argument but first we need to know what they are. Keith Grant-Davie defines a rhetorical situation as “a situation where a speaker or writer sees a need to change reality and sees that the change may be effected through rhetorical discourse.” (105). This definition is a little tricky but he later goes on to explain that within a rhetorical situation he finds four constituents: exigence, rhetors, audiences, and constraints (106). The Winter Park Florida advertisement book written by the WP Chamber of Commerce, is a great example to see how the four constituents can be used in an advertisement to create a well-made argument that attracts an audience. The first constituent, exigence, isn’t too difficult to determine in this piece. In the essay, “Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents, Keith Grant-Davie defined exigence as “some kind of need or problem that can be addressed and solved through rhetorical discourse” (105). In otherwords it is the issue or challenge in an argument. The goal. In this brochure the exigence is quite clear, to get people...

Words: 919 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Contextual Analysis

...Contextual Analysis Of “Chase” German car company, Audi, is a perennial competitor with other German cars such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lexus. Audi remains to their slogans; truth in engineering, truth in innovation, and truth in luxury. Despite Audi’s competitive nature with other top-brand car companies, they strive to gain the prestige of being the “the world’s best-selling luxury car” in the United States. In order to gain such stature, Audi consistently releases a diverse collection of commercials to appeal to its current and potential consumers. Their commercials seek to display their cars in a dominant fashion, as many times Audi commercials features Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lexus counterparts trailing or underperforming their modeled car. Audi portrays their brand as innovative, sleek, reliable, and progressive. They wish to instill these same beliefs in the consumer through persuasive advertising. With the help of the rhetorical power of English actor Jason Statham and timely representation of their product to the world, Audi uses the ideas “truth in engineering, innovation, and luxury” to gain standing against leading German car companies. Audi, in their 2009 commercial called “Chase” capitalized upon the fact that none of their competitors aired a Super Bowl commercial. Their commercial gave BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus no room to respond, and restricted the amount of viewers the respective brands could reach. The Super Bowl gives companies the opportunity to air their...

Words: 1369 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Geico

...Rhetorical Analysis: Happier Than A Body Builder Directing Traffic Insurance is known for being boring and tedious, something that nobody looks forward to dealing with. In their recent advertising campaign, however, GEICO stands out through their silly use of a body builder directing traffic and comparing him to how happy GEICO customers are. When you think about it, a bodybuilder is the perfect person to direct traffic. He's fit enough to move his arms around for hours at a time and he's big enough to be noticed by passing motorists. In the commercial I have chosen to analysis, a bodybuilder is seen in the middle of a busy city street, flexing his muscles as drivers wait for their turn to navigate the intersection. All this is done in the name of directing traffic, and the wide grin suggests that he’s more than a little excited at the opportunity to show off his hard work with each point and wave. After about twenty seconds into the commercial, two guys are standing on top of a stage on the sidewalk in view of the body builder and they start a conversation: Jimmy: “You know Ronnie, Folks who save hundreds of dollars by switching to GEICO sure are happy.” Ronnie: “And how happy are they Jimmy?” Jimmy: “I’d say happier than a body builder directing traffic.” Ronnie: “He does look happy.” At the end of the commercial, the company’s name and website are shown in the middle of the screen and the announcer says: “Get happy, Get GEICO. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen...

Words: 341 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

A Rhetorical Analysis of Nike.Com

...A Rhetorical Analysis on Nike.com Tony Rashad Walker, Jr. DeVry University A Rhetorical Analysis on Nike.com Well known for its athletic apparel, Nike, Inc. widespread slogan “just do it” shows their target audience, adults; adolescents; and teenagers, “how to take it to the next level”. (Hill, 2011, para 2) To showcase their apparel, Nike classic “swoosh/check” trademark is displayed on all clothing, shoes, jerseys, socks, and sports even display Nike banners during games. (Id.) Being that Nike.com advertised brandish are first and foremost used to irradiate physical health and fitness and the improving of athletic ability, the current theme of Nike.com is “Don’t break resolutions… Beat Them. Get better with us this year in our latest looks, layers, and innovation”. (Nike Women’s Spring Style Guide, 2015) Inasmuch, this rhetorical analysis is on NikeFuel, a Nike, Inc. brand advertised effectively and convinces Nike.com target audience that this brandish is the next level to their physical health and fitness and athletic endurance and abilities. (Explore the Power of NikeFuel, 2015) Insofar as Nike.com empowers through their themes and slogans, many of us look at this as Nike.com “battle cry.” These themes and slogans have become the essence of Nike, Inc.; therefore, Nike.com sets the mood and there slogans are the crux of the company. These slogans and themes are “the company identity, the corporate motto, and the battle cry”. (Forsythnov, 2014, para 5) Nike.com “just...

Words: 1466 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Nike “Be Like Mike”

...As we all know that Nike ads display confidence, attitude, and a good seller about their products. Historically, using successful sports stars has been a typical characteristic of Nike’s commercial. Michael Jordan was one of their main promoters. They are using a lot of rhetorical techniques like ethos, pathos and logos to catch consumers’ attention. Its successful visual appealing makes consumers cannot escape even take a glance of it and want to buy their products. Briefly Introduce the Visual Content of the Ads 1. This advertisement is a Nike advertisement in the old time. 2. It shows a famous basketball player, Michael Jordan, in the air about to most finish off a slam dunk. There are two lines of words in large size on the top right of the advertisement, showing “Michael Jordan: 1, Isaac Newton: 0” this shows that Michael Jordan is basically defying gravity by being that high up in the air. Thus, this goes against Newton’s law of Universal gravitation. 3. Below these two lines, there is a logo of Nike Company----a check mark. The whole design of this ad is very simple and clear. Rhetorical Analysis of the Ads: Ethos, Pathos and Logos. Ethos: 1. The use of ethos is clearly delineated by endorse Michael Jordan. 2. He is a world famous basketball star and has a good reputation. 3. He is wearing Nike shoes in the ad and Jumping that high in the air. His reputation makes audiences and consumers to believe the high quality of Nike shoes. 4. The Jordan ad carried...

Words: 789 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Good Essay

...Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Advanced Placement English III First Six Weeks – Introductory Activities: ▪ Class rules, expectations, procedures ▪ Students review patterns of writing, which they will imitate throughout the course: reflection, narration and description, critical analysis, comparison and contrast, problem and solution, and persuasion and argument. ▪ Students review annotation acronyms, how to do a close reading, literary elements and rhetorical devices. Students also review the SOAPSTONE (subject, occasion, audience, purpose, speaker, tone, organization, narrative style and evidence) strategy for use in analyzing prose and visual texts along with three of the five cannons of rhetoric: invention, arrangement and style. ▪ Students learn the format of the AP test, essay rubric and essay structure. ▪ Students take a full-length AP test for comparison purposes in the spring. Reading: The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne Writing: Answer the following question in one paragraph. Use quotes from the novel as evidence. Some readers believe that the elaborate decoration that Hester embroiders on the scarlet letter indicates her rejection of the community’s view of her act. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your position using evidence from the text. (test grade) Writing: Write a well-developed essay addressing the following prompt. Document all sources using MLA citation. Compare Hester to a modern...

Words: 3064 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Palmolive

...Rhetorical Analysis on vintage ads: Palmolive Introduction: Vintage advertisements have been studied with the sole purpose of understanding the change in the customer profile with the changing times. An advertisement of 50 years ago would be a vintage advertisement at a time when technology was less advanced and it was the advertisement that created the brand value and was instrumental to the success of a product or the failure of. I have chosen the Palmolive Vintage to do a rhetorical analysis of because it is a classical advertisement of the conventional methods of creating advertisement campaigns and yet it still generates interest among people to use the soap today based on the curiosity generated by the vintage advertisements of the Palmolive soap decades ago (Thomas, 2008). Research Statement: The Palmolive Vintage advertisement was one of the most classic advertisements that launched the Palmolive Soap and made it a runaway success. The success of the advertisement campaign has managed to generate the attention of people even now 50 years later about the soap. Analysis of the vintage advertisement: This advertisement is based on the two concepts of advertising capture. It is capturing the target audience with logo awareness or with emotion. 1950 was a growth period for American history with the economy expanding and there was economic improvement which meant that the spending power of the population had also...

Words: 1011 - Pages: 5