Elements of an Effective Ad or Commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd8ppk0UCx8

This is a commercial by AT&T to convince people to buy and use their brand of cell phone.  AT&T implements several strategies in this ad to convince different types of people to buy their phone.  The most obvious idea AT&T is trying to point out is that if you aren’t on their network your 4G isn’t fast enough.  The guy in the commercial, that obviously owns a phone from a competing company, gets his message late and doesn’t realize the flash mob at Grand Central Station has been pushed back.  All the other people that helped organize the flash mob got their message on time and did not embarrass themselves by dancing thirty minutes early.  AT&T is trying to show the importance of getting your message on time and how it can affect how you go about your day.  The persuasive technique used in this commercial is pathos because it uses humor to help publicize their product.  This commercial was first seen on television and is a fairly popular commercial.  This commercial was produced in the United States in an easily recognizable building of Grand Central Station in New York. The idea of a flash mob was becoming more and more popular prior to the commercial and this commercial helped it reach the peak of its popularity.  I believe this commercial was highly effective because it used humor to hammer home its point which is more likely to help stick in your head.

Economy?

               
               

                      This political cartoon is addressing a key issue in today’s American society.  With America billions of dollars in debt many Americans are looking to the government to freeze spending and help our ailing economy recover.  The cartoon is addressing the reckless spending taking place in Washington.  The cartoon is picturing the White House and has a figure speaking presumably President Barack Obama.  The cartoon does not show a particular speaker, however and can include all of Congress therefore having the White House symbolizing Washington with Obama as the leader.  The speaker is basically asking for a sign from God wondering if spending should be toned down and God created the earthquake along the East Coast last week.  The joke is that when God sends a sign Washington just ignores it and does whatever it wants to do.  The author is trying to portray that Washington will continue with its political agenda no matter what happens.  This cartoon was first published in a newspaper and then put on the internet.  Artist Glenn McCoy is a conservative cartoonist and this cartoon echoes with a conservative base.  This cartoon also strikes a chord with people who have been hurt by the struggling economy and can’t afford to support any more spending from their own pockets.  Liberals would not approve of this cartoon because it shed unflattering light on a liberal president.  The irony of this cartoon is that the sign the president is looking for is right in front of his face and he ignores/doesn’t notice it.  This cartoon takes place over several frames to show that this cartoon takes place over time.  This carton does well integrating a positive visual as well as using words to drive the point home.  If the words or the images are left out of the cartoon, the cartoon doesn’t make any sense.  The author uses current events to drive his point home on how he feels Washington is handling a delicate situation which is our current economy.  The tone is very comical despite a serious situation.  The way the artist portrays Obama is meant to be humorous.  Most of the decisions regarding our economy take place in Washington which is why our artist draws the White House and Obelisk instead of actually drawing people.  Both these objects are immediately associated with Washington making drawing characters less practical.  The carton does not specifically state that the earthquake that took place along the East Coast was the earthquake in the cartoon, but the close proximity between the release date of the cartoon and the earthquake lead the reader to infer that they are the same thing.  This cartoon would speak to a broad audience because many people have an opinion on what is going on in Washington and how the country should be run.  Political debates often stem from the different views Conservatives and Liberals have on the economy.

Where is Rhetoric?

I did not know how prominently rhetoric was featured in our everyday lives.  It is impossible to walk across campus without seeing thousand different types of rhetoric.  A popular form of rhetoric in today’s society is the newspaper.  The newspaper can be unique for the different types of rhetoric found in a newspaper.  The articles in the newspaper attempt to persuade your opinion or alter the way you view things.  Cartoons can attempt to inform you on current events or even shape the way you view them.  Ads are trying to persuade you what separates them from other products.  I know what you’re thinking.  Are the only forms of rhetoric found in paper prompts like the newspaper or your English textbook?  No, you can turn on the TV along with thousands of other Americans and be exposed to rhetoric that way as well.  If you’re watching the news the anchors are verbally informing you and showing you what to believe.  A commercial comes on and the marketer is targeting you to buy that Apple IClicker 2 for 50 bucks because it’s the newest and best and they promise you that the IClicker 2 is so great, there won’t be any need for there to be an IClicker 3 the next year.  You’re tired of false advertising so you turn to ESPN.  Even though you don’t care one bit about the Little League World Series it’s better than watching a bunch of old dudes play poker because someone somewhere thinks sitting in a chair and saying “fold” constitutes as a sport.  Little do you know that the announcers at the baseball game are telling you what to believe about the kid on first base who is eleven years old but is 6 foot 5 and claims he can’t spell out steroids.  Do you think you can get away from all the rhetoric that takes place in everyday life?  You think going on a walk will help you get away from the rhetoric?  Little do you know that you are going to walk by a poster on campus that tells you how much more fun you would have if you would join their club.  That statue you pass?  Another example of how rhetoric invades your life.  Rhetoric is heavily involved in everyday life.