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Open Happiness


While at the movie theaters to see The Maze Runner, I saw a commercial that featured rhetoric. The commercial begins with a young woman named Jess purchasing two Coca Cola drinks in a convenience store. One has her own name on it, and one has the name of her friend Alisha on it. The cashier watches her forlornly as she leaves, hinting that he has a crush on his customer. Jess gives the Coke with Alisha’s name on it to her friend, and together the two friends drink them. Later, Jess, Alisha and two other friends come back into the store to buy more Coke, then leave and have a good time together. Jess keeps coming back to the store with more and more friends, each time purchasing Coca Cola with their names printed on the labels. The cashier smiles and watches, but it is clear that he wishes he was with Jess. 

Finally, as the cashier is closing the store for the night, Jess shows up at the door with a Coke that has the name Chris on it. She smiles and hands the drink to the cashier, and hand in hand they walk away to join the others. At the very end of the commercial a bottle of Coca Cola appears on the screen, along with the words, “Open Happiness”. 

The company is attempting to persuade viewers to buy their product by implying that if you drink Coke you will be happy. This argument is completely unreasonable and illogical. As a person who has used this product, I can say that Coke does not make you happy: at least, not in the way that the commercial portrays. However, the commercial is effective because it really does convince the audience that Coke will bring happiness to the consumer. 
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Comments

  1. Abigail OverbeyNovember 4, 2014 at 4:06 AM

    I’ve seen a ton of ads that guarantee similar things. I think every Coke ad I’ve ever seen has used fallacies. Most of them tell you that if you drink Coke you’ll have friends, be cool, and be happy. simply drinking a soda doesn’t do that though and it’s pretty obvious that they portray these falsehoods when you see them. Maybe they should try a different way of advertising.

    Selena

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  2. Kate weberJanuary 15, 2015 at 2:50 PM

    I agree with you, I think that their argument is illogical, yet somehow Coke is, in my opinion, one of the most popular brands of soda in america. I think this is because Americans like the idea that it will solve all of their problems, even though I think they know it wont, part of them wants it to. I agree with you as well Selena, a lot of commercials make it appear as if their product will make you popular, and happy, and basically make your life perfect. They show us what we want to see, so that we will relate that product to happiness.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Abigail OverbeyJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:53 PM

    I think that Coke is very famous for using their commercials with people having a good time, surrounded by friends. It makes you feel like drinking a coke would make you feel good about yourself and help you get friends just because you have a coke with their name on it.

    Kaitlyn

    ReplyDelete
  4. JeremiahJanuary 23, 2015 at 7:26 AM

    Coke is happiness, whether it is because of the commercials showing happiness or the actual happiness I have felt while drinking a coke, seeing a coke makes me happy. Kudos to them on their success with me and influencing an entire nation.

    Plus the ones with the polar bears are adorable :)

    ReplyDelete

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