Subway uses rhetoric to draw customers to eat there with a spokesperson. His name is Jared, and he is well known for losing a substantial amount of weight by eating at Subway. Jared often brings with him a pair of pants he wore when he was obese to use as a visual aid for the audience he is presenting to. By doing this, he is implying that Subway can help you lose weight. This advertisement harnesses the tools of rhetoric to persuade the audience to choose the healthy chain restaurant. It specifically uses ethos, by establishing a credible source in Jared, and could also arguably include logos, appealing to reason with the possibility of losing weight. I am persuaded by this advertisement because I see someone transform their lifestyle by eating at Subway. It conveys the message that eating at Subway will improve your body and your way of life. The pair of pants that Jared shows from his unhealthy past make me want to avoid becoming that way, making Subway more appealing to me. I think this advertisement by Subway is persuasive and logical. Jared probably didn't lose the massive number of pounds from solely eating the food at Subway every day, but it is enough to convince me to choose to eat at Subway instead of a less healthy chain restaurant. I think this is a good incentive to dine at Subway, and if most of the audience feels the same way as I do, then Subway has a very good marketing technique to attract customers to their restaurant.
In this Heinz condiments commercial, aired during the Super Bowl this past year, a group of dachshunds are shown in hot dog costumes running towards humans in Heinz ketchup and mustard costumes who end up catching the dogs as they leap into the humans’ arms and lick their faces. This commercial is a specific appeal to pathos as the dogs are dressed up and are meant to be cute. The phrase at the end of the commercial is “it’s hard to resist great taste” and this is stated while the dogs are licking the humans implying that the dogs like Heinz and that humans should buy it as well because the cute dogs in costumes did.
Excellent post. Great use of rhetorical analysis, good description and strong use of language
ReplyDeleteI think the greatest issue with this commercial is found in the fact that Jared probably attributes most of his success of losing weight to Subway's cuisine. If this ad were a bit more honest Jared would probably have to share some lifestyle changes he made along with switching his diet (for example, perhaps he exercised more?). Overall, I think this commercial is one that people could easily argue against, rather than fall into its marketing techniques.
ReplyDeleteI agree Mike, seeing a real life example of someone achieving something great can be really persuasive to other people.
ReplyDeleteThis ad is effective because they are saying you can lose weight and still have a good fulfilling meal.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good post, it is crazy that we see this all the time and don't usually
ReplyDeleterecognize the way they are persuading us, and playing with our emotions to get of to buy things.