An artifact in simple terms refers to something created by humans for practical purposes. It, therefore, refers to a simple object, could be an ornament or tool made by man to show modification and human workmanship as separated from a natural object. This paper analyses a T.V commercial in which an artifact has been incorporated.
The artifact under discussion in this paper is Ford explorer, a vehicle for sport utility that was manufactured in Chicago by Ford Corporation. In this passage, I used a video from YouTube which is filmed by Devin Graham to convey an advertisement for Ford explorer (Graham, 2013).
In the video, a group of people set their journey to a crazy adventure using Ford explorer. When inside Ford, one cannot miss the comfy seats at home because it offers the same relaxation. One tank of gas in the engine is enough for the explorer to cover over 1000 kilometers irrespective of the rough terrain. The video shows that Ford has a massive boot to accommodate all their cargo hauling and as soon as they are set, the adventurous ride begins. Ford has strong and durable wheels, which helps it to stand the heat and climb terrains. From the video clip, one can observe that Ford is not only luxurious, but also durable; it has comfy seats, automatic transmission, unlimited speed, spacious boot, unique wheels and grille, and its ability to economize fuel among other qualities.
According to Brannon and Brock (2001), principles of persuasion influence advocacies particularly those conveyed in narrative fiction. On the other hand, Herbert (2001) contends that beyond the paradigm cases of persuasion, there are gray areas of persuasion in which the intention underlying that persuasion is mixed with other motives, combines with other forms of influence or hidden from the audience. To gauge how good an artifact is well designed, one examines the theoretical and empirical goodness (Brock & Green, 2005). The option design connects artifacts to users or practices. In theoretical terms, the best artifact must be the best. Also, if an artifact in prevalent in a given location, it means it was once popular in that location.
The artifact under discussion was retrieved from Youtube. From the prevalence theoretical view, it means that the component used to make the vehicle is common in Chicago. This is because even after the discovery luxurious materials have been used was used to modify the artifact. This theory best explains the effectiveness of artifacts. However, the adaptionist theory can be used to improve the effectiveness of the artifact. According to the adaptionist theory, the more prevalent an artifact is, the more beneficial it becomes. In this regard, more artifacts similar to the one above ought to be used to prove that it is prevalent in Chicago. The above artifact is used as a mode of transport by both the ancient and modern people to make means of movement easier and simpler. Aesthetically, the artifact appears firm and beautiful. It is an illustration of how previous manufacturers value art and design, beauty, and culture and this has been evidenced by upgrading the vehicle to the current elegant status. There no doubt that after watching this video, everyone is persuaded to buy the artifact/vehicle being advertised. This paper has shown that artifacts are used to persuade people by conveying different messages.
References
Brannon, L. A., and Brock, T.C. (2001). Scarcity claims elicit extreme responding to persuasive messages: Role of cognitive elaboration. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 365-375.
Brock, T.C, and Green, M. C. (2005). Persuasion: Psychological Impacts and Perspectives. New York: Sage.
Graham, D.H. (2013). Ford: One Tank Adventure.Web.
Herbert, W.S. (2001). Persuasion in Society. New York: Sage.