Introduction
Recently, companies have dedicated much of their efforts in coming up with effective adverts to attract the attention of potential clients. Adverts enable people to gain knowledge of a variety of everyday life options. Similarly, adverts enhance the economy by encouraging competition and creativity.
Based on these illustrations, it is apparent that advertisements must be effective. Therefore, when coming up with commercial advertisements, the designers should make use of logos, ethos, and pathos. In this article, a rhetorical analysis of two advertisements is provided. After the analysis, the most effective advert is selected.
First advert
The first advert is G Magazine. The Geico Insurance Company designed the advert. From the year 1975, the company has been offering insurance services in collaboration with the Berkshire Insurance Group. Since then, the company has expanded its market share (Geico Insurance Company 1). The advert is packaged in the form of a mini-magazine (Thorpe 1). The mini-magazine is five pages long. In the advert, a reader will come across a number of attractive pictures.
The pictures show Gecko’s tours across the USA. As such, some pictures illustrate him posing at the front of Niagra Falls (Geico Insurance Company 1). Other pictures show him at the front of Mt. Rushmore. Some pictures portray him at the Statue of Liberty and other national infrastructures across the USA.
The adverts’ audience is the potential of Geico’s clients. As such, the advertisement’s main purpose is to attract the attention of potential insurance clients. The advert is so interesting that even those who are not interested in their insurance packages will find some time to read the magazine.
The advent’s author is successful at convincing the audience about the importance of subscribing to their services. As such, his or her persuasions were well organized, and they were made more appealing with the use of logos, ethos, and pathos. In the first page of the advert, Geico is illustrated posing at the front of a number of national infrastructures across the USA. Based on these pictures, it is apparent that pathos has been used repeatedly in the advert as a form of appeal.
Unlike other insurance adverts, this advert makes use of an animated gecko to pass the message to the audience. With the use of animated Gecko, the advert looks comical and appealing. Given that Geico Inc focuses on insurance, it is harder for their clients to identify themselves with their services, unlike companies focusing on physical products. Therefore, the idea of using an animated gecko gave the advert an attractive mood. By doing so, the company created a strong connection with its clients.
Apart from the use of pathos, the advert also employs the use of ethos. In all the photos, the Gecko has been illustrated standing next to the American national infrastructures. As such, Americans identify themselves with their national infrastructures.
Therefore, by associating with these sites the company wanted to inform its potential clients that the company’s role in the insurance sector is as essential as the role played by the national infrastructures in the US’ economy. Through this, the company enhances its authority in the insurance market and assures its clients that its future is secure.
To enhance the logical appeal, the advert makes use of logos. In the advert, the audience is reminded that Geico is one of the most successful insurance companies in America. Through this, the advert illustrates a tangible portrait of the company’s market share.
Second advert
IAMS Cat Food Commercial is the second advert. Procter and Gamble Company designed the advert. The advert is associated with the company’s brand-named IAMS (Gunde 1). The corporation sells cats and dogs’ food. Accredited nutritionists and veterinarians produce the goods. The advert is packaged in the form of a short video. The video is 32 seconds long. In the advert, a viewer is introduced to a cat known as Ziggy.
The video’s narrator asserts that one day, Ziggy came to Jake’s homestead (Gunde 1). Other than chasing him away, Jake’s parent allowed the pet to stay in their residence. As time passed by, the cat aided Jake in revealing his private world to other family members.
When Jake’s family discovered how the cat had been helpful, they began feeding it with IAMS pet food as a means of appreciation and ensuring that it leaves a healthy life (Gunde 1). Based on the above illustrations, it is apparent that this advert audience is pet keepers. The advert main purpose is to inform the potential clients that the company’s pet foods are the best.
The above advert is very effective. In fact, it has been made more appealing with the use of logos, ethos, and pathos. In the video, Jake is shown welcoming, massaging, and feeding Ziggy with IAMS pet food. Like in the first advert, the second advert has made use of pathos extensively. The short narrative accompanying the video illustrates how the cat has been helpful to the family. Through this, the advert appeals to the viewer’s emotions. For instance, in the introductory part of the video, the viewers feel sympathetic for the lost cat
In the advert, the ethos has also been used. As such, Ziggy and Jake’s story are alleged to be based on true experience. Therefore, the company made use of the facts presented in the story to enhance the credibility of their advert. Equally, through this approach, the advert enhances the company’s brand among potential clients. To boost logical appeal, the advert made use of logos. In the video, the viewer is reminded that AIMS feeds have 50% more protein compared with other pet feeds from the leading rivals.
Conclusion
In comparison, IAMS Cat Food Commercial is more appealing than G Magazine. IAMS Cat Food Commercial’s director effectively persuades his or her audience that AIMS pet food is the best for their cats. The director manages to achieve this by using real-life experience in the advert (Iams Cat Food Commercial). In the first advert, an animated gecko is employed as the main character. Unlike the first advert, this advert illustrates a young boy taking care of a cat (Iams Cat Food Commercial).
Therefore, the audiences can easily connect with the first advert compared with the second advert. This gave the advert adequate credibility to convince potential clients that the brand is the best in the market. Given that the second advert was relayed in the form of a video, it would be able to reach a bigger audience compared to the first audience. The first advert was relayed in the form of a magazine. Hence, its audience is smaller. Based on these illustrations, it is apparent that the second advert is more appealing than the first advert.
Works Cited
Geico Insurance Company. Geico, 2014. Web.
Gunde, Sylvia. IAMS Pet Food Allows Facebook Fans To Choose New Ads To Air. 2012. Web.
Iams Cat Food Commercial: Keep Love Strong – Unspoken. Dir. IAMS. Perf. Jakes Ziggy. Youtube, 2012. Film.
Thorpe, Jen. A Cute Ad From Geico. 2011. Web.