An episode of The Gruen Transfer analyzed in this paper is dedicated to religion (“The Gruen Transfer – The Pitch”). The aspect that is discussed is how to attract people to the idea of banning all religion. The competing teams are pitching the idea of advertising the ban of religion in the Australian context. The teams present two videos with different stylistics and background. The first one refers to history and the fact that ancient ideas and beliefs have to be forgotten and appeals to humanity on the whole. The second one is more socially-oriented and addresses the Australians who want to live in a safe place.
The first advertisement is made in the format of a cartoon. It is expected to persuade the viewers that in the course of history, many ideas did not last long because they appeared to be not as good as expected. For example, the ideas and beliefs that the land was flat, human sacrifice was necessary, and racial superstitions disappeared as humanity was developing. The voice comments on the pictures and both try to attract people to the idea of making religion a history.
The target audience for the video is an adult population that is likely to understand the irony of the fact that something that people treat as absolute truth appears to be an illusion. The logical fallacy exposed in the arguments of the advertisement is that of hasty generalization because the video makes an impression that almost every idea expressed in the past was not reliable. Despite the importance of visual elements, this argument would be still effective if put in essay format because the facts that are used are presented both in words and pictures. This team uses pathos and ethos rather than logos.
In the second video, voice and visuals do not coincide. Parts of videos are used as a background for the text and are aimed to present the alternatives of the world with and without religion. The target audience for this advertisement is more likely to include young adults and families because the arguments are for a safe world for children. The visual arguments used by the second team appeal to logic and emotions at the same time.
They link religion to disastrous events such as terrorism and try to make people think that a world without religion will be a more safe and pleasant place to live. For this advertisement, the arguments are supported by visual background and it is not likely to be as effective if presented in essay format. The team is more concentrated on pathos by creating emotional arguments that appeal to the feelings of the audience.
Both teams are successful in their argument. Still, the second team is more persuasive because it concentrates on creating a contrast between the world with and without religion. Moreover, the second team focuses on the issue of safety and shows that wars, terrorism, and other disasters are frequently caused by religious beliefs. Moreover, the second team uses more effective visuals that represent the results of the religious impact on society.
Finally, it uses pathos more efficiently thus appealing to people’s emotions and involving the images of happy children who make one of the primary concerns of any nation. On the whole, the second team is more likely to reach the target audience.
Work Cited
“The Gruen Transfer – The Pitch: Banning All Religion.” YouTube. 2012. Web.