Rhetorical Analysis of Advertisements

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY*

ADVERTISING ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT

Use the directions below to describe and analyze any television, print, radio, or internet advertisement of your choice. (500+ words)

Due Tuesday, February 3, 2015.

* You do not need to write about an advertisement shown during the Superbowl.

1. In detail, describe the advertisement without judgment. What do you see? What do you hear? Help your reader experience the advertisement even if she has never seen or heard it.

2. What product (or brand or public service message) is being advertised? Describe it.

3. What appeals (or techniques) are used in the advertisement? Describe how the appeals are used. (Celebrity? Sex? Beauty? Lifestyle? Insecurities? Humor? Advertising appeals are listed below.)

Appeals to Pathos (Feelings and Desires)

·         Celebrity Endorsement (Associate the product with someone who is famous, well-liked and/or well-respected.)

·         Sex or Beauty Appeal (Associate the product with our desire to be beautiful or to see beautiful people.)

·         Appeal to the audience’s insecurities or fears (Make the audience feel insecure and promise or imply that the product will take away that insecurity.)

·         Snob or Status Appeal (Associate the product with high status. Promise or imply that if the viewer buys the product s/he will be seen as important, powerful, and/or successful.)

·         Lifestyle Appeal (Associate the product with particular lifestyles: raising a family, playing or watching extreme sports, partying, attending sporting events, etc.)

·         Appeal to Nostalgia (Associate the product with the good old days)

·         Bandwagon Technique (Associate the product with the majority. Everyone is doing it, so it must be good. This is also called peer pressure.)

·         Humor Appeal (Associate the product with laughter, with good times; humor is also used to make an ad memorable, to help it stand out against all the other ads.)

Appeals to Logos (Thinking and Reasoning)

·         Expert endorsement (for example “four out of five doctors say this aspirin is better than that one.)

·         Testimonials (for example: before and after pictures or statements like, “This product changed my life; it could change yours too.”)

·         Facts (information about the product; for example: “This car goes from zero to sixty in x seconds.”)

·         Comparisons (This product is bigger, stronger, faster, etc.)

·         Explanations (The ad explains what the product is and what it does.)

4. What micropropaganda (slogans, logos, jingles) is used in the advertisement? (If necessary draw or copy and paste the logo.) Describe how the micropropaganda is used in the advertisement.

Types of Micropropaganda

·         A slogan is a short, catchy phrase. For example: “I’m lovin’ it” is a slogan for McDonalds.

·         A logo is simple, memorable image that is associated with a product or company. For example: The swoosh is Nike’s logo. Sometimes a company’s logo is simply the company’s name written in a particular font with particular colors. This is true of the Dunkin Donuts logo.

·         A jingle is a short, simple, catchy song associated with a product.

5. Occasion. (Kairos.) When and where did you view the advertisement? (In other words… On what website? In what magazine? On what TV station, during what TV show, and at what time of day?) What might be significant about the occasion (kairos) in relation to the advertisement and its purpose? For example, thinking about the occasion may help you determine the target audience.

6. What do you think is the advertisement’s demographic target audience? What about the product, the placement of the ad (see #5), the content of the ad, and the style of the ad helps you determine its demographic target?

The target audience is the group to which an advertisement is directed.

To determine the target audience…

·         Think about gender (Is the ad targeted at men or women or both?)

·         Think about social class (Is the ad targeted at the poor, the working class, the middle class, the rich? Or is the ad targeted at all class groups?)

·         Think about age (Is the ad targeted at children, at tweens (middle schoolers), teens, young adults, adults?)

·         You might also think about geographical location, ethnicity, race, education level, etc.

7. What is the advertisement’s psychographic target audience? What about the product, the placement of the ad (see #5), the content of the ad, and the style of the ad helps you determine its psychographic target?

[Consult “Psychographic Groups” handout below.]

8. Mindful of the appeals, micropropaganda, placement and timing (kairos), target audience, purpose, and other choices made in the production of the advertisement, evaluate the extent to which the advertisement (and advertisement campaign) is effective. Your response must show an understanding of advertising concepts and must use specific evidence from the advertisement.

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Psychographic Groups

For advertising and marketing

What are psychographics?

v  Psychographics are the descriptions of target audiences according to psychological characteristics as opposed to demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, region, income, etc.)

v  Values, attitudes, and lifestyles are among the psychological characteristics that marketers and advertisers are most interested in.

v  Psychographic groups are determined by values, attitudes, and lifestyles the way demographic groups are determined by age, gender, ethnicity, region, income, etc.

Here are two different ways of grouping target audiences using psychographics, in other words two different ways of grouping consumers based on values, attitudes, and lifestyles.

1. Cross-cultural consumer characterization (4Cs)

Origin: Young and Rubicam, Inc., an advertising and marketing company based in London, UK.

Purpose: Use Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to identify the primary (and secondary) needs of consumer groups; understand the relationship between particular human motivations and consumers’ feelings about brands; create psychographic groups that transcend national and cultural groups.

Discoveries:

• The levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs correspond with consumer motivations and consumer motivations correspond with psychographic groups:
• Maslow’s levels of transcendence, self-actualization, and aesthetic needs correspond with a consumer’s desire for enlightenment. People who are primarily motivated by a search for enlightenment are called reformers.
• Maslow’s need to know and understand corresponds with a consumer’s desire for discovery. People who are motivated by a need to discover are called explorers.
• Maslow’s esteem needs can be broken down into two types of esteem: self-esteem and esteem from others.
• Those who are motivated by self-esteem seek forms of control and are called succeeders.
• Those who are motivated by esteem from others seek status and are called aspirers.
• Maslow’s need for love and belonging corresponds with a consumer’s desire for security. People who are primarily motivated by security are called mainstreamers.
• Maslow’s need for safety corresponds with a consumer’s desire for escape from the bad situation of his or her life. People who are primarily motivated by the desire to escape are called strugglers.
• Maslow’s physiological needs corresponds with a consumer’s desire for survival within a bad situation. People primarily motivated by the struggle to survive are said to be resigned to their situations.
• The Young and Rubicam researchers discovered that by “segmenting” mankind into these seven groups—based on the core (or primary) motivations (or needs) of the members of that group—they could successfully market particular brands to the particular groups regardless of nationality and cultural background.
• Young and Rubicam researchers also discovered that advertisers and marketers could sharpen their approach to the psychographic groups by considering secondary motivations as well as core (or primary) motivations.

Groups:

Reformer: A reformer seeks freedom from restriction in order to pursue personal growth and social awareness. A reformer makes independent judgments, tolerates complexity, and is anti-materialistic but is intolerant of bad taste. A reformer is curious about innovations that are substantive rather than flashy. A reformer selects brands for their intrinsic quality, as opposed to what those brands “say” to others. (Higher education) Motivation: ENLIGHTENMENT

Explorer: Explorers value energy, freedom, new challenges, and exciting experiences. Explorers will choose brands that highlight their uniqueness and independence, their need for new sensations and adventures, and/or their desire for instant gratification. Explorers may be the first to try new brands. (Younger - student) Motivation: DISCOVERY

               

Succeeder: Succeeders are driven by goals. They tend to be confident, well-organized, and hardworking.  They tend to be conservative in the sense that they support status quo and seek stability. Their brand choices tend to be based on reward and prestige. They want to be seen as consuming and possessing “the very best.” (Top management) Motivation: CONTROL

               

Aspirer: Aspirers tend to be materialistic. They like to buy things that help them become members—or seem to be members—of the social groups they aspire to belong to. They are interested primarily in image, appearance, charisma, persona and fashion. Attractive packaging is more important than the quality of the contents. (Younger, clerical/sales type occupation) Motivation: STATUS

               

Mainstreamer: Mainstreamers tend to be home-oriented, conformist, conventional, sentimental, passive, habitual. They prefer not to stand out and, therefore, favor big and well-known value-for-money 'family' brands. Mainstreamers are usually the largest 4Cs group. Motivation: SECURITY

               

Struggler: Strugglers live for today. They see themselves as victims of the system. They have few tangible resources but often have physical skills. Strugglers are often heavy consumers of alcohol, junk food and lotteries. They choose brands that seem to promise an escape—even if only temporary—from their lives. Motivation: ESCAPE

               

Resigned:  This group is rigid, strict, authoritarian and chauvinist in its values. The resigned group is oriented to the past and to established roles. They choose brands that are safe, familiar, and economical. (Older) Motivation: SURVIVAL

Works Cited:

“Psychographic Segmentation”. Exams Tutor. 4Feb09. http://www.examstutor.com/business/resources/studyroom/marketing/market_analysis/8_psychographic_segmentation.php,

“There are Seven Kinds of People in the World”. Young & Rubicam’s 4Cs. 4Feb09. http://www.4cs.yr.com/global/default.asp?tid=b0c57e2f-6b8f-4e32-8b20-5bcf74124349.
 

2. VALS (Values and Lifestyles)

Origin: 1978, Standford Research Institute.
Purpose: Identify target audiences, uncover the consumer and personal behavior of target audiences, identify how to communicate with a target audiences, gain insight into why target audiences act the way they do.

Discoveries:

• People pursue and acquire products, services, and experiences that provide satisfaction and give shape, substance, and character to their identities.
• They are motivated by one of three powerful self-orientations: principle, status, and action.
• Principle-oriented consumers are guided in their choices by abstract, idealized criteria, rather than by feelings, events, or desire for approval and opinions of others.
• Status-oriented consumers look for products and services that demonstrate the consumers' success to their peers.
• Action-oriented consumers are guided by a desire for social or physical activity, variety, and risk taking.

Groups:
Actualizers- Actualizers are successful, sophisticated, active, "take-charge" people with high self-esteem and abundant resources. They are interested in growth and seek to develop, explore, and express themselves in a variety of ways--sometimes guided by principle, and sometimes by a desire to have an effect, to make a change. Image is important to Actualizers, not as evidence of status or power but as an expression of their taste, independence, and character. Actualizers are among the established and emerging leaders in business and government, yet they continue to seek challenges. They have a wide range of interests, are concerned with social issues, and are open to change. Their lives are characterized by richness and diversity. Their possessions and recreation reflect a cultivated taste for the finer things in life. They are more likely to have; Membership in Arts Association, Visited Art Museum in Past Year, Own Electronic Espresso / Cappuccino Maker, Foreign Travel in Past 3 years, Cruise Ship Vacation in Past 3 Years, Own Import/Foreign Car, Play Golf, Own Personal Computer at Home.
Fulfilleds - Fulfilleds are mature, satisfied, comfortable, reflective people who value order, knowledge, and responsibility. Most are well educated and in (or recently retired from) professional occupations. They are well-informed about world and national events and are alert to opportunities to broaden their knowledge. Content with their career, families, and station in life, their leisure activities tend to center around the home. Fulfilleds have a moderate respect for the status quo institutions of authority and social decorum, but are open-minded to new ideas and social change. Fulfilleds tend to base their decisions on firmly held principles and consequently appear calm and self-assured. While their incomes allow them many choices, Fulfilleds are conservative, practical consumers; they look for durability, functionality and value in the products they buy. They are more likely to; Have a Swimming Pool/In Ground, Membership in Church Board, Stayed in Ski Resort in Last 12 Mo's, Belong to a Book Club, Own Backpacking Equipment, Foreign Travel in Last 3 years. (PRINCIPLE)
Achievers - Achievers are successful career and work-oriented people who like to, and generally do, feel in control of their lives. They value consensus, predictability, and stability over risk, intimacy and self-discovery. They are deeply committed to work and family. Work provides them with a sense of duty, material rewards, and prestige. Their social lives reflect this focus and are structured around family, church, and career. Achievers live conventional lives, are politically conservative, and respect authority and the status quo. Image is important to them; they favor established, prestige products and services that demonstrate success to their peers. They are more likely to; Have Sun/Moon Roof in Car, Own Video Camera, Membership in PTA. (STATUS)
Experiencers - Experiencers are young, vital, enthusiastic, impulsive and rebellious. They seek variety and excitement, savoring the new, the offbeat, and the risky. Still in the process of formulating life values and patterns of behavior, they quickly become enthusiastic about new possibilities but are equally quick to cool. At this stage in their lives, they are politically uncommitted, uninformed, and highly ambivalent about what they believe. Experiencers combine an abstract disdain for conformity with an outsider's awe of others' wealth, prestige, and power. Their energy finds an outlet in exercise, sports, outdoor recreation and social activities. Experiencers are avid consumers and spend much of their income on clothing, fast food, music, movies, and video. they are more likely to; Play Pool 10+ Days in Past Year, Attend Rock/Pop Concert in Past Year, Own Weight Training Equipment. (ACTION)
Believers - Believers are conservative, conventional people with concrete beliefs based on traditional, established codes: family, church, community, and the nation. Many Believers express moral codes that are deeply rooted and literally interpreted. They follow established routines, organized in large part around home, family, and social or religious organizations to which they belong. As consumers, Believers are conservative and predictable, favoring American products and established brands. Their income, education, and energy are modest but sufficient to meet their needs. (PRINCIPLE)
Strivers - Strivers seek motivation, self-definition, and approval from the world around them. They are striving to find a secure place in life. Unsure of themselves and low on economic, social and psychological resources, Strivers are concerned about the opinions and approval of others. Money defines success for Strivers, who don't have enough of it, and often feel that life has given them a raw deal. Strivers are impulsive and easily bored. Many of them seek to be stylish. They emulate those who own more impressive possessions, but what they wish to obtain is often beyond their reach. (STATUS)
Makers - Makers are practical people who have constructive skills and value self-sufficiency. They live within a traditional context of family, practical work, and physical recreation and have little interest in what lies outside that context. Makers experience the world by working on it--building a house, raising children, fixing a car, or canning vegetables--and have enough skill, income, and energy to carry out their projects successfully. They are unimpressed by material possessions other than those with a practical or functional purpose (such as tools, utility vehicles and fishing equipment.) (ACTION)
Strugglers - Struggler lives are constricted. Chronically poor, ill-educated, low-skilled, without strong social bonds, elderly and concerned about their health, they are often resigned and passive. Because they are limited by the need to meet the urgent needs of the present moment, they do not show a strong self-orientation. Their chief concerns are for security and safety.

Work Cited:

Box, Doug. “Values and Lifestyle”. Simply Selling. 3Feb09. Simplyselling.com.