I am a Mac/ I am a PC Analysis In her Time article called, “The Science of How Marketers (and Politicians) Manipulate Us,” consumer psychologist Kit Yarrow explains the many tricks that Marketers have used to appeal to us, the consumers. In her article, Yarrow mentions that Marketers have influenced us through presenting right and wrong choices, showing/telling emotional narratives, and manipulating/influencing our subconscious. In particular, her claim of how marketers present clear and simple decisions is most evident in commercials; specifically the Apple, “I am a Mac/I am a PC” commercial. In the commercial, Apple tries to influence the audience to purchase their product by relying heavily on the “obvious choice” approach. This approach …show more content…
This appeal is most evident with the presentation of human characters to represent the products, both the Mac and the PC. During the commercial, we see both characters displayed on the screen with obvious differences between them. The man who represents the PC is dressed in a way that makes him look so unattractive and geeky, meanwhile the Mac’s representative is displayed as more casual and handsome. Throughout the commercial we see the characters try to overcome one another by comparing the quality of their “home movies”, which is also represented as characters. At the end the Mac essentially wins the debate by overcoming the PC with his higher quality “home video”. As Yarrow mentions in her article, we are most comfortable when things are made simple; when the choices are presented to us as clear as day. In the commercial both characters are made to represent the choices we can make, with the Mac shown as the more obvious choice. This creates an emotional appeal because it influences the consumer’s desire to be “cool” and have access to the latest, and trendiest,
In our modern world, everyone needs a computer, so there are lots out there, and because of that variety, we see their ads everywhere. This ad for the new chromebook is a good example (“The Chromebook: the (always) New Computer). The ad is geared towards the general public, so there isn’t much that makes it unique. It uses the generic and vague logic and statistics you see in most ads with lots of imagery sprinkled with ethos to make you want this computer so you can be just like those happy and successful people shown using it. I’ll be analysing the rhetoric used in this ad to show just how these executives are trying to persuade you to buy their computer.
In today’s society, no matter where you are, there is always a good chance that you have seen an advertisement. These little creatures are everywhere. You may see them when you are reading a magazine, watching TV, or surfing the internet. We have become so used to them. Advertisements are good at making us stop what we are doing and giving them our full attention. What is an advertisement? An advertisement is an announcement made to the public. In Jib Fowles’ article, “Advertising’s Fifteen Basic Appeals,” he is informing us that companies are spending millions of dollars on advertisements to grab our attention in order to manipulate us into spending or thinking of spending our hard-earned money on their product. Even though a lot of people do not want to believe that a paper that is eight times eleven with an image and no more than five words is manipulative because we want to think that we are not that easy to trick. Nike created an advertisement for one of
When it comes to the topic of commercials, most of us readily agree that commercials are irritating. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the purpose of the commercial. Whereas some are convinced that commercials are meaningless, others maintain that commercials tell a story. Effective commercials are repetitive and illustrate a story. Marketers use rhetoric marketing, the art of persuasive speaking and writing, when persuading an audience to buy a product. Rhetoric marketing is especially effective through the illustration of a story. It is effective because the marketer is able to relate to the consumer with a story or message. Advertisers also use the appeals of logic, credibility, and emotions to intrigue interest in a company. Coca-Cola’s advertisement, “Falling,” depicts the product as a confidence building companion suitable for young love through a series of logical and emotional appeals that visibly promotes the brand’s credibility.
Every day, companies present the people with advertisements everywhere they go. Advertisements have become very prevalent in today’s society nowadays focusing in on a negative connotation. Advertisement has become an effective way for producers to display their new products. In present day, they come in forms of billboards, flyers, e-mails, and even text messages. It is widely known that companies create advertisements to persuade people to buy specific products or goods; however, it is not widely known that advertisements can make a negative impact on today’s society. The companies manipulate people’s mind and emotions, swaying people by new promotions and therefore generating a strong desire to fit into the society, that causes them to make inessential expenditures. Advertisements pose a critical impact on the American culture.
This paper will examine a particular Apple ad that appeared on television in 1984. The Macintosh was and still is very popular computer that provides a simplistic feel of creativeness and freedom. Freedom is a key concept because the ad expresses the need to have a sense of freedom to do what we want with no restrictions. Apple is well-known all over the world for the sex appeal to its products, like the iPhone, iPad, and the Macintosh series. These products present a color of either silver, slate, or gold that is very appealing to our eyes. And with such unique colors, Apple manages to make the colors of their products to fit in with its surroundings. Although Apple still has to compete against
Every minute of every day, millions of people are exposed to advertisements. They plague televisions, streets, radio waves, and all means of communication. These advertisements employ many methods of persuasion and their influence is irresistible. Just like prisoners in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, we are told every day to invest our time and interest into the subject of these advertisements, and to accept the forms of reality they serve us. Whether it be a commercial for a must-have new car, to a spot featuring desirable fast food, or to magazines with photoshopped models; we are seduced to accept these false
Advertisements are everywhere. From billboards, to magazines, to newspapers, flyers and TV commercials, chances are that you won’t go a day without observing some sort of ad. In most cases, companies use these ads as persuasive tools, deploying rhetorical appeals—logos, pathos, and ethos—to move their audiences to think or act in a certain way. The two magazine ads featured here, both endorsing Pedigree products, serve as excellent examples of how these modes of persuasion are strategically used.
Many businesses and organization use the method of advertisement to sell their products. Ads enhance products and encourage the audience to buy its products. There are many strategies in which influence how successful an ad can sell its product. In this essay, I will be conducting a rhetoric analysis on a chip advertisement created by Popchips. This essay should identify the audience the ad is trying to reach; the message the ad delivers; and the three modes of persuasion (ethos, logos, and pathos) that are used in this ad. For reference, this ad can be found at the end of this essay.
The average United States Citizen views about 5000 advertisements a day (Johnson). Advertising is everywhere. Billboards on the way to work, ads on the internet, and paper products such as magazines or newspapers display a sale or a promotion of a good or service. Usually, the ad will give a brand or company name, and uses the product’s merits to draw the consumer closer. This has grown exponentially as advertisements in media in 1970 were estimated to be 500 a day, a ten percent increase in the last 48 years. (Johnson). This is due to the rise of technology, as the computer has become a household gadget within the new millenium. These advertisements are meant to give a synopsis of the product or service’s purpose, quality, and efficiency. If a consumer views 5000 advertisements in a single day and assuming the commercials do not repeat, 5000 goods or services are introduced. With more options to choose from in such little time, the consumer has a harder time differentiating the quality and perhaps necessity of the product. The marketers rely on the quick, impulsive decision making of consumers. With the misleading nature of many infomercials or radio broadcasts, the people of American society are bombarded with constant propaganda, thus making seemingly harmless promotions more potent to filling industries’ pockets and lessening the common population’s
Picture a long, stressful day where an avalanche of work completely exhausted your energy. The only thing worth looking forward to is coming home to relax while tuning into your favorite television show. In between the show, a commercial comes on to propose an energy drink built to help overcome those prolonged and demanding days at work. Advertisers are known for creating the most influential and effective way to launch their products to the general public. In the article “Men’s Men and Women’s Women”, author Steve Craig suggests that advertisements rely on stereotypes in order to manipulate consumers. Likewise James Twitchell, author of “What We are to Advertisers” strengthens Craig's reasoning by discussing the methods of persuasion that capture their respective audience’s attention to create a good commercial and sell a product. Both authors focus on the different techniques used by the advertising industry. Through their supporting demographic and psychographic evidence, they utilize advertising to show a strong correlation between each other. By using subtitles both authors explain the distinctive stereotypic profiles that are formed just from advertisers constantly examining the target audiences in order to create a connection with the product and the consumer. Twitchell reinforces Craig's position by introducing the different types of profiles advertisers target and be recognizing the effects of the method pathos and logos has
Society uses manipulation to divert people’s attention every day and oftentimes people do not realize that they are being manipulated. An advertisement through television is one of the many ways that people are manipulated. TV uses advertisements daily by incorporating subliminal messages to get people to do things that they would not otherwise be thinking about doing. The following articles “Can TV improve us?” by Jane Rosenzweig, On Sale at Old Navy: Cool Clothes for Identical Zombies!” by Damien Cave and TV’s War of Words” by Deborah Tannen exemplify instances where manipulation is being showcased at its best.
In “Propaganda Techniques in Today 's Advertising” by Ann McClintock, the author discusses how Americans are being brainwashed by advertisements and the different techniques they use to catch our attention. Ads are simply everywhere we look, it is impossible to get through the day without seeing one. All advertising companies put tons of research into how consumers spend money or even vote. Once these companies finish their research, they create advertisements that appeal to the masses. The basic propaganda techniques that McClintock writes about are Name Calling, Glittering Generalities, Transfer, Testimonial, Plain Folks, Card Stacking, and Bandwagon. Each one of these propaganda techniques is used in specific ways by advertisers to sell their product or service to consumers. I have selected a political ad which uses the Glittering Generalities technique, a coffee ad that uses Transfer technique, a soda ad that uses the Testimonial technique, and a soup ad that uses the Name Calling technique.
Over the last few decades, American culture has been forever changed by the huge amount of advertisement the people are subjected to. Advertising has become such an integral part of society, many people will choose whether or not they want to buy a product based only on their familiarity with it rather than the product’s price or effectiveness. Do to that fact, companies must provide the very best and most convincing advertisements as possible. Those companies have, in fact, done
On December 31st of 1983 an eccentric commercial was introduced, challenging other companies and awaking people all over the country. It has been more than 30 years and people are still talking about Apple’s first Macintosh commercial. Companies use commercials to show the audience that their products are worth buying like Apple did in its first Macintosh commercial. By using themes from George Orwell’s 1984, Apple was able to speak volumes about its product without showing or describing it. Apple visualizes its self as the hero that will save the world and people believed it. Most of us now own an Apple brand. This advertisement is an effective ad because it contains a valuable message that was provided to the viewer by using contrasting visuals and it is about awakening the people and breaking the chains of similarity and loving to be different. Yet, it is ironic because Apple has become one of the most controlling companies in our society.
The average person will watch approximately 2 million commercials throughout their lifetime. In this technologically driven environment, it’s the most effective method of appealing to an intended audience. However, there is a lot more to an advertisement than meets the eye. There are numerous methods being used in order to appeal to the audience. Corporations and businesses focus on rhetorical appeal when it comes to creating a successful advertisement.