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Rhetorical Analysis Of Wrigley Gum

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It’s the little things that matter. At least that’s what Wrigley gum company wants us to believe. A commercial first launched on Valentine’s day, the sappy, yet charming, Extra Gum commercial “The Story of Sarah and Juan” is a commercial like no other. The commercial begins as a flashback to a high school relationship. From the first day the couple meets, the commercial met the needs of the audience rhetorically by using the three major components of rhetoric--ethos, pathos, and logos. “The Story of Sarah and Juan” effectively gets an emotional reaction out of its audience by using these rhetorical elements to link Extra Gum to a memorable connection. Not just any connection, true love that can withstand anything. A company that magically …show more content…

They show Sarah giving Juan a hug and then another piece of gum, as if it’s the main source to them becoming intimate. The symbolism continues as they happily grow older and move in together. It simply goes to show that the reason behind the gum wrappers is exposed later on in the story when Juan finally proposes to Sarah. Pathos plays a large role in this commercial, as it manipulates the audience’s emotions. Both a juxtaposition and pathos is shown to the audience when the couple begins to fight about bills. Then, Sarah looks at Juan and gives him some Extra Gum. Since the gum brings back good memories, Juan hugs Sarah and everything is okay again. This is appealing to pathos because the rhetor evokes emotions such as sadness and sympathy; the audience is feeling sympathetic due to this conflict in the story. When everything got better again, the audience remembers that every time the gum was exchanged, it had a positive effect for Sarah and Juan. This element works to achieve the rhetor’s purpose by evoking sadness in the audience, and then making the Extra gum by association the “savior” in each situation they encounter. Through their long distance relationship, and their married couple fights, the Extra gum had always been a symbol of their connection. This ties back into how the rhetor wants you to think that “It’s the little things that matter.” Also, it was no coincidence that Sarah

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