Draft of
Taco Bell commercial rhetorical analysis
The use of
juxtaposition as a rhetorical tool is not a new idea in advertising.
It is a common practice in making a memorable advertisement that
continues with a person's thoughts and brings them back to wanting a
product. Not only is this common advertisement practiced used in the
new Taco Bell Super Bowl 2013 commercial but we also see the use of
other rhetorical devices at play. There are strong efforts made to
incorporate Ethos, Logos, and Pathos into this commercial to draw the
attention of the viewer and turn the viewer into a consumer of the
idea that Taco Bell represents. It is clear that time and effort were
put into research to target a specific group of individuals to
connect with and sell to that targeted group, in this case that group
is in the age group of teens to middle aged adults. Looking closely
into the details of this commercial bring forth the brilliant use of
rhetoric in advertisement.
One of the first
ideas presented in this commercial is that you are never too old to
have fun. This is a common underlying feeling in the younger
generation and is a great example of juxtaposition being used to
connect an audience to a message. They accomplish this in the
commercial by replacing typical teenagers with older aged people and
having the older people do some of the same things that the younger
generations find amusing. At the same time this juxtaposition is
being used we have another rhetorical device playing in the
background of the events going on, that is Kairos. Kairos is an
ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment. We see
Kairos thought the whole commercial and is basically the very essence
of the commercial, a few examples are the older people taking
advantage of “living in the moment” and having fun despite their
age. The fact that they are acting younger than they truly are is
another example of Kairos at play and then there are the obvious
examples of when one of the elderly men gets a tattoo and one of the
elderly women kisses a younger guy while at the club. But these two
rhetorical devices are still only a part of the commercial, there are
other factors that come into the making of this commercial a strong
example of rhetoric.
The next area that
can be analyzed is the use of Ethos or the
Greek
word meaning "character" that is used to describe the
guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or
ideology. This is used in the commercial to establish credibility
with the audience the commercial is trying to target. Once again by
having the older people doing things that are typical of a younger
generation Ethos is established because the younger generation can
connect to the ideas being presented. There is also Ethos established
in the way that the older people are dressed like a younger
generation and have a tendency to do things they could “get caught”
for. The feeling of independence and having fun with friends is a
strong ideology that younger generations adhere to and can connect
well with. This is all centered around going out to eat after having
a night full of fun, and the place to go according to this
commercial, is Taco Bell.
With
the use of Logos or
topics of rational argument or the arguments themselves, the
rhetorician uses rationality to convey an idea in this commercial.
One way this is done is providing information that is “in the
background” of what is really happening during the course of the
groups night, an example being that the group is out late and able to
eat because Taco Bell is open late. This is a rational statement to
many people that are out late and are hungry and therefore looking
for somewhere to eat. This is a strong statement that will be in the
mind of the viewer the next time they catch themselves out late and
hungry.
Another
rhetorical device used is Pathos. Pathos is a Greek term that
represents an appeal to the audience's emotions. Pathos can be seen
in almost all aspects of this commercial, from the “feel” of
having a group of friends you can have fun with and be yourself
around to the emotion of humor associated with the scene or the
commercial, older people acting like a younger generation. Another
reinforcement of Pathos is the song in the background. Although it is
sung in spanish in the commercial it is a song that has recently been
played on the radio and on stations that are typically aired for the
younger generation. This can give the viewer a feeling of comfort if
they enjoy the song itself without even having anything to do with
Taco Bell and by doing that it will make them more comfortable with
the idea that Taco Bell is a good choice. Another way that Pathos can
be an influence is the actual setting that the commercial will be
viewed in. If the viewer is with friends and their friends find the
commercial amusing that can have an emotional impact on the viewers
thoughts as well. All of these aspects are thought about when
creating advertisements, even the colors used in the commercial will
reestablish the viewer with the product. In the club scene there are
vibrant colors shown and that can be a reminder for anyone that is
familiar with the Taco Bell logo since the logo is lit with vibrant
colors.
Throughout the
whole commercial the viewers mind pics up on these aspects of
rhetoric even if they do not know. From the humor and the
entertainment value to the placement of signage and use of emotions
the rhetorician in charge of developing the advertisement connects
the targeted audience to the product they are trying to sell. Lots of
money is spent on research to have the perfect “feel” to a
advertisement and make sure that the “feel” stays with the viewer
for as long as possible so that the next time they are in the market
for, in this case Taco Bell, they will remember that Taco Bell is the
right choice when you are hungry late at night.
