Taco Bell
commercial rhetorical analysis
Andrew Serafim
English 111
March 21st, 2013
Juxtaposition is
commonly used by rhetoricians in advertising. It is a practice that
helps make a memorable advertisement that continues with a person's
thoughts and brings them back to wanting a product. Not only is this
a common form of advertisement 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 range of
teens to middle aged adults. Looking closely into the details of this
commercial bring forth the brilliant use of rhetoric in
advertisement. Keeping with the theme of “living in the moment”
the Taco Bell commercial has masterfully used common rhetorical
devices such as juxtaposition, Kairos, Ethos, Logos, and Pathos to
really stand out among all of the other commercials developed.
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. (Brandon) 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 known as Kairos. Kairos is
an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment.(Freier)
We see Kairos through out the whole commercial and it 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 then 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 man 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
as 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.(Weiss) 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.(Liddell) 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.(Walker) 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 viewer's mind picks up on these aspects of
rhetoric even if they do not know it. 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 an
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.
