Example Of Essay On Three Advertisements: A Rhetorical Analysis

Official Coca-Cola "Big Game" Commercial 2015

Thematically, Coca-Cola's "Big Game" is an online advertisement employing a highly successful Happiness campaign in recent years (Coca-Cola). Rhetorically, "Big Game" deploys components of ethos, pathos and logos as part of advertising effort. This analysis aims to explore rhetorical devices of mainly pathos, logos and ethos deployed by Coca-Cola.
For pathos, users / viewers are bombarded by common negative words and/or expressions "I hate u, "HATE," "you're a stupid" and "loser". This is combined by a rich visual composition of emoticons, screaming or growling faces. Through an initial sequence of negative effects, advertisement's tone is set only to be offset by a data center room in which a repairman is drinking a Coca-Cola, followed by a radically different visual context. The bottle spills. Instead of data, Coca-Cola drink is wired all over city spreading happiness. The color changes from dark to red. The sound changes from mute to choral singing. The final rainbow circle around "The world is what we make it" is, indeed, a very powerful visual effect evoking meanings of beauty, promise and re-birth.
For logos, Coca-Cola establishes logical reasoning only by end of advertisement: "The world is what we make it." This is, in fact, a persuasive statement which every person experience in her daily life as moods swings between extreme annoyance and anger and joy.
For ethos, credibility is established by visual and non-visual means. Through visuals, Coca-Cola employs web lingua franca devices (emoticons, chat functionalities, speed typing, etc) and a data center setting in order to address a decidedly web-based users / consumers. Offset by an enhanced drink splash, Coca-Cola's logo in background converts a decidedly dark setting into a joyful, red one which spreads all over city. The ubiquity of Coca-Cola's advertisements (at workplace, home, street) makes Coca-Cola's experience a very common one.
Overall, pathos is most used component in Coca-Cola's "Big Game". By appealing to senses and emotions, Coca-Cola addresses, apparently, an increasingly young user / consumer base. Further, opting for web-based devices and applications makes an emphatic statement about not only Coca-Cola's change in advertising campaigns as well as marketing efforts but also of different businesses in different areas.

Qatar Airways: The Art of Flight Redefined (Extended HD Edition)

This is a rather long advertisement. Through extended imageries and global reach, Qatar Airways projects herself as an up and coming global player in international aviation (Qatar Airways). The following analysis addresses components of pathos, logos and ethos in "The Art of Flight Redefined".
For pathos, visuals are invested heavily in from advertisement's very beginning. Displaying a paneling screen, "Frankfurt" is shown as point of departure against a late evening skyline. Recognized as a global business hub, Frankfurt's initial message is further enhanced by a man driving a car in business suit, a voiceover saying "You turn the wheels of global business," against a bright Doha skyline which a Qatar Airways plane crosses as if soaring to sun. Ingeniously, different destinations are shown in different ways: a brochure held by an Arab woman (London), au urban, Limmat-overlooking setting (Zurich), personal note in a Qatar Airways ticket (Cape Town), iconic, post-modernistic buildings (Singapore) and a globe (Barcelona). The background music acquires a splendid appeal upon an impressed couple's entrance into one of Qatar Airway's planes, emphasizing majesty and luxury. Only by end of advertisement's first quarter is Qatar Airway's logo is shown, masterfully, on a flight attendant's cap, instead of on a plane as is conventionally displayed. This conveys a message of a more personalized service. In-flight hospitality is displayed in visual details of served cakes, spacious cabin, watchful and caring flight attendant and seat displays. Transitions from flight to travelers' destinations are executed in dream-like cut-offs. They are, in fact, seamless, which is emphasized by a gliding plane for few seconds, alone. The personalization message is further emphasized by statements by voiceovers such as: "The journey is yours, "The adventure is yours," and "The world is yours". Then, finally, "Qatar Airways" is engraved into sky in order to emphasize mastery of flight art.
For logos, Qatar Airways' image is established by different services and capabilities. By flying to world-apart destination, Qatar Airways shows her power as a global airline. By showing Doha, Qatar's modernistic, super urban settings against a dreamy skyline at start and a nightly all-lit skyline at end of advertisement, Qatar Airways emphasizes Qatar's global positing. There is, of course, Qatar Airways new fleet of Boeing 787, a physical evidence of company's financial clout and world-classiness.
For ethos, Qatar Airway's credibility is established by displaying company's capabilities and hospitality offerings prior to, during and after flights. The cell phone service at start of advertisement showing flight details, world-class concierge services at airport, global destinations, luxury in-flight meals and conveniences as well as new fleet – all are witness to Qatar Airway's global reach.
All in all, Qatar Airways manages to combine components of pathos, logos and ethos in a balanced way. By interpreting pathos components into logos ones (impressive spaciousness feel of new Boeing 787) and swapping logs and ethos (global destinations), "Art of Flight Redefined" becomes a powerful statement of company's advertising effort.

Kia Sorento Official XLIX Ad with Pierce Brosnan (Extended) | “The Perfect Getaway”

Projecting as a global, functional-and-convenient car, Kia taps into a Hollywood celebrity's, Pierce Brosnan's, appeal for a new car class not conventionally associated with adventure (Kia Motors America). The following analysis addresses components of pathos, logos and ethos in "The Perfect Way".
For pathos, "The Perfect Way" opens with an executive-styled setting in which Brosnan is seated in all an executive's comfort and pride, as befits a world-class and action movie actor. Brosnan's role is characterized immediately in a snowy, adventurous setting: Kia Sorento winding around a snowy mountain, sniper (menacing owl), missile launcher (moose), mission (sort of), destination (cabin), explosion (just a cabin, no explosions), and fireworks (a woman leaning against a door's mull post). Therefore, Brosnan's action is, in fact, executed in Kia Sorento. Thrill is employed in order to emphasis Kia Sorento's adventurous appeal.
For logos, Kia Sorento's is introduced in an unconventional setting for cars of Sorento's class. By venturing in accelerating speed, motor running powerfully (accompanying rumbling sound), maneuvering (showing gliding capabilities as Brosnan looks up to an owl and evading a moose), wading through an avalanche ahead, Kia Sorento is brought to a halt gracefully in front of a cabin and sits harmoniously amidst a snowy setting.
For ethos, Kia Sorento's capabilities are marinated by a test drive. Embarking on a long journey, amidst feet-high snow, Kia Sorento cuts across a rough nature and ends up gracefully by a cabin. By moving at a 30 mph (as opposed to 200 mph), balance value is emphasized over speed.
Overall, pathos dominates "The Perfect Way". By picking up adventure as advertisement's main theme, appeal is most to visual effects, rather than to actual capabilities. Taping into a celebrity's appeal apparently weakens, rather than enforces, car's image in yielding to conventional celebrity effect.

Works Cited

Coca-Cola. "Official Coca-Cola "Big Game" Commercial 2015 #MakeItHappy." Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 1 Feb. 2015. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
Kia Motors America. "Kia Sorento Official XLIX Ad with Pierce Brosnan (Extended) | “The Perfect Getaway.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 26 Jan. 2015. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
Qatar Airways. "Qatar Airways: The Art of Flight Redefined (Extended HD Edition)." Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 29 Sept. 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.