Weight Loss - Then and Now

We are four students from the University of Maryland’s Scholars program, and we wanted to analyze health and body standards from the 1960’s and today. We chose to do Metrecal’s Drink commercial and the SlimFast - “Yes I Can” commercial because weight loss products are still used heavily today and were also popular during the 1960’s. In our blog we look into why weight loss products became popular, as well as the similarities and differences weight loss commercials share from both time periods.Despite their time differences, In the exclusive  “1965 Metrecal Commerical” and the more diverse “2017 Slimfast Yes I did Commercial”, there was a predominant appeal to pathos and ethos in the effort to advertise weight loss products to their targeted audiences, and promote a quick and easy approach to losing weight while eating sensibly. In order to understand the content of our blog, we decided to begin with audience. Addressing who the audience(s) are  is essential to knowing why t...

The primary stasis used in the SlimFast commercial is the Evaluation/Value argument.  In order to convince the viewer that this product is a necessity, all of its pros are listed one after the other.  What makes this argument even more effective yet one-sided is that no cons are provided.  Throughout the commercial, the narrator throws out pros after pros.  This makes it seem as if there are actually no cons that exist but actually they are just not being provided.  This one-sided argument overwhelms the viewer with positive facts of the product.  Paired with the fun music and happy people, the overall product is a positive one.  With the cons not included, the viewer is convinced of the validity and usefulness of the product.

The SlimFast “Yes I Did” commercial does not present a strong appeal to its audience’s logos. In the beginning, the audience is shown a disclaimer that states, “Individual results may vary. Based on the SlimFast Plan (a reduced calorie diet, regular exercise, and plenty of fluids).” This phrase is written in a faint white color, which at first glance, is barely noticeable and difficult to read. Though it is included, and it is a logical appeal, the audience is not compelled by the commercial to consider the logical aspect of weight loss. Next, the commercial mentions that a “sensible meal is all it takes” to lose weight. While this is a logical fact, the commercial transforms the appeal to logos into one to pathos by showing a whole pizza, a calorie-filled and fairly impractical weight-loss meal. To further enhance the idea of a lenient diet as a method to lose weight, the commercial states the various ways one can achieve their goal – “shake it off, crunch it off, blend it off, you c...

The main stasis in Metrecal's 1960's commercial is Consequence. It is also known as Cause and Effect and can be found in most commercials then and now. Metrecal's cause and effect focuses on the benefits of drinking their product. The commercial states that if you drink Metrecal for lunch, you can eat whatever you want for dinner (within reason) and still lose weight. This might be a bit of a logical fallacy, since they never say how it works or how long you need to use it before seeing results. They leave their cause and effect open ended so you can come to your own conclusions. They also do this in order to save face if someone is unhappy with their product without having to admit to giving baseless information. Another stasis that could be applied here is Evaluation. When people see the commercial and hear what it has to say, they make up their own minds on whether the product is good or bad. This often goes hand in hand with cause and effect because most effects have po...

Imagine that you have decided to shed some weight by going on the diet? There are many ways you can take to lose that weight such as exercising, cutting out fatty foods, in-taking the right amount of calories, and many more. Yet in the 1960's Metrecal Commercial, the author makes a logical claim by saying that drinking Metrecal will help you lose weight. Once the speaker introduces the slim and trim ones, he states, “They’re the Metrecal for lunch bunch. At lunch instead of fattening food, they have delicious Metrecal milkshake flavors to help stay slim and trim.” Here, the speaker justifies the reason why he calls the bunch slim and trim. He states that they are slim and trim because they drink Metrecal and in order for them to stay slim, they continue to drink Metrecal just for lunch. In order to persuade the audience even further, the commercial includes the nutritional value in Metrecal by saying it contains “the protein that hungry dieters need” The speaker does a grea...

The commercial, SlimFast - Yes I did, is a relatively simple commercial.  It opens with people dancing to a song while holding various SlimFast products. They all act very happy and excited, presumably because of the weight loss items they have. The people in this commercial are all attractive and are there to make customers think that they too can become attractive if they use these products to lose weight. This rhetorical situation, or Kairos, is one many Americans are familiar with. Since the later half of the 1900's, people were viewed as attractive only if they didn't exceed a certain weight. Because of this, many companies started looking into selling weight loss supplements. Today these are sold in many different forms such as food, drinks, and pills. Over the decades, weight loss products have become very popular in American culture. The weight loss industry makes upwards of 40 billion dollars a year, and even though there is evidence that the weight loss industry is lo...

Ethos is used primarily in order to convince the viewer to purchase the product.  In order to gain credibility they get support from their best source: you.  The audience wants to be able to relate to someone on the same caliber as them instead of people like celebrities that can afford personal trainers and chefs.  This ethos is first established within the first three seconds of the advertisement.  "Millions of people like you" serve as the credible source who have gained from suing SlimFast.  The emphasis on "people like you" makes the average viewer more hopeful for results.  The other aspect used in this advertisement is the claim that the product is part of a larger Clinically Proven SlimFast Plan.  Although there are no sources provided in order to prove whether or not this plan exists, the claim that it is clinically proven itself makes the product more attractive to the average viewer.   

The pathos appeal in the SlimFast "Yes I Did" commercial is quite heavy in its focus to attract those viewers looking to put minimal effort into their weight loss. The first technique that is utilized to establish the appeal is the diction used to describe the process of weight loss with the help of the SlimFast beverage. In the commercial, words like 'fast', 'easy', and 'results' are mentioned in order to emphasize the effectiveness and efficiency of the product. This diction appeals to those looking to lose lots of weight fast, and it reassures them that the SlimFast beverage is responsible for the drastic weight loss of "millions of people." This phrase also demonstrates a pathos appeal because it invites the viewers to be part of a certain group - those that consumed the product and got results. Repetition is also used as a technique to strengthen the pathos appeal of the advertisement. The words 'it off', that refer to the loss o...

Before the 1960s, losing weight was not as popular as it is today. In fact, the societal preference for a woman up until 1914 was for them to have some weight on. A woman was viewed as sexy and desirable if they were somewhat thick, unlike today where it is rather the opposite. As for men, they were considered to be rich and husband material if they were plump. However this mentality changed during World War I because America was at war and the soldiers needed food. This being said, a person was looked down upon as greedy or a traitor of the country if they had on too much weight. People then tried to find every means possible to lose weight so that they would look like proud supporters of the United states. For this reason, the use of thyroid hormone for weight loss became very common; along with the use of diuretics, laxatives, and amphetamines. Unfortunately, these diet pills went off the market due to its risk of toxicity.  In addition to diet pills, cigarettes became an alt...

In order to persuade the audience to purchase their product, the Metrecal Advertisement strongly uses pathos.  As the advertisement starts off, the viewers are presented with multiple angles of "slim, trim" people.  These happy and fit people paired with the jovial music evoke feelings of envy from the viewer.  As these "slim and trim" people joke as they gather around the Metrecal Advertisement, it is meant for the viewer to view their happiness as a result of the Metrecal drinks.  The next shot is one of an attractive women taking a sip from her 'Dutch chocolate' flavored Metrecal drink, which then evokes a sense of curiosity from the viewer.  This sense of curiosity is then built upon as they introduce a total of 14 flavors, allowing these diet drinks to taste just like the milkshakes viewers would indulge in.  This drink is made even more appealing as the shot is switched to the same women from before lunging on the couch looking happy and 'trim'...

Metrecal's commercial from 1960 has a very prominent presence of ethos. Ethos is the attempt of convincing someone of the author's credibility. In this case the author is Metrecal. The company wants people to buy their drink so they focus on highlighting what's good about their product. They talk about how Metrecal will keep you slim if you drink it for lunch. They mention that there are 14 flavors and that it's packed with protein. There is also a group of young adults skiing, hanging out, and having a good time while drinking Metrecal. All of this information is strategically used to make Metrecal seem like something  everyone should want to drink. The commercial portrays Metrecal as trustworthy and strengthens its own credibility, making people more likely to buy it. This method of using ethos to sell something is quite effective and many companies today have used it in their own commercials and advertisements.

The SlimFast “Yes I Did” commercial promotes the use of the SlimFast beverage in combination with either a regulated or lenient diet plan, for the ultimate goal of fast and dramatic weight loss. It begins with the phrase, “Millions of people just like you have lost weight fast.” Audience is immediately established as anyone viewing the commercial, and the product is rendered accessible and effective. Because of the diction, specifically the use of the general ‘you’, the viewers become the subjects of the advertisement and the audience is broadened to an unlimited group. This effect also invites those viewers that are skeptical of or intimidated by the weight loss process to consider the SlimFast method, or at the very least listen to the advertisement. The next audience description are the statements that discuss the methods of weight loss. In the commercial, different ways such as “snacking it off” and “blending it off”, are included in order to further broaden the audience and relat...

In the (Diet Drink) - Metrecal Commercial (1965) , it promotes a new and sweet way of losing weight: through a protein-filled milkshake. While doing this, it seeks to gain the interest of different groups, in which it succeeded. The commercial first begins by saying, “Here they come. The slim ones. The trim ones. Who are they?” By beginning the commercial with physical descriptions of the people, the author immediately catches the attention of two audiences: People who are slim and people who desire to be slim. This is because if a slim or trim person is watching this advertisement, they would be eager to know how the author identifies the slim and trim ones; as it relates to them. The second audience, those who desire to be slim, will be curious to know why there is a commercial specifically being made about slim and trim people. Moving forward, the author of the piece then says, “They’re the Metrecal for lunch bunch.” At this point, the author is appealing to those who yearn to belon...