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 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...
I particularly enjoyed the analysis of the credibility of SlimFast as the audience itself. Thinking back to the commercial, the ethos is evident. By showing a desirable, physically engaging sport, skiing, and the camaraderie of a group of friends a clear atmosphere is created for expectations when drinking SlimFast. Additionally, concluding the analysis with another example of the article's ethos was beneficial for understanding the commercial. The "clinically proven" argument manifests itself in many commercials so it would be interesting to further understand what exactly the phrase means in a more scientific nature.
ReplyDeleteI really like the point you made about the "people like you" comment that is clearly emphasized in the commercial. It is very interesting that people just want to feel relatable, and are willing to bypass "clinically proven" effectiveness of a product because they base its success on their relatable feelings toward it. I think currently, unlike in the time of this commercial, people are more easily persuaded by celebrities on commercials and less on pure reliability. But the clinically proven issue definitely remains.
ReplyDeleteI liked your post. I agree with you about what you said about how "people like you" was put in. there to make the people in the commercial seem more relatable, I don't think I ever noticed that before. I like how you critiqued Slimfast for not having actual sources or evidence to back up their claims. I don't know if you saw the small print that kept changing at the bottom of the screen, but I think it would have been nice if you added that to your argument. This is something that many advertisements do, so people can't claim false advertisement.
ReplyDelete^Justin De Burgo
DeleteGreat analysis! Letting the audience know that just the average person can achieve such body goals is extremely effective in giving credibility, as well as the so claimed " clinically proven". I think however, that showing the audience that these people actually used this product would give it even more credibility, like showing the before and after. But the downside to that is that it would make the commercial a lot longer, thus risking losing the audiences' interest.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis. I find it interesting how the product establishes credibility through the audience rather than the more common way of providing facts and scientific proof. I believe that makes the product appealing, however it does not make it reliable. I wonder if a product can be credible, but not reliable. I also agree with your critique of the product's attempt to establish credibility the more common way. Often weight loss products use vague scientific proof to establish their credibility and create an appeal. I enjoyed reading this analysis. Great job!
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