Friday, October 4, 2013
The Budweiser Ad and Ethos
We tend to believe people who we respect. One of the main central focuses of argumentation is to give off an impression to the reader or listener that you are someone worth listening to, likeable, and worthy of respect. Ethos, ethical appeal, is conveyed through the 1960’s Budweiser ad, therefore, making people believe that the product is worth buying. In the image, you see a middle-aged man sitting at a table with a hammer in his hand. He seems to be fixing an object that lies broken on the table. The first thought that comes to the mind of the audience is that the man is strong and powerful. Behind the man is a woman, who the view may assume is the man’s wife. She is pouring the man a glass of the Budweiser Beer. In addition, she appears to be in a great mood as she tends to her mate. The picture of a strong, happy, and married man in a Budweiser ad gives off the vibe that the beer can make life more enjoyable or even calm nerves. The happy couple gives off the feeling or morality. Therefore, they exude the image of high credibility.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I wonder what women thought of ads like that in the 60s because now they might tend to try to sell the beer to men and women more equally rather than just trying to attract the men.
ReplyDeleteI think that the fact that the man seems puzzled also ads to the credibility because it shows that the advertisers know that life is not always easy and sometimes regular people just need a release from their work.
ReplyDeleteI liked your analysis of the man as strong, happy and married and of the couple as a good fit, an dhow you described how the ad's use of this image subtly portrays that the product could give you these things. However, there may also be an "Ethos" appeal in the fine print's referral to Bud as "the king of beers."
ReplyDeleteI really like the connection that we tend to believe people we admire. I hadn't thought of that connection at all when I first saw the ads.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if budweiser has any ads aimed towards a women audience.