It is impossible to avoid advertisements since they are everywhere, including television, radio, and magazines. This makes them ubiquitous.
The analysis of an advertisement can be a rhetorical exercise.
With a worth of billions of dollars, the advertising industry customizes ads for their particular target audience in an effort to sell their products. Although controversial, one favored technique is incorporating sex appeal as a means to captivate attention. To evaluate such an advertisement, I applied the rhetorical triangle and reflected on ethos, pathos, and logos. The targeted viewership for this ad comprises of young adults within the age range from late teens to mid-twenties.
The objective of this enterprise is to entice male attention through the use of a visually appealing woman on the right side, highlighted with vibrant shades, in addition to a bottle of whisk
...ey placed at the center of the webpage. To maintain their interest, they feature a stunning female model posing in minimal attire. Simultaneously, they strive to engage female viewers by showcasing a typical girl during her formative years, followed by the same girl as a self-assured and influential woman. The message conveyed is straightforward - consuming Evan Williams Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey can aid in achieving this metamorphosis. Ultimately, their aim is to motivate young adults including those who are under legal drinking age to partake in their product.
The main message of this advertisement is to promote the sale of Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which is aged for seven years before being sold. However, some may perceive the advertisement as targeted towards underage individuals due to the appearance of the girl on the left. Additionally, the advertisement showcases
the bottle of whiskey in between each of the pictures and employs sexual stereotypes, such as blonde hair, blue eyes, and a large breast size, which are perpetuated by the author.
It can be inferred from the text that the concept of sex being appealing is prevalent. However, the opinion of the author is not considered to be reliable as their tone appears condescending. The writer seems to insinuate that attractive individuals are valued more compared to those who are less physically appealing. As a result, those who are not as sexually stimulating will not enjoy the same opportunities as their counterparts who exude sex appeal. In general, the advertisement is deemed unethical as it implies that if one does not dress in a sexually suggestive manner or behave seductively, they are less valuable.
The advertisement is promoting an alcohol that appears inappropriate due to the young age of the girl depicted. She seems to be no older than 22, which is fine except for the fact that the date on the picture indicates March 22nd 98, making her only 15 years old. This is below the legal drinking limit by six years. The advertisement's approach is mainly sexual, as it features a seductive woman in revealing clothing and bright colors, standing next to a whiskey bottle.
The company attempts to link their product slogan to an entirely different scenario involving a woman, insinuating that aging seven years can lead to a significant improvement in her appearance. This approach is highly disrespectful towards the depicted female, as it suggests that she looked unattractive in the first photo but has become much more appealing after
undergoing heavy makeup and wearing fewer clothes. Furthermore, this sets an unrealistic standard that very few women can actually achieve, while disregarding the natural beauty of the girl featured in the original photograph.
The use of sexual appeal in advertisements undermines our society's respectability, as it requires women to dress provocatively to garner attention. Additionally, advertisers will often emphasize any flaws in the model's appearance, such as undone hair or wrinkled clothing. In an attempt to evoke sexual emotions in potential customers, advertisements will feature an attractive woman alongside their product, suggesting that consuming the product will lead to similar results.
Advertisers attempt to manipulate women's emotions by discussing how an average-looking woman can become more attractive. They also show a younger girl who appears less confident because she is portrayed as less attractive, compared to an older version of herself where she looks more desirable. The newer picture is visually vibrant and includes sexually provocative clothing, whereas the older image depicts her fully clothed and covered up.
It appears to attract girls with lower self-confidence by conveying that being attractive and dressing in a sexually alluring manner will lead to greater happiness. I believe this is an inappropriate advertising approach, though unfortunately it seems to be commonly used by all companies.
Observing this advertisement, I noticed that despite the various approaches used, the common theme is the utilization of sexuality as a means to promote all kinds of products. It seems unlikely that our society will undergo significant changes in the near future, implying that we will continually witness such provocative ads. It is idealistic to hope for a transition towards more culturally appropriate advertisements.
