Identifying Types of Persuasive Appeals

Advertisement, Content and Message Description

The advertisement is a one minute long, advertising a fizzy drink, Coca-Cola. The ad starts with the fizzling drink pouring and filling a glass which has some pieces of ice. The glass is labelled ‘Coca-Cola’. Afterwards, the video presents people enjoying the drink while actively participating in various activities. First, it presents friends happily playing in ice, throwing it to each other, as they take the drink. In the next activity, friends share stories and secrets as they share fun and smile together.

The video also shows young people running along the beach, carrying a basket full of Coca-Cola bottles. In a different scenario, lovers sip the drink from the same bottle. Strangers also locate each other using a bottle labeled Coca-Cola, passionately hug and kiss each other with ‘fire’. In the club, the video shows people madly enjoying music with Coca-Cola. The video ends with the products of coca cola uniting to form the red disc labeled Coca-Cola. Basically, the video shows different moments of people enjoying the drink (YouTube, 2016).

Persuasive Techniques Employed

The advertisement in this analysis uses a range of persuasive techniques. One type of persuasive appeal used all over the ad is pathos, emotional appeal technique (Boyland et al., 2012). Here, the ad appeals to the consumer’s feelings. The company uses the emotion of happiness throughout the video. The moments where happiness is used include; when the friends play in ice, when they jump over the fence, when sharing stories and secrets, when they run along the beach and when they are in the club enjoying music. Love is another emotional appeal used in the ad. From the middle of the video to the end, lovers come together as a result of the drink. First, a girl runs after a train to present the drink to a certain guy. Another pair hug and kiss passionately, like those who are in love.

The ad also uses the bandwagon persuasive technique. In this technique, everyone in the video seems to enjoy the activities they engage in, so long as they have the drink of Coca-Cola (Boyland et al., 2012). Consumers who are appealed by this technique would buy the drink because they want to fit in such ‘happy’ groups. The advertisement also uses repetition of the drinks name in every moment presented by the video (Boyland et al., 2012). The glass, bottle, basket and some clothes in the ad are labelled ‘Coca-Cola’. The other persuasive technique used is ‘transfer’. The pair sipping the drink from the same bottle smile after taking the drink. The girl running after a train smiles as she hands the drink to the boy.

Evaluation of Whether the Message Motivates Viewers

            Faulty logical appeals are not employed in this case because there are no statics provided to appeal to the reasoning of the viewer. The message in the ad effectively motivates the viewer to get the drink also. The repetition of the word ‘Coca-Cola’ makes the brand stick in the minds of the viewer. This would make the viewer purchase this particular drink if there are several options and he/she is uncertain of which one to take. The ad makes the drink seem to have some form of energy that makes consumers happy, refreshed or loving. A viewer would purchase the drink so that he/she can experience the same emotion. In addition, the bandwagon persuasion technique would make viewers get the drink so that they can enjoy playing, sharing stories or even enjoying music with other friends.

References

Boyland, E. J., Harrold, J. A., Kirkham, T. C., & Halford, J. C. (2012). Persuasive techniques used in television advertisements to market foods to UK children. Appetite, 58(2), 658-664. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2011.11.017

YouTube, (2016). Coca-Cola Anthem Ad. Retrieved 14 November 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AmKP9VE2Ms