Free Essay: Rhetorical Analysis of a TV Commercial

Apple recently did an exemplary TV commercial to appeal to its target audience to buy the iPhone X. The ad "Meet iPhone X" portrays the product as a game changer in the competitive smartphone market due to its new features such as the face ID unlock feature, radically new cameras, animojis and the wireless charging never seen in a smartphone before. The ad which primarily targets the youth begins with a beautiful display of screen close-up exposing a flow of sparkling colors that spin around each. Sofi Tukker's song, "Best Friend," is set on the smartphone's display and plays throughout the ad. Additionally, the smartphones features are displayed in bold, colorful italics with a quick succession of the displays. The commercial efficiently employs a persuasive tone and rhetorical appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade the target audience.

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Pathos has mostly been used in this commercial through a bold display of colorful arrays and the song "Best Friend." The song lyrics play a big role in tugging on the emotions of the audience. It portrays a personal relationship the audience may have with their phones. The bold display colors create an emotional attachment with the audience as they are attractive and persuasive.

Logos has been established in this commercial through the display of iPhone X's new and enhanced features in a bold, colorful fashion. The features are presented in a well-organized practical manner to assure the audience of its excellent performance and functionality. The actors in the commercial appeared excited and contended with the iPhone new features, notably, the animoji, Face ID, new enhanced cameras and portrait lighting. This assures the audience of their utter satisfaction in the iPhone X great features. In the commercial, the sleek design of iPhone X: elegantly rounded corners, durable glass, new dual 12 MP cameras, super display and a full screen without a home button are all features that distinguish the phones from all others in the market.

For ethos, the iPhone X ad appeals to the brand image that Apple has in the market. The commercial emphasizes the cutting edge technology that comes with the new product and refers to iPhone X as the smartest smartphone. These functionalities such as wireless charging are the latest innovations in the mobile phone technology as they have not been seen in any smartphone before (Forrest, 2017). The ad does not only demonstrate them on the close-up, but it also labels them to ensure that the audience takes note of them. Also, the advertisement uses globally-known celebrities, associating the product with their influence. The use of these elements is inspired by the popular view that iPhone is the leader in the latest phone technology (Forrest, 2017). It maximizes on the fact that the company has no brand gap. Hence, the ad uses the credibility of iPhone to make its persuasion.

In conclusion, the commercial has employed efficiently the use of rhetorical appeal to convince the target audience to buy the product. It uses different elements and styles to makes intelligent, emotional and ethical appeals to the audience. The use of a song coupled with colorful displays will win the hearts of the target audience primarily teenagers and youths to buy the phone. Additionally, the display of advanced technology and celebrities in the commercial associates the product with influence and credibility.

References

Forrest, C. (2017, September 12). With the iPhone X, can Apple become the next AR leader? Retrieved from https://www.techrepublic.com/article/with-the-iphone-x-can-apple-become-the-next-ar-leader/

Meet iPhone X ? Apple [Video file]. (2017, September 12). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW6hFttt_KE