Topic Proposal - Group Presentation

Topic/Issue: Homelessness in America.

Why? We feel that this is an important continuing issue across the country that has not been paid much attention to in the past. Especially in the time of a recession it is an important issue to pay close attention too and to give help to those who are in need.

Solution: -Local government funding to help create jobs and to put in place more shelters. 

 -Involve local communities in the issue, to help give funding to the issue, possibly by  setting up places to donate.

Media: Power Point, including brief video, pictures, and text.

SWA # 8 Rhetorical Analysis Redux

Dear Sir,
I am writing to you in regards to one on the new women’s ads that our department has recently created. It is my understanding that the ad has not produced the type of response that we were hoping for and I hope that we can work together to fix this problem. The purpose of this ad was to reach our female customers on a more personal level. The ad was designed to reach out to athletic women and the purpose was to not only to sell them on our product, but also on the idea that it is okay for women to have athletic bodies. The ad was meant to sell our brand as both a clothing line and a healthy lifestyle.
The body part used in this ad was the thigh, since we found that women who run and play sports are often self-conscious of this body part. It was our idea to justify having an athletic body to make women feel better about themselves, which would lead to the purchase of our merchandise. I am afraid that this may be were our problems first arose. I would suggest that for the new ad we could change this body part to something less offensive, like the shoulders or arms. That way we could still show a piece of Nike clothing on the model in the ad; also they are both something that women who have athletic bodies may also feel self-conscious about.
The text of the advertisement was meant to convey the thoughts of the everyday athletic woman who is proud of the way her body looks. However, some of our customers may have found the use of “Thunder Thighs” to be offensive. Again, simply changing the body part used in the ad to something else could solve this problem. In my opinion we should stick with the style and manner in which the ad was written and simply change the body part, and then give the ad some time. Also the color scheme of the ad was designed to catch the eye. By keeping the picture in black and white and the text in color, it is likely to attract the reader to the ad more quickly. I would also suggest keeping a similar feminine color scheme, since the ad is meant for a female audience.
I hope that you find these suggestions useful in solving the problem of this ad. If you have any questions or concerns that I have not covered in this memo then please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you for allowing me to explain our ideas and I hope this information was helpful.

Sincerely,
Roxine Chapski

The Rhetoric of the Market

1) My first ad is one of the E*trade baby commercials.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiF-4LbgHn4

1. This ad is persuasive in selling it’s product on the basis that it is very easy to use, since a baby is the one using it in the commercial. The ad is also persuading the viewer to but and sell stocks online, since that is what their product helps you to do. The commercial is also persuasive in that their product can be used on a mobile device, which is something desirable in today’s world.
2. The implicit element of this commercial would be the fact that a baby is using the product on the commercial. This argues for the simplicity and ease of using the product, even though the audience is aware that babies cannot actually buy and sell stocks using a phone.
3. For this particular product I do not think that the consumer would loose use value by switching to a generic version of the product, unless maybe that version did not include the mobile option that is highlighted by the commercial. Also I do not think that any exchange value appeal would be lost by using another company’s product.
4. I would say that the imagined audience for this ad is people who are interested in buying and selling stock, since that is what the product helps you to do. Also the audience would be people who own mobile devices, especially a blackberry (since that is the one mentioned and used in the commercial).

2) My second ad is an ad for Nike women’s clothing.

http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050818/050818_nike_hmed1p.hmedium.jpg

1. I find this ad to be very persuasive, not only for the product that Nike is trying to sell, but for the lifestyle that it talks about. The ad is not only selling their brand to women, but they are also selling them the idea that it is alright for women to be athletic and muscular.
2. The implicit argument of the ad would be that is selling the audience more than just the shorts on the model in the ad. By the text used the ad is not only selling the brand, but the lifestyle that comes from using that brand.
3. No use value would really be lost from buying a less expensive version of the product, since all workout clothes, including shorts, are designed to do exactly the same thing. However, the exchange value appeal would definitely be lost by using a generic version of the product. This is addressed in the ad by the simple placement of the Nike logo on the pair of shorts in the advertisement.
4. The audience for this ad is athletic women, especially those who like to run, since running is specifically mentioned in the ad. I would assume that this ad would appear in either a women’s magazine or in a fitness magazine.