In both my critical essay as well as my rhetorical essay, I argued that the rhetorical elements embedded in "The Kardashian Plan" campaign persuade consumer's decision-making regarding products like QuickTrim. In summary, I discuss and argue 5 major issues regarding "The Kardashian Plan":
- I argue that pathos and ethos were utilized by the QuickTrim company in order to persuade the modern day consumer to buy the product.
- I argue that our new conception of "the ideal body" has helped to create a large audience for diet pills and other diet remedies.
- I discuss the ideas of normation and entrepreneurial rationality in regards to persuasion of the consumer.
- I discuss the rhetorical exigency of this particular artifact in our society by discussing society's increasing weight issues.
- I discuss the promotion of body ideals and gender in "The Kardashian Plan" campaign by first discussing the issues of the new "ideal body" and how the article illustrates this with the images of sisters Kim and Khloe. I then discuss gender in regards to this article because it strictly promotes weight loss for women.
I also found facts that I felt were interesting in the persuasive elements of the artifact:
- I found that celebrity influence is a huge factor in persuasion in traditional advertising as well as non traditional advertising.
- I discovered the issues with body image and how mass media has created a faultless image of beauty that persuades women to purchase products like QuickTrim.
- I found that the QuickTrim products have not been well received by dietitians, but that consumers are not concerned with looking into these facts because they are too concerned with quick results.
This particular artifact was important to discuss and critically/rhetorically analyze in order to understand the power behind advertisements regarding body image. I felt that it was necessary to expose all of the persuasive strategies these companies employ to fully understand their effect on us as consumers. It also us to further understand rhetoric in regards to health and medicine by showing the power of the media and the importance of being informed patients.
Discussion questions:
1. After critiquing your advertisements and now knowing how to rhetorically look at mass media advertisements, do you think it will change your buying habits?
2. Do you believe that there is pressure in society to obtain the "ideal image" created by our modern society and celebrity/model influence? Do you think this effects particular buying habits?
3. Do you think that celebrity endorsements create more ethos (credibility) because people believe in their promotion of the product? Or do you think this could potentially cause a negative effect on the company and push buyers away from certain celebrity endorsed products?
After performing a few advertisement analyses, I think it will definitely change my buying habits, or at least the way I think about the product or service being advertised. Already in many advertisements that I see, I recognize the rhetorical elements and am sometimes even then bothered by the advertisement. I think I will definitely begin to think twice about my buying habits and not be as persuaded by advertisements.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that there is an intense pressure in society to have the ideal body or image, brought about by mass media and celebrities. It's a truly unfortunate reality, and even for those that are aware of it I think it still influences us all. We see what people on TV and in magazines look like, and want to look like that or pick up their workout routine or diet plan. Many people are very much so influenced by celebrities work out habits and pick up those activities to see if they like it too in hopes of getting the same results. With this, it definitely affects buying habits when it comes to food and cosmetic products that celebrities "swear" by.
As for celebrity endorsements, I think it can go either way-- either be persuasive or not at all. I have learned to not really trust celebrity endorsements and assume they are just paid to be on commercials and so forth, but I know not everyone thinks that. I think unofficial celebrity endorsements, similar to what I discussed in the previous question, are much more credible than shampoo and face wash commercials that celebrities are in. The celebrity endorsed products don't necessarily push me away from purchasing it, but it doesn't really influence me to purchase it either.
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ReplyDeleteAlexandra TuracDecember 6, 2013 at 10:55 AM
I believe that there is pressure in society to obtain an ideal image. Celebrities and models are always shown looking their best whether its when they go to the store or to an event. I know that this effects buying habits because as a consumer I am more likely to purchase an item that I believe to be better. My terministic screen causes me to believe that celebrities and models wouldn't use a poor product. For example, because Jennifer Aniston appears to drink smart water it causes me to purchase that water bottle brand over another.
To answer your third discussion question, I almost think it depends on the celebrity and the way our society views them. For me personally, I know there are some ads that use celebrities and because of that, it makes me like the product more, while others have the opposite effect. For this advertisement, I think it takes away from the ethos because of what our society thinks of the Kardashians. While as a whole our society has an obsession with this family for a reason I'll never understand, we also view them as attention-seeking and talentless who will do anything to make money and to accumulate fame. This ad and the whole Kardashain QuickTrim campaign just seems like another way to do this rather than them really believing in the product.
ReplyDeleteI think that using celebrity endorsements definitely creates more ethos because it makes the celebrities followers want to try the product because they believe the actor or model or singer would be truthful and tell the audience exactly how the product works. The audience sees how well the product worked for their favorite celebrity and automatically want to buy or try it. I do think that at some points it could be negative for the producers because the celebrity could do or say something negative that may offend some people, pushing them away from their product. But personally I would try a product that is celebrity endorsed over another because it would make me believe that it actually does work and that even the celebs are using it.
ReplyDeleteI do think there is pressure in society to look a certain way because of the celebrities people idolize so much. As I have gotten older, I have looked less and less at celebrities as people to look like. Now I concentrate on athletes who actually have a healthy lifestyle that does not involve skipping meals and losing 50 pounds for a show then gaining it all back the week the show is over. Using celebrity endorsements does help sell products but it is having a negative impact on the public. Ad's are more often than not photo shopped so what you see is not real. Most people do not think of that when they are looking at an ad campaign. Celebrity endorsements needs to stop in order for the public to become healthier. The average person in the U.S. does not live a lifestyle that a celebrity does. Having a personal trainer meet you at a gorgeous beach to do hard core cross fit for 2 hours is not possible for mostly everyone. The ad's give a fake perception of how to get fit, when you can simply find hobbies on your own that will make you healthy.
ReplyDelete1. I think that after doing a rhetorical analysis of an advertisement I have learned to think more critically of the mediated advertising I am exposed to, particularly when it has to with health/medicine.
ReplyDelete2.There is definitely pressure in society to look a certain way in order to be "healthy" and "beautiful." Even in these two ads, you can tell the Kardashian sisters are photoshopped, but people can be blind to this misleading when they see a quick face endorsed by a pretty face who is in "excellent" physical shape.
3. With celebrities, ethos can be very polarizing and has a lot to do with preconceived notions on said celebrities or what they're involved with. If someone loves the Kardashians in this case, then they probably trust their ethos. If they don't, though, then the ethos of a celebrity endorser could be a problem since low credibility means no one wants to listen to you, and your role as a rhetor is not working for the kids.
Having now had some experience in critically analyzing ads, I probably now have an unhealthy skepticism of ads that I see, especially in the field of health and medicine. I have always been pretty skeptical, but I have definitely trusted ads for products that had celebrity endorsements over others before. When I see a celebrity endorsing a product, I assume that such a high profile person would never attach their name to a bad product. Clearly that is not the case, but it definitely has worked on me before. On the other hand though, I do agree with what someone said above, it really depends on who the celebrity is and how you perceive that person. If an ad is endorsed by a celebrity who is constantly in the spotlight but for all the wrong reason, then I won't think anymore about the product than if there were no celebrity endorsement.
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