Taking a Stance at the Super Bowl
**UPDATE** When students are told to write a rhetorical analysis, one can expect to hear a variety of groans and complaints. When most people hear rhetorical analysis, they expect the author to analyze literature, drama, or theater. However, rhetorical analysis spills over into everyday life. Dare I say it, but rhetorical analysis can even be fun. One of the best ways to improve analysis skills as a student is with practice, and commercials are quick and fun to work with. It is fun to try out your rhetorical analysis powers by putting course content into practice. Some things to focus on may include rhetorical appeals, style, arrangement, and tone.
As many of you know, the New England Patriots took on the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI this past February. The Patriots accomplished a twenty five point comeback, the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. However, the Patriots were not the only group of Americans getting attention that night. Both 84 Lumber and Budweiser revealed commercials that acted as major political comebacks to the turmoil of the time.
84 Lumber and Budweiser are two companies in different industries with two different objectives in mind, yet both of their commercials contributed to the bigger American conversation about immigration. 84 Lumber revealed a commercial displaying a young mother and daughter traveling through the desert to the border between Mexico and America, as seen in their commercial "The Entire Journey."
Budweiser released a commercial that highlighted the hardships of a German immigrant to the United States who hoped to begin a new company. That man was Adolphus Busch, the founder of Budweiser. The Budweiser commercial was called, "Born the Hard Way."
Both 84 Lumber and Budweiser relied on the pathos of the hardships of an immigrant traveling to America to relay their message to the public. They also utilized tone and arrangement in order to accentuate the purpose of their commercials. However, although they both contributed to the same conversation about immigration, kairos determined how the audience would respond.
In analyzing both of these commercials, it is important to note that they both act as a part of the larger American conversation over immigration, willingly or not. Super Bowl LI took place almost exactly a year after Donald Trump had announced he planned to "build the wall." Additionally, the Super Bowl took place just two weeks after Trump was inaugurated. Not only was Trump's entrance into office a concern, but just days before the Super Bowl, he signed an executive order suspending Syrian refugee admissions for 120 days.
84 Lumber used this kairos to drive their argument home. Knowing their ad would be controversial, 84 Lumber only projected the first half of the entire ad publicly during the Super Bowl. However, they urged viewers to watch the entire ad after the game and provided the link. In the second half of the advertisement, the mother and daughter arrive at a giant steel wall, blocking them from their entrance into the United States. This scene was a perfect display of the emotion immigrants would feel coming to our country and facing Trump's Wall. 84 Lumber used the kairos of Trump's recent inauguration to further their argument that "The will to succeed is always welcome here." 84 Lumber used the height of the immigration argument to drive home that immigrants should be welcome in our country, and that they plan on building doors rather than walls.
On the other hand, the kairos of the immigration argument was unanticipated by Budweiser. Budweiser began filming in early 2016 before Trump was elected into office. They wanted to use their commercial in order to "highlight ambition," "heritage," and "commitment," not take a political stance on immigration. Budweiser's focus on immigration become more "uncomfortable" and "provocative" than the company had anticipated. In this instance, kairos worked against the purpose of the commercial. Rather than inciting pride and responsibility to the roots of the foundation by focusing on the determination of their founder, Budweiser incited an argument about immigration because the people viewed Adolphus as just an immigrant. The kairos took away from the point Budweiser was trying to make rather than accentuating it.
Although 84 Lumber and Budweiser had differing views on how kairos affected their commercials, they both successfully relied on pathos, tone, and arrangement to make their arguments. 84 Lumber focused on the vulnerability of immigrants by casting a young mother and young daughter as the main characters. Rather than a protective father or strong son, the mother and daughter are used to make the characters seem fragile and weak. Using this technique allows the audience to feel sympathetic toward the immigrants. Then, 84 Lumber uses America's deep sense of patriotism to contrast the fragility of the situation in Mexico with the freedom and strength felt in America. For example, throughout the commercial, the little girl picks up pieces of trash along the way. The audience does not quite understand what she is doing until she and her mother arrive at the wall. When they think they are defeated, the girl pulls the scraps out of her bag, and the audience can see she made it into something that resembles the American flag. The audience feels sympathetic toward the mother and daughter and root for their success. As the man who built the door drives away, a logo comes across the screen reading, "The will to succeed is always welcome here." This small, but emotional guarantee drives 84 Lumber's point home: everyone deserves a chance at the American Dream.
At the same time, the tone of this commercial is created with no dialogue. It is created with background music and lighting, which deepens the seriousness of the situation. The mother and her daughter spend most of their trip either in the dark or under dingy skies. The scene lightens as they get closer to the border. The change in tone is most apparent when the mother notices the strip of light on the ground. She and her daughter walk toward it and are bathed in light as they open the doors to America. This change is tone shows how the mother and daughter are coming into the light of a better life. They are coming out of isolation and hardship and into freedom and success. The doors opening into the light are a symbolic representation of this transformation. The tone and arrangement contribute to the overall purpose of this commercial: everyone deserves a chance.
Similarly, Budweiser utilizes pathos in order to drive home the ambition and commitment of their founder. We watch Adolphus as he leaves Germany. He first experiences physical hardship. On the boat, he is flung across the cabin, needing stitches. Before making it to St. Louis, he has to abandon a burning boat, and then on the last leg of his journey, he trudges through the freezing cold mud. The audience can see how much determination it takes for someone to journey so far from home, just to experience the American Dream. Additionally, Adolphus experiences emotional hardship. On the first boat, he is asked, "Why leave Germany?" as if it is wrong to follow his ambitions. Once arriving in America, he is scrutinized by men in the street yelling, "You're not wanted here. Go back home." The audience feels strength in Adolphus's ability to trudge on despite everything pushing him to give up or return home. The audience feels sympathy toward Adolphus and that drives the audience to want him to succeed. He feels like a hero. In America, we are true to our heritage, and we are ambitious about or goals. At least that is what Budweiser makes us feel. The audience feels truly committed to and respectful of the heritage of the company.
The change is tone is more subtle in Budweiser's commercial, but is still important to the overall meaning of the commercial. At the beginning of his trip, Adolphus seems to be struck by bad weather. There is a storm while he is on the boat, and then he has to jump into the dark water off the burning boat. He trudges through the mud and is shivering in his coat. The tone then changes once he is in St. Louis. He is finally welcomed, as someone yells out to him, "Welcome to St. Louis." Then, he seems comfortable in the bar and the man next to him offers him a beer and refers to him as "friend." The audience can see how ambition pays off. The audience sees Adolphus's commitment finally come into the light and reach the success the audience feels he deserves. The audience can see commitment overcome adversity and feels dedicated to the heritage of the company.
Through the analysis of these two commercials, one can see how rhetorical appeals and opposition within tone and style can shape a piece into having a deeper meaning than meets the eye. Not all rhetorical devices work in the favor of an author's purpose, as seen by the kairos of Budweiser commercial, but sometimes the perfect opportunity arises for a small commercial to contribute to a greater conversation. Although a different effect may have been anticipated, both of these pieces were successfully in appealing to the audience and engaging them to interact with the piece.
As many of you know, the New England Patriots took on the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI this past February. The Patriots accomplished a twenty five point comeback, the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. However, the Patriots were not the only group of Americans getting attention that night. Both 84 Lumber and Budweiser revealed commercials that acted as major political comebacks to the turmoil of the time.
84 Lumber and Budweiser are two companies in different industries with two different objectives in mind, yet both of their commercials contributed to the bigger American conversation about immigration. 84 Lumber revealed a commercial displaying a young mother and daughter traveling through the desert to the border between Mexico and America, as seen in their commercial "The Entire Journey."
Budweiser released a commercial that highlighted the hardships of a German immigrant to the United States who hoped to begin a new company. That man was Adolphus Busch, the founder of Budweiser. The Budweiser commercial was called, "Born the Hard Way."
Both 84 Lumber and Budweiser relied on the pathos of the hardships of an immigrant traveling to America to relay their message to the public. They also utilized tone and arrangement in order to accentuate the purpose of their commercials. However, although they both contributed to the same conversation about immigration, kairos determined how the audience would respond.
In analyzing both of these commercials, it is important to note that they both act as a part of the larger American conversation over immigration, willingly or not. Super Bowl LI took place almost exactly a year after Donald Trump had announced he planned to "build the wall." Additionally, the Super Bowl took place just two weeks after Trump was inaugurated. Not only was Trump's entrance into office a concern, but just days before the Super Bowl, he signed an executive order suspending Syrian refugee admissions for 120 days.
84 Lumber used this kairos to drive their argument home. Knowing their ad would be controversial, 84 Lumber only projected the first half of the entire ad publicly during the Super Bowl. However, they urged viewers to watch the entire ad after the game and provided the link. In the second half of the advertisement, the mother and daughter arrive at a giant steel wall, blocking them from their entrance into the United States. This scene was a perfect display of the emotion immigrants would feel coming to our country and facing Trump's Wall. 84 Lumber used the kairos of Trump's recent inauguration to further their argument that "The will to succeed is always welcome here." 84 Lumber used the height of the immigration argument to drive home that immigrants should be welcome in our country, and that they plan on building doors rather than walls.
On the other hand, the kairos of the immigration argument was unanticipated by Budweiser. Budweiser began filming in early 2016 before Trump was elected into office. They wanted to use their commercial in order to "highlight ambition," "heritage," and "commitment," not take a political stance on immigration. Budweiser's focus on immigration become more "uncomfortable" and "provocative" than the company had anticipated. In this instance, kairos worked against the purpose of the commercial. Rather than inciting pride and responsibility to the roots of the foundation by focusing on the determination of their founder, Budweiser incited an argument about immigration because the people viewed Adolphus as just an immigrant. The kairos took away from the point Budweiser was trying to make rather than accentuating it.
Although 84 Lumber and Budweiser had differing views on how kairos affected their commercials, they both successfully relied on pathos, tone, and arrangement to make their arguments. 84 Lumber focused on the vulnerability of immigrants by casting a young mother and young daughter as the main characters. Rather than a protective father or strong son, the mother and daughter are used to make the characters seem fragile and weak. Using this technique allows the audience to feel sympathetic toward the immigrants. Then, 84 Lumber uses America's deep sense of patriotism to contrast the fragility of the situation in Mexico with the freedom and strength felt in America. For example, throughout the commercial, the little girl picks up pieces of trash along the way. The audience does not quite understand what she is doing until she and her mother arrive at the wall. When they think they are defeated, the girl pulls the scraps out of her bag, and the audience can see she made it into something that resembles the American flag. The audience feels sympathetic toward the mother and daughter and root for their success. As the man who built the door drives away, a logo comes across the screen reading, "The will to succeed is always welcome here." This small, but emotional guarantee drives 84 Lumber's point home: everyone deserves a chance at the American Dream.
At the same time, the tone of this commercial is created with no dialogue. It is created with background music and lighting, which deepens the seriousness of the situation. The mother and her daughter spend most of their trip either in the dark or under dingy skies. The scene lightens as they get closer to the border. The change in tone is most apparent when the mother notices the strip of light on the ground. She and her daughter walk toward it and are bathed in light as they open the doors to America. This change is tone shows how the mother and daughter are coming into the light of a better life. They are coming out of isolation and hardship and into freedom and success. The doors opening into the light are a symbolic representation of this transformation. The tone and arrangement contribute to the overall purpose of this commercial: everyone deserves a chance.
Similarly, Budweiser utilizes pathos in order to drive home the ambition and commitment of their founder. We watch Adolphus as he leaves Germany. He first experiences physical hardship. On the boat, he is flung across the cabin, needing stitches. Before making it to St. Louis, he has to abandon a burning boat, and then on the last leg of his journey, he trudges through the freezing cold mud. The audience can see how much determination it takes for someone to journey so far from home, just to experience the American Dream. Additionally, Adolphus experiences emotional hardship. On the first boat, he is asked, "Why leave Germany?" as if it is wrong to follow his ambitions. Once arriving in America, he is scrutinized by men in the street yelling, "You're not wanted here. Go back home." The audience feels strength in Adolphus's ability to trudge on despite everything pushing him to give up or return home. The audience feels sympathy toward Adolphus and that drives the audience to want him to succeed. He feels like a hero. In America, we are true to our heritage, and we are ambitious about or goals. At least that is what Budweiser makes us feel. The audience feels truly committed to and respectful of the heritage of the company.
The change is tone is more subtle in Budweiser's commercial, but is still important to the overall meaning of the commercial. At the beginning of his trip, Adolphus seems to be struck by bad weather. There is a storm while he is on the boat, and then he has to jump into the dark water off the burning boat. He trudges through the mud and is shivering in his coat. The tone then changes once he is in St. Louis. He is finally welcomed, as someone yells out to him, "Welcome to St. Louis." Then, he seems comfortable in the bar and the man next to him offers him a beer and refers to him as "friend." The audience can see how ambition pays off. The audience sees Adolphus's commitment finally come into the light and reach the success the audience feels he deserves. The audience can see commitment overcome adversity and feels dedicated to the heritage of the company.
Through the analysis of these two commercials, one can see how rhetorical appeals and opposition within tone and style can shape a piece into having a deeper meaning than meets the eye. Not all rhetorical devices work in the favor of an author's purpose, as seen by the kairos of Budweiser commercial, but sometimes the perfect opportunity arises for a small commercial to contribute to a greater conversation. Although a different effect may have been anticipated, both of these pieces were successfully in appealing to the audience and engaging them to interact with the piece.
This is an incredibly comprehensive blog post! I think you have almost written an entire essay about these two commercials! I think your juxtaposition of kairos in the commercials is particularly powerful because you illustrate how a larger situation might actually give unintended meaning to a smaller piece. With the one commercial, it was interesting to see that people reflected political stances onto the commercial despite the commercial simply wanting to discuss its origin. When a situation like this occurs, the company (Budweiser in this circumstance) has to decide after the moment what their reply will be. They could claim it was not a stance about immigration, or they might claim that it was not initially meant to be a claim about immigration but the company is happy it can be viewed as such. These moments are rare but they are often extremely important, at least in the eyes of the company.
ReplyDeleteSolid analysis of the two ads. I feel like you can submit this already as your artifact analysis essay. While this is quite commercialized and both ads received quite a lot of backlash, they are still pretty solid ads that really serve to touch the hearts of many.
ReplyDeleteAmazing analysis of the two ads. You go into great detail and really describe the two ads well. I think that the Super Bowl is a fabulous opportunity for companies to sell their products and those that take advantage of this opportunity, by using good kairos, are usually successful in the message that they're trying to deliver. The audience of these ads is also taken into consideration and knowing who you're trying to sell your product to is very important as well.
ReplyDelete