The Rhetoric of the Market

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1.We know that ads are supposed to be persuasive. Take this for granted. But what do these ads persuade you to think, do, or believe—especially beyond simply purchasing their products?

Although these ads represent different parts of the body, they are still related. They persuade me to believe that a muscular body is attractive. While most people do not find thunder thighs attractive, this advertisement makes them seem attractive and worth all the time it took to get them. This also goes for the butt advertisement because girls think they need to be extremely skinny, but in reality no one finds that attractive.

2.As you study the advertisements, consider all the elements of it that you can identify. In other words, try not to just focus on the explicit argument. What implicit elements argue here?

The implicit element in both advertisements is that girls think they are more attractive when they are in shape. Guys do not like girls to be overly muscular because it makes them look masculine so these advertisements are used to show that it is okay to be muscular and still be feminine.

3.Describe the apparent use-value of each product; then describe the exchange-value as you see it. Basically, what might purchasers of these products expect to get from them that an inexpensive, generic version would not provide? Evaluate the ads in terms of use-value appeal and exchange-value appeal—how does each address use and exchange concerns? Do they all do both? Do any of your observations contradict what you might have expected?

The use-value of both ads is to encourage girls to work out and look like the images in the advertisements. The exchange value is used to get the reader to think that they can only have that body if they use Nike. The purchasers of Nike products think they will look more athletic which will make them feel more athletic. I think the use-value and exchange-value go hand in hand for both advertisements. If you walk around USC during this time of year, you will see at least 20 girls wearing the Nike shorts in the advertisement. Almost every girl has them and she only gets them because everyone else has them. I did the same thing. I asked for a pair for Christmas because everyone has them. I did not have to see a written ad to convince me to purchase them, I just saw everyone else at USC wearing them.

4.Who would you say the imagined audience for each ad is? What magazines do you think each came from?

I think the imagined audience for the ads is girls ages 18-25 and I think both advertisements came from sports magazines.