“Sadly, he isn’t me,” stated a charismatic man with only a towel slung around his hips, a bewitching smirk and a flirtatious raise of his brow immediately enslaving the attention of millions of female onlookers. The engaging Old Spice commercial of 2010 played an impressive mind game, as it applied ethos, pathos, and logos, through overly embellished scenarios, carefully chosen statements, and the alluring sex appeal of its spokesman. With a toned, athletic body and a handsome face, Isaiah Mustafa, Old Spice’s leading sales “puppet” during that time, was able to lure millions of consumers to buy their body wash. The company was first introduced into American homes almost eighty years ago, providing men with an assortment of fragrant products
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Defined as logic or reasoning, logos was another approach Old Spice used to assure an audience that their argument was logical (Ross et al. 134). Their claim was that you should purchase Old Spice body wash because your man could smell like the attractive figure onscreen; however, the company made a brash assumption. The sole theme of the commercial was targeted at the female population and on the insecurities of men, which left the impression that Old Spice assumed that their viewers were predominately straight men and women. Likewise, the ad declared that their competitor brands smelled unmanly compared to Old Spice's body wash, which supposedly exuded the fragrance of masculinity. Those were illogical claims that lacked reliable evidence, and also conveyed the assumption that viewers valued their appearance to the level of unrestrained obsession. Old Spice attempted to use the rich scenery as enough evidence to back their argument, confident that audiences would associate the "man your man could smell like" with the masculine fragrance of a muggy shower and salty beach. Along with their absurd claims, Old Spice undermined its logic by using a "weasel word" or words that were left deliberately ambiguous or misleading (Lutz 62). In a theatrical closing statement, consumers were met with a bolded phrase, "Smell like a man, man." in the classic crimson of the brand's logo. The weasel word was …show more content…
A few of its primary "charms" involved winning the audience's trust, exploiting a rugged actor to promote their products, and flaunting a whimsical scenery. The Old Spice ad proved that manipulation in the media has become an increasingly prevalent occurrence. It is crucial that people understand the devious nature of marketing strategies because when they view a persuasive advertisement, it is though they are being brainwashed in the comfort of their own
Defined as logic or reasoning, logos was another approach Old Spice used to assure an audience that their argument was logical (Ross et al. 134). Their claim was that you should purchase Old Spice body wash because your man could smell like the attractive figure onscreen; however, the company made a brash assumption. The sole theme of the commercial was targeted at the female population and on the insecurities of men, which left the impression that Old Spice assumed that their viewers were predominately straight men and women. Likewise, the ad declared that their competitor brands smelled unmanly compared to Old Spice's body wash, which supposedly exuded the fragrance of masculinity. Those were illogical claims that lacked reliable evidence, and also conveyed the assumption that viewers valued their appearance to the level of unrestrained obsession. Old Spice attempted to use the rich scenery as enough evidence to back their argument, confident that audiences would associate the "man your man could smell like" with the masculine fragrance of a muggy shower and salty beach. Along with their absurd claims, Old Spice undermined its logic by using a "weasel word" or words that were left deliberately ambiguous or misleading (Lutz 62). In a theatrical closing statement, consumers were met with a bolded phrase, "Smell like a man, man." in the classic crimson of the brand's logo. The weasel word was …show more content…
A few of its primary "charms" involved winning the audience's trust, exploiting a rugged actor to promote their products, and flaunting a whimsical scenery. The Old Spice ad proved that manipulation in the media has become an increasingly prevalent occurrence. It is crucial that people understand the devious nature of marketing strategies because when they view a persuasive advertisement, it is though they are being brainwashed in the comfort of their own