Snowballs and Coca-Cola
The advertisement that best depicts me is one that Coca-Cola Company sponsors in a cleverly crafted commercial depicting the Winter Olympics, a snowball fight and of course the actual product itself, Coca-Cola. The commercial message conveys drinking a Coke provides happiness, laughter, fun, camaraderie, and of course good sportsmanship. It is representative of me because I enjoy being with friends and acting a little impulsive. Smiling always makes me feel better, and I love a good snowball fight. In fact, I have seen more snow this year than I have in my lifetime, and I have quite a reputation for dragging my friends out for a fun-filled day in the snow.
The purpose of the commercial is subtly persuading people to drink Coca-Cola while having a fun. As the advertisement begins, a playful snowball fight quickly erupts when a Coca-Cola soda bottle tumbles to the ground in the middle of the Olympic village. A white Canadian male abruptly assumes someone threw a snowball at him in a devious attempt to snatch the prized soda. As a result, his protective teammate throws a snowball at an athlete assumed to be the guilty culprit. Many Olympic athletes quickly become active participants in the winter mayhem by playfully throwing snowballs at one another while instantly having a great time. Simultaneously, the Canadian carefully maneuvers through all of the various fights occurring within the village in an ongoing and frantic search of reaching another Coca-Cola vending machine. His only mission is to obtain another soda. The advertising message is clear, concise, humorous, and important because the producers' primary goal is for viewers to consume more Coca-Cola products. By light-heartedly demonstrating that drinking Coke provides fun and happiness, others will want to drink the soda and share in the good times.
Although the primary focus of the commercial is the Canadian's desire for another Coke, the advertisement also portrays that individuals from different nationalities enjoy the beverage as well. The Canadian is desperately searching for another vending machine while the snowball fight continues. Somehow, a snowball does not strike him until the very end. The audience, on the other hand, is most likely representative of the majority of Coke drinkers and those wanting a drink that tastes good and brings happiness. Textual clues from the commercial include the Canadian searching the Olympic village for another Coke vending machine while dodging most of the snowballs. Once he obtains the Coke, he displays a broad smile of true satisfaction and happiness. Unfortunately following that long awaited sip of Coke, the bottle falls to the ground after being struck by a snowball. The audience understands both the contentment and humor of the concluding scene in the advertisement.
In yet another attempt to appeal to the target audience, the commercial methodically invokes both emotional response and common ground reactions. Watching people from various parts of the world having fun and drinking a Coke provides a visual argument for individual happiness and playfulness. The viewer will easily conclude these responses directly result from drinking Coke.
The colors manifested throughout the commercial are extremely vibrant and representative of the many different Olympic athletic teams participating in a non-competitive activity. Prominently featured with the Coca-Cola brand name and its packaging are bright reds. The color quickly produces the desired response by attracting the viewers' attention. The powdery white snow surrounds everyone and is dominant throughout the actual snowball fight. White typically symbolizes purity and honesty. The Olympic rings are also clearly present in the commercial. The snowball fight participants are all athletes that have trained to compete at the highest level, yet also know how to have a good time with one another. Athletes will be attracted to this commercial since the advertisement depicts Olympic athletes drinking Coca-Cola products.
Coca-Cola Commercial
I find it a little unusual that we experience the commercial through a Canadian white male, but that also helps enforce the belief that in the Olympics different people from around the world can compete against one another yet still have fun. To help further exemplify the sense of being one community, the advertisement portrays everyone enjoying the snowball fight. I feel that drinking the Coca-Cola product makes you happy.
Marketing Coke to people of all ages and nationalities requires that the commercial must appeal to a broad audience. Therefore, the advertisement is comical in its depiction that nothing will keep you away from Coca-Cola after taking just a single sip. However, I am still not completely convinced that after viewing this commercial I would be persuaded to purchase the product. I do like the soda because of its sweet taste, and I also like the creativity of the commercial.
I truly believe the main reason I enjoy the commercial is due to the simplicity of the message and its intent: making me laugh, making me smile, and noticing that it is a Coca-Cola product. Even though I thoroughly enjoy watching all of the Olympic events, I do not have the same athletic ability as the Olympians. Unfortunately, my athletic ability consists of being on my high school bowling team and playing recreational volleyball. I identify with the happiness that simple pleasures can bring. Whenever, I tend to drink Coke, I feel a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
After methodically evaluating the Coca-Cola advertisement, I understand the many benefits of rhetorical analysis and now plan to use this methodology in many of my future endeavors. I will attempt to market myself more proactively during job interviews. By thoroughly reviewing the prospective company's literature, I can determine how I identify with the company and how to be most beneficial to them. In addition to performing company analysis, these skills are beneficial for marketing and demographic research when attempting to advertise products in the future. Finally, as technology advances rapidly progress, I plan to use rhetorical analysis from a consumer perspective to determine which products I feel more closely related to before making my purchase.
