Introduction

Television advertisements are persuasive, memorable and fun ways of communication. Television advertisements make the viewers think critically. An effective advertisement should attract consumers’ attention. Therefore, it is important for brands to pay attention to the accuracy of the advertisements. Consequently, the content should not only engage the consumers but also activate their memory after they have bought the product or service. Studies prove that use of elements such as motion and multisensory stimulus; direct the gaze of viewers. The focus on the advertisement should be on the context. It is important for brands to create an alluring context to stimulate consumers.  In the global business context, TV advertisement is rampant. This essay will analyze two television commercials; the Walgreen advertisement and the Colonial Penn Life Insurance Advertisement.

Description of Advertisements

The Walgreen Advertisement

Walgreen has partnered with the United Nations Foundations. The objective is to initiate a crucial campaign. The advertisement is titled Get a Shot, and the objective is to convince the Walgreens citizens to get a vaccine, and in return, finance offers a free vaccination to another person living in a different country. The advertisement is for the individuals who are interested or involved in assisting others or in the health care. The advertisement is four minutes, and the venue is in Tanzania that is one of the nations in East Africa (Walgreens, 2016).

The advertisement commences with a distressing voice. Its context is unfamiliar. Immediately after the opening, there is a quote that reads “In Tanzania, there are children who don’t say, ‘When I grow up’… they say ‘if.’ This attracts the viewers’ attention. Additionally, it informs that high percentage of people especially Americans are not aware of the situation in third world nations. Being brought up in developed nations such as U.S makes children to believe that they can take up any career of their choice as long as they are determined. U.S is known as a land of great opportunities. It is known to have all the required resources as well as institutes for persons of all ages to succeed and prosper in their endeavors. Therefore, children in the U.S grow up knowing that they can access all the necessary medical facilities for them to grow and live happily.

In the advertisement, there is an element of pathos. The advertisement’s emotional aspect is very strong. This attracts compassion of the viewer’s towards the affected persons (Tellis, 2004). At the opening of the advertisement, there is an emotional statement that is echoed by children who are in need. There is an aspiration that starts that “If I grow up, I want to be…” (Walgreens, 2016). The phrase has been altered. The advertiser does not use the common phrase, when I grow up. This changes the interpretation of the whole sentence.  This makes viewers to identify with people from third world nations. There are statistics in the advert. This is a clear indication of the harsh conditions that third world nations experience, and using Tanzania as an example is ideal for the entire advert (Wells, Burnett & Moriarty, 2012).

On the issue of ethos, the advertisement appeals to different audiences. Walgreens is a nationwide pharmacy that is trusted all over the world. The firm always assists persons who require prescriptions, wellness, and health products. Walgreens is a renowned drugstore in U.S. Hence, the advertisement concept that states “Get a shot, give a shot” emphasizes the key idea that getting a vaccination from Walgreens will save ones live in the third world nations. The advertisement features reputable men and women who take up various humanitarian situations in the third world nations. Using influential and inspiring individuals in the advertisement, the company expands its audience to all people who are willing to assist as well as personnel in the healthcare sector (Walgreens, 2016).

Concerning logos, the advertisement shows that logic is an important concept. It indicates that saving a life involves getting a vaccine. One going for a vaccine demonstrates that he/she is enabling another person to be vaccinated.  In other words, getting a vaccination means helping anybody who is in need and at the same time improving one’s personal health. Through the concept, Walgreens is successfully impacting the people’s lives across the globe. Even though the Walgreens vaccinations help in preventing different diseases such as hepatitis or flu, they can also be administered to numerous pharmacies in the U.S or identified clinics. Through the advert, the firm has proven that vaccinated individuals are not only benefiting themselves but are also supporting the global campaign towards ensuring a healthy nation.

The advertisement uses different rhetorical devices like ethos, logos, and pathos. This persuades the audience to go for the services, and assist others to be vaccinated. The ad does not want others to be mere statistics but rather play a role in bringing change and make the world a better place. Therefore, the advertisement meets its objective (Wells, Burnett & Moriarty, 2012).

The Colonial Penn Life Insurance Advertisement

There is another advert for Colonial Penn Life insurance. The advertisement has two women. The two women meet at a mailbox. One of the women asks the other how she has been coping since her mother’s death. From the mailbox, the woman retrieves a check for the funeral expenses. She looks excited after receiving the mail and explains to the other woman how happy and grateful she is to the Colonial Penn Insurance. I think the advertisement was badly done because of various reasons. The advert will not draw positive reactions from the viewers, and it might make them change to another insurance company.

There is the element of pathos in the advertisement but it wrongly used. There is a wailing woman after receiving the advertisement. However, she wails for the wrong reasons. She is happy after getting a check to cater for funeral expenses. A somber mood could have been ideal and elicited the viewer’s emotions (Colonial Penn TV, n.d.).

On the issue of ethos, the advertisement is not appealing at all. A sad life event comes out as a celebration. Even though the intention of the advert was to ensure that the public appreciates the necessity of registering for the insurance plan, it is off in terms of the context.

There is no logic in the advertisement. According to the advertisement, death is portrayed as a good thing if you have the Colonial Penn Life Insurance. The context should have been composed in a manner that shows that death is a sad event but even though the insurance cannot erase the emotional pain involved, it should portray that it will simply reduce the financial expenses associated with meeting funeral expenses.

It is evident that the advertisement does not use rhetorical devices such as pathos, ethos, and logos effectively to communicate the message. In other words, the intent is not well portrayed.

Suggestions

The Walgreen advertisement is well developed in terms of elements, pathos, logos and ethos. Therefore, it communicates the intended message effectively. The commercial should have talked about the benefits of getting the vaccination using more illustrative videos. For example, comparing the population that has received the vaccination and non-vaccinated one could have registered permanent memories in the viewers’ minds. The advertisement could have been more persuasive if logos of international bodies such as World Health Organization and USAID could have been used.

On the Colonial Penn Life Insurance Advertisement, the advertiser could have used a different context and not the mail station.  For example, a bereaved family that has spent all their savings on medication and incapable of meeting the financial aspects of a funeral could have been ideal.  Alternatively, instead of using an excited woman who has received a check for funeral experiences from the insurance, the advert could have used a scene whereby the two women meet, and one explains to the other how the insurance is necessary in a case of bereavement. This would make the advertisement not only creative but also persuasive.

Conclusion

It is evident that the above adverts draw different attitude from a variety of audiences based on age and geographical area. In creating an advertisement, identifying the target market is important for the content. The two advertisements are well created, and this shows creativity. The ads pass their intended message. There is a lack of humor in both adverts.

References

Colonial Penn TV. (n.d.). Colonial Penn Life insurance commercial. iSpot.tv. Retrieved from https://www.ispot.tv/ad/7kTS/colonial-penn-life-insurance

Tellis, G. J. (2004). Effective Advertising: Understanding When, How, and Why

           Advertising Works. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Pub.

Walgreens. (2016). Walgreens ‘Get a Shot. Give a Shot’ Campaign Ad. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StfGQaOvGGk

Wells, W., Burnett, J. & Moriarty, S. (2012). Advertising: Principles and Practice.

New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

 
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