Rhetoric Of Ads

Most advertisements today fail to cite the faults of the product. They try to make the product seem flawless. And any form of persuasion that doesn't cite it's down falls, one should be skeptical of. (Hirschberg, p469).
             The first magazine advertisement is for "Courvoisier", which is a type of cognac liquor. The background of the advertisement is black. The color black is usually associated with death and evil, so it seems odd to use it in an advertisement. But there is a gorgeous, fair skinned woman, with radiant blonde hair and hypnotic blue eyes in the center of the ad. This woman represents the good and purity in the world of evil. It shows the deep and obvious contrast of dark and light as well as good and evil. The "pathos" is already at work making the viewer subconsciously view this woman as a representative of goodness. The fact the she has on black shoes and dark rust colored make - up adds to the effect of the background. The woman is hugging the bottle in a very sensual manner. She is hugging the bottle the same way one would hug a lover. The feeling of sensuality is also obvious through the expression on her beautiful face. This beautiful and innocent woman is embracing the bottle, as one would embrace a lover; in a dark background representing the world. They advertiser's transferred the idea of purity on to the bottle by having her embrace it. The bottle is also colored a calming reddish rust color. The color of brown is in a way indifferent it isn't as dark as the black yet, light as her fair skin. On the label of the bottle we see that it is bottled and produced in France. We also see the words "imperial" on the label as the name of the specific flavor. These two ploys can be described by "Read the Label or the Brochure" tactic. (O"Neil, p310) This is when important, scientific or opinionated words are put on the labels of products to describe them as facts. In this case the see the word "imperial" and one thinks of superiority and royalty.