ANALYZING PERSUASIVE APPEALS IN ADVERTISEMENTS: 2005

Oakley Julian

Analysis of an Ad for the U.S.P.S. 

This ad for the United States Postal Service was found in a December issue of Entertainment Weekly, which caters to both males and female who want to keep posted with the happenings in movies, music, television, and books on a weekly basis. 

As with most ads, the timing (kairos) of the ad plays a part in its success: December is the time of the year when many people are sending holiday packages out to loved ones; just thinking about standing in those long lines at the post office gets people frustrated. 

There is an instruction booklet for putting a bicycle together, but the instructions are written in a foreign language – completing eliminating any chance that the average American will find them useful.  These metaphorical instructions induce the same flustered feelings that people get when they go to the post office during the holidays. 
This ad is set against a periwinkle blue background, which offers a nice contrast to the white text on the page.  The color blue is known for its relaxing qualities, and this particular shade is often used for nurseries.  Although the instructions shown in the middle of the page (and the holidays) are overwhelming, you can collect yourself by looking at this ad. 

In big white letters, this ad wants you to know that the USPS knows that these instructions are hard, and they want to show you something that is much, much easier to use.  The antithetical "hard" and "easy" are the largest words on the page because they know that we are instinctively going to want to know what it is that is so "easy." 

At he bottom of the page under the word "easy," small writing explains to you in two half lines "just" how "easy" online shipping is.  It appeals to our desire to simplify our holiday shipping needs by using the word "just" in every sentence to reiterate "just" how simple Clink-N-Ship can be.  Here, the one syllable word "just" is deliberately repeated instead of two syllable words like "simply" or "merely." 

You can pay postage and print the labels for your packages online and place them outside for your mail carrier.  Nothing more for you to do - the United States Postal Service will to do the rest. 

Off hand, this ad is geared toward those they hope are dumb, lazy, and fluster easily.

English 5730 is taught by Dr. Richard Nordquist.
Armstrong Atlantic State University
Savannah, Georgia 31419
912/921 5991
    

                                       

18 February 2005