Adorama
Brian Francone

with second analysis submitted by Jayce Goosby, February 12

The phrase “At Adorama you can,” implies a since of trust. The as also goes into detail about how they will help you with your purchases, almost giving you a since of familiarity with the company. They are your friend. 

The image of the man with his pockets turned out makes a pathetic appeal. The fact that his back is turned and head made translucent, makes it an “anyman” image.

The way the figure is dressed, in slacks and a dress shirt, makes the blue collar worker/student more comfortable with making the purchase on a subconscious level. Basically, if the white collar guy has money issues and shops here, I can too.

The image also works on an emotional level, for the same reasons. 

For a logical appeal the company list the companies/brands that it supplies, hoping that it will makes them appear more reputable. In the listing of the companies, they also make sure to say that the list is not complete That would lead someone to think, just because the company that I use isn’t listed, doesn’t mean that they do not do business with them. 

Big bold letters state, “it’s just that simple!!!” For the majority of Americans (the intended audience), it doesn’t matter what is that simple, we like it that way. 

The large bottle full of change also works on a logical level (as well as a pathetic level), in that everyone has change lying around. The change coupled with the man implies that anyone can afford what they are selling. 

The company slogan “Source for the Educated Photographer,” with the last two words in bold is an appeal to both ethos and pathos. The slogan makes the reader feel good about themselves, while at the same time, makes the company appear more reputable, by claiming that “educated” people shop there.

from Jayce Goosby, February 12

            I chose to analyze the ad turned in by Brian Francone. I did not see where the ad came from, but from the ad I would assume it was from a magazine that targeted the working middle class man, and students. At first glance, I noticed the question across the top; “Think you can’t afford gear?”  The writer is making a concession. The writer asks if we think we can afford gear, to make us think, then the writer puts a bank of loose change and single dollars in the ad to allow the reader to think of all the loose change we often forget about. Yet the writer has yet to answer the question. The writer is also using enthymeme. The writer is asking if we can afford gear, but is implying that we can with the jar of money that we see under the question. The asking of the question is also epiplexis. The writer discredits the intial question with the picture of the money in the jar. The writer is telling us we can afford the gear despite the intial question that headlines the ad. This is also an example of erotesis. The question; “Think you can’t afford gear?” is answered immediately with a resounding no by the picture of all that money in the jar.

            The ad is clearly appealing to the logos of the reader. Money in the jar is demonstrating we can afford the clothes. The writer has moved us from the question to showing us the answer that we already know, by showing where the answer is.

            The ad appeals to our ethos with the picture of the man with his back to us with the whites of his pockets pulled out. This man with barren pockets shows the stereotypical middle class man, poor. This picture is in the background is faded and seems to take a secondary seat to the picture of money in the jar. The writer is appealing to the everyday man. He is faceless and the characteristics are vague to show that it is everyman in the middle class.

The writer appeals to our pathos but allowing us to relate to the subjective picture of the man with no money in our pockets. The writer shows us this is an emotion we don’t have to go through, and that the clothes can be a realistic goal because they are very affordable. The ad is reinforced by the last phrase bolded at the bottom “it’s that simple!!!” The way this line is written appeals to the every day man, it has our language with the “it’s” The phrase is also emphasized with the three exclamation marks. The author is using this line to emphasize to our emotions just how simple it is for us to obtain the merchandise.