Design Within Reach
Cindy Sinclair

Rhetorical Analysis of Tulip Chair Ad 

In my search for an ad to review, I looked through various magazines. Many of them were related to modern interior design, a long time passion of mine. I reviewed and considered many. One that I was particularly drawn to is the ad I chose on the iconic tulip chair by Eero Saarinen. 

Upon first glance, my initial reaction to this ad was first, oh that is the tulip chair that all mid century enthusiasts are familiar with. Great chair, great design. It is an icon of mid century modern design. Another reaction was that this ad was one that did not use a great deal of persuasive strategy to “sell” the product to the consumer. After all it is a very simple ad of a very well known product.  Anyone in tune to the mid century modern design trends so popular now knows this chair.  

After looking at it through my newly trained rhetorical perspective, I came to the conclusion that this ad although quite simplistic is an excellent example of rhetorical presentation in advertising.   

First to consider is the simple photograph of the chair. Rather than presenting the chair in a room setting with lots of other distractions for the eye, this well known chair is pictured by itself on a solid white background conveying the importance of the piece.  Whether you are familiar with the piece or not, you are struck by the amazing design of it because of its placement on the page.  It jumps out at you.  Below the chair is the caption “Five Decades of Everyday Life on a Pedestal”. This  hyperbole suggests  the importance of this enduring mid century modern design and also describes the design itself .    It is an emotional appeal  using a  statement of fact(it is a pedestal chair after all).  There is the underlying suggestion that if you purchase this chair you will somehow elevate yourself to living on a pedestal and maybe have the same endurance as the tulip chair.     Wonderful emotional pathetic   and a sort of illogical logical appeal.       The ad also states the designer’s name,  Eeros Saarinen,    and 1956, the year it was designed.   It also tells you that Design within Reach is “the source for fully licensed classics”. These things  are all  ethical sort of appeals because they  lend validity and importance of character to the product.    It also conveys if you are smart enough and cool enough to know about this design era and process, good for you. If you do not know about this chair and the licensing process, it makes you want to research it and learn more about it thus providing more opportunity to “sell” you the product and for you to become more cool.  The minimal use of the color red in the chair cushion and the company logo draws your eye to the most important parts of the ad, the product and the source.     

So my lesson learned in this research was in part to not overlook or dismiss the seemingly obvious. What may seem very subtle on the surface  can actually speak the loudest.   This ad is brilliant as was the creator of the chair for its design.