Hydroxycut’s one page layout catches the eye with vibrant colors and pictures.  Approximately 70% of this ad is dedicated to the use of images.  A before-and-after picture of a woman by the name of Marla is situated toward the center of the page with bold print that reads, "I lost 35 Lbs!"  The before picture seems to show Marla at home prior to her weight loss with unkempt hair and no trace of make-up.  The after photo that is juxtaposed against this has a much thinner Marla posing with defined muscles, heavy make-up, and a new hair style.  This contrast is meant to visually shock the readers and pique their interest in this apparent miracle drug.  The left of this ad is composed of yet another after picture of Marla looking extremely fit and exposing her mid-section.   These pictures seem to serve as a visual testimony that conveys to the reader, "Look at me!  If I can do it, you can do it!"  The actual product is displayed in the bottom right hand corner of the ad with a text inscription of what Hydroxycut claims to do.  To the left of this is  the smallest image on the page. This picture features an attractive female doctor who apparently recommends Hydroxycut because she has used it herself.  Once again, the reader is shown the wonderful results of this revolutionary formula and is presented with the "expert" opinion of the person we are supposed to trust the most–-a doctor.

A majority of the text in Hydroxycut’s ad is composed of highly dramatic testimonials.  The headline is the largest black front on the page and reads "Losing 35 pounds was so easy with Hydroxycut!"  The quotation marks alert the reader that this is a personal declaration. Furthermore, the words "so easy" are underlined and italicized in order to drive home the convenience appeal of this product.  Beneath the headline is Marla’s complete testimonial in a smaller red font.  The first sentence of this paragraph is clearly an effort to identify with the masses.  Marla says "like millions of women across America I struggled to lose weight."  Here she is telling the reader that she used to have the same troubles that they do until Hydroxycut changed her life.  She then states, "I quickly lost 35 pounds of ugly fat from my waist, butt and thighs."  The word "ugly" is quite harsh and could produce a negative effect on the confidence of the reader if he or she carries a couple of extra pounds.  Marla concludes her testimony by expounding about how wonderful Hydroxycut is and how it has transformed her life and could do the same for the reader. The combination of such an impressive statement and striking photos is a very influential selling technique.  This ad is quite a dominant appeal to pathos. The issue fo weight and self-conceot entails emotion on many levels.

The paragraph in the center of the layout is an address to the reader from he makers of Hydroxycut.   The first sentence reads, "Hydroxycut has quickly become one of the most popular weight-loss products for men and women all across America."   The makers of this product are trying to get the reader to believe everyone is using their product so iti must be effective.  The celebrity factor then comes into play with the sentence that states, "It has been featured on commercial TV networks nationwide, and used by television actors, fashion models, and thousands of Americans for one reason--it works!"  Readers now are being asked to believe that they can look like a model or actor simply by including Hydroxycut in their lifestyle.  The claim that Hydroxycut will give you "fast, natural weight loss" is restated once more.    However, this phrase seems to be an oxymoron.   Common sense tells us that natural weight loss does not occur rapidly.

The very bottom of the page contains two lines of small font with an explanation of the asterisk which appears through the ad.    Here we learn that, "Results are not typical and depend on your diet and training program."  This is the first mention of diet and exercise on the page.   Until now, this ad has been rather deceptive because it has been trying to convnce the reader that Hydroxycut was the key ingredient to permanent weight loss. The disclaimer also mentions that. "average weight loss expected is 8.4 lbs in 8 weeks."   Losing one pound a week should not be considered fast.  The makers of this product have taken an individual that supposedly had remarkable success with their product and they have exploited their results.

The sentence, "MSN has everything you need . . . and everything you want when you get there," appeals to the reader's pathos, or emotional appeal.  It appeals to the rational person who is looking for the next "upgrade" or "better" way to access the Internet. It gives the impression that the online subscriber will have no more worries while using the Internet through MSN.

The curving of the dashed-line along with the children playing implies not only that you can find  endless amounts of information, but also that you will have fun doing it.  This idea appeals to the logos of the person reading the ad. The open sky that encompasses around 90% of the ad offers feelings of freedom and endless possibilities. The text is small and aligned to the right, directing  the reader to notice the twins playing while reaching up into the open sky.

The slogan "More Useful Everyday" offers the final and most important reason to subscribe to MSN; it always updates.   There are also a suggestive phrases in the text, such as, "Built with advanced technology," "the most popular E-mail and Search," and "a great alternative to AOL." The three italicized words appeal to three different types of people.  "Advanced" appeals to the intellectual who desires to have the most recent updates in software. "Popular" attracts people concerned with having the software with the best chance of impressing others.  Finally, "alternative" appeals to the sub- and counter- cultures.

The speaker sounds like an experienced doctor, either Dr. Kathy Fields or Dr. Katie Rodan.  The speaker sounds polite and confident.  When the speaker gets the money back guarantee,  the voice seems to change somewhat, becoming more sure of itself and a little more stern.

The speaker's voice sounds like it is more into intimate conversation because it is being delivered by a woman who is a doctor.  Usually a doctor is someone you trust with your personal health and whom you confide in about things you would not necessarily talk to someone else about.  A doctor is usually understanding and sympathetic and sure that the cure that they give for an ailment will work.

The doctors who are pictured are pretty and blemish free, which gives you the impression that if you use this product, you, too, will be pretty and blemish free.  Also, since they are dermatologists, trained at Stanford, their rapport sends a message of apparent sincerity. 

The speaker in the ad is more knowledgeable about the product than the audience because the speaker is the one who designed this product.  The speaker is very proud of  this product because of what it can do for you and because it was created by her and her partner.  There are no indications that the audience should not trust the speaker's message because the doctor that designed the product is the one promising it, and presumably she would not promote it if she did not believe in it herself.

The advertisement is addressed to people with acne. I believe the speaker of this ad imagines the reader to be a woman somewhere between the ages of 16-40+.  The ad was in a woman’s magazine, which of course attracts women to the ad, but the ad could also attract women to buy it for someone that they know, for instance their children, male or female.  The ad shows a 31-year-old woman who is praising the product.  She is a mother who cares about her children and her husband and what they think of her appearance.  Her letter recounts her successful use of the product and how much it helped her outgoing personality that was hidden before because of her acne.

The advertisement expects its readers to be somewhat intelligent, because the majority of the ad is in written form and it covers the entire page.  If you did not read the ad, you would basically not get the point of the product, unless you figured it out just by looking at the before-and-after picture of the woman who used the product.  The ad targets audiences that care about their appearance.  I would include myself as part of this audience, and if I was in need of this product, I would certainly take the time to read about it in the ad.

The need the ad is addressing is the need of feeling confident about your appearance in the eyes of yourself and others. The need is directed to the emotions, feeling happy and confident about yourself and your appearance because you have clear skin. The picture in the ad targets those with acne who can be cured by using this product. The ad shows a picture of an unhappy-looking woman with acne.  The next picture shows the same woman with clear skin and a big smile on her face after she has used this product.  This ad suggests that if you are unhappy with your complexion, use this product and then you will be happy.

To encourage readers to call the number provided to order the product, the ad shows the testimony of a woman who has used the product with successful results.  Her letter is handwritten, thereby making the ad more believable.   It also shows a picture of the woman to back up its reliability.  The rest of the ad shows a picture of the dermatologists who created the product, giving an impression of scientific authenticity as they explain why this product will work.  It also offers a money-back guarantee: even if you have used the entire product, you can just send the empty bottles back for a refund if you are not satisfied.

The audience is attracted to this ad because of the picture of the woman with acne and then without acne after she has used the product.  Feelings of embarrassment and self-confidence are played upon.  The most prominent modes of persuasion are the pictures and the testimony of one of its successful users.

This ad is successful because it works on many different levels. Ultimately, it offers the audience a way to feel better about spending money at Target by offering to donate a percentage of the bill to a second school of their choice. Why feel guilty about buying that new dress if you know 1% of it will go towards little Johnny’s elementary school?

The advertisement uses actress Marlee Matlin, a woman who has publicly struggled and succeeded in the entertainment industry today despite having the disability of being deaf.  Her hard–earned success gives her automatic credibility with the audience.

The teacher that influenced Matlin is a nun, Sister Jane Endee, and is pictured smiling and holding an old book, also lending a degree of credibility, since she is a woman of substantial religious belief who took the time to invest in the life of child with special needs.

The fact that Target is willing to put a portion of its earnings into an educational fund helps to increase its respectability with the audience.

The picture of the two women smiling and sitting close together appeals to the emotions of the audience as it implies a close and personal relationship. Also included in the advertisement is a picture of Matlin when she was in sixth grade, giving the reader a literal sense of the "then" versus "now" image and the various accomplishments that she’s had since then.

The quotations that overlay the picture add to its emotional content: "Miss Endee said you don’t just listen with your ears" and "I learned to understand with my heart." In order to overcome the difficulties of having a disability, Miss Endee reached out in a special way to Matlin and helped her succeed.

Also appealing to the audience’s emotions are the feelings inspired by the success of overcoming difficulties, all due to the help of an involved teacher. Since Matlin can point to an individual teacher that has helped her to overcome difficulties in her life, it makes the readers think of teachers in their past who have influenced them.  The ad even directly addresses the individual reader when it asks, "Who’s your Miss Endee?" in red ink, at the bottom of the page.