Advertisement IT\'s Halftime in America

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It's Halftime in America

The Super Bowl attracts millions of viewers from around America each year. During the commercials, the same numbers of viewers are bombarded with information about various products. This year, the commercials were in a league of their own, however, and many focused on cultivating the emotions of the viewers, especially given the economic situation in the U.S. For instance, Chrysler chose actor Clint Eastwood to deliver a message of compassion and persuasion. The paragraphs below will analyze the advertisement, name it's Halftime in America, in order to see just how Chrysler utilized various rhetorical devices, as well as how successful they were.

Just as any effective advertisement, the one delivered by Chrysler utilized many types of appeals to garner customer approval and potential buyers. This specific ad begins by showing Mr. Eastwood, alone, walking through an empty football stadium. Then, it shows various morning scenes, complete with sunrises, as Eastwood explains that people are struggling to get back up and 'win.' In other words, Eastwood makes a comparison between the potential halftime struggling team and the struggling people of this nation, all looking for a job. The halftime described by Eastwood, and the potential comeback of the second half will, eventually, become synonymous with the potential comeback of America and the normalization of our economy.

The most effective appeal here is, thus, pathos, as the ad seeks to elicit the viewers' emotions. The emotional argument here hits close to home for many Americans, especially many of those watching the Super Bowl, as many have been affected by the recent downswing in the economic, post-crisis. In fact, the topic of job loss and joblessness is a very pertinent topic to today's discussions in all kinds of forums.

The advertisement hones in on this specific facet by showing Detroit as the example of how a country can get back up on its feet (as the car industry has gotten back on its feet, especially in Detroit). The car industry has always been a hallmark of the city, and the tough economic climate truly hit it quite hard. Chrysler, an American-born, American-made automobile was, at one point, the third largest automobile company in the world. It was then sold to a German automobile company called Daimler. This proved to be a poor partnership and various challenges in the automobile market caused the company to fail, requiring a sell-off and a government backed loan in order to maintain full operations.

The company which now owns Chrysler is Fiat, the Italian automobile maker, has now restarted the ailing Chrysler, bringing forward a new decade of facing the global marketplace as a modern competitor. Yet Chrysler is now getting back on its feet on all market fronts.

Another thing that the ad does very well is use credibility, or ethos. This is because of the fact that Chrysler is now getting back its success, as well as because of the fact that the company now is becoming more and more known worldwide. The utilization of Clint Eastwood was also a stroke of genius. His voice is not only well-known but also authoritative and emotional in a way that only adds credibility to the brand.

The ethos here is thus found on two fronts: the subject of the commercial as well as the way in which it is delivered by Eastwood. When he speaks about Detroit, Eastwood utilizes personal as well-known anecdotes that the country can recognize and that can rally it towards a common goal. In fact, the word 'rally' and the phrase 'acted as one' is utilized many times, as Eastwood stresses, time and again his faith in the strength of the country, as well as its ability to be resilient after the many troubles experienced.

For instance, because for the words he utilizes, Eastwood is able to garner a form of nationalism that can only help Chrysler in selling automobiles, especially since it is one of the older car brands in America, and one that competes with many foreign auto makers. Because of nationalism, Chrysler will, potentially, especially after this advertisement, sell many more cars than previously.

One of the less obvious appeals found in this commercial is the logical appeal, or logos. This refers to the fact that, when compared to other brand, Chrysler is also American made and relatively affordable. Though Chrysler focuses on nationalism and togetherness as a nation much more than on price, or anything like that (in fact, price is not even mentioned), it is well-known that price is part of what Chrysler wants to get across.