Rhetorical Journal Assignment

My rhetorical journal is in response to the Geico commercial with Peter Frampton. The audience for this advertisement is all those who would be seeking car insurance. From talking geckos to slogans like “so easy a caveman can do it,” Geico is known for using humor and wit to grab the audience’s attention. The company succeeds with this strategy in this commercial as well.
In this style of commercials, the ad features a popular celebrity that the audience would look up to or appreciate. For this particular commercial, Peter Frampton’s celebrity status contrasts with the every-day normality of the woman. When she narrates the story it is straight-forward and uninspired but Peter Frampton tells it in his unique, signature way: through. The difference between the two is entertaining and grabs the audience’s attention. In addition, the commercial shows a celebrity endorsing Geico’s services which would be enough to convince some to do the same. This strategy is using the rhetorical appeal of pathos because it is appealing to the emotions of the reader. It evokes a feeling of amazement and awe as well as humor to see him in the commercial. The audience would find Peter Frampton, a famous guitarist from the 1970s, to be cool and entertaining. In a certain sense, they probably wouldn’t mind having him sit in their homes and tell of their own experiences with Geico.
The advertisement is giving an example of how Geico can positively affect one’s life and how any consumer can use it because it is so easy. Geico came to the rescue when everything was going wrong for this woman and they can do the same for everyone. The woman’s testimony is considered use of the ethos appeal. Viewers in the audience will believe that Geico is a good company because she, an ordinary consumer like them, is endorsing it. She is a credible source.
Geico’s commercial with Peter Frampton is an effective use of rhetorical strategies. To a certain degree, however, I almost lose sight of what the commercial is trying to sell. Geico has become so synonymous with car insurance that the main focus of the ads is entertainment instead of more direct attempts to sell their services through logos. Still, the commercial remains successful in its goal to grab the audience’s attention and sell its product.