A Rhetorical Analysis Of Diet Ads

Dieting and diet products are a huge part of the advertising market. In most women’s magazines you will find several different ads for all sorts of diet products. In the March 2013 issue of Woman’s Day magazine there were four different ads for diet aids and products. The primary appeal used in most advertising is an emotional one but most also use ethos and logos as well. In the following essay we’ll examine the different diet ads and the type of appeals each use to convince the public to buy and use the product. In the full page ad for Sensa, a diet product you shake onto your food, the title itself calls attention to the page with a bold print logo and bright green and red backgrounds. Hints of the green color then follow to highlight
Large, bold, blue and orange print grab the reader’s attention with the statement “Want to lose 3x more weight than dieting on your own?” The page is has pictures of a woman blowing bubbles and looking at a child playing on a playground as if to say to readers that this is what you can do if you use our product to lose extra pounds. It appeals especially to mothers who want to lose weight so that they have the energy to keep up with, and play with, their kids. The other picture is of what presumably is a Jenny Craig meal of bright, green, fresh vegetables with chicken and potatoes. It would seem that the food photo is used to persuade the reader that it is easy to lose weight with this program because the food is so delicious. The advertisement urges the reader to contact Jenny Craig for a personal weight lose consultant. This tactic is used to demonstrate to the reader that they don’t have to go through this difficult process alone, that someone can help them through it. The ad also uses a well-known organization in its advertisement. “Proud supporter of American Heart Association” along with the AHA logo is toward the bottom of the page and is likely used to show the reader that using the Jenny Craig plan is good for their health and also to lend more credibility to the
The full page ad is for Special K Protein cereal. The page is centered with a picture of cereal on top of a jelly doughnut with the filling pooling out. It would appear that if the reader were to buy and eat this cereal that it could help them take on their worst cravings and come out on top. It suggests that the reader will have more willpower to resist temptations such as a doughnut if they have Special K brand cereal instead. What little text there is indicates that, “Special K has 10 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber” to help consumers feel full and fight their cravings for sweets. Though mention of this product being a diet aid or supplement is not explicitly stated it is implied by Special Ks slogan of “What will you gain when you lose?” The ad is simple but direct and works well to show that the product can help reduce hunger and aid with weight loss. The main focus of the ad appears to be its appeal to logos. It is logical to assume if you eat a high fiber cereal you will feel full longer and not give in to cravings for junk