English 102
12 February 2014
Limitless
Commercials are not always just informative, some convey a message so strong it leaves you thinking about it when it’s over. Most people could care less about watching commercials and would consider them a waste of time, but an opposite handful comes to find them interesting and useful. Many commercials target certain audiences, having the ability to draw the viewers in closer and closer wishing that it were never over. The Guinness Basketball Commercial of 2013 was a top-viewed ad around the nation for it is something that you do not see everyday. When watching this commercial rhetorically, you see things that many normal viewers would not and how well directed this piece of work really is. The Guinness Basketball Commercial exemplifies the aspects of Pathos and Ethos, delivering a inspirational message nationwide through the use of dedication, loyalty, and friendship. This commercial demonstrates dedication, giving up one’s own time to better off a friend that they care about. In the video, nine normal men play wheelchair basketball with their friend who is disabled and cannot enjoy the same experiences they are able to. This is very powerful because you are able to extract the fact that there is not a shot these men would be playing like this if their other friend did not have the ability to walk. Using the rhetoric concept of pathos, the audience is drawn into a state of inspiration and feels what the disabled character has to go through. When they stop playing, the other nine men stand holding the door open for their friend and exit the gym. This makes the audience feel the entitlement of respect for the players who give up their legs just to make their buddy feel included. The disabled man is filled with joy that he has a group of friends who are willing to do anything to make him feel a part of something. This is shown by his positive body language and reactions. The end of the commercial is