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Image Analysis

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Image Analysis

Advertisements are works of art. To appeal to a target audience, commercial ads employ

rhetoric appeals. Often, these are meant to confer as much traction as possible on the product.

The following discourse focuses on Olay's body wash. The Olay Indulgent Moisture Body Wash

ad is successful in convincing consumers to purchase the product by highlighting its benefits,

such as glowing skin, luxurious fragrances, and moisturizing properties, through the use of

credible ingredients, specific benefits, and appealing imagery.

The Olay Indulgent Moisture Body Wash advertisement successfully convinces the target

audience by employing ethos as a persuasive tool. Specifically, it builds credibility as well as

trust in the brand by highlighting that the product contains vitamin B3 complex, a micronutrient

that underpins the assertion that Olay leads to a glowing skin in 14 days. To appeal to the

audience, the advert mentions the benefits of the product. This is not just a marketing gimmick;

the assertion is supported by scholarly publications. According to Joshi et al. (2023), vitamin B3

contains niacinamide which has immense benefits on the skin, including providing a protective

layer against toxic radiation when applied topically. Also, the compound has a high water

retention capacity, a fact that helps make the product superior when it comes to keeping the skin

moisturized (Joshi et al., 2023). In the long term, the product helps improve the texture of the

skin while also minimizing the effects of aging through elevated levels of keratin (Joshi et al.,

2023). From the above scholarly assertions, it comes out that the proclamations made in the

advertisement are not just meant to promote it as a way of maximizing sales; instead, they are

sentiments which are backed by science. This, in an industry which is often marred by dishonest

or misleading claims, sets the brand apart. In hindsight, it confers genuineness, honesty, and

ethical correctness on the marketing campaign. The approach, when combined with Olay's
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perception as a trustworthy and reliable brand, makes the ad ethical. The pursuance of an ethical

approach to sell the product is a deliberate ethical persuasion proves the exploitation of ethos.

The advert uses elements of logos to persuasively pitch the product, the Olay Indulgent

Moisture Body Wash, as the most ideal option for the target audience. The advert has a picture of

the product with the statement 'Glowing skin in 14 days' juxtaposed next to it. To affirm the

claim, a brief writing explaining the practicality of the body wash in achieving that is

highlighted. The knowledge is essential since it targets the audience; it is meant to prove that the

claim is not just a marketing ploy but a factual assertion. To back up the claim, the advert

expounds that the product has 'layers of silky moisturizers' which improve the texture of the skin.

Also, it outlines that the body wash has luxurious fragrances, a fact which logically explains why

it is not just a regular body wash; it has an element of luxury to it, probably a fact that also

justifies it's price as well as position in the market as a leading brand. In addition, the advert goes

ahead to crown all these by affirming that they definitely lead to a glowing skin. Looking back,

all these are logical or rational explanations put forth to prop the ad. Agreeably, the audience

might probe the reasons behind the bodywash's credibility. It is as a result of potential questions

or inquiries into the product's greatness that the advert includes such information. By answering

the most likely questions from the target audience, the advert rationally appeals to their

persuasion. This, essentially, is exploiting logos as an element of rhetoric appeal.

The ad deliberately uses elements that invoke the target audience's emotions, appealing to

their perception and biases on what is luxurious and guarantees beauty. The product targets

women. Olay Indulgent Moisture Body Wash is meant for women who want a glowing skin.

Although its practicality in achieving this is supported through the factual information printed

next to the image, it also uses elements such as appealing words to emotionally persuade
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potential clients to buy it. Vrtana and Krizanova opine that such persuasion encourages

impulsive buying. Specifically, it uses the words 'irresistibly luxurious fragrances' to imply that

the body wash is a high end product. Next to the words is an image of a creamy product, which is

presumed to be the body wash, onto which a cherry is juxtaposed. Precisely, it states that 'Notes

of Rose & Cherry Creme' when referring to the content of the body wash. The use of the imagery

is deliberate; it is meant to corroborate the idea that the product is a luxury. Apart from that, the

advert goes further to affirm that the fragrance for the product is inspired by Caribbean guava as

well as coconut oil. From the above description, the objective is to portray the product to be a

luxury Indulgent. For the target audience, specifically women who opt to have luxury and great

skin, the persuasion from using such descriptions appeals to their emotions. The aspect of

emotional appeal stems from the fact that the luxury is considered as an extra addition to the

primary purpose of the product, which is to take care of one's skin. In hindsight, the emotional

appeal is quite effective and even overshadows the other forms of rhetorical persuasions such as

the use of logic and ethos.

In retrospect, the ad successfully uses rhetorical persuasion to appeal to the audience to

buy the product. As noted, one of the elements applied in the advertisement is logos, which is the

rationalization of the product's benefits through its content and moisturizer. Also, it ethically

persuades the audience by outlining that it contains vitamin B3 which helps the skin glow.

Lastly, it employs imagery of luxury to appeal to the audience's emotions.

References

Joshi, M., Hiremath, P., John, J., Ranadive, N., Nandakumar, K., & Mudgal, J. (2023).

Modulatory role of vitamins A, B3, C, D, and E on skin health, immunity, microbiome,

and diseases. Pharmacological Reports, 75(5), 1096-1114.

Vrtana, D., & Krizanova, A. (2023). The power of emotional advertising appeals: Examining

their influence on consumer purchasing behavior and brand–customer relationship.

Sustainability, 15(18), 13337.