Rhetorical Analysis of Chrysler Eminem Super Bowl Commercial Essay Sample

“Chrysler Eminem Super Bowl Commercial – Imported from Detroit” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKL254Y_jtc) is a commercial that introduces Chrysler 200 automobile, rebranding Chrysler by positioning it in direct relation with Detroit city, as it is observed from the title of the commercial, which is also the slogan of the advertisement: “The Chrysler 200 has arrived. Imported from Detroit”. The commercial makes use of ethos, logos and pathos to reach its audience, the targeted customers for buying the Chrysler 200 automobile, and to position it on the market as a Detroit product, rhetorical mechanisms that will be further investigated in this essay.
The commercial appeals to the viewers’ emotions (pathos), by employing arguments (through the text of the voice over), visual elements (images and symbols taken from the Detroit City), and background music. Logos is found in the argumentation of the voice over and in the mix of the text with the images and the symbols of the city, which generate coherence and meaning. By featuring of Eminem, a popular rap star, the commercial makes use of ethos, as it creates credibility because a recognized music personality is promoting and using the Chrysler 200.
In terms of emotions (pathos), the text of the voice over determines the viewers of the commercial to connect with Detroit city, so that those who are from Detroit feel proud of belonging to this city, while those who are not wish that they were. Moreover, the voice is reflective, and it sounds experienced, as if it accounts for the entire history of Detroit city and this generates a sense of bounding with the voice over and his experiences with the city.
The way the voice utters the speech, using direct speech, rhetorical questions, interjections, pauses, giving explanations, they all sum up for creating a strong impact upon the audience, making it see the city in another way. The voice over talks with passion, confidence, showing devotion for the city as he mentions the values of the city: “hard work and conviction and the know how that runs generations deep in every last one of us. That’s who we are.” (0:34) – indicating the belonging to Detroit city. The phrases “That’s who we are. That’s our story” (0:44) are uttered after a pause, indicating a significant moment, which is the pride of belonging to Detroit, transmitted to everybody who watches this commercial.
Using the metaphor “It’s the hottest fire that makes the hardest steel” (0:28) connected to the steel statue showing an arm with a very tight - closed fist (0:32) creates an impactful emotion that indicates the power of perseverance, the vigor, the zeal and passion of the ones who must gain a good life by working hard, determining viewers to resonate with this image.
Likewise, combining the words “hard work and conviction” (0:34) with the image of a city painting of workers gathered together, sharing their efforts, sweat and energy in creating a huge industrial mechanism (0:35) talks precisely about who Detroit people are: people that know what hard work is and who have passed “through hell and back” (0:16) for making a living for themselves. Joining hands, they can do more together, they can produce giant industrial mechanisms or luxurious cars. This message transmits the idea of unity and it appeals to everybody who knows what hard work is all about and how, at the end of the day it shows results, making them feel proud about their work, as the Detroit people are proud about their brand Chrysler 200.
Through the use of arguments, the commercial uses the voice over for the logos value. The commercial chains the arguments of why Detroit is capable of producing of luxurious brand, even if it is not a luxurious city, because of the hard work and of the knowhow of its people, because there is much there is to know about this city than what is told by people who never actually been to Detroit, as the voice over argues. The use of metaphor “it’s the hottest fires that make the hardest steel” (0:28) is very powerful, having an insightful value for the audience, appealing to their emotions (using pathos) for generating mental associations with the image of perseverance, but in the same time it is a strong argument as it explains how Detroit has the capacity to create fine things, despite the difficulties it passed through along its history. Moreover, explaining that through hard work and knowhow Detroit city can create fine things, it is another logical argument that sustains the idea that this city has a lot to offer in terms of luxury. Adding to this the argument that “when it comes to luxury, it’s as much about where it’s from as who it’s for” (0:59), and continuing with Eminem’s explanation: “This is the motor city” (1:44) the commercial points out the essential: Detroit city is recognized for its motors, hence creating a luxurious automobile is what this city knows best.
The commercial features Eminem as he drives through the streets of Detroit in a very luxurious car, but the viewers of the commercial only find that the driver of that luxurious, elegant car is Eminem towards the end of the commercial. The automobile passes by bridges and factories, residence buildings or city symbols (statues or imposing monuments), it sees army men and a skater training, it’s running through the city catching the eyes of the passers, until the night falls and it surprises the night life of the city and it the end it reaches a concert hall. Throughout this time, Eminem is the observer of the city’s atmosphere and it takes the pulse of Detroit from the comfort of his car and he experiences the thoughts expressed by the voice over. Therefore, the fact that Eminem is the one stating “This is the motor city. And this is what we do.” (1:44) indicates the authority that the rap star has, making the commercial reliable, hence the use of ethos.
The rationale employed in the commercial “Chrysler Eminem Super Bowl Commercial – Imported from Detroit” was to mingle pathos with logos and ethos through the appeal of the audience’s sensibility and emotions while hearing the experienced voice talking about what Detroit stands for (pathos), through strong argumentation and logical explanation of why Detroit is capable of producing luxurious products (logos) and by featuring Eminem, a rap star that lived in Detroit, as an ambassador of hard work and luxury in the same time (ethos). Devices such as metaphors, images of the city, symbols of the city, tonality, pauses in the speech, background music, using a famous rap star as to promote the brand and the direct association of Detroit with the city where Chrysler 200 is produced through the slogan “The Chrysler 200 has arrived. Imported from Detroit” promote the purpose of this commercial: to introduce Chrysler 200 and to connect it to Detroit, as a brand coming from this city, for which Eminem himself guarantees.