The Strength of Mothers

Note: this sample DOES NOT address every element on your handout, but rather was created so you would have an idea of where to start

The producer of this company, Proctor & Gamble, is a multinational manufacturing company which makes many family, personal, and household goods and brands, such as Bounty paper towels, Gillette razors, and Tide detergent.

This particular advertisement was made for and aired during the 2016 Olympics. The Rio Olympics had 27.5 million viewers of all age groups and ethnicities, so P&G knew it needed an advertisement that would appeal to a universal audience and something found in all cultures: mothers.

In the 2016 “Thank You, Mom” Commercial addressed to Olympic viewers, Proctor & Gamble uses ethical and logical appeals, and inspires profoundly heartbreaking yet touching emotions in order to connect the idea of strong mothers with strong products.

The commercial largely appeals to the emotions of fear and comfort. The emotional pull of the advertisement is present from the first moment. Few sounds inspire more fear than the sound of a tornado siren, and the simultaneous music is haunting, yet inspiring at the same time. The commercial portrays a series of fearful experiences that would be terrifying for adults let alone children. P&G uses this fear as a parallel to show just how terrifying the moment before an Olympic event must be.

While the commercial portrays many moments of fear, it also illustrates that every moment of fear has a mother who comforts, supports, and assures her child everything will be okay. This notion of motherly comfort and inspiration is a profound feeling that almost everyone can relate to. The commercial further suggests that motherly support inspires triumph, and ultimately victory. Through these emotional appeals, P&G ultimately hopes to convey the idea that their products help/support mothers in their role to comfort, inspire, and help their children achieve ultimate victory in overcoming life’s greatest challenges.

Pathos

Logos Proctor & Gamble makes strong logical connections through parallel images. For each athlete, they show a traumatizing visual or memory from their childhood paired with the moment before they compete in Olympic competition. These parallel images illustrate that these individuals have faced hardships in the past.

They also pair a struggle each athlete faced while training with the moment of victory. These parallelisms imply that these athletes have been through struggles and hard times before; however, they have overcome these hard times with their mother’s support. Just as they overcame past obstacles, they will be able to overcome the Olympic challenges in front of them.

Ethos

One way Proctor & Gamble builds their credibility is by using athletes in their commercial to give the company a sense of status.

However, their main appeal to ethos is through making a connection between strong athletes, strong mothers, and strong products. At the end of the commercial it says “It takes someone strong to make someone strong. Thank you, Mom. P&G, proud sponsor of moms”. The ad implies that just as mothers support their children and make them strong, P&G and their products support mothers.

Additionally, it is evident that P&G chose not to heavily focus on their products, but rather mother-child relationships. Arguably, this technique works to build the brand as family-centered rather than sales-centered, which would be likely to garner a sense of appreciation from the mothers in the audience who acknowledge the sentimental tribute.

What draws you to this commercial and is this commercial effective? This commercial is very effective because it immediately

draws the viewer into the everyday struggles and triumphs of children as they grew into great athletes. The commercial effectively keeps the viewer’s attention given that one is expecting to see a product advertised, but rather experiences a sentimental tribute to mothers as they comfort, inspire, and help their children triumph through life’s difficult moments.

I am personally drawn to the contrasting emotions of fear and triumph in this commercial, since I not only have experienced them first-hand as a child who was comforted by my mother, but also since I am now cast in the role of mother myself.

Select commercials based on the analytical potential rather than personal enjoyment

Commercial should be NO longer than 2-2.5 min. Keep in mind that your entire presentation cannot be longer than

4-5 minutes!

Commercial video needs to be embedded or in a link in the presentation

Consider that this is still analysis, so you still have to prove your thesis! (consider this a ‘visual essay’)

Since this is a commercial that attempts to sell and idea or product, ethos should be addressed

Note: this sample DOES NOT address every question/element on your handout, but rather was created so you would have an idea of where to start