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Hera Peterson
Griffin
ENGL 1010
20 November 2015
Visual Analysis Log
Persuasive Print Advertisement

Fig. 1. PepsiCo. Pepsi- Joy of Pepsi. 2011

Rhetorical Analysis of Persuasive Advertisement

Which is better, Coca-Cola or Pepsi? Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced by
the company PepsiCo. The Pepsi print advertisement Joy of Pepsi (Fig. 1) created by PepsiCo
in 2011 is to purposely attract its intended audience, cola lovers, into drinking Pepsi instead of its
competitor Coca-Cola. The advertisement effectively conveys the message that Pepsi is a much
better carbonated soda than Coca-Cola.

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The advertisement is straightforward and clearly shows what point PepsiCo is trying to
get across, which is that Pepsi is a greater product than Coca-Cola. Fig. 1 has a solid blue
background, a red Coca-Cola can on the left, a blue Pepsi can on the right, and the Joy of Pepsi
logo in the bottom right-hand corner. Both cans are on display, but Pepsi is the only one with its
logo on it. The straw above the Coca-Cola can is shown having two hands and is pushing itself
away from the can, while the straw for the Pepsi is in the can. By showing that the straws have
character, the intended message of the print advertisement comes to life. If the straws were not
shown in the advertisement, it wouldnt have a great effect on the audience like it has with them
present. By placing the Pepsi logo on the Pepsi can and in the corner of the advertisement, the
rhetorical appeal ethos is shown. It is using its credibility of the brand to sell itself to the
consumer. Fig. 1 also appeals to pathos, as the audience may feel persuaded to drink Pepsi over
Coca-Cola.
From the print advertisement, the intended message that Pepsi is the better carbonated
drink compared to Coca-Cola, is effectively conveyed. Soda drinkers are shown in Fig. 1 that
they should choose to drink Pepsi with the design PepsiCo decided to create the advertisement.
With the logos and the life of the straws, the purpose is clear. There are two types of people in
the world, Pepsi drinkers and Coca-Cola drinkers. Which one are you after viewing this print
advertisement?

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Iconic American Painting

Fig. 2. Norman Rockwell. The Problem We All Live With. 1964

Rhetorical Analysis of an American Painting

An iconic American painting titled The Problem We All Live With (Fig. 2) created by
artist Norman Rockwell in 1964 shows a story of a young girl named Ruby Bridges on her way
to her first day of school. The message is geared towards those affected by segregation and all
generations to be aware of how life was for colored people in the 50s and 60s. This painting
conveys the intensity of segregation in the 1960s effectively.
Present in the American painting is Ruby Bridges, four Caucasian U.S. Marshalls, and a
concrete wall with racial slurs and a splattered tomato on it. The concrete wall background is
faint yellow with the name of an anti-black organization engraved on the far left corner and a
racial slur engraved in the top middle. To the right of the racial slur, the red color of a tomato is
splattered on the wall. Ruby Bridges, shown in the middle, is in a white dress and holding a book
and a ruler in her hand as she makes her way to school. The four U.S. Marshalls, dressed in suits,

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are protecting Ruby on her journey to a newly intergraded school. The protection Ruby had to
have to simply walk to school shows how badly blacks were treated no matter their age. While
viewing Fig. 2, the audience may feel sadness due its content. This painting is using the
rhetorical appeal pathos to get their message across to the audience.
Norman Rockwells painting The Problem We All Live With effectively conveys the
message that segregation was intense in the 1960s. After viewing such an iconic painting, one
could only feel terrible for the way colored people were treated in the United States. The title of
the painting along with the painting itself go hand in hand with one another and shows the
audience that segregation was a major setback throughout the country in the 1950s and 60s.

Editorial Cartoon

Fig. 3. Dave Granlund. Watch For School Kids. 2014

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Rhetorical Analysis of an Editorial Cartoon

An editorial cartoon created by Dave Granlund titled Watch For School Kids published
on Dave Granlunds website (2014) shows three school-aged kids crossing the road while
playing on phones. The cartoon effectively conveys the message that in todays day in age,
children spend too much time on their phones and other electronic devices and dont pay
attention to whats going on around them. This message should reach out to parents and drivers
that drive during afterschool hours so they can be alert for any non-attentive kids crossing the
road.
Fig. 3 shows three kids walking, a blue car racing in their direction, and black text written
at the top and bottom of the editorial cartoon. The three kids include a blonde-haired girl and boy
looking down at their phones, and a black-haired boy on the right whistling away to the music
playing through his headphones. From the black text that reads, Better watch for kids because
theyre NOT watching for you! gives evidence that drivers need watch out for school kids
crossing the road. Prevent accidents by looking out for kids, even when they are the ones not
paying attention.
Rhetorical appeals are used in this editorial cartoon to help effectively convey the
message to the intended audience. Ethos is used in the text to expose who the creator of the
cartoon is and where it was published. Written in the bottom left corner of Fig. 3 shows this. The
appeal to logos is also used due to the message the text gives to the audience. The title of the
cartoon is an insight of what to expect from the cartoon. Granlunds illustration of Fig. 3 is clear
and easy to understand. All aspects of the cartoon help convey the message effectively.

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Video Clip- Commercial

Fig. 4. COVERGIRL. Super Sizer Mascara. 2015

Rhetorical Analysis of a Commercial

Looking to super-size your lashes? In Covergirls new T.V. commercial titled Super
Sizer Mascara released in 2015 shows Katy Perry modeling the new mascara. The purpose of
the commercial is to sell the product to young women and makeup users. The commercial
effectively conveys the message that if this product is used on your eyelashes, they will instantly
give them dramatic volume.
In the Covergirl commercial, Katy Perry is super-sized like a giant strutting through a city
showing off her lashes. The city and people below Katy are small; so all eyes are on her in awe
as she walks through the town. At one point in the video, Katy comes across a billboard
advertising the New Super Sizer Mascara (Fig. 4) and then she demonstrates how the product is
used and what the end result is when having used the mascara. This demonstration helps
effectively convey the intended message to the audience as they can see that the mascara can

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give their lashes volume. Close-ups of Katy Perrys super-sized lashes throughout the
commercial are another contributing factor to effectively convey the message.
Rhetorical appeals logos, pathos, and ethos were used in the new Covergirl commercial.
Before and after images of lashes are shown in the video, which is an example of logos. Pathos is
used as the video may make one feel the need to buy this product because of the ability it has on
the eyelashes. Makeup brand Covergirl and singer Katy Perry appeal to ethos as it brings
credibility to the T.V. commercial. After watching the Covergirl commercial, young women and
makeup users may feel to need to purchase this item because of how well the rhetorical appeals
were used to promote the new makeup product.

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Works Cited
Covergirl. Super Sizer Mascara. YouTube. 1 Jul. 2015. Web. 1 Dec. 2015
Granlund, Dave. Watch For School Kids. Editorial Cartoon. DaveGranlund.com. 13. Aug. 2014. Web.
30 Nov. 2015
PepsiCo. Joy of Pepsi. Advertisement. Hongkiat, 2011. Web. 29 Nov 2015
Rockwell, Norman. The Problem We All Live With. 1964. Web. 29 Nov 2015