Brett Koch
English 111
10/7/12
Emily J. Beard
Visual Analysis
The typical person is exposed to many different advertisements each and every
day. In fact, it has been said that the average teenager is exposed to over 3,000 a day
according to the documentary, “Merchants of Cool.” No matter where you go or what
you do, there is always going to be some sort of poster, billboard, or commercial
promoting something to the world. Often they are used to convince people to buy their
product or telling you to tune in later to when their show is aired on television. The way
the item is portrayed to the audience often alters their personal opinions on the product.
However, in this case it’s not a product that is being displayed. Instead the ad was used as
a promotional clip. There are advertisements out there that are used to gain interest in a
particular area, just as the one in this essay does for its viewers. The advertiser uses
clever satires about real world sports issues to promote that they are always staying on
top of the latest news. The techniques they use are very respectable in the way that they
efficiently encourage their fans to support and watch their show in the future.
The ESPN group of networks put out the commercial that is being looked at in
this essay. It was a part of a series of commercials they released that takes a satirical spin
on popular sports related issues. This particular ad was produced to explain a situation
that took place a couple of summers ago: the controversial story over whether or not Brett
Farve would return for the following NFL season. They explain how it was very difficult
to determine his status for the upcoming season, so they came up with a system on how to
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release the news to the public. The whole thing is very funny, and anyone who had any
incite on the issue got a good laugh out of it
The audience of this particular ad would be followers of the sports world or more
directly the viewers of ESPN’s news show Sportscenter. The commercial is very
appealing to the audience in the way that it takes you behind the scenes in how to get the
news out to the public. Although it is a spoof of a real world issue, the way they portray it
to the viewers makes it seem reasonable. The commercial accomplishes its goal of
showing the audience the time and effort they put into each individual story they
publicize. They use all three of the rhetorical appeals to grab the attention of the people
who saw this ad.
The first of the three appeals that the Favre system displayed was logos. The way
the producer set up the ad was very logical in the way that it was a possible to solution to
the scenario. The man on the phone was told that Brett Favre would be returning for the
NFL season, he then relayed that message to someone, who in turn relayed it to another
person and so on. Finally we arrive at the top floor of the building where a mascot holds
up lanterns out the window when he hears the news. Any person who knows about early
American history would know that this technique used, the strategy of holding up
lanterns was used by Paul Revere when it was he was in charge of alerting the people that
the British were coming. Going along with the rhetorical appeal of logos is the writing at
the conclusion of the ad. It reads, “This is Sportscenter,” which in turn is a very good
message to leave the audience with. It shows how much effort they put into everything
that they do to ensure that they are displaying the correct info to their viewers. Remember
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that this is part of a series of commercials that too put a funny twist onto a real topic. At
the end of each ad they show the, “This is Sportcenter,” message.
The next appeal that is displayed is ethos, or the credibility the ad is exhibiting.
This commercial is a spoof of the real issue, however it still shows credible sources as
you watch the advertisement. The advertisement opens with Steve Levy speaking about
the solution to solve the Brett Favre dilemma. Due to the fact that Steve Levy is a wellknown sportscaster, viewers are more likely to believe what he’s saying. Levy is seen as
an authority on the situation and the audience does not question his statement. The
second major portrayal of ethos in the commercial is the closing ESPN logo. ESPN is the
worldwide leader in sports. ESPN’s programs are known as being the best, the most
informative, and the most reliable of all sports television channels. Going along with
those lines, you can also add in the closing statement the commercial has. As said earlier
it reads, “This is Sportscenter.” This adds to the credibility because again, this is a part of
a series of ads that were released. Seeing this message at the end of each one reiterates
the respectability the ESPN network has worldwide. Another prominent display of ethos
in the advertisement is the people that were communicating the information. Every single
person that was shown spreading the news is a recognizable sportscaster. They were all
dressed in formal attire and were well groomed. Because of this they appear educated,
trustworthy, and well informed on the situation. Even the mascot shown has credible
value to him. On the wall behind him was a UMASS poster that had a picture of the
mascot right on it. That right there shows that they didn’t just choose any costume, they
used a UMASS minuteman, which adds to the sincerity of the Paul Revere allusion.
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The final appeal shown in the commercial is pathos. Pathos is an appeal to
emotion. The intended audience of this advertisement is people who are interested in and
invested in sports. EPSN chose a topic to portray that many people feel passionately
about. Brett Favre is a sports icon and automatically draws viewers in. The intended
audience of this commercial all has an opinion on the Brett Favre situation. Everyone that
follows the situation, whether they feel Favre should retire or play, all share the same
opinion that he needs to make a permanent decision. The ad satirically points out the
frequency of him changing his mind about whether or not to play the upcoming season.
The constant changing of opinions had fans on the their toes for weeks on end. When
Favre finally made his choice to return yet again for another NFL season the world was
relieved. Jokes about the situation began appearing all over the social media landscape,
so the ESPN network was very smart in their attempt to ride the coattails of this popular
topic. They were able to effectively reach a targeted audience with their use of the
rhetorical appeal of pathos.
Another important aspect of the commercial is visual appeal. Our society has
changed over the last few generations in the way that was have become fixated on optical
scheming. When the sportscasters are shown in the various scenes, their faces are easy to
see. Nothing is obstructing the audience’s view of them. This is important because the
intended viewers of the ad recognize every one of the men from their favorite programs
displayed daily on the ESPN group of networks. The duration of each scene is long
enough for people to distinguish whom each person is. In some instances this would
attract in a more specific audience, ones that are big fans of certain names mentions in the
video. Another component of the visual appeal is the office setting the commercial is set
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in. It is a very professional setting and looks like a typical day at work for the characters
involved. The ad is made out to catch them all in the natural work state, this helps add to
the realistic aspect.
Through effective use of many different rhetorical strategies, the Brett Favre
advertisement induces a positive reaction in viewers. The goal of the commercial is to use
humor in a way to draw attention to the situation that at the time was a big trending topic.
Fans of the network get a chuckle out of seeing commercials like this one because it
shows that ESPN put a lot of effort into every story they produce. It gives people
fulfillment to see little clips such as this one that reintegrate their love for Sportscenter or
just the world of sports in general. As stated previously this ad was apart of a string of
commercials that we released all around the same time, and each time it is concluded
with the text across the screen reading “This is Sportcenter.” Reusing this line over and
over again instills a message into the viewers that the crewmembers of their favorite
shows are as much invested into the work they publish, as much as we are in the
watching it.
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Works Cited
ESPN. “The Farve System.” YouTube. Aug 26, 2009. Web. Oct 5, 2012