Canzano 1
Bella Canzano
Prof. Chris Susak
English comp. 1020
1/30/2012
Rough Draft
A content analysis of a Dr. Pepper Advertisement
While browsing your local convenience store in search of a beverage, you come across an
array of cold sodas, juices, waters, etc. Instead of grabbing the item closest to your hand without
a thought as to what it is, you hesitate and skim over your options. Multi-million dollar beverage
companies strive for this one seemingly insignificant moment. Your hesitation and your decision
for or against their product, whether the decision making process lasts 15 seconds or 15 minutes,
is what a company like Dr. Pepper Snapple Group is willing to spend thousands if not millions of
dollars on. As history has shown, they're efforts have proved profitable. From celebrity
endorsements to the thirty year old "I'm a pepper" slogan, Dr. Pepper utilizes effective
advertising techniques. Dr. Pepper's "one of a kind" commercial is somewhat effective in it's
delivery and in this content analysis, one should receive a better understanding of what the ad
may subliminally mean to achieve.
After viewing the ad once, it is obvious that it is meant to leave the viewer with a rush of
feel good emotions. The ad starts out with a man in an airport. Everyone around him is moving,
including himself. Everybody seems to be dressed in white, black, or gray. A sudden thought
pops into his head as he rips off his suit revealing a red shirt reading "I'm a one of a kind." He
grins and walks confidently away as the camera cuts quickly to other people exhibiting the same
shirt reading different traits about them. "I'm a fighter" is printed on a man whom we assume
Canzano 2
runs marathons despite only having one leg, "I'm a rockstar" printed on a man jumping out of a
building to which a crowd of "peppers" catches him, even "I'm a work of art," on a woman
covered in tattoos leading, ultimately, to a pretty brunette revealing that she too is a "Pepper." In
the background, an upbeat song with a male voice singing "I've gotta be me." The song
crescendos as it builds up to the last scene with the brunette and ends abruptly with an echoing
"me" and the sound of applause.
Clearly, the ad is trying to appeal to the pathos of its audience. As a viewer, you're
presented with every kind of person. Male, female, black, white, young, and old. In this ad, Dr.
Pepper is implicitly saying that their product is appealing and alluring to everyone. Every person
in the ad was moving throughout its entirety as if to say that people who drink Dr. Pepper are
going places in life. They're accepting themselves, they're moving forward. If they were sitting
down, someone walking by in a red shirt compelled them to rip theirs off and follow. This draws
in their viewers. The music, specifically, has an inspirational melody.
Dr. Pepper has been advertising since the product originated. They make much mention
of their 23 delicious flavors united cohesively to make one original beverage. This alone draws
in the public. Historically, the company has even asked celebrities to endorse Dr. Pepper, such as
Dr. Dre and the band Kiss. This ad mentions neither. After giving this advertisement a closer
look, one might be unable to see how this ad is really as effective as it appears to be.
The ad is namely generic. The idea that all different types of people being brought
together as one is an age old idea that many companies try to harness in their ads, not only Dr.
Pepper. The song too is not popular or even catchy. It is clear that the ad is meant to be
motivational but may not be as memorable as, say, a pop tune might be.
Canzano 3
It is important to consider where and when the ad may be appearing. Most likely, it airs
amidst many other ads, some exciting, some humorous, and some very boring. It may not stand
out amongst the fast paced and exciting advertisements, but if strategically placed between ads
for, say, car insurance or home equities, it might catch the attention of a younger crowd, namely
college students or those trying to pick up the pace of their lives and who might be more
interested in drinking dr. pepper than State farm.
At the end of the ad, you see a Dr. Pepper following: hundreds of people wearing the red
and white Pepper shirt. When taking a closer look at the ad, this might be very confusing. Why
would Dr. Pepper encourage us to break free from our shells and express who we truly are, then
at the end, become one giant cult of Dr. Pepper lovers? It’s almost contradicting.
At the end of the ad we are left with goosebumps, an uplifting feel-good mood, and
despite all of the generic techniques used to persuade us into buying their product, our brains
may still subconsciously connect the feel good memories from watching the commercial to the
Dr. Pepper bottle in the gas station when we’re deciding which drink to buy.