For my artifact, I have chosen a commercial released by SeaWorld on July 7, 2017.
The medium of delivery:
SeaWorld is famous for its’ commercials that show clips from dolphin and orca performances, interaction with different fish, and rides. The park has always pushed the “family values/childhood memories” agenda, and this commercial is no different. It appeals to millennials and urges them to “share your seaworld story”.
Ethos:
The commercial shows clips of SeaWorld operating at its highest points:
- no lines for the rides
- enjoyment of the food available
- instant responses from the aimals
- one-on-one instruction from SeaWorld trainers
- no prices are shown
- animals are on their best behavior when interacting with visitors and performing
It also shows a strong sense of community. SeaWorld has always been a family company, and in this commercial they push those communal values as well. The stars of the commercial all appear to be in their early teens on vacation with younger brothers and sisters or friends.
Pathos:
This commercial appeals to millennials, who are no longer the ages of the kids in the commercial. By doing this, the producers of the commercial are able to invoke nostalgia. Memories of going as a child to SeaWorld come back to their audience and they are invited to share their SeaWorld story. It appeals to family values as families are most often their target audience. Millennials with kids may find this commercial nostalgic enough to take their own kids to the park.
Logos:
The producers focus on the main attractions at the park, such as the Dining with Orcas, Dolphin Show, and the rides. By doing this, they show the reality of the park, but do so without naming any prices or extra fees. They also encourage the audience to think back on memories that they have of SeaWorld that the park cannot replicate in a commercial.
I like the presentation of your blog. It is very well organized and presents your views on Pathos, Logos, and Ethos in a concise and straight-forward manner. Your artifact is appealing and contains fascinating points.
My constructive criticism is the font size under the Ethos page. The font is very difficult to read and understand. If you are going to attract the audience, you must have the font be a readable size, such as using a 12-point font or either change the style of the font.
Overall, I think your post was fantastic.
I don’t think there are any exigencies for places like Sea World, but rather they are in demand for more customers. By using shots that make Sea World more appealing to younger audiences and parents/grandparents with young children. This commercial is valuable to people who believe in Sea World because it shows the organization how they perceive it. However, it could also be seen as a valuable artifact to those who oppose Sea World, because they could view it as false advertisement. Animal Rights activists will continue to fight for an end of animal entertainment, however, there is a demand for it for young families who disregard possible animal abuse that happens behind the scene.
I can definitely agree that this commercial appeals to millennials based on the title of your artifact, however, do you think the title is a little too bland? By just titling it “Millennial Commercial” Seaworld does not put enough creativity into the clip. I really like how you focused on one aspect of the rhetorical situation, such as the audience, in your pathos section. Specifically, when you mention how the audience is able to reflect on personal memories at Seaworld. I think that’s an excellent point because directly applies to the use of pathos.
I feel the biggest constraint for SeaWorld is the controversy over whether the captivity of animals is beneficial or detrimental. A few other items may be the price, the location, what is there to do at SeaWorld, etc. I think the commercial does a good job at exploring the different activities at SeaWorld, but that it limits the number of animals shown, which I find to be the most influential appeal.
I definitely think it’s worth considering the specific ways in which SeaWorld appeals to millennials (other than calling it the millennial commercial) and why they think that’s effective. Their attitude towards the millennial generation, as I mentioned in class, seems pretty condescending—are we too dumb to remember the atrocities they’ve committed against animals? Specifically, how does the ad content target millennials? You said under pathos that they employ family values and want to convince audiences that it’s a nostalgic place. Are millennials more prone to nostalgia and family values than other generations? I think this is worth exploring further in your essay. Overall, great presentation and great topic! I can’t wait to see what you do with it.