A Rhetorical Analysis Of A Celebrity By Sue Jozi

Every day consumers are exposed to thousands of advertisements, hindering companies to create a unique position and receive attention from buyers. Using celebrities can not only help businesses to create distinctive, memorable ads, but engender a positive effect on the attitude and sales intention towards the brand or product as well. Sue Jozi in her passage, argues that advertising through celebrities is not only unfair, but unethical. The author supports her claim by first giving examples of present day brands and objects endorsed by celebrities to get her audience to relate the topic to their everyday life. She continues by stating her position on the issue and explaining the offense she feels toward this type of advertisements. The author’s purpose is to persuade her audience that celebrity endorsement is

both misleading and insulting to the intelligence of the audience so that consumers will boycott this type of publication and push to legislate rules and guidelines for advertisers. The author establishes a critical tone for buyers of voting age. Although some may believe that advertisements through celebrities is deceptive and immoral, businesses possess the right to publicize their company as they please, while consumers possess the responsibility to use good judgement when purchasing a product.
Many perceive advertising through the testimony of famous individuals as unfair marketing and believe that it is irrelevant to both the quality and credibility of the product. It is argued that businesses with high quality products, but low revenue due to lack of familiarity or awareness from people, can not afford to hire a celebrity to be the face of their company. Though this may be correct, corporations that have worked extremely hard to build their businesses into what they are today, should possess the right to promote their products through familiar and respected people for the further prosperity of their company. Some believe that this kind of marketing “insults the intelligence of the reader” (Jozui), but the purpose of this advertising is simply to grab the attention of their audience. Naturally, people as whole tend to pay attention more closely when they are familiar or recognize something, because in the mind of the consumer, that person has some amount of credibility.
Many call celebrity endorsements unfair advertising, but the opposing viewpoint would see it as nothing but smart advertisement. A celebrity endorsing a product can give the product an instant freshness, an image which sets it above other products, and the opportunity for the company to move further afield, progress, and broaden their horizons in the industry. Celebrities also give a new dimension to the product as the product then becomes a part of the celebrities lifestyle and gives the product a positive reputation. A celebrity certainly can build brand credibility in a very short period of time by just having that product associated to them and their life.
Celebrity endorsing opens doors to the world for any brand and product as celebrities are not confined to a country or a culture.

Celebrities are accessible to the whole world just due to their ability to use media at their own convenience. Due to the presence of cinema and satellite television all over the world, celebrities are able to cross the barriers of culture and religion, reaching out to millions across the world. The celebrity is only there to promote the produc; nobody is forcing anyone to buy anything! When these celebrities then go onto endorse these products, it makes the whole world accessible to these brands, enabling the company to become a local, credible and recognized brand across the globe. Products which are endorsed by celebrities certainly have an advantage over their competitors, since the public tends to follow and replicate the lifestyles of the celebrities which they admire, leading them to buy the products, with a belief that the celebrity uses that product as well. Businesses that have the funds and privilege to have a famous representative are not trying to insult anyone’s intelligence, but merely help their companies

thrive.
Companies who seek growth are nothing but smart to seek celebrities to advertise their products; people idolize them; people listen to them. It is the choice of the customer whether or not they would like to purchase the product, not the responsibility of the company. Though it may be unfair to smaller businesses, every big company started small and worked their up to where they are today. Every business possesses the right to publicize their company as they please, while consumers possess the responsibility to use good judgement when purchasing a product.