How To Write A Rhetorical Analysis Of Toothpaste

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Toothpaste Troubles Popular brands and companies typically rely heavily on brand names to unfairly convince people to buy their specific product, even though another brand would likely work almost the same. In order to do this, those companies use many elements of ethos, but they also attempt to establish the superiority of their brand with logos and pathos. In the commercial, “Colgate Dentist DRTV,” the brand attempts to persuade consumers to buy Colgate Total toothpaste by presenting their name and relatable women, followed by attractive visuals, but ultimately the advertisement fails to provide enough logic to convince a well-informed audience that it truly matters which brand of toothpaste they buy, and that Colgate is better than any …show more content…

The commercial opens with a video of a smiling African-American woman discussing plaque, a common dental problem that many people can relate to, and that her dentist recommended Colgate Total to help. After that, a smiling white woman appears on the screen and explains that she assumed bleeding while brushing meant that she brushed her gums too hard, but her dentist explained that gingivitis could be the real cause, and Colgate Total could help. These women are multiracial, middle-age, and share stories common to many different types of people, causing adult consumers to begin to feel connected to them. After that, Colgate attempts to introduce an expert to further persuade the audience by having a man dressed as a dentist elaborate on the superiority of the brand, but Colgate fail to establish his personal credentials or the source of their claim that Colgate Total is the number one dentist recommended toothpaste. Colgate attempts successfully appears reliable, and also leans on the emotional appeal of attractive visuals instead of providing real …show more content…

The actor dressed as a dentist boldly asserts, “Only Colgate Total has an antibacterial ingredient.” The simple statement without a source does not logically convince adults who think about the fact that other brands probably contain a different antibacterial ingredient. The brand attempts to provide additional logic, but this too has no clear basis. The man states, “Only Colgate Total reduces plaque by up to 98% and gingivitis by up to 88%.” These statements appear in text on the screen, but lack any listed sources or studies that could support the claim. Without another brand to compare Colgate Total to or studies proving the superior effectiveness of the toothpaste, many educated viewers could see that the commercial has no real scientific basis or supported logic behind its brazen claims, leaving the audience feeling as if Colgate simply provided them with a pretty face that will provide no real

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