Speedo Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Speedo uses various rhetorical devices in its imagery in order to persuade viewers to purchase their product. In an attempt to establish their own credibility by accessing the ethos appeal associated with Michael Phelps, Speedo focuses the main energy of certain ads, including the one reviewed for this assignment on Phelps. The swimsuit company links their own credibility with that of Phelps by connecting him with their brand, associating his accomplishments while wearing their swimsuits, thus establishing a connection between Phelps and a wider audience.

The Speedo ad, taken from a 2010 Speedo swimsuit catalog, features Phelps, clad in gym shorts and flip flops, leaning against the railing at the bottom of a set of bleachers and staring

into the distance. The most prominent wording in the picture is the quoted words “Worn by world champions. My Speedo.” At first glance it is hard to identify the purpose of the ad because it does not feature the brand’s signature swimwear. On closer inspection, however, the words below the main quote identify the ad as one for “Speedo Sport Footwear”, and name a couple of characteristics of the shoes. Finally, just below the footwear name, there is a short sentence naming Phelps and citing his fourteen (now twenty-three) gold medals.
The Speedo swimsuit is the most well known and commonly referred to swimwear brand in the entire world.

As part of this prestige, Speedo has established itself as one of the most prominent and reliable brands in competitive swimming, but for a long time the brand was focused mostly on Australian athletes, where Speedo was founded. As part of sports marketing it’s common for athletic brands to sign athletes to endorsement deals because of the fan bases they bring to the brand. This trend, set by basketball players with shoe deals like Michael Jordan’s groundbreaking deal with Nike, carries over to the sport of swimming, where no name attracts fans like Michael Phelps, the most iconic swimmer in American history. In this ad, Speedo attempts to use their own prestigious background and the name brand of Michael Phelps to establish credibility in the shoe market, which isn’t a product normally associated with the Speedo brand in the United States. Speedo as a brand occupies a very narrow niche athletic wear because of it’s focus on swimming, and many of Speedo’s advertisements aim at either expanding that view of Speedo to incorporate a broader product range, or expanding the target population by encouraging participation in activities already monopolized by

Speedo.
One of the effects Speedo uses is Chreia, which establish, or rather remind the audience, of, the credibility and preeminence of Michael Phelps. The ad includes text labeling the subject of the photo as “Michael Phelps 14 time Olympic gold medalist” for this very reason. Although well known in the swimming world beforehand, Michael Phelp became a national icon after his incredible eight medal performance in 2008. Speedo employs the 14 gold medals to not only remind the viewer that Michael Phelps sets records for winning, but also that he had earned 6 gold medals in the prior Olympics. This serves to bolster the credibility of Phelps as someone who has experience in the realm of swimming, despite Phelps having been only nineteen during his 2008 Olympic appearance.
Michael Phelps, “the Baltimore Bullet”, is arguably the most important figure in the sport of swimming. Many Americans even consider the sport of swimming synonymous with this Olympic champion who popularized the sport. Since the time when the My Speedo ad campaign was released, Phelps has further parlayed his fame into an agreement with European swim brand Aqua Sphere which draws comparisons to the deal Michael Jordan made with Nike, something unprecedented in sports outside of basketball. Over the past decades the name “Michael Phelps” has been constantly in the mouth of every swimmer, and no other swimmer even comes close to reaching the popularity and the ethical appeal of Phelps. By using Phelps in this ad, Speedo accesses the notoriety of Phelps in a subtle way, building their own ethos by association.
The main focus of the ad, the phrase “Worn By World Champions.

My Speedo”, uses Exergasia to clarify a common adage in the sportswear business and tie Phelps into a larger series of ads from. “Worn By World Champions”, although often worded differently is a common expression used by athletics companies. For example, Nike and Jordan brands use the phrase “Engineered to the exact specification of championship athletes” to express the very same idea, that successful athletes use their product. Speedo then clarifies the statement using the title of the ad campaign, “My Speedo” to note that Phelps, a “world champion” races in a Speedo swimsuit. By clarifying the common world champion statement with the more particular “My Speedo” statement, the ad ties Phelps into a larger group of people from fellow Olympians to aqua fitness class participants, and thus widens the brand’s target

audience.
The picture itself is not one that is necessarily flattering towards Phelps. While certainly not unflattering, the ad features Phelps calm, relaxed, and sporting more than a couple days of hair growth on both his chin and chest, which differ from the traditional shaved and powerful image normally depicted of an Olympic swimmer. The camera sits well below Phelps, as if to remind the viewer that they are looking at possibly the greatest athlete to walk the earth, but the overall feel is more pedestrian. The combination of attributes that antagonize those associated with swimmers, like chest hair and a beard paired with the powerful positioning and the camera angle, paint a picture of Phelps as an “everyday dude”, but still duly note his significant accomplishments.
In this ad, Speedo effectively uses Phelps to more closely tie themselves to American swimming, and simultaneously make an honest attempt to appeal to a wider audience. Although likely aimed at appealing to a large audience, the attempt is most effective in appealing to competitive swimmers than it is to the general public because of the association of Phelps. While the general public is aware of his accomplishments, the general public may not recognize Phelps outside of an Olympic swimming pool. However, a swimmer is more intimately familiar with all of Michael Phelps’ accomplishments, and would easily recognize him in any situation. Notwithstanding the greater appeal to the more specific audience, the ad is still effective in connecting with the general public, and thus accomplishes its purposes -- to connect to the viewer, and promote its product.