A Rhetorical Analysis of the advertisement “Like A Girl”
The company Always is a brand of feminine hygiene products and has been in business since 1984. The advertisement analyzed within this essay seeks to catch the viewer’s eye and cause the female viewer to associate that product with themselves and their life experiences through the phrase “Like A Girl.” As a result of this advertisement Always has high hopes that this will cause their product sales to escalate. Throughout this essay the underlying meaning, goals, target audience, the appeal to pathos, as well as the media landscape will be analyzed and broken down. Always’ advertisement and their message “LikeAGirl” seeks to convey a strong directive that not only every young maturing girl but also all women at one time need to hear when beginning and continuing on the journey of womanhood.
The advertisement setting is a normal casting room with a blue bright backdrop and the angles and frames used by the director gives the viewer a glimpse into the making of a advertisement and makes the viewer feel like they aren’t really watching an advertisement but instead taking part in that process. This commercial reaches out and appeals more to the female audience than to men. It reaches out to women from all types of incomes, ethnicities and ages. A young girl starts adolescence anywhere between 8 and 13 so the advertiser and advertisement are trying to reach any female from ages 8 to 45. The product the advertisement is trying to sell is a necessity to every woman at the age specified as well as appealing to parents who want to purchase the product that makes their daughter the happiest.
With this being said this product must be available to most types of incomes both low and high. Despite there being a great debate in America today that these products should be free because women cannot go without them, feminine products are hard to obtain within some ethnicities and income levels. The fact that the advertisement appeals more to women is very important; we see the advertiser use everyday people dressed in normal clothes, doing everyday actions and not just attractive models dressed in revealing clothes like most other advertisements. This shows that the director and advertiser wanted the advertisement to be as relatable as possible. The director and advertiser made sure as well to include all ethnicities, colors of hair, age, and even added some males into the video in hopes that it would appeal to any and everyone.
As well as being available to most women this advertisement can be viewed within a wide expansion of the media landscape from doctor’s offices, commercials on your television, popup ads on social media, and possibly even magazine articles in all types of places and types of magazines. In order to reach a wide audience and all types of females this advertisement will need to be accessible to all on the media. All types of people have some type of media so the advertiser seeks to efficiently depict the product and use the advertisement across all types of media landscapes. This commercial can be assumed to be a high-cost advertisement because the length of the ad is three minutes and eighteen seconds whereas most low-cost ads are 30 seconds if not a bit longer. This advertisement as well was placed as a commercial on the super bowl, which costs up to an estimated $4 million. The advertiser uses the high-cost of this ad to make sure the advertisement is available to many across the globe.
Normally Always’ advertisements focus on just how durable and great their products are. This advertisement however was fresh and new, and sought to not talk about their products except their name. Despite talking of their products explicitly this advertisement was done with the hopes that females either already knew their name or would like the message so much the viewer would look up the brand and product being sold. Instead of using their platform to talk about generic products, they used their wide platform to reach the next generation of consumers and millennial girls in the face of multiplying competition and growing shame of adolescence. The advertisement was used as well to bring confidence and strength to those who think of the phrase “Like A Girl” negatively. This was in the hopes of appealing and empowering those women and girls who struggle with being characterized as weak because of their sex.
Where most ads would use models either men or women scantily dressed during sexually themed advertisements to attract people’s attention. Always however, throughout the ad uses real life people to connect to the pathos of the viewer and cause them to relate to the sport like actions the director has the people do. This ad can really hit home in most women’s hearts and cause then to relate that phrase “Like A Girl” to their products and advertisements. The advertiser as well uses the phrase “When does’ like a girl become an insult?” to appeal to the audience directly and cause the viewer to see the harmful impacts that comparing “female” to “weak” can form. Always goal was to make us view “Like A Girl” as a compliment by the ending of the advertisement and hopefully be confident in our sex because being female is not a setback like many see it. This advertisement is used to empower and help that confidence that plummets for most during adolescence to escalate.
Women need to empower other women and this ad embodies that and each female viewing this should feel empowered, not alone, and supported by others. This ad also appeals to ethos by showing their knowledge on young girls issues and demonstrating that they aren’t pushing to sell something but understand their emotional state. Logos as well is used to educate the viewer on the impact hurtful words such as “weak” and “like a girl” can have on a young female. It is therefore important and logical to educate viewers on topics such as this one because many do not understand that words can alter a person’s self esteem and once that is comprehended people change their behaviors much like the young boy in the video who when was asked to explain why being like a girl was a bad thing he couldn’t figure out or understand why it would be after it being put in perspective.
The advertisement also uses both the mirror and the windows strategy to connect with the viewer on a personal level. Throughout this ad the viewer is caused to see things within the mirror effect from people of all ages from mature adults all the way to young children, each having a different viewpoint on the phrase being mentioned “Like A Girl.” The director and advertiser does this with the hopes that no matter what age is watching the ad at that certain point and time will identify with the product and the people by seeing themselves reflected within this ad and the struggles they have gone through being characterized and told they do things weakly because they are a girl. This causes the viewer also to associate Always’ product with the phrase mentioned over and over “Like A Girl.” Using the windows effect the advertisement shows the empowerment and struggles causing the viewer to get so engulfed and taken back to a time when they went through such struggles that are within the advertisement and they forget they are just watching a commercial. The advertiser does a magnificent job of causing people to reflect and remember during such a relevant time within society. Such a simple ad like this one can have such a huge impact within society today.
The words that occasionally pop up on the screen are meant to capture the viewer’s eye and inform more of what is being brought to attention especially when asking the participants to execute something. For example when the words “What does it mean to do something Like A Girl?” (Always, 0:05) pops up on the screen, this gives the viewer the hint of the route this advertisement will take as well as the questions the director will follow with such as “Show me what it looks like to run like a girl” “Show me what it looks like to fight like a girl, now throw like a girl.” (Always, 0:15.) The older participants do these actions like most girls are socially perceived to do things such as running flailing their arms, worried about their hair, and not being able to hit hard or throw a ball. After asking such things of the original participants the words “We asked young girls the same question” (Always, 0:38) flashes onto the screen, girls 10 and younger are seen doing their best at the actions asked of them, running with passion, throwing the ball as hard as they can, and punching intensely.
The controversial question, “When did doing something like a girl become an insult?” (Always, 1:05) is shown across the screen and a boy from the original cast explains that he insulted most girls but definitely not his sister. A young girl then explains to the director and the viewers that “I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. It sounds like a bad thing, sounds like you’re trying to insult someone.” (Always, 1:20.) The words “A girl’s confidence plummets during puberty.” Always wants to change that.” (Always, 1:29) then flashes across the screen. The older and original cast realizes the underlying hurtful meanings of the way they executed those actions and try to encourage girls to keep doing what they’re doing cause it’s working and they shouldn’t be ashamed of being a girl. They’re then given a change to redeem themselves and execute the actions in a way that would encourage and uplift young girls. “Let’s make #LikeAGirl mean amazing things.” “Join us to champion girls’ confidence at Always.com.” (Always, 2:52) pops up onto the screen portraying the underlying meaning of this whole advertisement and drawing and wrapping up all the points made to a conclusion.
Within this essay we analyzed and broke down the media landscape, underlying meaning, goals, appeal to pathos, ethos, and logos, and target audience of the Always “Like A Girl” advertisement. After reviewing and analyzing the advertisement it can be concluded that the goals and campaign of the company Always has had a huge impact on females everywhere and this advertisement is meant to equip them with the confidence needed to take the world by storm and prove being female is not a setback or a problem and it should instead be embraced.
Works Cited.
- “Always #LikeAGirl.”
- Youtube, uploaded by Always, 26 June 2014.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs. Accessed, 25 September 2018
