The Covergirl ad from 2016 includes a picture of Zendaya and a bottle of the Super
Sizer Fibers by Lashblast. In this ad, Zendaya has on the mascara that is being advertised. At the bottom left hand corner, the mascara is shown but it opened and there is a black liquid streak. The word “Covergirl” is written above Zendaya’s head in a light blue color which is the same color as the mascara bottle to present a color scheme. The photo is a close-up photo which only presents Zendaya from her head to her shoulders, so the viewers can focus on the mascara product. The mascara is the second largest image of the ad, so the viewer can focus on the product that is being advertised. At the bottom of the page, there are some stats of how long lasting the product is. The advertisement uses effective uses of logos, ethos and pathos to convince the audience to by this Covergirl product.
The first appeal of this advertisement is ethos, which is present when Covergirl uses Zendaya as the front cover to convince the viewer to buy the product. Covergirl is one of the most popular makeup companies and they hire well-known celebrities, so the viewer can be persuaded to buy a product that a celebrity uses. Zendaya is a very famous celebrity, she is a well-known actress and artist. To get the viewers’ attention, Covergirl uses a celebrity such as Zendaya, because she is a superstar and she has a fan base. People show a great support for celebrities they admire and if they see them use a certain product, the viewer will believe that it is also good for them.
Using celebrities such as Zendaya helps heighten the appeal of the product that is being advertised. According to Ritu Issan, having a celebrity advertising the product helps with brand recall. When a consumer is shopping they will easily remember the product due to it being endorsed by a certain celebrity (Issan par. 4). When the viewer sees Zendaya looking stunning because of small tube of mascara, there is a temptation to buy the product.
As explained previously, many brands use celebrities to help encourage the sales of the product being advertised. Consumers are more likely to buy the product because they pair with a familiar face. Companies pair celebrities with their brands using classical conditioning procedures. Classical conditioning is a response someone has to a neutral stimulus that one its own wouldn’t cause that response. Companies uses the presence of a celebrity on the ad to “make a positive inference about the product” (Tim et al. 182).
Covergirl uses such tactics to get the viewer’s attention by putting Zendaya and the product on the cover to persuade the viewer to buy such product. If the consumer is a fan of Zendaya, they might buy such product because to them “celebrities hold a place in consumers mind” (Tim et al. 182), and have a higher chance buying the product to look like a celebrity. Companies use tactic as celebrity endorsements using classical conditioning to encourage the audience to buy their products. There are many advantages to celebrity endorsements but there are also some disadvantages. If the celebrity becomes caught up in bad publicity or a scandal, then the consumer might reevaluate the brand that the celebrity endorses.
The second appeal is shown by using logos to give the viewer’s facts about the product to persuade them to buy the product. At the bottom center of the print ad it says, “29,00 fibers in every tube-for volume”. These facts are present in the ad to persuade the audience that product will not only have more product but give more volume to the lashes. Adding such numbers on the ad makes it seem more legitimate to the viewer. Covergirl presents a statistic of “400%” to allow the audience to fully understand what the product does.
The third appeal that Covergirl uses is pathos and this can be present in the look and emotion of the ad. In the ad, Zendaya confidence and the same time having a very soft and angelic face. The facial expression used by Zendaya is good because it evokes an emotional response in the viewer. The advertisement also uses a font and color choice to target a specific message and audience. Based on the color and font scheme of the print ad, the view can infer that the ad is for a feminine audience. The advertisement uses bold colors such as black, blue and purple to grab the viewers’ attention. The colors together present class, sophistication, honesty, royalty and are shown clearly along with Zendaya’s classic look. Zendaya hair is all slicked back in a very elegant high ponytail and in a black blouse, and it is finished off with a classic and simple makeup.
In conclusion the advertisement uses ethos, pathos, logos, and color scheme very well to engage the viewer and encourage them to buy the product. Ethos is present in the ad when Covergirl uses Zendaya as a celebrity endorsement. Covergirl used such tactic to grab the viewer’s attention to buy their product when they associate with a well-known face.
Logos is present in the ad when they present facts such as more and statistics to persuade the viewer to buy that product. When presenting facts about the product, it allows the audience to know about the product, so they know what they are buying. Pathos is also present in the print ad with the emotion and makeup look of Zendaya. Her facial expression is one of confidence which allows the viewer to infer that if they use such product then they too will ooze confidence. The color scheme and font also play a huge role in the print ad. The color scheme is very bold and classy which matches Zendaya’s makeup and hairstyle. This print ad does a very job in present three of Aristotle’s appeals of ethos, logos and pathos.
Works cited
- Dulgan, Andrew. “Ethos, Pathos, Logos: 3 Pillars of Public Speaking.” Six Minutes, 10 Jan. 2010, sixminutes.dlugan.com/ethos-pathos-logos/. Accessed 13 November 2017
- Insaan, Ritu. “Why Do Advertisers Use Celebrities.” Why Do, 26 Apr. 2013, www.why.do/why-do-advertisers-use-celebrities/. Accessed 13 November 2017
- Till, Brian D., Sarah M. Stanley, and Randi Priluck. “Classical conditioning and celebrity endorsers: An examination of belongingness and resistance to extinction.” Psychology & Marketing, vol. 25, no. 2, Feb. 2008, pp.179-196.
