Verrocchio's Workshop

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06/19/2018   

"Mercedes-Benz, the Best or Nothing": Rhetorical Analysis

by 

H. E. Drew

 

     Owning an animated film production company and spending several years producing a high definition computer generated 23-minute-long film, I enthusiastically took on the challenge to analyze a television commercial using rhetorical methodology. I performed a scene-by-scene visual dissection.  This was accomplished by interpreting the visuals into text. This is found in the Appendix. Then I simplified the fundamental elements. I called them "The Thesis," "The Heroic Rescue," "The Escape," "The Evidence," "Let the Fun and Games Begin," and "The Conflation."

 

The Visual Analysis 

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  Within the first two scenes, "The Thesis," a youthful happy female embracing a cheerful dog sets the mood of the commercial by establishing a pathos appeal to an audience. Rescuing a dog from impoundment will make you a happy hero is the thesis of the skit within the commercial. The next two scenes, “The Heroic Rescue,” involve a couple diligently pursuing and finding that perfect rescue pet. Many animal lovers, animal activist, and young couples can empathize with this situation.  The rescued dog, now in the back of a new Mercedes is whisked away from its city prison and embarks on an adventure with the young altruistic couple. For “The Escape” to happen, the skit implies there is need for a tool to save the victim. The tool is the Mercedes. The next scenes provide "The Evidence" to support this conjecture. The dog enthusiastically takes in a beautiful rural environment from an open window of the Mercedes. The door is open for the happy creature by the kind soft spoken young woman. “Let the Fun and Games Begin” starts when the joyous couple together engage in an exciting game of fetch and the freed dog leaps for joy as the fun and games begin. Logos appeal is used in this choreographed story. Saving an animal, taking an adventurous drive and playing games with the animal would make most young couples temporarily happy. “The Conflation,” this commercial combines several subjects and offers only one resolution to the problem: a tool is needed to assist the rescuers in the escape of a compounded dog. The tool is a Mercedes. False! The tool could be one’s own feet; or having a vehicle other than one made by Mercedes to carry the dog away, just to name two of many possible options. There are also different possibilities for "The Escape." The commercial implies "The Escape" must be to the countryside to find happiness with the rescued animal. An alternative is that the couple could walk to a city park near their city apartment. The existential possibilities are many but left out for they do not support the intent to lease a Mercedes. This logical fallacy called False Choice is predominant in this commercial.

  

The Narration and Text 

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     During the portion of the commercial called, "Let the Fun and Games Begin," precise timing also known as kairos manipulates the audience, setting the stage for the Mercedes lease pitch. The narrator says” This summer add a new member to the family at the Mercedes-Benz Summer Event.” He does not say add a rescue dog to the family. He does not say add a Mercedes to the family. Once again, there is a conflation of two different subjects, the rescue dog and the Mercedes. The narrator gives a very brief description of leasing conditions. The final section switches to a black screen with the Mercedes-Benz's trademark dominating the left of the screen, the text “Summer Event”, “Share your summer moments in your Mercedes-Benz with us. #MBsummer”, and "Summer Event.” fills the rest of the screen. The final statement by the narrator is, “Mercedes-Benz, the best or nothing.” This is a logical fallacy called Bad Example. The statement is simply wrong. There are many quality vehicles to choose from and some types of quality vehicles are not offered by Mercedes such as a fully electric sports sedan like the Tesla model S or an electric sports car like the Tesla Roadster Model. 

 

The Music

 

  Another example of kairos within the commercial is found within the music element. The following lyrics can clearly be heard within this production:” I know these winding roads will lead me home, to you I’ll go.” The winding road portion of the video is in perfect synchronization with the winding road portion of the lyrics.  The music has a slow soothing tempo and calming peaceful message. The music used is called “Side by Side” performed by Layup. Layup is a collaboration between singer Chris Henderson, and producer Chad Copelin.

  

The Implication and Conclusion 

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  "The Thesis," achieving happiness is found by rescuing a dog from impoundment. A Mercedes is the tool needed for the "Heroic Rescue" to "Let Fun and Games Begin." In short, to achieve happiness, lease a Mercedes. The commercial's arguments are full of fallacious logic. It primarily relies on the use of Aristotelian pathos appeal for persuasion. Thorough rhetorical analysis with a critical eye, exposes fallacious logic and manipulative audience appeal. This analysis furthers one's rhetorical knowledge base.

 

Appendix: Scene-by-scene Visual Dissection 

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     A young couple moves towards a small group of people. They surround a dog at the end of a hall. A youthful young woman embraces the dog. The young couple arrives at a barred cell. This is seen from within the cell. Looking into the cell through the bars, a different sad and lonely dog is lying on a hard bed. The music begins to play. Next, this dog is in the back seat of a new Mercedes. In the following two scenes; a blueish-silver Mercedes is followed as it leaves the city and becomes the soul vehicle traveling on an open winding road. Next, the dog looking out the window of the new vehicle, sees a thick grove of trees, and a stable with a white horse all surrounded by a white picket fence. The Mercedes slows as it emerges from a single lane road engulfed by beautiful large trees. The backside of the Mercedes is seen parked. A 30s or 40s farming vehicle is in the background. The young woman opens the door for the dog while the young man dutifully accesses the content of the cargo-space. The woman whispers “come on” to the dog as it cheerfully exits the Mercedes. The dog’s paws hit a ground covered in long green grass. The dog is between the tire of the Mercedes and the woman wearing her perfectly laced new casual tennis-shoes. The dog with a new collar, a mountain in the background awash in sunshine leaps with excitement; also, awash in sunshine, the woman in the immediate foreground and the man next to her in the background looks skyward as the woman tosses something in the air. If carefully observed, both the woman and man appear to be smiling. The narration begins. The dog chases the object running from right to left across the beautiful background. The dog with object retrieved, runs left to right across a similar background but with three new Mercedes dominating the background. “Mercedes-Benz Summer Event.” now magically appears across the sky. The dog exits the video on the right and a black screen with white text stating "2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300" accompanied by a lease agreement is on the screen. 

  

  Reflecting on the Rhetorical Analysis: Rhetoric and Advertising.  

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During the initial stages of this analysis, I relied on experience with film production by paying close attention to every scene. I knew marketers often produced short stories designed with the intent to push a sale of a product: a work of fiction, crafted by artist, guided by skilled marketers that represents a client's product. There is no two-way conversation, no discourse and very little truth when creating a work of fiction. As I dissected every scene, I not only could see the characters acting out a skit, but I also took note of subtle stereotyping and implied social expectations imposed on the viewer. The driving motivation was to make young attractive women happy. As per the couple, the woman's happiness was primary, and the man's role was supportive and serious. He only achieved an appearance of joy when the job of getting the female and the dog to the final destination where the female and dog found joy. I also saw one-upmanship as a device to appeal to the audience. A sort of contrived imposed snobbery. In the initial scenes, the lone woman was happy to be embracing a dog, but the second woman had a partner, had a new vehicle and got to immediately go on an adventure. I look at this other layer of rhetoric as the fallacy named ad populum. This theory is supported by the client's motto, "Mercedes-Benz, the Best or Nothing." I also consider it as social engineering. When fallacy is repeated throughout a society, logic is diminished. Conjecture supported by belief replaces theory supported by factual evidence. I could break the analysis down even further by examining each character's point of view. Close examination of subtle phycological and sociological aspects can be explored. An empathetic emersion attempting to explore key individuals' involvement in the production of the commercial, from the artist and marketers who directed the content to the manufacturers of the product all are relevant. 

 

Works Cited 

"Mercedes-Benz Summer Event TV Commercial, 'Rescue' Song by Layup." iSpot.tv. https://www.ispot.tv/ad/dA3m/mercedes-benz-summer-event-a-new-family-member-song-by-layup.  Accessed on [6/18/2018].