This is an intriguing weight loss Ad I found from Brazil. It
is attempting to persuade overweight and obese people to join a gym called Companhia
Athletica. It caught my eye because of its blatant use of rhetorical strategies
such as projection and illusion. Also, I chose this ad because it reveals a part
of the weight loss process that’s often left out: the journey. In my paper, I uncover
why it is so important to include this aspect of weight loss in ads and how its
exclusion can halt healthy progress. I use obesity related research to back up
the following claims. First, weight loss ads (like the one above) paint themselves
as saviors for those seeking a healthy lifestyle yet mask it as encouragement.
Second, they use rhetorical strategies like projection to distract the audience
with one problem so as to delay the acknowledgement of the real problem. Third,
these kind of ads depict obese persons in a negative light in effort to invoke
immediate action. I reveal that this action is good initially but does not last
in the long run and only seems to harm the obese person. These claims are
important because obesity and weight loss are important factors in health and
medicine and there’s plenty of rhetoric out there dealing wrongly with both
concepts. In addition, I believe it is important to be truthful about the weight
loss journey if obese people are ever going to find successful and lasting body
transformation. This goal isn’t only bound to exercise related weight loss ads
but can be molded to other related arenas, such as food, support groups, and
general lifestyle changes. These rhetorical connections prove to me that weight
loss is a wholesome art, despite its frequent depiction as a singular entity. Thus,
if advertisements truly want obese people to find success in health, they must
pursue a wholesome approach to weight loss. More specifically, if gyms want
success, they must pursue a wholesome approach to weight loss.
Discussion Questions:
1.
What would a “wholesome weight loss Ad” look
like? What are some other solutions?
2.
Are my claims realistically problematic? What are some claims that come to mind when you view this Ad?
3.
How do you feel when you view weight loss Ads?
What kinds of problems arise in your mind?
4.
What is your opinion on the way weight loss
advertisers paints themselves as saviors? What are some other Ads in which you
have seen this done?
I find it interesting that the body types used in this illustration are what i would consider to be at the extremes. On the one hand we have to very fit, thin, muscled woman and at the other end we have the morbidly obese person of slightly vague gender. In a way I feel that this is targeting women specifically, telling them that they should look this way or else they're failing and aren't really women. Additionally the body type they used is not necessarily realistic for all women--not all of us will have this perfectly proportioned body type.
ReplyDeleteWeight loss ads are very good at inciting a guilty and tension filled feeling to take action. For weight loss or fitness ads, this will be effective to incite action as you mentioned, but where it falls short rhetorically, is providing a space for those who want to take action to feel supported, instead of guilty, to continue healthy behaviors.
ReplyDeleteAs Graham mentioned above, almost all weight loss ads make the audience feel guilty by advertising these perfect bodies that are almost impossible to achieve. I think some simple solutions would to add some more body types in there ad, such as someone who is not considered obese but just slightly above weight so it grabs a broader audience. This ad does cause some problems, the "fit" women is in such great shape that it may make the audience think "wow, I will never be able to be in such great shape as her, why bother". Also, I am curious of what the quote on the bottom left part of the ad translates to?
ReplyDeleteThe quote on the side translates to:
Delete"Discover the healed little body hidden somewhere in its balance."
Your claim about "the journey" really stands out to me. This is a very important aspect of weight loss that is not taken into account with ads like these. I attribute this to our society of instant gratification. Getting in shape is hard. It is not something that happens over night. Because of this, it is a tough product to market, unless the struggle is removed from the issue. I think another way this ad could have been analyzed is through termanistic screens. What is being reflected and what is being deflected? In this case, I would say results are what is being reflected and the the process that one has to go through to achieve these results are what is being deflected.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Courtney's point about our society being about instant gratification. Losing weight (especially the amount of weight difference that is shown in the ad) takes a lot of work and a lot of time. It won't happen overnight. I think a more wholesome weight-loss ad would illustrate the fact that losing weight takes many small changes that are maintained over a significant amount of time. An ad that actually gives suggestions about small healthy changes would be much more effective than acting as "saviors." Joining a gym isn't really going to help you if you don't know how/don't have the motivation to work out at a gym.
ReplyDeleteThe main problem with this ad is that it doesn't leave any room for different body types. You're either a monster or extremely fit. Though I realize the advertisement company probably did not intend for its ad to cause this type of predicament, it simply puts most people in the really fat category. This therefore creates guilt and worry, which either leads to the person going to the gym or simply becoming over sensitized and not doing anything about it.
ReplyDeleteI think this ad is very interesting as there is so much rhetoric surrounding obesity and weight loss campaigns. They often try to make people feel negative emotions about their bodies using ethos, which helps get immediate action and boost sales. However, usually weight loss does not happen right away so the ad is definitely misleading. I really like the discussion question about what would a “wholesome weight loss Ad” look like. Perhaps it would look something like the Dove Real Beauty Campaign which depicts women of all different sizes. An ad like this would motivate people to accept a healthy lifestyle instead of a quick fix.
ReplyDelete