M. Diane Krantz
English 2010.sec
March 12, 2004

A Word Worth a Thousand Pictures

I. Introduction: Description of arguments
Ford Explorers are advertised in newspapers, and magazines, as well as on television and the World Wide Web. Each venue has in common the purpose of selling the car to the widest audience possible, but an examination of the television commercial and the ad on the web site reveals vast rhetorical differences in the approaches. The TV commercial shows beautiful but rugged scenery with no real roads running to a desired arrival point. Strong-looking male models climb into the van and race across the landscape to their destination where they climb out of the Explorer and survey the landscape. The Web page, linked from a page offering a long list of Fords at a wide range of years, models, and prices, has a picture of a 2005 Explorer followed by 8 pages of text.
II. Contrast rhetoric:
A. Rhetorical differences­Situation
1. audience expectations
The tv ad provides lots of activity set against beautiful images. It seems to assume an audience that it must capture quickly and whose attention it must hold. It presumes, in other words, a typical television viewer who pays little or no attention to commercials unless they are accompanied by a certain amount of hype. The audience is mostly male caucasians who like to think of themselves as rugged, outdoorsy types. The composer is invisible in the ad which means that the ad must stand on its own. It will be shown many times during a day, a month, a year to maximize exposure to the same audience. It will attempt to sell its product by repetition and identification of the audience with the models.
The internet ad provides a maximum amount of reading with a minimum of images. It seems to assume an audience that has purposely sought the information it contains. Its audience is highly literate and discerning and is actively in the market for a car. It is middle class but probably upper middle class. The audience probably is already inclined to buy the Explorer but wants to know more about it, or, possibly, is choosing between a few different vehicles. The ad has an introduction and a summary for those who don't want quite so much information. The composer of the ad comes across as very knowledgeable but eager to be helpful. Said composer increases credibility by including negative aspects of the Explorer.
B. Rhetorical Differences­Strategies
The television ad employs the voice-over of an excited individual filled with enthusiasm. The announcer provides a short narrative that accords with the images shown, some comparison with other makers' vehicles, and a short description of features of the car that can't be seen. The theory behind the spoken text is that one picture is worth 1000 words, so a moving picture requires few words, indeed.
The web page uses multiple rhetorical methods. It begins with narration: "Ford sells more than 400,000 Explorers a year, making it the best-selling SUV and the sixth best-selling vehicle in America, and its held these titles for a dozen years." This information sets the stage for audience conviction of Ford excellence. The ad follows this information with description:
The Explorer is roomy and comfortable. It's capable of seating seven people when equipped with the optional third-row seat that folds flat into the cargo floor when not being used. For more luxurious comfort, second-row sport bucket seating is now available on Eddie Bauer and Limited models.
It also includes comparison and contrast both within the Ford family and outside it. "Buyers can choose between V6 and V8 engines, but the V6 provides plenty of power unless you're pulling trailers or live in the Rocky Mountain states where the air is thin. "
The Web Text even contains what might be seen as definition:
Safety Canopy Air Curtain System. Located in the roof, it is designed to help protect first- and second-row outboard occupants during side-impact or rollover accidents. The safety canopy is designed to improve side-impact protection by staying inflated for a longer period.
These multiple rhetorical strategies are part of the reason that the long text keeps its readers engaged, and the length of the text assures that the text flows smoothly despite its different methods. Each strategy adds information to whet the reader's appetite but in a different format.
1. Narration
2. Description
3. Process Analysis
4. Cause/Effect
5. Comparison/Contrast
6. Definition
7. Classification/Division

III. Clues that immediately distinguish them
A. Tone
The tone of the TV ad is one of excitement and high energy. It seems geared to create urgency in the viewer, partly because the speaker seems totally convinced of how great the Ford Explorer is. No sign of negativity appears in the ad­an important feature in something designed to be seen multiple times. The tone of the web page is almost neutral, by contrast. The voice imparts information in the form of description and statistics. It uses correctly technical terms that would be known to auto connoisseurs but defines new features simply and clearly. It points out deficiencies although it reserves these for near the end of the 8 pages where it concludes on a positive note in the summary. The ad ends in a familiar tone of an older sibling giving the buyer advice: "Ford Explorer rides smoothly, handles well, and the interior packaging is well thought out and executed. It's a great vehicle for long trips. Comfortable and convenient, it quickly becomes an old friend."
B. Generic differences (medium used and its properties)
The television commercial is created for maximum visual impact. For much of its two minutes, the ad displays the background of towering mountains and craggy rocks prominently. The voice-over rises at the start and the end of the ad to makes its chief point: the Explorer is better than any other car in its class. The internet ad provides not only a great deal of text but links to more information, including that of Explorer dealers within or close to the viewer's zip code. Hyperlinks allow viewers to comparison shop from dealer to dealer. The internet user finishes the use of the web site ready to go out and buy the van.
IV. Claims of each
The claim of both ads is that the Ford Explorer is a great car for one's needs and that it is better than the competition at meeting those needs. The TV ad has the implied claim that, not only will the Ford explorer get you anywhere in the country that you want to go, but that it will make you an adventurer, able to do rugged activities. The Internet ad contains many claims including the implied claim that the Ford Explorer is a nice homey car: that paying $30-40,000 for a vehicle isn't extravagant.
The more credible ad seems to be the one from the Internet. It contains tremendous amounts of data on the car, is honest about the price, gives alternatives among the various types of Explorers, and concedes that they lack certain features that other SUVs possess. Ironically the admission of imperfection makes the ad seem more appealing. Then, again, it probably has only one shot at the consumer as opposed to the TV ad which will announce its message over and over. The ads are designed to do different things: the tv ad to convince the viewer of the need for an Explorer, the Internet to help make the final decision. The latter does its job very well.

Word count 1168.