Rhetorical eye magazine project by Natalie Browning

The Rhetorical Eye

What is Visual Rhetoric? pg. 2 Does Gatorade “Always Win”? pg. 5

Technology: What Will They Learn? pg. 9 1

Source: “Vision.”

What is Visual Rhetoric?

isual Rhetoric is an increas-

text, symbols, or anything else that

communicated effectively through

ingly broad genre of rheto-

the human being can view.

design choices, then that company

ric as it deals with anything visual:

or person in charge of the visual

ads, movies, commercials, posters,

attempts to cause someone else to

piece is more likely to have success

business cards, resumes, billboards,

think or feel or believe a certain

in winning over an audience.

or simple images spread across

way (whether to agree or disagree

media. There are many purposes of

with something) it is a form of

elements such as color, contrast,

rhetoric, and countless angles from

persuasion. Visual Rhetoric applies

repetition, alignment, unity, bal-

which to view rhetoric. However,

this no differently than written

ance, and proximity to make a

put somewhat simply rhetoric is

materials would. Visual Rhetoric

presentation that is appealing and

any mode or means of persuasion

uses design elements, text, color,

easy to focus on. Not only this,

in communication. This commu-

and images to produce some-

but when a presentation is easy to

nication could refer to anything

thing that is visually pleasing and

focus on, it’s more likely a viewer

written, spoken, or seen. Thus,

eye-catching. This brings viewers

will absorb the underlying message

visual rhetoric would be any mode

in and causes them to look and

being sent. Bad design (improper

or means of persuasion by images.

take in what is being communi-

use or a lack of these design ele-

This could include pictures, film,

cated. If the message intended is

ments) can result in an advertising

Whenever someone

Visual rhetoric uses design

flop. So it is crucial that a designer

(Messaris 210). But what is real-

pictures, symbols, text and other

is well educated and practiced in

ity? Is it subjective or objective?

visual elements in specific and

these skills.

I’d argue it’s a little of both. There

deliberate ways to communicate

are hard cold facts in life such as

messages and convert others to

In addition to these ele-

ments, designers of visual rhetoric

basic needs,

must consider the perceptions

names, where

and cultures of their audiences,

places are, etc.

as well as the rhetorical strategies

However, each

they are implementing. Audiences

human is an

have various needs to be met and

individual with

various backgrounds to be under-

his or her own

stood. When a designer can truly

perspectives,

connect with the target audience,

morals, judgments, and experi-

drawings to Cicero’s speeches to

he or she is able to build almost a

ences.

television to political posters. Each

relationship with them, and the ad

or other form of visual rhetoric is

the same for everyone, in that

“performing and seeing, remember-

more meaningful and memorable.

sense. This is why designers and

ing and memorializing, confronting

As well, designers must be sen-

writers incorporate Aristotle’s three

and resisting, commodifying and

sitive to the rhetorical techniques

main rhetorical appeals: ethos,

consuming, governing and autho-

and fallacies present in their work.

pathos, and logos. If an ad success-

rizing” and so on. Each of these

Using the wrong type of rhetoric

fully connects with the sentiments

and more all fall under rhetoric’s

can offend people, which can cause

of its audience, is logical, and is

“range of powers that discourse

serious repercussions for a com-

credible or believable, it is more

can leverage in cultural life”

pany. Designers must be tasteful

effective. We all make statements,

(Visual xxv). There are reasons and

not only in what is presented but

pose questions, and issue demands.

motives behind what we communi-

also in how it’s presented.

In doing each of these things, we

cate and how it’s presented. Visual

are asserting our opinions and

rhetoric involves both, focusing

Fleckenstein, “all communication

beliefs, often hoping others will

largely on how and why we see

is rhetorical, insofar as it is a means

share them. With visual rhetoric,

what we see. ■

of constructing social reality”

companies and individuals use

According to Kristie

“Audiences have various needs to be met and various backgrounds to be understood.”

Life or reality isn’t exactly

their causes. Bruce E. Gronbeck discusses visual rhetoric throughout centuries, from caveman

of these has a purpose such as

Works Cited Visual Rhetoric: A Reader in Communication and American Culture. Eds. Lester C. Olson, Cara A. Finnegan,

Diane S. Hope. LA: SAGE, 2008. Print.

Messaris, Paul. “Review Essay: What’s Visual About ‘Visual Rhetoric’?”. Quarterly Journal of Speech 95.2

(May 2009):210–223. Web. 25 June 2014.

“Vision.” Roberto Clemente School: School of Excellence. Schoolwires, Inc. 2014. Web. 8 Aug. 2014.

Tips For Successful Visual Rhetoric: 1. Follow basic rules of design including: contrast, repetition, alignment, &

Champion Over Water:

proximity. 2. Be aware of your audience’s perspectives and cultures. 3. Use rhetorical strategies with wisdom and sensitivity—careful not to offend. 4. Appeal to your audience’s feelings, beliefs, and biases. 5. Prove you’re credible—your audience will pay more attention to you. 6. Match your design scheme to your purpose—Are you informing, persuading, calling to action, governing, resisting, etc? 7. Avoid visual noise—less is more!

Does Gatorade Always Win?

Source: Kevin R. Gerstel

plat. “Gatorade always wins!” is

In “Gatorade: Boxing” as well as

image with bold colors, focusing in

the tagline stamped across Gato-

its sibling ads, the sports drink is

the center on the Gatorade stand-

rade’s 2010 ads persuading athletes

shown as victorious over generic

ing in a boxing arena (see fig. 1).

(and others) to choose Gatorade

unlabeled bottles of water, a move

Surrounding the boxing arena is

as their drink of choice. The com-

on the company’s part that not just

a crowd of indistinguishable fig-

pany designed clever ads such as

emphasizes their product but may

ures. The colors around the arena

“Gatorade: Boxing” among others

pose controversial in an implicit

and in the crowd are murky and

to personify Gatorade as an athletic

reference to the sports drinks vs.

dark, with lots of black and dark

champion. “Gatorade: Boxing” spe-

water debate.

deep blues. As well, a slight mist or

cifically was advertised by Gatorade

smoke swirls around sides of the

and PepsiCo in the United Arab

and design of “Gatorade: Boxing”

image, further blurring the back-

Emirates to promote Gatorade’s

are extremely eye-catching and

ground and bringing extra clarity

lemon-lime flavor (“Gatorade”).

dynamic. The ad is a large animated

and focus to the main image in the

To begin with, the layout

center—the Gatorade and water

splattered as if stamped force-

the Gatorade by all means and that

bottle points directly to the bottom

have boxing gloves “on” signaling

compares these two products and

bottle. This prevents distraction

fully onto the ad. The words are

it’s on the ground, spilled. However

righthand corner where Gatorade’s

they are “duking it out.” However,

ultimately one will come out as the

and helps focus the viewer on the

not uniformly aligned, bringing a

viewers are brought to focus longer

logo and motto “Refresh, Replen-

the scene of the image significantly

champion, better than the other. In

product promoted by the com-

sense of movement or action which

on the powerful and brighter image

ish, Refuel” are. Across the very

takes place after Gatorade strikes

this ad, the champion is definitely

pany.

propels the viewer forward to the

of Gatorade because, as this is a

bottom is a green stripe of the same

its winning punch against water.

Gatorade.

rest of the ad. The brightly colored

Gatorade ad, the company would

color and pattern that is on many

Spotlights shine on the lemon-lime

ever-pleasing Z-pattern in “Gato-

bottle of lemon-lime Gatorade is

naturally want viewers and poten-

of the Gatorade bottles. This only

sports drink. The Gatorade bottle

not only does “Gatorade: Box-

rade: Boxing.” In the upper lefthand

in the front and center, definitely

tial buyers to remember their prod-

further emphasizes the product and

is covered in condensation, which,

ing” show Gatorade as competing

corner, the slogan “Gatorade always

taking most of the main focus of

uct. The water bottle is below the

helps the viewer make connections

in comparison to an athlete, could

against water, but so does its fellow

wins!” is stamped in all caps. The

the ad, a faint glow surrounding the

bottle of Gatorade, knocked down

to remember Gatorade next time

humorously be seen as its “perspi-

ads “Gatorade: Taekwondo” and

font is a bold, sans serif, white

upper half of the bottle. Viewers

and not as brilliantly lit or col-

then enter the grocery store. From

ration.” The bottle of water is laying

“Gatorade: Running” (“Gatorade”).

grunge font that looks almost

are meant to see the water below

ored. The open mouth of the water

the bold white grunge “Gatorade

horizontal on the floor of the arena,

This brings us to the controversy at

always wins!” to the large bright

uncapped, water spilled all over the

hand: is Gatorade trying to make a

Gatorade bottle champion, then to

ground in puddles and splashes.

statement against water, or did the

the spilled water bottle and down

When compared to the actual

company simply choose water to

to the logo, Gatorade does a great

sport of boxing this ad may even

represent any beverage other than

job at sending a message, capturing

come across as somewhat graphic

Gatorade in an effort to avoid nam-

viewers with a powerful colorful

in nature because the spilled water

ing any other company or compet-

image to linger on, and then direct-

could be analogous to blood spilled

itor? If attempting to avoid labeling

ing them to the company or brand

in an actual boxing ring. Boxing is

or calling out other competitors,

last of all. It is implicitly well-or-

a sport all about one on one

ganized in a rather action-driven

combat. It can be extremely

advertisement.

violent. This gives the

viewer a sense of compe-

Gatorade also uses the

Fig. 1: “Gatorade: Boxing”

“Gatorade: Boxing” is clev-

erly designed to emit a strong feel-

tition between two people

ing of competition. To begin with

or, in the case of the ad,

the obvious, the setting is a boxing

two products. By using the

arena—a place of extreme compe-

boxing arena as the setting

tition. Two contestants are shown:

of the ad, it is made clear

Gatorade and water. Both bottles

to the viewer that this ad

It is important to note that

“It is implicitly well-organized in a rather action-driven advertisement.” 7

using water was arguably the safest

can be heavily argued on either side

just might not always be right.

bet in still demonstrating competi-

and may pose a touchy subject for

tion with their product. However,

the company.

as Gatorade are formulated for

if making a statement of Gatorade’s

and targeted towards athletes, it

superiority to pure water, Gato-

the fallacy of the word “always.”

makes sense for Gatorade to made

rade may face some trouble there.

“Always” is a dangerous word to use

a fun advertisement personifying

Human bodies are largely made up

because just as someone attempts

their product as an athlete and the

of water and require a certain min-

to generalize, there will often be

embodiment of success and power.

imum amount each day to survive

someone else to can or will try to

After all, success and power or

and thrive. Athletes, who expend

contradict it with an exception. For

prowess is desired by many athletes.

lots of energy and lose lots of water

instance, Gatorade may assert that

Yet, it is quite ironic that in making

through sweat, need plenty of water

their drinks always win (or succeed

the perhaps safer choice of using

to replenish and stay healthy and

in hydrating, nourishing, and/or

generic water as its competitor,

energized. Can Gatorade, which

otherwise benefitting its drinker in

Gatorade is still unable to avoid

contains sugar, artificial colors

some way). However, what about

controversy. So who really wins?

and flavors, and other substances,

those who have certain illnesses,

Does Gatorade? In its ad Gatorade

really compete with water as the

conditions, allergies, or deficiencies

would assert a big “yes.” When crit-

best drink for an athlete? Gatorade

that could be exacerbated by the

ically analyzed piece by piece, how-

is formulated to aid in hydration.

sugary sports drinks Gatorade pro-

ever, there are some serious flaws

However, even if Gatorade hydrates

motes? Would Gatorade necessarily

and questions that arise, questions

just as well as or better than plain

be a “winning choice” for those

that may not be as simple to judge.

pure water, is it necessarily better

people? Probably not. Beware using

Maybe Gatorade does not always

for the body overall? This question

“always” when possible because it

win.■

Another issue might be

Because sports drinks such

Technology:

We Choose How They Learn

Works Cited “Gatorade always wins.” Advertolog: Advertising & Commercials. Lixil Graphics Ltd, 2014. Web. 5 July 2014. Figure 1. “Gatorade: Boxing.” PepsiCo. May 2010. DDB Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Advertolog:

Advertising & Commercials. Web. 5 July 2014.

Gerstel, Kevin R. “gloves blak bkgrd.” 13 Strikes Boxing & Fitness. n.d. Web. 8 Aug. 2014.

Works Cited alive-enough_lead. Lauren Randolph. Flickr. “Sherry Turkle—Alive Enough? Reflecting On Our Technology.”

On Being. 15 Nov 2012. 16 July 2014. http://www.onbeing.org/program/alive-enough-reflect

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idays.” 16 Dec 2013. 16 June 2014. http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/1025873/how-kids-

with-deployed-parents-can-embrace-the-holidays question-mark. Free Clip Art Now. http://www.freeclipartnow.com/signs-symbols/roadside/question-mark.jpg. html. tech-in-education-1. iStockphoto. HowStuffWorks.com. Sara Elliott. “How important is technology in educa

tion?” 27 February 2012. http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/family-tech/tech-for-kids/technolo

gy-in-education.htm. 16 July 2014.

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