Rhetorical Analysis: Happier Than A Body Builder Directing Traffic
Insurance is known for being boring and tedious, something that nobody looks forward to dealing with. In their recent advertising campaign, however, GEICO stands out through their silly use of a body builder directing traffic and comparing him to how happy GEICO customers are. When you think about it, a bodybuilder is the perfect person to direct traffic. He's fit enough to move his arms around for hours at a time and he's big enough to be noticed by passing motorists.
In the commercial I have chosen to analysis, a bodybuilder is seen in the middle of a busy city street, flexing his muscles as drivers wait for their turn to navigate the intersection. All this is done in the name of directing traffic, and the wide grin suggests that he’s more than a little excited at the opportunity to show off his hard work with each point and wave. After about twenty seconds into the commercial, two guys are standing on top of a stage on the sidewalk in view of the body builder and they start a conversation:
Jimmy: “You know Ronnie, Folks who save hundreds of dollars by switching to GEICO sure are happy.”
Ronnie: “And how happy are they Jimmy?”
Jimmy: “I’d say happier than a body builder directing traffic.”
Ronnie: “He does look happy.”
At the end of the commercial, the company’s name and website are shown in the middle of the screen and the announcer says: “Get happy, Get GEICO. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.” Click <ctrl> and the link here to see the commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6iJMtnxBxs
GEICO has had many different styles of advertisements ranging from the talking gecko to the cavemen commercials but the slogan that has stuck throughout is the "fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance". This slogan can be thrown into their commercials or put on a billboard on the side of the road. Why do people switch to GEICO? It is not purely based on the cute, British speaking gecko or the infamous caveman or in this commercial, a body builder directing traffic. They persuade the viewers to switch to GEICO by using the rhetorical appeal logos. In the current economy, saving money is something the average family tries to do in all ways possible. Why not save with car insurance. Viewers latch on to the saving money aspect and want to switch to the cheapest insurance company. This slogan is also repeated throughout all of their commercials sticking with the viewers. By delivering this catchy slogan, GEICO convinces the public that they have the cheapest car insurance and that it’s a logical, no brainer decision to switch.
The rhetorical strategies used in this advertisement are to persuade the audience that switching to GEICO can save them money and in turn they will be happy. Also, it tells the audience how easy it is to save money by spending only fifteen minutes to save fifteen percent or more on their insurance. The rhetorical appeal pathos is used to put the audience in an emotional state of happiness. Seeing the body builder directing traffic with a huge grin on his face is hilarious and it shows the audience that they too can be happy if they switch to GEICO.
GEICO aims to attract the audience by using the rhetorical appeal ethos to decorate its commercials with humor and simplicity, and its strategy was to supply humor to its commercials through absurdity in the evidence. The car insurance company's approach of connecting the absurd evidence to the simple company motto assists in gaining the trust and approval of its viewers. In the commercial, the humor is thinking one can be happier than a body builder directing traffic by switching to GEICO and save money. By using the happy body builder in this ad, the company builds their credibility in hopes that the audience will believe they too can be happy, if not happier than the body builder if they switch to GEICO.
At the end of the commercial, GEICO uses a very simple tactic. The company’s name and website are shown and the announcer says, “Get happy, Get Geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.”This is a short and sweet to the point statement that catches the attention of the audience again by appealing to logos. With an audience composed of families the insurance company targets the parents through their need to insure their vehicles and protect their family’s worth. Many parents have full schedules and work hard to support their family. Therefore, a company that is going to save them time and money is very appealing. Logically, when comparing insurance companies the best company is the one that will insure them, and will be convenient and affordable and GEICO is making the argument that they are the best.
Although an audience of all ages views the commercial, customers of the company are generally adults. Anyone who has the ability to drive is eligible for car insurance and therefore an eligible GEICO customer. It was certainly clever on the part of the company to use such a simple comparison between the body builder and GEICO customers to provide humor in their commercial. It has the potential to provoke humor for all ages and therefore it will be most effective for their targeted audience. For example, a young child watches the commercial, finds it hilarious, and then forces a parent to watch it the next time it's on. That child was assisting the company by widening its viewers to the more targeted audience without even realizing. The ad's simple humor does not apply specifically to a certain age group through the use of cognitive lingo or new pop culture, but is so general that a person of any age can understand. This is precisely what makes the commercial so successful in appealing to its wide-range target audience.
Lastly, their appealing slogan cannot be denied by anyone, assuming that everyone is happy to save time and money. This was an effective advertisement by GEICO that appealed to the main three aspects of rhetorical argument, ethos, pathos and logos by comparing a body builder directing traffic to how happy GEICO customers really are. Switching your car insurance to GEICO could make you happier than a body builder directing traffic. Amazing, right? I mean, just look at his smile.

Works Cited

GEICO. Advertisement. YouTube. ADSweekly, 16 Aug. 2012. Web. 14 Sept. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6iJMtnxBxs>.