TOW 10: Revlon makeup advertisement

            This week I chose to go a new route with my choice of visual text to analyze. Anyone who has browsed on the Internet or watched television for any length of time knows how abundant cosmetic commercials are today. In accordance with this trend, I chose to analyze an online advertisement for Revlon makeup. This particular advertisement is depicting the company’s brand of “skin-matching” foundation. The model for the makeup in the ad is famous actress Jessica Alba. Pictured next to Alba’s image is a photo of the makeup as well as a brief summary of the product.

            The speaker of the advertisement is the Revlon cosmetic company, a globally known and respected corporation. The Revlon brand is recognizable all around the world, and has been trusted by consumers since its formation in the 1930’s. This advertisement is directed at the company’s consumer base, primarily made up of appearance-conscious females.

            The main rhetorical device employed in this advertisement is the usage of Jessica Alba to endorse the product. This celebrity testimonial appeals to the audience in many ways. Endorsement of an idolized celebrity adds an extra layer of credibility to the product. Also, Alba’s beauty appeals to the emotions of the female audience. Revlon knows that female consumers will see someone that they regard as beautiful endorsing a product and consider buying the product with the hope and desire to emulate this beauty themselves. Finally, the slogan “naturally glamorous, never overdone” appeals to the consumers’ sense of reason: if the product creates a perfect balance for the user’s appearance, what could go wrong?

            Although this advertisement has all of the components of an effective advertisement, I do not find it effective. Simply the fact that every major makeup company today produces hundreds of ads yearly that are exactly like this one diminishes its impact on me as a consumer. A makeup advertisement in the industry today would have to do something more extraordinary and unique to capture my attention.