Rhetorical Analysis of the Axe Detailer Commercial Arguments are used in every aspect of our lives today. Most people don’t realize it but companies are arguing everyday with you to purchase their products through advertisements. Often companies will use humor when advertising on bill boards, in magazines or on television commercials, with the expectation and hope that the commercial was memorable enough to make you want to buy their product the next time you go to the store. One very humorous commercial going around on the internet today is the “Axe Detailer Commercial” on the official Axe website.
In the beginning of the commercial Denise Saintclaire (a very attractive woman) introduces Monica Blake (attractive and supposed winner of the Tennis Albuquerque open) as the host for today’s show. Monica comes out and starts off by holding up a very dirty soccer ball and saying “now no one wants to play with dirty equipment, that’s why you’ve got to keep your balls clean”. Throughout the commercial, Axe is using very crude humor to target three different audiences; the young and virile man, the middle-aged and masculine man, and the mature and distinguished man.
The entire commercial is chalk full of sexual innuendos. For example Monica takes questions from the audience and a younger man stands up and asks if she can clean his balls, and throws a set of tennis balls to her. She replies by saying “yes I can, watch, cleans right through the prickly surface”. Axe uses this type of humor to gain the attention of the younger to middle-aged audience. Their expectation is that when the viewer sees this ad they will do two things. First they will tell all of their friends about the ad and how funny it is, therefore advertising for Axe by word of mouth.
The second expectation is that when the viewer goes to the store and walks past the Axe products they will recognize the product from the advertisement and purchase their products. At the end of the commercial Axe turns a little bit more of a serious tone and brings out an elderly gentleman with some very old and tattered leather medicine balls covered in dirt. The older gentleman asks Monica if she can help him with these old dirty balls. She replies with “Hank the Axe detailer offers such a crazy clean it can even clean you old balls”.
The camera then pans out to a crowd of middle-aged and elderly women that are clapping with approval. She then cleans the old and tattered medicine balls and the elderly man says “wow those look brand new! Thanks Monica. ” Even though Axe is still using very crude humor, they are targeting the elderly crowd with this part of the commercial by showing its ok to use even when you’re old. Axe again hopes to draw the same two actions that I discussed earlier. In conclusion, Axe is using the argumentation style of Pathos to sell their product.
Axe uses crude humor in their advertisement not only to keep the viewer interested throughout the entire ad but to provoke an emotion that will get the viewer to share the commercial with their friends. The other way that Axe uses Pathos is they pan the camera to the audience, which is full of attractive women that are clapping in approval, throughout the entire commercial. Axe does this to provoke the emotion that as long as you purchase their products, no matter your age, personality or appearance, you will be able to have sexual encounters with any women of your choosing.
