Every day, no matter what I’m doing- relaxing in my dorm room, studying at the library, working out at Fike, or watching the Broncos-Patriots game- I’m bombarded by all sorts of advertisements, flyers, and commercials. While relaxing and “Facebooking,” several ads pop up on the side of the screen, which are strategically tailored to my recent “Google” searches. The rhetorical impact of this strategic placement is that I am immediately attracted to the ads, and think, “Wow, I was just searching for that online, how convenient!” and usually end up purchasing something that I might not have had it not been so opportune. Next, as I’m walking into the library, there is several organizations set up outside that are handing me pamphlets, cards, or free hot chocolate just so I will check out their cause. The rhetorical impact produced is that I’m going to be more favorable to their cause if my hot chocolate is delicious, or if I stuff their pamphlets in my purse then I have the chance to revisit the organization’s cause later. It also shows that these kids are dedicated to their cause enough to waste their day sitting on Library Bridge, so maybe it actually is worthy of some looking into. While working out at Fike, there are countless flyers advertising fitness information: Spinning classes, nutritional information, running clubs, you name it. Since I’m already at Fike, I’m obviously already interested in staying in shape, so when I read in big red letters, “Lose ten pounds in six weeks with boot camp!” or “Spring break is soon!” the rhetorical impact is that I’m convinced that fitness is more important than other aspects of my life and maybe I should put a hundred dollars towards a boot camp class instead of textbooks- I mean, spring break is only two months away, I can just borrow my friends’ books, right? Then later as I’m watching my beloved Tim Tebow play against the Patriots on national television, a commercial comes on with adorable kids reciting the Bible verse John 3:16, the same verse that Tebow painted on his eyeblack during his college days at Florida University. An anti-abortion group, Focus on the Family, sponsored this commercial. Even though Tebow wasn’t in the actual commercial, it was obviously inspired by him. The rhetorical impact is that I love Tebow, Tebow loves Jesus, Jesus loves cute kids, cute kids love being alive, and for these cute kids to be alive, their parents had to make the decision to be pro-life. These persuasive techniques are sometimes hidden and othertimes obvious, but no matter where I am or what I’m doing, they are there.
