Motrin Commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmykFKjNpdY

Argument- The argument here is contained in Motrin’s slogan “We feel your pain” at the end of the commercial. Essentially, Motrin acknowledge that good moms carry their children with them. Moms that carry their children with them experience pain as a result. Motrin understands these aches, and thus is the prime pain medication to help relieve the pain.

Audience- The audience for this commercial is mothers that have young children that frequently require carrying, and that often feel pain because of all the work and care that their young children require.

The goal- The goal is get mothers to make Motrin their first choice for pain medication.

How do they do it?
First, Motrin uses Pathos to appeal to the struggles of young mothers. They do this by stating that they “understand” mothers. The commercial at one point asks the viewer the question, “Do moms that wear their babies cry more than those that don’t? I sure do.” Whoever “I” is in this commercial acknowledges that they experience pain just like many other young mothers. In effect, Motrin says it is OK to experience pain as a young mother.
Second, Motrin appeals to logos by stating that it has been show that babies carried close to their mothers cry less. Viewers can then make the connection that it is beneficial to carry their baby close to them. However, this comes at a cost- extreme aches and pains. Thus, if it is beneficial to carry one’s baby but carrying one’s baby brings body pain, then logically a mother would need a good pain medication to help.
The evidence that babies carried by their mothers cry less is also very typical to the audience. Mothers may want to know if the benefits of carrying a child far outweigh the costs of doing so.
Finally, the evidence used in the advertisement is relevant. The evidence discusses the benefits and results of carrying a child which is pertinent to the goal of the advertisement- to get mothers in pain from caring for their children to buy Motrin.

Is it effective?-While the advertisement may work for mothers that carry their children, it leaves out a large segment of the population such as mothers who do not carry their children and men. The evidence the ad uses may be a little spotty because there is no credible source cited.