This particular ad by Scott Tissue Towels is quick to
establish its credibility with a very particular audience – Patriotic
Americans. They begin by rattling off a list of well-known companies, including
R.C.A. Victor Co., Inc., National Lead Co., and Campbell Soup Co.
Aforementioned are some well-rooted, all-American, traditional corporations
just so the buyer knows that Scott Tissue Towels only associates with the
highest caliber of consumers, suggesting its heightened stature. Scott’s
integrity is only further bolstered by the ad’s incessant referencing to the
admiration by employees of companies that use Scott brand’s products, as if to
say “The proletariat citizens working under you will immediately adore you
because our company and products are so reputable.”
The register of the ad is rather, almost surprisingly so,
casual. In the way of establishing ethos, Scott Tissue seems to go the route of
building a bridge to their audience rather than win them over with
professionalism and charm. As far as extending a hand to their audience, they
do that in a clear way. They play on America’s fear of communism, which spurred
the Red Scare (which is elaborated on in the “Kairos” section). Scott’s use of
their audience’s emotions borders on Pathos, but also serves its purpose for
Ethos. Scott Tissue consequently establishes itself as a shield against
Bolsheviks like the grimy, sinister-looking man they have used in the ad.
Through application of extrinsic ethos, Scott Tissue, by way
of its anti-Bolshevism, assures its larger consumers that it is another good,
capitalist, American company like you and wants nothing to do with worker unions and
other communist nonsense.
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ReplyDeleteI like your association between building a bridge to connect with the audience instead of trying to completely convince them of their stance. This idea plays well with the fact that Scott Tissue was trying to appeal to the sense of being casual, "good" and "capitalistic."
ReplyDelete-Tylar
This was an interesting article to read! I didn't know that Scott Tissue or any of these other companies were used to bolster American patriotism and create fear and hatred for anything and everything associated with Communism. I liked your connection about how the ad used audience's emotions for their personal gain to generate business for themselves and for other American companies.
ReplyDeleteMaya
This was really interesting. I find it kind of surprising that ads like these were actually used. Based on reading the ad alone it sounds like a joke all together but I guess based on the insane amount of fear that existed in America at the time it might actually be a effective method of marketing
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