Rhetorical Analysis

The Volkswagon commercial draws on various forms of rhetorical appeals in order to persuade the viewer that the Volkswagon brand of cars is superior. The most prominent appeal is probably pathos, specifically drawing on humor to engage the viewer. This commercial is obviously aimed at a younger audience – there are references to various items of pop culture, plus the main character is a young male. What makes the commercial funny is the fact that the German scientist is referencing American pop culture, not the young male who owns the car. The scientist tells the young guy that he is going to ‘un-pimp’ his ride; he is obviously referring to the popular show ‘Pimp My Ride’ that used to air on MTV. Also, he quotes a line from a popular rap song- ‘drop it like it’s hot’. His whole monologue is humorous because of the stark contrast between his accent, his age, and his pop culture references. This makes the commercial very memorable and creates the image that Volkswagon brand cars are not only representative of the German auto industry but also very hip and cool to own.
These two facts lead into the use of the remaining rhetorical appeals – ethos and logos. The ethos in the commercial is the fact that the car is a Volkswagon. The brand Volkswagon is very well known and provides credibility to a silly commercial. Also, the fact that the scientist is from Germany adds credibility because the brand is originally from Germany. The logos that the commercial is trying to promote is the fact that if you own a Volkswagon car, you will be cooler than even the person who has a ‘pimped out car’. The young guy in the commercial originally has a car that the woman gives him an ‘F’ for. After his car gets crushed by the new Volkswagon, he gets the stamp of approval from the woman, and one can deduce, from his friends. This can actually be called a logical fallacy. It is not a logical proof that if you buy a Volkswagon car, you will become cooler than you were before. This is simply a way of making the viewer want a new car as almost a status symbol, which would make sense considering the audience that the commercial is directed at. A young teenager probably does not care about safety ratings and statistics about the car; rather, they would be concerned about the looks and popularity. This commercial uses all three rhetorical appeals, and does a good job of making the viewer remember and consider the product that it its advertising.