Green Hat Group

Last week's collaboration with Sweden had a new and interesting dynamic. During this dialogue, only one of our usual four Swedish partners could be there. Because she was the only one, I think we four "Americans" deliberately went out of our way to initiate discussion and at the same time give her plenty of space and time to contribute as well. In a way, it forced us to take responsibility of the structure of the conference. This situation, coupled with the analysis of political speeches really made this the best collaboration so far. Mari, Alex, Kareem, and I were all shocked by Johanna's vehement denouncement of Bush's speech. While on one hand we four had found it to be overall a pretty decent speech, especially considering it was "A Bueech" (Bush Speech in Katrina language :D), she conversely found it completely inadequate and inappropriate. To her, his patriotism was overwhelming. She also felt that for someone who was leading a country into war, he was far too somber. However, on this side of the globe, the four of us thought that it was entirely necessary he seem completely serious and aware of the perils and pains America would face. Because so much of the country opposed the war, he could not expect his audience to be cheering and "pumped" about beginning a war.
With regards to the Swedish Prime Minister Reinfeldt's speech, Johanna found it completely normal and acceptable but we did not. We were appalled by his lack of "pc"ness and the way he did not even attempt to bridge the gap between his winning party and the losing party. There was no mention/expression of admiration for the other candidate that we have come to expect from American winners. In fact, we were shocked to learn that he had won by such a small margin considering how little attention he paid to the losing party.

Posted by Katrina Li at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

“Pretty” ad by Nike

Link:
http://www.ad-awards.com/commercials/directory/2006/categories/leisure_-_entertainment/nike/commercials-28-225.html

Description:
The television ad features Russian tennis star Anna Kournikova preparing for and traveling to a tennis match. As she travels from the hotel to the sports complex and onto the tennis courts, the people she passes sing lines from the song “I Feel Pretty” from the musical “West Side Story”. These include janitors, assistants, security guards, photographers and drivers. After setting up, she proceeds to win her opponent’s serve. The singing stops abruptly, being replaced by silence and then applause. As the spectators cheer, the Nike ad with the tagline “Just do it” appear under Kournikova as she prepares for the next serve.

Analysis:
The advertisement uses several rhetorical strategies to sell its product, Nike, the most obvious of which is the use of a celebrity tennis star. Interestingly enough, the ad focuses more on Kournikova’s portrayal in popular media and her reputation as being pretty but useless with a tennis racket than it does on Nike itself. While she is seen carrying a Nike bag and wearing a Nike sweatshirt, the logo is not prominent and only noticeable on a second look. The logo at the end also only appears briefly, and might be missed by some viewers, the product being over-shadowed by the high-concept ad.

The ad uses pathos through humor; the song used is often ridiculed and is in turn used to ridicule Kournikova. The melody used by Nike to support Anna's triumph walk in high speed to the arena is a contrast to her serious persona. It delivers foremost the chorus “pretty”, and this makes the whole scene more comical, taking the edge of seriousness from the impression. This makes the feeling in the commercial more playful.
The differences in lifestyle, singing style and singing ability are also a source of humor. The people singing the song hail from many social and ethnic backgrounds; from competitors to housekeeping, paparazzi to drivers. This emphasizes both Kournikova’s celebrity and how popular her pretty-but-untalented image is (ethos).

The tone of each of the singers is also very effective in conveying both humor and the intense scrutiny Kournikova’s tennis abilities face, and the overall message of the ad. Some disregard her as another pretty face, while others overemphasize her beauty and ignore the fact that she is a tennis player. Her competitors appear jealous of her looks but also belittle her capabilities as an athlete.

At first look there does not appear to be a very strong relationship between Nike and Kournikova besides the barely noticeable fact that she uses Nike. Her ability to play tennis well does not appear to be affected by the equipment she uses, though a viewer could potentially make that argument. The appearance of the Nike logo and the text “Just do it” at the very end of the ad is more a way of defining the purpose of Nike gear. The “Just do it” text, aside from being Nike’s tagline, also works to tell the viewer that Nike’s focus is not making its products “pretty” but rather being reliable and practical. A famous athlete’s use of Nike products to combat and defeat widespread preconceptions about her abilities as a tennis player emphasizes this (cause and effect).

The ad is more successful at conveying Nike’s identification with more serious aspects of tennis. The Nike logo appears only at the end of the ad, once Kournikova has muted her critics; here Nike identifies itself with serious sportsmanship, as well as to some extent feminism (Kournikova proves that she can be both good-looking and taken seriously as an athlete). The commercial combines elements that support a new type of woman; a woman that walks her own way and who pays little attention to the people not “agreeing” with her life of choosing. At the same time the commercial is playful and contribute to the custom style of Nike that support the playful life, that sports is a game, some thing fun, and further more: that sports is a lifestyle that Nike helps to manifest.

Anna’s ethos is strengthened by the people she walks by, entering the arena. Her persona is also a strengthened by her actions, her rapid speed, and the comments made by the people she passes. The attention is on Anna, she is important and the comments from passers by deliver different opinions about her; some are conveyed verbally, others by body language. For example: the older man at the elevator raises his eyebrows in a way that communicate “youthful folly” in a manner that only old conservative people can express. The upper class woman rejects Anna as well, but this doesn’t argue for a point of view that makes Anna a “loser”, someone of low potential. On the contrary, it composes the argument of an outsider: she is doing her own thing, is a girl that don’t fall back on the typical old fashion frame… the girl pursuing life as a lady. This we further placed as an argument from many female participants, mostly older ones, that see Anna as a kind of deviator, some one pursuing her own thing. Is Anna a symbol of the new woman, the outsider that shoes a path pursuing what use to be a male path? We believe so and this is complimented in the end of the commercial by a young girl who asks for an autograph. This brief scene delivers a subtle message that Anna is the woman of the future: a life participant, a road chooser, who is understood only by the younger generations. This theme counters the conservative perspective that does not like to admit that Anna’s lifestyle and achievements as positive and worthwhile. Anna is the modern, the “new”, and she, of course, use Nike sportswear.

The cross-cultural impact of the ad is hard to measure. On the one hand, Kournikova is a Russian athlete in a sport that is followed by millions worldwide. She is particularly famous for her beauty and her relationship with pop star Enrique Iglesias. On the other, the ad requires contextual understanding. Fans of tennis will be more familiar with Kournikova and her abilities than non-fans, while people more embedded in pop culture will be more aware of Kournikova’s reputation than those who are not. As the target audience of Nike’s ads are people below the age of 40 or 50, it’s likely that most would be familiar with who she is, nut this would vary from country to country.
The choice of song might also be seen as hindering cross cultural capabilities. How many outside the US would know the song? Do you need to know of the song in order to find the ad funny or effective?

Posted by Kareem Yasin at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Link to the video

For our analysis, we chose to examine this Coca-Cola advertisement that was shown in China. The setting of a foreboding person discussing a future commercial with potential stars of the commercial is one that is often seen in the Coca-Cola advertisements of America, and may very well be used in other countries also. It begins with the boss trying to convince the three women that the best way to make a good commercial is to be sexy. The women, oddly enough, seem more engrossed in their game of World of Warcraft than in what the boss has to say, and they immediately rebut his statements. From then, the setting transforms into a fantasy world where the boss turns into an ogre and the three women must battle him with their newly-found weapons. After their epic battle, the women are victorious and are rewarded with a treasure chest filled with Coke. Although frivolous and comical on the surface, this advertisement employs powerful visual rhetoric catered to the Chinese populace and reveals current trends in Chinese society.

First, an interesting point to note is that the entire commercial is based upon World of Warcraft, a popular online video game. This game is extremely popular in America, as well as all across the world, but we certainly wouldn’t see a commercial for a popular company use it to sell the product. This is most likely because of a negative stigma against these video games in America. Because people are often labeled as geeks for engaging in these activities, people would most likely be reluctant to associate with the game publicly, and the commercial would most likely not be a huge success. The fact that Coca-Cola was able to create a commercial in China based on a video game shows a greater tolerance towards gaming in China. Playing video games is more acceptable in Asia, and it is a hobby often taken up by women as well.

Next, we can examine the characters. The male character is dressed in a way reminiscent of gangsters and mob bosses of previous decades, and his chauvinistic ways of thinking support his portrayal as an outdated yet power-hungry man. Juxtaposed with him on the other side of the table are three young, attractive women who have a personality and independence that is more than the boss expected of them. The interplay of these characters may very well be symbolic of a national movement in China towards modernization and equality. These sentiments are furthered by the fact that the women, even after their costume change, are dressed entirely in red. Furthermore, their actions at the end of the commercial when they drink their Coke are in perfect unison. All of these factors work together to create a positive message about Chinese nationalism and unification. Choosing these young women to be the strongest characters in the commercial is a statement that the future of China in this rapidly modernizing world lies in the new generation, and may very well be led by the women.

by Alex and Jakob

Posted by Alex Onsager at 01:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Download Armeian Genocide file

Having lived with a Turk for the past year and a half now, one issue that has repeatedly made a prominent appearance in our room is the controversy known as the Armenian Genocide. Coming to Stanford, I had never heard of the Darfur, Rwandan, or Armenian genocides. Thus, I had no previous assumptions, biases, or beliefs about the issues. However many other students did and they often used the Armenian Genocide as a way of teasing or ridiculing my roommate. She is loud and proud of her Turkish heritage and citing the Armenian Genocide is seen as a way to try and deflate her Turkish pride. Like other Turkish students I have met here at Stanford, she insists that there absolutely was no genocide. She instead claims that what occurred was an out and out war, that the Armenians had allied with the Russians to defeat the Ottoman Empire. Although she is undeniably racist in many regards (she once created a list of her favorite ethnicities) she is also earnest in her belief that there was no genocide. She provided the article which we will be analyzing.

The argument is quite clear as this is a formal persuasive essay. Although the essay attempts to hide its persuasive quality and instead seemingly present an unbiased version of reality, the thesis is simple and clear: there was nothing that could be classified as a genocide. The intended audience is indisputably the Stanford community and perhaps the larger English-speaking public as a whole. The introduction makes reference to Stanford right away, mentioning how the controversy lives on even here. It seems that the author has experienced the same incidents as my roommate – hearing about the genocide all the time – and felt a need to write one long and conclusive response to all of the inquiries and jests. The author, although I personally know it to have been written by one individual, is left at Stanford University Turkish Student Association. It is interesting that they chose to not give credit to this one person and instead opt to reinforce the idea that this argument is accepted and found true by the entire organization. By making it seem as though it is a collaborative writing, it gives the impression that Stanford University Turkish students are in complete solidarity on this issue.

This article appeals largely to logos. Historical events are analyzed, famous historians are cited, and claims that appear to be purely sensible are made. The article does not go into gory detail of Muslim victims and Armenian atrocities in order to make its point although it has the potential to. In fact, it avoids using pathos throughout the entirety, in order to reinforce the idea that it is appealing to pure logic without the deleterious emotional factor that the Armenians supposedly have when analyzing the events that constitute the “Armenian Genocide.” The author even says, “The issue of the Armenian genocide today is loaded with emotion, as the generations of Armenians living today identify themselves with the stories told by the previous generations who suffered through the atrocities.” By polarizing the Armenian version and the Turkish version of the events, the author also polarizes their appeals, giving Armenians the pathos approach and Turks the logos approach. One of the most significant examples of the appeal to logic is seen in the closing of the article. Writes the rhetor, “Objective historical inquiry will be permitted to cast light on the events of 1915. The issue with the Armenian Genocide is … a question of understanding and as hard as it is to admit, Armenians are standing in the way of it.” Again the rhetor attempts to convince the reader of the Turkish logic without sentimental taint. Because the dominant appeal of this paper is to logic, we see that the design of the article is a clean, simple one which mirrors academic published papers. It has a title with a subtitle to explain the topic and is an evenly spaced and written paper. It is polished and refined in order to support the seriousness of its argument.

This article is particularly interesting for our study because it is written and endorsed by patriots of one country in America attempting to convince Stanford students of all ethnicities and backgrounds of the validity of its claim. It is doubly a cross-rhetoric article! The cultural assumptions are that logic should prevail over emotion in historical analysis, that people should care about the resolution of this issue, and that the audience is acquainted with WWII. The author makes several references and allusions to WWII, discussing how the events transpiring between the Armenians and Turks in no way compared to those of the Holocaust. It is clearly written for non-Armenians who are not sure what to believe or who believe that it was a genocide. Because of the slanted insults and disrespect it aims at the Armenians, it is quite clear that it is not an essay to convince Armenians that there was no genocide.

Posted by Katrina Li at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Pilot Pen Ad (Europe)
http://www.ad-awards.com/commercials/directory/2005/categories/business_-_services/pilot_corporation_of_europe/commercials-2-230.html

Summary:
A couple on a road trip is in the middle of some desert when a police catches them with their rear tail light out and stops them. The policeman tries to write a ticket, but his pen is not working so the driver gives him his pen and proceeds to tell the policeman that his tires are worn down and that he is missing a windshield wiper. The policeman adds all of these safety violations up and gives the driver the ticket. The driver takes his pen and erases his license plate number, replaces it with the police car license plate, and scribbles a signature. The scene ends with a picture of the Pilot pen and the text, “Pilot Frixion. All mistakes allowed.” The backdrop of the end scene shows the couple driving off into the desert evading all safety infractions.

Analysis:

This Pilot commercial uses various rhetorical strategies to convince their audience to buy their new Pilot Frixion pen.

Rhetorical Appeals

- Pathos: the ad uses humor
- Narrative: The storyline appeals to the audiences emotions starting with a sense of trouble (as the couple gets pulled over), to confusion/suspicion (when the driver increases the price of his own ticket), and ending with excitement and amusement (as the couple cleverly uses the pen to escape). They effectively end the scenario with excitement and a carefree attitude to create an excitement around their product, the Pilot Frixion.
- The older, ragged-looking cop character appeals to kids and to their common perspectives of authority figures as out-dated, etc. The use of belittling language, such as “kid,” also increases the dislike towards the cop, amplifying the amusing ending.
- The music choice during the vehicle check adds to the suspense until the couple gets out of being ticketed. The suspenseful feeling adds to the familiarity of getting pulled over or into trouble.
- The ad begins with a rap song and ends with rock music to appeal to the younger generation and to send the message of their product/company as “hip/cool.” Even down to the lyrics of the hip-hop music in the beginning, the words: "..everybody get your hands up in the air" is probably affecting young kids who wants to be "cool."
o Also notice how the couple in the car are fashionable young adults and are the ones who own a Pilot Frixion, sending a message that “cool” people own Pilot Frixion pens.
- The graphic design of the pen also appeals to the “cool” factor.
- The Pilot ad also uses “evidentia" – capitalizing camera angles in zooming in on the cop, dashboard, radio, mirror, and other objects, which allows the audience to feel as if the are getting the ticket too.

- Logos: The ad conveys the ability to make your mistakes disappear (“All mistakes allowed”)
o This ad uses the rhetorical strategy, cause and effect. By using Pilot Frixion you can avoid/correct mistakes just like the young couple in the car.
o The ad also shows the audience the process, showing how the pen can erase your mistakes quickly and efficiently.

- Ethos: the narrative and use of language/music showcases Pilot’s knowledge about what is “cool”
- The company and the user of the pen share in elevated ethos, advertising that the company knows "cool" and the person who uses it is/would be also "cool."
o Showing the process also helps Pilot to develop their ethos in increasing the pen's credibility. They show how their product works in tight situations such as the one illustrated.
- The advertisement uses classification and division to show that the Pilot Frixion is useful in every writing situation.
- The ad also gives and example/illustration in which the Pilot pen can simplify/make life easier.

- Message: The cool Pilot Frixion will make life simpler by allowing you to make mistakes without having to pay the consequences.

- Cross-Cultural significance: The ad can appeal to all cultures because the narrative can occur in all countries (generally the younger generation across most cultures would like to avoid having tickets!) Although the plot appeals cross-culturally, we agreed that the setting does seem very American (desert and accent, etc.). We had a difficult time finding possible cultural differences because the plot is simple and easy to understand. This ad seems to generate a stereotype, that cops treat the younger adults as juveniles and not fully matured (when the cop addressed the young man as “kid” repeatedly), as a platform for their ad; this may not be as effective in cultures where the police force is viewed as something other than the generated character (i.e. respectful, routine, etc.). Still, this ad relies primarily on humor which also generally appeals across cultures even if the characters do not personally relate to reality.

Posted by Mari Chun at 04:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Congratulations to Mari for remembering her green hat this week!!

Now we just need to get Kareem to go to the mall and get one (His "I Am Wearing A Green Hat" sign was a good try, but no substitute for the real thing!)

Posted by Christine Alfano at 06:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I don't know if you all have browsed the photos at Flickr yet (try searching the tag greenhatgroup) but my favorite images of the quarter so far are the Green Hats on either side of the screen. Here's a question for the Stanford group: any possibility of moving from those last two paper hats to something more like an actual Green Hat for this Wednesday's video conference? The pressure is on ...

Posted by Christine Alfano at 03:57 PM | Permalink