Cameron Kellock October 16, 2012 Rhetoric and Civic Life, Section 13, Dr.

OHara Rhetorical Analysis Essay A Well Oiled Argument On February 5th, 2012, millions of Americans across the country watched New York narrowly defeat New England in Super Bowl XLVI. While hometown lines, historical rivalries, and fierce competition divided fans, their country united all, from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, Anchorage to Honolulu, that tuned in to watch Americas Game. And by doing so, by just being one of these Americans in 2012, meant that one understood what it was like for someone to lose his or her job or see a foreclosure sign go up in a local neighborhood. Times were tough and no one knew it better than the car industry whose struggles were publicized by the infamous government bailout. In an effort to restore the desire for these American made cars, Chryslers Halftime in America commercial drew on the unyielding national loyalty of Super Bowl viewers and their shared enterprise as Americans. Chrysler and other affiliated car manufacturers took on this rhetorical situation by appealing to three of the main elements of the rhetorical situation referenced in Sharon Crowley and Debra Hawhees Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. The authors label these elements as the audience for discussionthe rhetor, [and] her reputation (Crowley and Hawee 37) as well as the time and place which the issue merits attention (Crowley and Hawee 37). One can clearly discern the use of these three elements in the commercial by its pathetic appeals to the American audience, its spin on a timely commonplace, and its star-studded cast of

rhetors. With these elements, their campaign was able to personify their cars as being resilient and reliable just like the American people. With popularity on YouTube and wide recognition, the Halftime in America Campaign became a success because it was able to target a large specific audience and appeal to their common struggle effectively. While these viewers were sitting on their couches, enjoying the game with friends and family, and relaxing on their Sunday afternoon, the week ahead for many of them meant trying to make ends meet because of the bad economy. Chrysler, along with fellow American car brands, played on the uncertainty of their viewers by appealing to pathos and introducing the idea of hope. Midway through the advertisement, black and white pictures of hardworking yet discontented men and woman appeared on the screen to give viewers the feeling of camaraderie, a sense that they were not alone in their struggles. Not only was Chrysler able to show them the pictures of run down buildings and dreary views of far off sunsets, they were able to cite a parallel circumstance where people just like them turned around their situation. Before the eighty billion dollar bailout just two years prior (Dwyer), the people in Detroit were faced with financial hardship worse than any other city in the country. In February of 2012, the commercial claimed, these same people were not only restoring their lives but also producing the best cars on the planet. While the American economy may have felt static during the recession, Chrysler and fellow American carmakers took advantage of the timing of Super Bowl XLVI to make their campaign most effective. By exploiting kairos in this way, they were not only able to play off the fact that their costly commercial spot somehow had a connection to the position America was in, but they were also able to play on many timely

commonplaces in American culture. Perhaps the most pronounced was the slogan at the end of the commercial that read Imported from Detroit. Unlike any other time in American history, the millennium marked an era where companies were being shipped overseas and more and more products were being imported. From toys to clothing, goods were being marked with Made in China labels or Assembled in Taiwan inscriptions. The Imported from Detroit slogan appealed to loyal Americans who were tired of shipping jobs that were much needed in their country to foreigners who were willing to do them for half the cost. By exploiting kairos, not only would they be able to take advantage of this commonplace, but Chrysler and affiliates would also be able present Clint Eastwood as a respected spokesman. While his fumble on the presidential campaign trail would lose him some credibility in late 2012, Clint Eastwood was still a respected and highly renowned director, producer, and actor at the time Halftime in America aired. Named Best Director and Producer of the Best Picture at the Academy Awards for his work in Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby (Biography of Clint Eastwood), he was not only a film industry mogul but also a figurehead in American culture. By casting him as the narrator in their commercial, Chrysler was able to significantly boost their ethos by landing a spokesman with such a high reputation. In addition to their lofty narrator, Chrysler hired Dennis Haysbert, best known as the face of Allstate Insurance, to play a father who was dropping his child off at school in a Ford Mustang. While his role in television series like The Unit and 24 (Sternbergh) may not ring a bell with all Americans, almost all can relate him to trust and loyalty because of his reputation through his insurance advertisements. Together, both men were able to effectively drive

American viewers to think positively about American cars because of the reputation of the commercials spokesmen. February of 2012 was undeniably a hard economic time for millions across the United States. With the unemployment rate again on the rise to 9.1 percent (Jacobe), Americans felt unsure about what each day would bring. For many, it was a time of reflection on their old ways, planning for the future, and catching a confidence boost to get them out of the slump. The commercial was not only a halftime Super Bowl advertisement but also an illustration of the halftime that America was going though in many respects. In their Super Bowl commercial, Halftime in America, Chrysler teamed with other American carmakers to appeal to the ideological American pride and the shared enterprise of all the citizens going through these hard times. By aiming their campaign at a defined group of spectators, playing on a commonplace of the time, and hiring a well respected cast, their commercial would effectively promote brands like Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge. The wide recognition and popularity of this advertisement would further manifest the effectiveness of television advertisements on popular American culture.

Works Cited "Biography for Clint Eastwood." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000142/bio>. Chrysler. Advertisement. National Broadcast Company. NBC, 5 Feb. 2012. Television. Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee. Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2012. Print. Dwyer, Devin. "How Much Did the Auto Bailout Cost Taxpayers?" ABC News. ABC News Network, 03 June 2011. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/06/how-much-did-the-auto-bailoutcost-taxpayers/>. Jacobe, Dennis. "U.S. Unemployment Up in February." Gallup. N.p., 8 Mar. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.gallup.com/poll/153161/unemploymentfebruary.aspx>. Sternbergh, Adam. "The Good Guy: Dennis Haysbert." New York Magazine. N.p., 6 Feb. 2006. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://nymag.com/arts/tv/features/16101/>.