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Dana Solomon
Professor Lori Bedell
CAS137H
2 December 2016
A Comparison of Equality Ads
Television ads are designed to sell the latest and greatest products to consumers

everywhere. Though a majority of ads follow this format, every once in a while, a commercial

comes along that does not aim to just sell a product, but that also strikes an emotional chord and

shares a deeper message with the viewing audience. Apples The Human Family ad and

Commission for Race Equalitys Would I ad utilize logos, stylistic choices, and established

credibility coupled with opportune timing of release for the purpose of bringing attention to the

civic duty of every person to promote social equality.

Apple and Commission for Race Equality propose logical arguments throughout their

presentation to highlight the importance of promoting social equality. Apples ad The Human

Family, features people from various ethnic backgrounds. By showcasing a diverse range of

iPhone users, Apple implies that the iPhone unites many cultures. In its ad, Apple suggests that

although outward appearances vary from person to person, people have more similarities than

differences. In its ad, Commission for Race Equality, or CRE, prompts the audience to think

about why racism still exists today. This ad attempts to address social inequality present in

society, and calls the audience to action to fulfill their civic duty and eliminate this inequality. To

demonstrate its message, CRE alters the skin color of the individuals in the ad and proposes

questions based on the audiences potentially changed perception of those individuals based

simply on skin color. Apple and Commission for Race Equality lead the audience to ponder the

pro-equality messages present in each commercial.

Both Apple and Commission for Race Equality provoke the audience to want for equality

using narration coupled with deliberate presentation styles to amplify their message. Apples ad

features narration and a poem from the famous author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou.
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Angelous original poem Human Family asserts that people have much more in common than

outward appearances may suggest, and proposes that these differences are what unite people.

Apple includes excerpts of the poem in spoken rather than written form to allow the audience to

focus on its message. Apple also uses the conclusive nature of the poem to help drive its message

home and allow little room for dissent. Furthermore, Apples ad ends with a repeated we are

more alike, my friends, than we are unalike, paired with a smiling man, suggesting his

agreement with the proposition. Repetition of this phrase forces the audience to acknowledge the

message more carefully, and further implies that these final words are perhaps the most

important words of the poem.

Commission for Race Equality also relies on language in its ad, but does so in an

alternative way. CRE challenges the audience to think about social equality in the form of

rhetorical questions that are left unanswered. The individuals in this ad pose spoken questions

such as would you think differently about me, if I was white? and would I have won if I was

Asian? Unlike Apple, whose statements are conclusive and do not entice viewers to form their

own opinions, CRE allows viewers to consider their own answers even after the commercial

ends. At the end of its ad, CRE projects the text the only thing we need to change is the way we

think, while a narrator states, its a great nation. These two phrases present a bit of a paradox,

leading the audience to wonder if they have to change anything if their nation is already great, or

if they have to change the way they think in order to make their nation great. Both Apple and

Commission for Race Equality rely on language, though in unique ways, to effectively urge the

audience to consider the importance of social equality.

Apple and Commission for Race Equality make other deliberate choices to stylistically

enhance the message of their ads. Music is a very important backdrop to an ad, contributing

largely to both mood and emotion. Apple chooses music that is light and uplifting, thus matching
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the message of the poem and establishing the idea that if the audience listens to what the poem is

suggesting, then they can carry out their civic duty. By ending the music in a high key, the ad

creates a promising and optimistic tone. In contrast, in Commission for Race Equalitys ad, the

music is much darker, foreboding, and somewhat robotic in nature. The audience is forced to

view the commercial from a dark perspective, making the message more powerful which brings

the gravity of the issue to the forefront. Both Apple and Commission for Race Equality select

music that perfectly matches the perspective of each ad.

The stylistic display of images and selection of music is essential in both Apple and the

Commission for Race Equalitys ads. In The Human Family, images are placed on a pure white

background, thus enhancing the utter beauty of the photos. Colors are made richer, smiles are

made brighter, and thus Apples message becomes more captivating. A white background also

simplifies the display so that the audience can focus on the message of the poem. If Apple had

placed the photos on a black background, the images would not be as dramatic, and therefore the

message would not be as captivating. The white background not only compliments the nature of

the ad, but also reflects the epitome of Apple. Apple is known for its sharp edges, clean lines, and

bright displays. By staying true to its characteristic design, Apple allows the audience to connect

the ad with the brand even before it is explicitly stated. Commission for Race Equality also relies

on its display to portray the message of its ad. However, unlike Apple, CRE films its video in

dim lighting. This darker setting sets the scene for what will continue to be a very serious

commercial. Furthermore, CRE uses a computer to alter the visual perception of the individuals

in the ad. CRE introduces multiple people, has each person pose a question about how the

audience may think of them if they were a different color, and then simulates what they would

look like with that skin color. By doing this, CRE allows the audience to form an opinion on a
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direct level. Apple and Commission for Race Equality use stylistic choices to appropriately

convey their messages.

Apple and Commission for Race Equality use their own and others established credibility

to help substantiate their position on social equality. Apple is a long-standing powerhouse of

technology, with millions of people using its products every day. As of 2015, there had been 94

million iPhones in use in the US alone (Reisinger). Because of Apples world-wide popularity,

well-recognized brand, and trusted credibility, the message of its commercial is accepted as a

reputable viewpoint on this important issue. Maya Angelou was an author, poet, historian, and a

major civil rights activist, who spent her life as an advocate for equality. Angelou served as a

sub-coordinator of Martin Luther King Jr.s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1993

Angelou delivered her poem On the Pulse of the Morning at Bill Clintons presidential

inauguration, and in 2010 she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack

Obama (Poets.org). Apple deliberately uses Maya Angelous narration because of the long-

standing respect and appreciation many people have for her. By incorporating Maya Angelous

poem and narration into its ad, Apple reinforces its own ethos and further enhances its message.
Commission for Race Equality uses its established standing in the UK to support its

message. CRE was once its own organization, but in 2007 became a branch of the Equality and

Human Rights Commission (Smith), which has grown to be a very well-known organization in

the UK. CRE has created an image for itself through its constantly controversial ads, thus

supporting the familiarity and credibility behind its ad. Apple and Commission for Race Equality

incorporate credibility into their ads so that their message regarding social equality can be heard

and accepted.
Apple and Commission for Race Equality air their ads at a time quintessential to the

acceptance of their civic messages. Apple deliberately released its ad during the 2016 Rio

Olympics. Apple knew that millions of people would be watching television during this time,
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which would therefore maximize the number of people guaranteed to see the ad. Furthermore, by

airing this type of ad during a time of fierce competition, Apple reminds the world that people of

all countries remain united. Commission for Race Equality released their Would I campaign in

the year 2000. CREs ad is undeniably racy in some instances, however since CRE already had a

strong foundation as a controversial organization, this specific ad was not out of the ordinary. If a

company that is not known for racy commercials, for example Apple, were to air this ad, it would

seem out-of-context and would be more easily rejected by the audience. Apple and Commission

for Race Equality air their ads at a time quintessential to the acceptance of their civic messages.
In conclusion, Apple and Commission for Race Equality utilize logos, stylistic choices,

and established credibility coupled with opportune timing of release in order to bring attention to

the civic duty of every person to promote social equality. Apple and Commission for Race

Equality aim to do more than just sell a product, but to remind the world of an idea sometimes

forgotten.

Reference Page(s)
Apple. The Human Family Shot on iPhone. YouTube. YouTube, 04 Aug. 2016. Web. 25 Sept.

2016.
Apple iPhone Sales 2007-2016 | Statistic. Statista. The Statistics Porta, n.d. Web. 25 Sept.

2016.
Maya Angelou. Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.
Reisinger, Don. iPhones in Use in the US Rise to 94 M, New Study Suggests. CNET. N.p., 15

May 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.

Sgm123. Commission for Racial Equality Ad Would I YouTube. YouTube, 30 Jan. 2011.

Web. 25 Sept. 2016.

Smith, Louise. The UKs Equality and Human Rights Commission. The UKs Equality and

Human Rights Commission. About Human Rights, 18 Sept. 2016. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.