I am going to be analyzing this Dr. Pepper advertisement.

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I am going to be analyzing this Dr. Pepper advertisement.By: Jessica Sharma

This ad was shared on Facebook by Dr. Pepper in September of 2012 and started an uproar of controversy. One offended reader commented, I aint no freaking chimp. No more Dr. Pepper for my household.Other readers thought that it was funny without taking offense.In the ad we see an ape on four legs (Pre-pepper), then we see a bent over person discovering the Dr. Pepper on a rock (Pepper Discovery), and then finally we see a healthy looking man drinking a Dr. Pepper (Post Pepper).

HISTORYThis ad is a spin-off from the 1965 March of Progress by Rudolph Zallinger on evolution.It shows that humans come from Neanderthals or apes. This infamous picture sparked a lot of debate and complaints.

Many other ads have based off same picture such as this one which displays happy hour at a bar called Dros.In this ad, the rhetor uses humor to show that if you go to this happy hour you will slowly start acting like an animal. Exigence

According to Grant-Davie, the exigence is the answer to 3 questions: what is the discourse about, why it is needed, and what it should accomplishBitzer defines rhetorical exigence as the rhetors sense that a situation both calls for discourse and might be resolved by discourse (Grant-Davie 106). This is only a part of Grant-Davies 3-part definition.This ad is about drinking Dr. Pepper to help you evolve into a human being.This ad gives off the idea that you need Dr. Pepper to grow and evolve into a human.It should make people want to buy and drink Dr. Pepper.

PurposeThe purpose of a discourse community ties in with the third part of Grant-Davies definition of exigence: what it should accomplishIts purpose is to get you to buy and drink Dr. Pepper.AudiencesA discourse may have primary and secondary audiences, audiences that are present and those that have yet to form, audiences that act collaboratively or as individuals, audiences about whom the rhetor knows little, or audiences that exist only in the rheotrs mind (Grant-Davie 110).Posted on Facebook on September 2012Primary- people who have a Facebook and understand the theory of evolutionSecondary- anyone else who may see it

The audience is defined by Grant-Davie as those people, real or imagined, with whom rhetors negotiate through discourse to achieve the rhetorical objectives.ConstraintsPositivePeople who like to learn about evolution NegativeChristians dont believe in evolutionOthers take offense to beginning as an apeAccording to Grant-Davie, constraints are factors in the situations context that may affect the achievement of the rhetorical objectives.Bitzer defines them as persons, events, objects, and relations which are parts of the situation because they have the power to constrain decisionand action needed to modify the exigence.RhetorsGrant-Davie defines rhetors as those people, real or imagined, responsible for the discourse and its authorial voice.Rhetors need to consider who they are in a particular situation and be aware that their identity may vary from situation to situation (Grant-Davie 108).In this ad the rhetors are the human being, perceived as a healthy growing man, the person who made the ad, and Dr. Pepper(the person).ArgumentPathos-(the emotional appeal) feels like it is a necessity to drink Dr. Pepper; makes you look good and growEthos- (the credibility appeal) healthy man; person who made ad has credibilityLogos- (the logical appeal) uses evolution-parody

EVOLUTION OF FLAVORBold and in caps so it stands out and is the first thing the audience readsFlavor of the Dr. Pepper causes the evolutionA one of a kind schematic brought to you by Dr. Pepper. Doctor Pepper- ethos appeals The fact that hes a doctor gives off the impression that he knows what hes talking about and has credibility as a rhetor.ColorThe ad is primarily red which instantly catches the eye.For example, in these 2 pictures you notice the red immediately. The first picture shows red lawn chairs which give the dcor some flavor and pop. The second picture is a pair of Louboutin heels which are know for having red bottoms. They do this because it catches the eye.

Sourceshttp://www.adweek.com/adfreak/dr-peppers-evolution-joke-facebook-riles-creationists-143776http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-h-word/2012/oct/03/history-sciencehttp://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/09/18/161342548/dr-peppers-evolution-ad-strikes-a-nerve-with-some-christiansWardle, Elizabeth, and Downs Doug. Writing About Writing: A College Reader. Boston: Bedford's/St. Martin's, 2011. Print.