Allergan’s Botox Cosmetic Advertisement

The Allergan Botox print advertisement has been featured in many modern-day magazines inclusive of Allure’s 2012 November issue, the advertisement seeks to inform the targeted audience about the company’s Botox injections, used for cosmetic purposes (Allure, 22). In accordance, to the ad, Botox injections are used for the purpose of treating both moderate and severe frown lines that emerge with age advancement.

The ad features a happy, and seemingly confident middle-aged woman with flawless skin after using Allergan’s Botox Products, using the middle-aged woman is effective as it makes it easy for the target audience to relate with the advertisement. Generally, the advertisement seems to be giving hope to young and middle-aged women from the ages of 18 to 40, of remaining youthful, confident, happy, and beautiful despite advancing in age upon using Allergan’s Botox Products which keeps wrinkles at bay. One of the primary reasons behind the success of the ad is based on the fact that it effectively applies Aristotle’s rhetorical strategies which include pathos, ethos, and logos.

Allergan’s Botox Cosmetic Advertisement: Link: http://prescriptiondrugs.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=005556

Rhetorical Analysis

Logos

In their advertisement on Botox cosmetic injections, one of the rhetoric strategies Allergan applies is appeal to reason. Concerning this, appeal to reason is depicted in the first line of the advertisement which reads “Millions of women know BOTOX cosmetic” (Allure, 22). The statement aims at arousing potential customers’ interest in the product since most individuals particularly women are not only aware of the product but also continue to use it successfully. Hence, by introducing the concept of millions of women using the product, Allergan aims at convincing consumers that the product is both effective and reliable. Generally, from the number of individuals using the Botox injections as indicated in the advertisement, potential consumers are bound to feel obligated to try Allergan’s Botox cosmetic injections since they do want to feel left out from the masses.

In the ad, use of logical appeal is also depicted by statistical facts from the products clinical trials. According to the advertisement, for every ten women, eight of them attain desirable results approximately thirty days after embarking on the trials. The application of statistical data from Botox clinical trials, to a great extent, create a sense of superiority and also reassures potential customers on its effectiveness which increases the effectiveness of the advertisement.

Pathos

In addition, in order to appeal to reason, Allergan’s advertisement also applies emotional appeal to attract targeted consumers. One of the instances depicting emotional appeal is through the silver circular approval seal handed down to the company’s Botox product by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (Advertisement for Botox). Regarding this, the ten-year seal to a great extent provides consumers with a great sense of both security and safety when purchasing and using the product. Emotional appeal is also depicted through Allergan’s use of a product spokeswoman. In the advertisement, the spokesman is creatively portrayed as a beautiful as well as confident middle-aged woman that has perfectly flawless skin. Basically, the woman’s confidence is depicted primarily through her pose; in the ad, the woman’s head appears highly held, in addition, her chin is up and her smile portrays joy and happiness brought about by using Botox injections. Moreover, color is also used to appeal to targeted consumers, throughout the advertisement, Allergan uses various two main colors which include beige and lavender which are commonly categorized as warm colors. While the color beige greatly signifies neutrality, the color lavender, on the other hand, signifies serenity.

Since the product advertised is to a great extent a medical procedure, the application of such colors can be perceived as paramount they lower consumers’ anxiety levels as well as nervousness; hence, making the advertisement very effective. Additionally, through her splendid looks, the advertisement effectively evokes emotional responses from the consumers targeted as it provides a sense of hope, thereby, raising the consumers’ overall expectations on the product’s effectiveness.

Ethos

Ethos; also termed as both character and credibility of a specific argument, is also effectively applied in Allergan’s advertisement of Botox injection to increase its credibility. In the advertisement, Allergan uses pathos by providing necessary as well as detailed information and facts to the targeted audience. Such included information on the product’s safety inclusive of the company’s phone number (Advertisement for Botox). In addition, the credibility of the product is also provided through the ten-year approval stamp given by the FDA, as a result, this provides consumers with an opportunity to seek clarifications or rather more information from FDA on the product such as its side effects or its safety levels. In addition, the advertisement also offers credibility by offering webpage belonging to a certified professor doctor who has the ability of administering the Botox injections safely inclusive of the company’s name to prevent potential consumers from mistaking the Botox product with other generic brands.

Conclusion

Allergan’s advertisement on its Botox injection effectively applies Aristotle’s three rhetorical strategies pathos, ethos and logos for the purpose of attracting targeted consumers. Regarding this pathos is advanced through application of a Botox spokesperson that serves to reassure consumers on its effectiveness after using the product successfully, use of warm colors eliminates feelings of fear brought about by thoughts of undergoing a medical procedure. On the other hand, the ad provides credibility by presenting an FDA approval stamp, company’s name and company information, and more information on the product. In addition, the ad is also effective as it successfully appeals to reason by providing relevant statistics on the use of the product inclusive of its success rates by presenting data from its clinical trials.

Works Cited

Advertisement for Botox. ProCon.Org, (2014). https://prescriptiondrugs.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=005556. Accessed (13th March, 2018)

Allure. Advertisement. News Week. 12 November 2012: 22

Higgins, Colin, & Walker, R.. ”Ethos, logos, pathos: Strategies of persuasion in social/environmental reports.” Accounting Forum. Vol. 36. No. 3. Elsevier, 2012. pp. 194-208. Print.