Ad Analysis

The ad I chose is a Smart Water ad starring New England Patriots quaterback Tom Brady. By having Tom Brady endorse Smart Water, the company intends to persuade viewers, most likely those who find Tom Brady attractive or who idolize him as a great football player, to drink Smart Water. This ad utilizes the rhetorical tools of ethos, pathos and logos to persuade people to buy Smart Water.

At first glance, the viewer may not notice the scenery of the football field or may not even see the giant helicopter hovering in the background. The first thing noticed by most women is a well-dressed Tom Brady running with a briefcase in his hand. This is a play on the emotions of most women who find hunky quarterbacks attractive. The company who makes Smart Water knew that by putting someone as attractive to women as Tom Brady, the ad would attract the attention of the women and keep them interested in what Tom Brady wants them to buy. But the sexual appeal of the athlete is just the beginning of the effect of pathos in this ad.

Men who believe Tom Brady to be an excellent football player may feel envy and jealousy towards the athlete. The makers of Smart Water intended for the viewer to think, If Tom Brady is an amazing athlete and drinks Smart Water, that must mean that if I drink Smart Water I'll be a great athelte too! By choosing an active, famous athlete to endorse their water rather than some television star or supermodel, the company pushed for the viewers to think that Smart Water will keep you as healthy as an NFL quaterback rather than the water making you a good actor. Tom Brady's clothing is a hint toward the fact that he believes that the Smart Water helps him in everyday life as well as on the field. This appeals to the everyday person because not every person who views this ad is going to be an athlete, they're going to be everyday working-class people.