There are thousands if not millions of girls who look up to women like Taylor Swift. She’s pretty and talented, so why wouldn’t they want to be like her? In 2010, the singer and songwriter did an print ad and a commercial for a popular makeup brand, Covergirl, where she advertised a light-weight foundation. In their advertisement, Taylor Swift insists that the foundation she is wearing will give you “flawless coverage with light as air feel.” The Covergirl ad campaign uses the rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos, and logos to sell their makeup products.
The iconic star kicks off the commercial by emerging from bright green silk fabric introducing a “breath of fresh air.” This scene in the beginning appeals to our logos because it takes our cliche mindset that nature and freshness are highly valued. Women view a highly popular idol asking them to partake in that green initiative by purchasing a product like this, that in a sense is eco friendly.
That sense is acquired from the point Taylor makes when she says that Covergirl took out a heavy synthetic and added cucumber. She also claims that the foundation is better than even $180 foundations.
Young women everywhere deal with a lot of insecurities in their lifetime and just want to feel beautiful. This ad appeals to pathos because when women see someone like Taylor Swift with perfect skin on the cover of magazines and ads, it may make them wonder how they can achieve skin like hers. In the ad, you will see Taylor advertising the NatureLuxe Silk foundation in soft, but bright lighting.
In the ad commercial, she is dancing around wearing the foundation which portrays happiness, confidence and overall femininity. All of those traits that our society praises. Her skin is glowing and there isn’t a single blemish on her face. This ad primarily targets young women or women who wear makeup and want natural looking, flawless skin like Taylor.
This Covergirl ad appeals to ethos because Taylor is an incredibly famous celebrity. Most associate Taylor with success, beauty and in general a positive image. Therefore, girls are most likely to spend their money on a product that she endorses. The popstar has her own cult of fans where her opinion matters. Taylor is constantly looking perfect on the red carpets, so this establishes credibility with women thinking that they too, can look perfect using the products that she is using.
In conclusion, the multi-million dollar brand, Covergirl, uses all of the rhetorical strategies including ethos, pathos, and logos to sell their makeup products. The brand can persuade women into buying these products, such as the NatureLuxe silk foundation, by using the beautiful and famous Taylor Swift to connect with young women who want natural looking, inexpensive foundation.
Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, Covergirl. (2022, May 09). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/easy-breezy-beautiful-covergirl/