Ancient Style and Youtube Commercials- draft

Christine Spurgeon                                                                                                                       

Professor Steven Krause

ENG 328- Ancient Style and Youtube Commercials

                Ancient thinkers were the first to recognize definite patterns and devices of oration that could be distinguished in effective and compelling discourse. Aristotle and others studied rhetoric to identify and classify different stylistic ornaments and determine general guidelines for what constitutes persuasive writing. Largely dependent upon but separate from grammar, the ancients established the concept of ‘style’ as the various unconventional uses of language. Stylistic techniques go beyond structural rules of speech, using appealing combinations of words to attract and/or influence the listener. Many of these ancient rhetorical devices are now universals, remaining relevant and recognizable today in politics, pop culture, and particularly advertising.

In late 2009, Tiger Woods faced a series of public allegations that he had a large number of extramarital affairs for a considerable period of time. In the early months of 2010, Tiger Woods confirmed most of those allegations. It came to light that he had been unfaithful to his wife for many years including during her pregnancies, and engaged in wanton and unsafe sex with multiple women. Prior to this scandal, one could say Tiger himself was without a doubt a trope, carefully marketed as a metaphor for clean cut, all-American goodness. He was the darling of the world of golf, a more or less reserved, conservative and calculated sport. Tiger Woods shocked and disappointed the public with his behavior and the public was quick to criticize and satirize his lack of judgment and his abuses of fame and wealth.

In the immediate wake of the scandal, Tiger lost nearly all of his high-profile endorsements. A bold move on Nike’s part, they decided not to drop him and instead immediately began scheming in an attempt to salvage his reputation. In April 2010, only a few months after this exploded in the media, Tiger and Nike aired what would become a highly controversial commercial. Tiger Woods is set against a gray, flat background, looking straight at the camera, with a very humble, exhausted and deeply troubled expression on his face. The dialogue is spoken by the solemn voice of Tiger’s late father-

“Tiger, I am more prone to be inquisitive, to promote discussion. I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are. And did you learn anything?”

This brief speech made by Tiger’s father is an example of what the ancients would call a litote. This could be an instance of deliberately understating the circumstances, or implying something the audience is aware of, but of which it is undesirable to speak. In this case, Nike decided that less was more and evidently felt a minimalist approach strengthened and added credibility to their argument. What is equally interesting is Tiger’s lack of speech and the effect this is intended to have- modesty, humility, etc.

The words used are simple, even sparse, but rich in stylistic ornament. Spoken in middle style, the language is accurate and affecting, with no deviations from general understanding. The periodic sentences are concise and resounding. Considering the span of the target audience, the intended message would have been crystal clear to virtually any American adult.

An important and perhaps the most debatable issue with this commercial is the concept of kairos, or appropriateness on different levels. There are no definite rules that govern kairos beyond the evaluation on the part of the orator concerning the attitudes and understandings (ethos) of the target audience as well as the nature of the material discussed. According to Aristotle the effective orator should have “A knowledge of the times for speaking and for keeping silence, and has also distinguished the favorable occasions for brief speech or pitiful speech or intensity…” (Crowley and Hawhee, 233). This is related to Gorgias’ idea of speaking when the listener is ready to hear. Nike and Tiger likely thought they should confront the situation head on, while it was still fresh. Some may have thought this somewhat honorable, as if Tiger was assuming responsibility for his actions and repenting. Others, myself included, found the timing of this commercial to be tasteless. Only a few months after these revelations tore apart his family, Tiger Woods and Nike were too quick to try to repair the damage done to his image.

The propriety of the commercial is debatable in other areas as well. The commercial takes the liberty of applying Tiger’s late father’s previously recorded words to Tiger’s current situation. No one knows how the senior Mr. Woods would have reacted to the scandal or whether or not he would have endorsed the Nike commercial. In my opinion this marketing ploy is weak in light of the way Nike and Tiger exploited his father. Others may view it with more compassion or feel vindicated over Tiger’s public shame, which is likely the response Nike hoped to get given their intense and high-risk efforts to save their top earner.

Despite being only four sentences, this dialogue uses multiple stylistic ornaments. The words chosen are an example anaphora, seen in the repetition of the first word in several sentences. “I am… I want… I want.” These sounds are pleasant to the ear and engage the listener, making them want to hear the next portion and the next until they are rewarded with a conclusion. Each sentence seems a bit heavier than the last, building off one another towards a climatic end where the final idea is meant to be a profound and satisfactory close to the appeal.

The first is a compelling statement, meant to cast a more profound light on the situation and implying that there is more to the story than Tiger and his hedonistic lust and irresponsibility and disregard for his wife’s safety or pride. The next two statements seem to be meant to humanize Tiger and bring him down to the level of flawed mankind. The last is a heavy rhetorical question- “And have you learned anything?”-  an example of sententia, in this case a wise or pronounced statement meant to seamlessly bring the dialogue to an end and resound with the audience. Though the audience is left to answer this question on their own, the nature of the use of this rhetorical device is saying, without really saying, that Tiger has learned a severe lesson. Tiger’s appearance and the soft, slightly disapproving words of his father are meant to assure the audience that Tiger Woods has been deeply humbled by the backlash experienced over his behavior.

This commercial is proof that techniques of ancient style are still prevalent today. This commercial is extremely effective in some ways, yet very weak in other areas. The dialogue is clear and to the point, an attempt to get back to basics. Likely this commercial inspired compassion in some, sympathy in others. Anaphora and a soft, even tone make the dialogue enjoyable to hear, then understand. Though the sentences are few they are arranged in a way that captures the attention of the listener and satisfies them at the end. However, the commercials’ appropriateness- what Cicero believed to be the most important aspect for persuasive rhetoric- left many unconvinced or even turned off. This groveling may have been the only option for Tiger professionally, and in some aspects this commercial used the only style that could have been successful with some viewers. For others, myself included, the devices and the carefully crafted techniques to reduce Tiger to his status as a mere man just don’t seem sincere, more the desperate efforts of Tiger and Nike to retain some of their fans and shareholders if not the majority. The ‘conversation between father and son’ seems too personal, cheap and hollow. The unauthorized use of the voice of his father seems almost an abuse and is more than a little creepy. All in all, this ad comes across as distasteful and inappropriate, despite clever though minimal uses of ornament. No orator, commercial, or other speaker can be absolutely certain the attitudes of the audience or their responses will be homogenous, but at times it is best to say nothing at all.

Works Cited

Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee. Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Studies. New York u.a.: Pearson, 2004. Print.

“YouTube – Tiger Woods Commercial: Earl and Tiger.” YouTube – Broadcast Yourself. Web. 09 Oct. 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NTRvlrP2NU.