I was on my way to Walmart to
buy some groceries and on the way there I see rhetoric mages such as many ads,
posters, flyers, signs and banners. They are meant to grab your attention on
the spot! Mostly they are just a big distraction in my opinion, but they always
make me think about what they are trying to get across.
As
soon as I get in my car and start to drive I see a big advertisement banner for
a gym membership that said “Only twenty-five dollars a month” in bright red
print, assuming people in this economy can afford a gym membership. The gym
building has huge windows in front by the sign to show the crowd of members. I
think they don’t have tinted windows to show people how clean and nice the
place is. Organization and cleanliness also grabs people’s attention.
The next banner was a little league
registration for kids to get up and active. It was in front of schools, libraries,
and parks. These are all very popular places for where children like to go. When
they go there they are likely to ask their parents about it. And if their
parents say no, the children can say that it’s so they can be healthy and
active like the advertisement said. How can you say no to your child wanting to
be active?
As
I move farther down the street there are more and more stores on the road with
advertisements. There are even little ones on car bumpers that are noticeable
such as brand names of clothing, sports gear, or equipment. As soon as I walk
in Walmart there are a dozen more visual rhetoric images in my face. Toys for
Tots are donations of toys around the holidays for children in need. By putting
the big Toys for Tots box in the entrance of the store it makes people feel
guilty for not donating to the kids that are less fortunate. Another one I saw
was a man being the bell ringer. His
bucket of money was empty, and had a sign for the Salvation Army on it. How can
you not donate to a person who has been standing outside for hours just to help
others get food on their plates?
Visual
rhetoric images grab your attention whether it’s in a positive or negative way.
They are always going to be around us whether we like it or not. It’s how some
people make a living for themselves.
