Second Draft of “Where Can…”

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Lindsey Evans

English 015

Dr. Jessica O’Hara

21 February 2014

Where Can…

“Ask not what your country can do for you…ask what you can do for your country.”  These were the words spoken by President John F. Kennedy on September 5, 1960 during a speech in Detroit, Michigan.  Though, at the time, the President was referring to the “New Frontier” of space, this popular phrase has been applied to nearly all aspects of patriotism (“Kennedy’s New Frontier”).  From paying taxes to starting a business, the betterment of the United States has always been a deep-seeded value of Americans.  Unfortunately though, this goal has sometimes clashed with a separate value geared toward self-improvement: the American Dream.  In a recent United States Army Reserve commercial titled “Where Can…,” writers play on these aspects of American culture, showing that the two values can sometimes be one in the same.  By winning over the hearts and minds of the audience, wiping away negative connotations, and playing to the American sense of pride in one’s country and honor for self-sacrifice, “Where Can…” shows civilians that they can heroically serve their country without the sacrifice of a successful life.

The first challenge of “Where Can…” was to show civilians that a career in the United States Army Reserve would not have to mean putting their lives on hold.  In the commercial, both a marketing administrator and a doctor are shown trading in their work clothes for the uniform of a soldier.  During the transition, the commercial asks the audience “Where can a marketing administrator be a watercraft engineer?” and “Where can a doctor serve his community while also treating patients around the world?” (U.S. Army).  Each of these questions

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shows the audience that the man and woman supposedly switching careers are actually performing the same tasks they would during their current jobs.  Neither had to give up doing what he or she loved, nor do the positions appear any less rewarding than the originals.  The commercial continues by showing a student placing a helmet on his head while asking “Where can a student stay in school while expanding his education beyond the classroom?” (U.S. Army).  This statement continues to bolster the idea that the Army Reserve is not the end of a journey, but the beginning.  As the commercial draws to a close, the narrator finalizes the capturing of the audiences mind with the statement that “In the U.S. Army Reserve you’ll find the strength to develop new skills and gain an edge to get ahead” (U.S. Army).  Overall, the words of the commercial are a key rhetorical tool for the writers.  By appealing to the logos of the audience, the U.S. Army Reserve shows that it can open doors to new possibilities and give recruits an advantage over competitors in any career field.  This idea coincides with the American Dream by making the audience feel as though they themselves would greatly benefit from a career in the military while still contributing to the betterment of the United States by making a difference as a soldier.

The U.S. Army Reserve, however, could not simply state these facts to the audience and gain the same level of success.  Instead, the writers had to elicit trust from the audience.  This is done in several different, yet very subtle ways contributing to the ethos displayed in the advertisement.  First, the characters chosen for the commercial were not selected at random.  A marketing administrator- a highly elite member of the business class- and a doctor- an extremely prestigious member of society- both embody people of stature in the community.  The characters remain relatable to the audience, for they exist as hard-working everyday Americans, but they also convey a sense of authority in their respective fields.  The commercial essentially tries to show that if civilians with careers as prestigious as these are willing to make the switch to a

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uniform, why would anyone, regardless of their own career, say no?   The characters are also made to be diverse (a Caucasian female marketing administrator and an African American male doctor) to broaden the scope of the commercial’s audience, making it relevant to any American regardless of gender, skin color, or ethnic background.  The next appeal to the audience is done so using a celebrity endorsement.  The narrator of the commercial, Gary Sinese, holds an incredible ethos.  With roles in Apollo 13 and CSI: New York, Sinese has shown affluence in film and television for years.  However, for this particular commercial, Sinese’s role as Lieutenant Dan Taylor in the famous film Forrest Gump makes the audience more inclined to listen (“Forrest Gump (1994) Full Cast and Crew”).  Though Sinese was never a solder in Vietnam and could never relate to veterans on the subject of true battle, Sinese’s role as a soldier gives viewers an unconscious trust towards his words.  Despite the fact that Gary Sinese has never been and never will be a member of the United States Army Reserve, his mere endorsement of their cause is enough to grab the attention of viewers and hear out just what the commercial is trying to say.

The final challenge of “Where Can…” was to win over the hearts of the audience.  To do this, the U.S. Army Reserve drew on several different American ideologies and utilized the rhetorical strategy of pathos.  To explain, it is very common in today’s society to find opposition to the idea of a military.  Though great respect is shown for soldiers and veterans, the idea of war often turns people’s eyes and hearts away from the idea of service.  “Where Can…” plays on this not only American, but universal detest for war by eliminating it from the advertisement completely.  There is no display of a bullet-ridden war zone, no scene of the horrible injuries sustained by a soldier after an attack, and no use of weaponry at all.  In fact, graphic scenery of any kind is simply avoided, replaced by acts of science and diplomacy.  The engineer is a creator, fixing and inspecting her ship.  The doctor is a healer, providing care for the sick no

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matter the patient.  Lastly, the student is a diplomatist, engaging in what seems to be peaceful talks with locals.  Instead of focusing on the public’s negative connotation with military action the commercial highlights acts of heroism, calling on the American values of patriotism and honor.  This emotional appeal is further emphasized by the inspirational background music for the commercial, giving viewers chills as they hear the familiar regal tune associated with a world power for good.

In one final act of persuasion, the U.S. Army Reserve pulls out its most powerful phrase, the famous ending to any Army commercial that “There’s strong, and then there’s Army strong” (U.S. Army).  These seven words have a profound impact on viewers.  The phrase acts as a bridge between the symbolic heroism of the uniform of a soldier and the aspect of the American Dream valuing the feats of strength and power.  By separating the United States Army from the adjective “strong,” the commercial conveys the message that the Army transcends bravery to the point of something superhuman.  This not only plays to the idea that soldiers are heroes, but it also gives viewers the sense that by joining, they too can reach another level of superiority, an essential aspiration of the American Dream.  With one simple sentence, the Army solidifies its place in the hearts of its audience, raising within them a call to act.

It has long been an American belief that the greatest honor of all is to serve your country.  Countless books, films, songs, and even video games have been created depicting the valor of soldiers and, at times, even glorifying the idea of war.  However, these are merely dramatizations for viewers.  Things in the real world are very different; it therefore makes sense that the U.S. Army Reserve’s advertising methods must also be different.  Commercials for the Army- or any military branch for that matter- are not trying to get customers to buy their product or purchase a service.  They are asking viewers to make a life choice, something most people are not comfortable making.  The U.S. Army Reserve commercial had to prove to Americans that by

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becoming soldiers, they could make a difference within their own lives as well as for the United States.  Only by winning the audience’s minds, trust, and admiration could it show viewers that joining would be the logical and patriotic choice.  In my opinion, the Army Reserve commercial is an excellent example of the powers of rhetorical persuasion.  Through logos, ethos, pathos, and the use of American ideologies, the Army Reserve shows civilians that they can heroically serve their country without the sacrifice of their careers.  In just 29 short seconds, “Where Can…” not only captures the ideals of a nation, but also the desires of its people.

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Works Cited

 “Forrest Gump (1994) Full Cast and Crew.” Internet Movie Database. Internet Movie Database.

Web. 8 Feb 2014. <http://www.imdb.com>.

“Kennedy’s New Frontier.” U.S. History Pre-Columbian to the New Millenium. Independence

Hall Association. Web. 8 Feb 2014. <http://www.ushistory>.

U.S. Army, prod. U.S. Army TV Spot For Where Can…. iSpot.tv, Inc., 2013. Web. 8 Feb 2014.

<http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7kEn/us-army-where-can>.

“Synopsis for Forrest Gump (1994).” Internet Movie Database. Internet Movie Database. Web. 8

Feb 2014. <http://www.imdb.com>.

 

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