Exploring rhetoric: alcohol and Absolut Vodka advertisements

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review current thinking about visual and verbal images used in advertising. It also aims to critique a range of current alcohol advertisements and provides practical analysis of the visual and verbal rhetoric contained within them.

Design/methodology/approach

The article provides three empirical readings of alcohol advertisements. The first reading, presented by the authors, evaluates alcohol advertisements using the taxonomy of rhetoric, introduced by McQuarrie and Mick in 1996. They then offer a second reading of visual rhetoric, shown in the Absolut Vodka “Everything” advertisements, using the Phillips and McQuarrie's typology introduced in 2004.

Findings

The first two qualitative readings of alcohol and Absolut Vodka advertisements show that there is high deviance in advertisements. However, with the introduction of taxonomies, detailed textual interpretations can be made, categorised and commented upon using socio‐cultural cues. In terms of the third empirical reading, of the Absolut “Everything” television advertisement, informants displayed a collective understanding of visual rhetoric that is low in deviance, but a wide variety of interpretations where highly complex rhetoric is used.

Research limitations/implications

The first two readings were completed by the authors, using their own interpretive practice skills, therefore, future research could be completed with informants that are in the target audience and informants that are outside the target audience. The empirical research invited informants that are in the target audience and informants not in the target audience. Future research could be conducted with different audience types and different research methods to gain a rounded picture.

Originality/value

Taxonomies of rhetoric have been created and developed over the years. The introduction of the visual rhetoric typology has given scholars the opportunity to categorise the signs and codes used in advertisements. This paper has used verbal and visual rhetorical taxonomies to highlight the wicked deviations shown in alcohol advertisements. It explores the perceptions of the scholars, with their own deep readings and the perceptions of scholars through depth interviews. This paper's examination of alcohol advertisements does not offer a fixed view of the interpretations that can be gained from rhetoric, it does, however, present insights into the concepts and methodological process for future studies.

Citation

Kenyon, A.J. and Hutchinson, P.L. (2007), "Exploring rhetoric: alcohol and Absolut Vodka advertisements", British Food Journal, Vol. 109 No. 8, pp. 594-607. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070700710772390