An In-depth Analysis of A Gatorade Advertisement

In the Gatorade advertisement shown below, the creators of the advertisement work to push the idea that Gatorade is a major fueling factor behind athletic performance and being a strong athlete. It does so through the positioning of text and images, the use of ethos and pathos, and bold and unique coloring.

The viewer first notices the organization of the advertisement. The left side includes an image of an NBA player, quote by a famous boxer, and leaves the right side with a picture of Gatorade and a slogan. You can immediately tell that the purpose of this advertisement is to attract the attention of viewers who find sports interesting. The famous quote by Muhammad Ali hints at the ability of an athlete to be great at what they do, something that many members of the target audience of this advertisement would find inspiration in. The pairing of the quote and NBA player along with the Gatorade bottle suggests that in order to achieve greatness in a sport, Gatorade is a necessary component of your success.

In the advertisement, the creators of this ad implement ethos through the inclusion of the basketball player and the quote by Muhammad Ali. The image of the basketball player informs the viewer that “if I achieved success because of this product, so can you,” and for that reason, the player becomes a credible source for the reliability of Gatorade. The quote by Muhammed Ali works in a similar manner. Having professional athletes and role models to many of the people in the target audience saying that a product is beneficial to their success develops them as a credible source for why Gatorade is reliable, driving consumers from the target audience to take interest in the product for their own benefit.

In addition to the implementation of ethos, the advertisement incorporates pathos. The inclusion of images and quotes develop inspiration in the advertisement’s viewers, positively reinforcing that this product will help lead to greatness. The sudden appeal to emotion can increase the number of consumers who impulsively purchase Gatorade based on emotion.

A final technique used in this advertisement is the unique color scheme. A black background does not take any attention away from what is included in the advertisement, enabling the remaining colors: red and white, to stand out to the viewer. The quote, basketball player’s clothing, and promotion of Gatorade all are red and this identical color used in multiple places suggests that these three things shown tie together. They additionally show that this Gatorade has half the calories of the original Gatorade, saying that it is healthier than previous products. The remaining white color on the player’s jersey enables him to also stand out and initially grab the attention of the intended audience.

The advertisement does an excellent job of clearly identifying its audience, connecting with its viewers, and persuading its viewers to purchase the product. It does well in pushing that Gatorade is necessary for good athletic performance and achievement.