Good afternoon teachers and fellow students
Do you care about your appearance and health? I have always wanted to keep fit and become stronger. I did a lot of workouts but the process is tough. Then, I saw an advertisement for Vitamin Water. I might be able to yield twice the result with half the effort, I thought. Well, obviously, I was scammed.
In this speech, I’m going to talk about the manipulative advertising techniques employed and how they negatively affect us and influence us.
In this advertisement of Vitamin Water, Kobe Bryant, the famous basketball player, was portrayed as very strong, powerful and determined. At his back, there is a huge bottle of Vitamin Water, as if Kobe’s Bryant’s success was due to the support of Vitamin Water, having it standing behind him. If you’re just like me, a big fan of Kobe Bryant, who admires and even envies his strength, it’s easy for you to believe that Vitamin Water is really forceful.
What’s more, the written language at the bottom of the advertisement also associates 1,845 bottles of Vitamin Water with 3 championships and 1 MVP award. This creates a sense that drinking Vitamin Water can make you as outstanding as Kobe Bryant, achieving high. At last, it even adds, “Try it…it works for Kobe”, tempting us not to hesitate and try it immediately because it is “approved” by Kobe. In our trust in Kobe and his reputation to convince us not to doubt the product which misleads us to make impulse and mindless consumption.
Another reason why it’s misleading is that it claims that with Kobe Bryant’s ‘recognition’, Vitamin Water has the ‘most valuable power’. This claim persuades us that Vitamin Water is worth a lot and is precious. Most importantly, it makes people think that Vitamin Water is highly beneficial. Yet, is that the truth?
Refer to the Nutritional label of Vitamin Water. It has high liquid sugar content, as high as the sugar content in Coca-Cola! I suppose you would have never imagined a drink labelled as ‘healthy; does not differ from a drink generally considered ‘unhealthy’ by the public. Research shows that Vitamin Water is highly fattening due to added sugar. I’ll increase our calorie intake and thus hinder us from achieving fitness and diet goals. Yet, and this is why I said in the very beginning, I was being scammed! Anyway, although it contains fat, if it can provide vitamins that can help to enhance my health, it may still be worth it, I thought. However, science investigations shocked me once again. Guess what? Excess intake of vitamins can cause side effects. For example, excess vitamin A causes our skin to peel and crack. Excess Vitamin B damages our liver and nerves. Excess Vitamin C causes digestive issues and may even lead to the formation of kidney stones and so on. There are still countless side effects. Never thought about that, right?
Darlene Ouiment once said, “Countless manipulative people don’t question themselves. They don’t ask themselves if the problem is them. They always say the problem is someone else.” Very well said. Advertisers manipulate us that we lack strength and health and provide us a ‘solution’ to the problem – Vitamin Water, but they have never thought that the ‘solution’ not only couldn’t help, it even worsens the problem.
Why was Kobe Bryant so energetic and powerful? Is it really due to Vitamin Water? The answer is ‘NO’. Only hard work contributes to his success. Therefore, if you see this advertisement and get inspired by Kobe’s power and achievements, don’t fall into the trap just like me. Think carefully. Be rational, it is ridiculous that Kobe’s success was due to Vitamin Water. Even if you’re a big fan of an idol, don’t blindly believe in everything your idol advertises. Be rational, be sensitive, and be wise consumers! Thank you.