Download Student 1 Student Teacher English 103 14 March 2014 Annotated

Student 1
Student
Teacher
English 103
14 March 2014
Annotated Bibliography: Wrangler
Botterill, Jacqueline. “Cowboys, Outlaws and Artists: The Rhetoric of Authenticity and
Contemporary Jeans and Sneaker Advertisements.” Journal of Consumer Culture 7.1
(2007): 105-126. Sage. Web. 5 Mar. 2014. This article discusses the changes in
advertising from the 1960s to the present day. The article includes the assessment of
various brands; however, it focuses mainly on the products that are most influential and
popular throughout the generations. The author explains that early advertising was
founded upon the appeals to pathos and connections to home life. By using a nostalgic
approach in advertising, companies portrayed their brands as essential for making a
person’s home complete. Advertising, today, however, is more about giving a meaning to
the brand or an image behind the product. For example, although jeans are advertised as
essential to living a cowboy lifestyle, whether you are working on the farm or riding
around on horses, the majority of people who wear jeans are not living a cowboy
lifestyle. Yet, consumers still associate jeans with the iconic image of the cowboy. To a
company, it is about creating a lasting meaning for their brand that will spark recognition
for a specific image of their product. Botterill is an Assistant Professor at Brock
University in Canada where she teaches courses on advertising and the media. This
article was written in the Journal of Consumer Culture in 2007, a credible, scholarly
journal that assesses the value of products and the appeals to consumers. The intended
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audience of this article is researchers, academics, and advertising and marketing
strategists. By evaluating the advertisements from the past and gradually comparing them
to similar products now, the author is able to clearly support her argument that
advertising in early years to today has shifted its focus from consumer pathos to brand
nostalgia and image association. I will use this source to show how advertising focuses
appeals on the meanings and ideas of products, much like Wrangler does when they
promote tradition and strength through wearing their jeans.
Brett Favre for Wrangler Jeans. 10 Oct. 2011. YouTube. Web. 1 Mar. 2014. The commercial
begins with the song “Bad to the Bone” playing in the background as Brett Favre, famous
football quarterback, is playing backyard football with other men around his same age.
All of the men are featured in t-shirts and Wrangler denim. They are playing in what
seems to resemble a backyard or field that is filled with mud. As the song continues,
Favre is shown with a football in his hand explaining that what makes him comfortable
are “jeans that are tough.” The commercial flashes back to the game, and a close-up on
Favre who says, “I’m comfortable in jeans that last.” After Favre’s statement, the scene
cuts back to the game to show men being tackled and finally back to Favre, as he says,
“I’m comfortable in Wrangler, real comfortable.” At this point, the narrator cuts in and
introduces the jeans by emphasizing that they are built tough, comfortable, and durable.
Scenes of Favre and the men casually playing football continue appearing as the
commercial ends when the narrator states the slogan of Wrangler Denim: “Real.
Comfortable. Jeans.” Wrangler uses Favre, who at the time was a well-respected
American figure in the media, to advertise their jeans due to his popularity. In 2008,
when this commercial first aired, Favre was a big influence for the middle-aged men of
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America because of his high recognition in the National Football League. This
commercial uses appeals to logos by using logic and reason to describe why their jeans
are the best. Wrangler is trying to advertise to men of Favre’s age and interests, more
specifically to men who are interested in sports and recreational activities. I plan to use
this commercial to show how Wrangler’s use of celebrities to promote their products
targets middle-aged, football fans. Wrangler’s use of slogans, as well as the appeals of
Farve’s ethos and the pathos of football fans win over their target audience.
Five-star Wrangler Jeans Featuring Dale Earnhardt. 3 Nov. 2013. YouTube. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
The commercial begins with the narrator saying, “For over sixty years, Wrangler has
been making jeans that feel good and strong,” as the camera shows three different scenes
with three middle-aged men. One man is playing with his children, while the other two
are either four-wheeling in the mud or playing football. As the narrator continues talking,
the scene cuts to a smiling Dale Earnhardt Jr., famous NASCAR driver, sitting in front of
his car, with the four-wheeler in the background. Then, it switches to a scene with Drew
Brees, current National Football League quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, as he
pushes his son on his scooter. While the narrator finishes his description of the long
standing tradition of Wrangler, the camera pans over to Brett Favre, where he is sitting
and laughing with his buddies. The commercial pauses momentarily at a comparison of
two jeans side by side, while the narrator explains the new comfort features Wrangler has
developed. As the commercial ends, it scrolls through pictures of the three celebrities
performing various outdoor activities and the logo for the company appears on the
screen: “Real. Comfortable. Jeans.” Wrangler uses three well known men from the most
masculine sports to appeal to a certain group of men. For this brand, the target audience is
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most clearly middle-aged working class men, but also any male who would be interested
in masculine sports like racing or football, as well as jeans that are durable and
comfortable. This commercial, much like the other advertisements that Wrangler
produces, uses famous athletes in sports like football and NASCAR to capture similar
audiences who view those sports. Since this commercial was produced by Wrangler,
there is a clear bias in their argument for having the best jeans. I plan to use this source to
emphasize Wrangler’s constant use of celebrities in their advertising. I will also explain
the specific type of male audience, due to the celebrities included, that Wrangler is trying
to draw to their products.
Fowles, Jib. “Advertisings Fifteen Basic Appeals.” ETC: A Review of General Semantics 39.3
(Fall 1982): 273-290. Institute of General Semantics. Web. 1 Mar. 2014. This article
explores advertising’s basic appeals by breaking it down into fifteen simple needs that
advertisers use to appeal to their targeted audience. Fowles explains that the over-kill of
advertising has caused this generation to be immune to various forms of advertising. He
states statistics that show how little the general population is affected by everyday
exposure to advertisements. Fowles describes the fifteen needs that advertisements can
appeal to, which are the needs for sex, affiliation, nurture, guidance, aggress, achieve,
dominate, prominence, attention, autonomy, escape, safety, aesthetic sensations,
curiosity, and physiological needs. Under each section, which goes into depth on each of
the fifteen needs, there are multiple examples of major brands using these appeals in their
advertisements. The author claims that the appeals to the subconscious mind are what
trigger our desire or recognition of the product; however, he mentions that due to the
intense amount of advertising, it is more difficult for companies to make their brand stand
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out and be remembered. He uses logos to express his ideas by stating credible facts and
real life situations that pertain to the audience. Fowles also draws upon actual
advertisements in his examples which may be familiar to his readers. The author, Jib
Fowles, professor of mass media and advertising at the University of Houston, is credible
due to his vast knowledge and research on the appeals within advertising. He wrote this
article in 1982; however, the concept and goal of advertising remains the same, which
allows him to establish both an accurate and timeless argument. Fowles targets his
audience of the general population by focusing on the daily factors that affect people. I
will use this source to show how Wrangler employs various needs in order to represent
masculinity and tradition. I will also incorporate the idea of the use of time and history in
advertisements that Fowles mentions in his article and link his ideas to Wrangler’s
advertisements.
George Strait and Trevor Brazille for Wrangler. 5 Dec. 2013. YouTube. Web. 5 Mar. 2014. The
commercial begins with the opening to the song “Here for a Good Time” by George
Strait, country music legend. While the camera features George Strait with his guitar on
his front porch in what appears to be a house on a ranch or open piece of land, the camera
cuts to videos of Trevor Brazille, World Champion cowboy, on his horse, later joined by
George Strait on his own horse. The narrator says, “Long live pride, long live family,
long live heritage,” while the two men are shown herding cattle, sitting on horses, and
playing with their families. The song continues to play as the men begin practicing to
lasso while still on their horses. As the song reaches the chorus, they both look at each
other and nod to signify the release of the bull. The commercial transitions to a shot
looking down on the men lassoing the bull as they run within the arena, and after a few
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seconds, the men are both able to get the bull. As the song ends, the men jump off of their
horses in their Wrangler jeans and walk away with smiles on their faces, as the narrator
says, “Long live cowboys.” Wrangler utilizes these two specific celebrities because of
their cowboy background to appeal to their targeted audience of rugged men and country
music fans. There is an appeal to logos when the narrator explains the facts on their brand
of jeans. The two men range in age to show that the brand of jeans is not specific to a
certain generation of men, but rather specific to a certain type of man. This commercial is
biased towards Wrangler because Wrangler produced the advertisement stating that their
jeans are the only jeans for a cowboy. I will use this commercial to explore the different
types of men that Wrangler typically advertises to. The values of the jeans, the celebrities
featured, and the scenes shown, highlight that Wrangler focuses on specific type of man,
regardless of his occupation.
Kramer, Karen Ruoff. "Jeans." Historical Materialism 14.4 (2006): 289-294. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. This article explores the history of jeans from post-World
War I to the present day. Kramer explains that jeans were first made in California in the
early 1900s for gold miners. The gold miners needed work pants, and jeans were made to
be durable and cheap for the workers to wear while they mined during their long days. It
was their popularity in the United States that spread the idea of jeans to other countries.
These foreign countries did not have the same resources or knowledge of jeans, which the
United States had, so the price was very high outside of the U.S. Kramer claims that the
creation and spread of jeans has influenced the evolution of our culture through its worldwide recognition. She uses credible sources in her article to establish reliability in her
own assessment of the history of jeans. The author, Karen Ruoff Kramer, is the Director
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of the Stanford University Berlin Study Center and wrote this article in 2006 to appeal to
the jean consumers that dominate the population. Her argument is backed-up by many
personal sources with background information on the subject that lends a helpful insight
for the audience. I will use this source to explain how Wrangler uses the development of
jeans and their history in their advertisements.
O'Loughlin, Sandra. "Wrangler Drafts Earnhardt for Jeans Promo." Adweek.com. Adweek, 27
Aug. 2004. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. In this article, the author explains the promotion of Dale
Earnhardt Jr. for Wrangler Jeans. The company is giving the general public a chance to
win a trip involving NASCAR by having them tag commercials or advertisements they
see on TV or hear on the radio. The advertisements will be shown on cable networks,
such as ESPN SportsCenter, the Discovery Center, Spike TV, and print ads will be
featured in The Rolling Stone magazine. The author mentions the total cost of the
promotion was $35 million spent on advertisements for the month set between September
27th and October 27th. The promotion was set up for Earnhardt so that he could be better
recognized as the face of Wrangler. Racing fans respect Earnhardt because of his
reputation within NASCAR, which is why Wrangler wants to bring devoted racing fans’
attention to the brand. The author, Sandra O’Loughlin, writer for AdWeek, wrote this
article in 2004 when Dale Earnhardt was first being shown as the spokesman for
Wrangler. The target audience of this promotion would be race fans who appreciate the
sport and who would enjoy a ride along with a well-respected driver in NASCAR, Dale
Earnhardt Jr. O’Loughlin gives an argument of fact, stating the terms of the promotion of
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the contest without bias. She uses statistics and quotes from the
representative of Wrangler’s director of advising, Craig Errington, to establish the
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credibility of her information. I will use this source to emphasize the celebrity promotions
that Wrangler utilizes throughout their advertisements and its effects on consumers.
Tan, Yue, et al. "The Construction of Masculinity: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Men’s Lifestyle
Magazine Advertisements." Sex Roles 69 5/6 (2013): 237-249. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 5 Mar. 2014. This article describes a study that was conducted to
evaluate advertisements and the role of masculinity in men’s magazines worldwide.
Three popular men’s health magazines were taken from Taiwan, China, and the United
States to examine how they represented men. Through the study of 656 advertisements,
Tan et al. concluded that men were portrayed in a “refined and sophisticated way” (237).
The article refers to past years when the United States was notorious for their use of over
masculinity, and claims that within the past ten years they have moved to a more realistic
and appealing way of portraying men. Tan et al. notes that Taiwan, China, and the United
States all have similar ways of advertising men as “refined and sophisticated” (237). The
advertisements portraying men use less dominating images that intrigue the audience
rather than intimidate them. The authors attribute these similarities to the idea of global
exposure and trade. In order for a brand to make money they need to expand, and in order
to expand their brand worldwide, they need to appeal globally. Tan et al. continue to
explain the changes that United States companies need to make in advertising so they can
reach more customers globally. The lead author, Yue Tan, Professor at the University of
Ohio, studies the role of masculinity and has researched multiple studies regarding the
subject, which makes him an expert. The target audience are academics, sociologists,
anthropologists, and advertisers and marketers who are interested in the display of
masculinity and its relationship to cultures world-wide. I will use this source to compare
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and assess how Wrangler chooses to advertise the masculinity that they often promote in
their products.
Wrangler Jeans. Advertisement. Men’s Health Dec. 2008: 32. Print. This print advertisement
shows Dale Earnhardt Jr. sitting next to a car that is in need of repairs and clothed in
light-wash Wrangler jeans. He is smiling, looking away from the camera with one hand
on his knee. The Wrangler logo is placed just above his face in blue, red, white, and grey
lettering and says, “Wrangler Jeans Co. Est. 1947.” Underneath the logo, right next to
Earnhardt Jr.’s hand is his name in black print with his NASCAR title and his signature
right below it. Beneath the photo of Earnhardt is a display of the four new jeans that are
being advertised. The jeans are lined up next to each other in a variation of dark wash and
light wash jeans. Inside of a banner stamp design on top of the photos of the jeans it says
in bold red and white lettering, “You can count on Wrangler” with a caption saying,
“Comfort. Style. Value.” The targeted audience is the men who watch NASCAR and
who would be doing similar activities as Dale Earnhardt Jr. in this advertisement.
Wrangler places Earnhardt Jr. in front of a car because of his career in racing. They use
the connection to racing to display their advertisement in Men’s Health since the
audience for racing is generally men, as well as the audience for those who read Men’s
Health. The advertisement uses ethos and pathos by using a celebrity who is connected to
the audience and who is well-respected. I plan to use this advertisement to show how
Wrangler places their advertisements strategically to reach certain audiences, which in
this case are men who enjoy sports and working outside.
Wrangler Premium Performance Cowboy Cut Jeans. 17 Mar. 2011. YouTube. Web. 1 Mar.
2014. The commercial opens with a man riding a horse through his ranch. He is dressed
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in cowboy apparel: cowboy hat, boots, a long-sleeve work shirt, and Wrangler’s Premium
Performance Cowboy Cut Jeans, which is the product being advertised. The narrator cuts
in at the beginning by introducing the jeans and states that they are made to “work as
hard as you do.” While the narrator is talking in his deep country voice, the man in the
cowboy apparel continues working on ranch. He lifts hay, loads it onto his truck, and
herds the cattle. He then begins to wipe off all the dust and dirt on his jeans just as the
narrator mentions that the jeans are “20% more durable.” The man is then shown working
on his tractor when the narrator explains the new, more comfortable waist feature that is
included in the Cowboy Cut Jeans. The commercial ends as the camera cuts to a
panorama view of the Cowboy Cut collection of jeans, and the narrator says the famous
logo of Wrangler: “Long Live Cowboys.” By the company not only naming the cut of the
jean “Cowboy Cut,” but also featuring a man working on a farm in cowboy apparel, it is
clear that Wrangler has a specific target audience of blue collar men. Wrangler’s strategy
of stating facts, rather than saying a long explanation of the product, by using logos
instead of pathos, captures their target audience better with quick and logical appeals.
Wrangler produced this commercial, so it is obvious that they are biased towards how
durable and strong their product is. I plan to use this source as an example of the
advertisement of a specific type of masculinity that Wrangler often shows when
promoting their jeans for men.