Goal: As with almost any company, the goal here is to convince people to purchase their product. In this case, it’s trying to convince people to buy speed-fit exercise equipment and instructional DVDs.
Argument: The main argument seems to be that being overweight is going to make you unhappy. They’re essentially saying “obesity equals unhappiness and we’re trying to undo your gnawing depression fatty.”
Audience: Initially it seemed that the intended audience was people who are obese, but there is also a strong statement geared towards people who aren’t necessarily overweight, but who are afraid of becoming so. Maybe even shallow people who really feel that their potential happiness is dependant on their weight or their figure. Females seem to be more concerned about this than males. Just sayin’.
How: There’s a strong pathological strategy here. Here we see a flabby body (not sure if it’s male or female, but the hairlessness may be an indication of a woman’s body) folded over on itself, the creases in the flesh creating the illusion of a frowning face. The image is certainly created to elicit disgust and even fear in the viewers. “Wow! Could my body really look like that if I don’t work out? That’s revolting! I don’t want that! Make it go away! It’s staring at me! Gross!” The image, disturbing as it may be, also appeals back to the logical argument addressed earlier. The flabby body’s frown is meant to reinforce the idea that “this flabby body makes a frowning face…your real face will look similar if you’re ever this fat.” Whether or not you agree, the company makes a pretty strong statement that ones weight has a direct correlation on their physical happiness. The frowning face is a symbol that’s easy to interpret but represents a deeper logical argument. It can be debated whether or not sufficient information is provided. We don’t actually know if the owner of this fat body is indeed unhappy (regardless of what the folds in their flesh might say!) nor are the health benefits of weight discussed. Regardless of current trends to be “PC” this day in age, the argument is fairly representative of the general public this day in age. While it may not be accurate on a scientific level, it certainly illustrates many people’s opinions about body image and self esteem. The image and the methods employed are directly related to the company’s argument however, and while they might not explicitly say “we’re in the business of prolonging your life” they’re certainly trying to say “we will make you happier and look better.”
Effective?” Certainly. People are afraid of being fat and this ad plays directly into that fear. Any argument against obesity is an effective one and this is just another angle a company can take to frighten people from gaining too much weight.
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