How to look like Jennifer Aniston

This is an advertisement for Aveeno absolutely ageless restorative night cream1. It is found in the October 24, 2016 issue of People magazine. It features the beautiful Jennifer Aniston, a description and benefits of the product, and a picture of the product. The product being sold is a restorative night cream, which includes blackberry complex for a healthier, firmer, more elastic, younger-looking face. It even claims all of these effects will be apparent in just one week of use. The headline of the advertisement says, “Want to look younger, longer? Take the right steps now.”1

The author of the source uses soft, luminous colors. The theme of the add is very feminine and clean. The background of the image displays a moon and stars, to make the audience think that Jennifer has the night cream on in the picture. She is also smiling and looks carefree. All of this is intended to play at the jealousy of the reader.

The purpose of this ad is to sell the night cream. Jennifer Aniston is endorsing the product. The goal is for the audience to be envious of Jennifer Aniston’s clear and young-looking skin and buy the product to see the same results.

This advertisement is displaying envy as a rhetorical device. The main headline asks the audience if they want younger looking skin. Also, the use of Jennifer Aniston as the center of the advertisement causes the reader to be envious of her beauty and specifically her skin. The audience naturally compares themselves to Jennifer Aniston and wants what she has. They most likely chose Jennifer Aniston to be the spokesperson for this ad because she is known for aging well.

The intended audience is most likely American women over the age of 35. Aveeno products are sold in the United States and Jennifer Aniston is a well known actress in the United States. The audience is most likely middle to upper middle class. Aveeno is a drug store beauty product, therefore those who are members of classes above the upper middle class most likely do not buy their beauty products from a drug store, rather high end, more expensive companies. Conversely, this advertisement is not intended for women in socioeconomic classes below the middle class because they may not have the financial resources for this product.

The placement of the ad in the People magazine is also deliberate to reach this specific target audience. Over 70% of readers of People magazine are women. Also, the median income for readers of People magazine is $72,000, with 1 in 4 readers exceeding $100,000 a year. The average age of women who read this magazine is 382. These demographics fit the intended audience, middle to upper middle class American women over the age of 35.

The intended audience has cultural knowledge of beauty standards in the United States. For older women, the goal is to look younger. Fresh, radiant skin is something that women desire and are willing to buy beauty products in order to attain it. This advertisement uses this cultural knowledge to persuade the reader to buy this product by encouraging them to be envious of everything the ad is displaying.

Image and 1) Aveeno. People 24 Oct. 2016: 88. Print.

2) Gaille, Brandon. "35 Eye Opening People Magazine Demographics - BrandonGaille.com." BrandonGaillecom. N.p., 15 Feb. 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016. <http://brandongaille.com/35-eye-opening-people-magazine-demographics/>.

Should I Start Going By My Rapper Name, JT Swizzle?

The name I was given at birth was Jessica. Some call me Jessica while others call me Jess, or Jessicat, or JT, or Mom. The name someone uses to address me is indicative of how we encounter each other normally or our level of comfort with each other. For instance, my closer friends and family call me Jess while everyone else usually calls me Jessica. While Jess, Jessicat, and JT are all variations of my actual name, Mom is the name I have been given by my friends because of my personality. This nickname is probably the one I find the most meaning in. This name reflects certain parts of my character and personality. I am responsible, reliable, mature, and caring like a mother. I have even been dubbed “Maniac Mom” of the Millbrook Maniacs. This name defines me in a way that I am proud of because it shows that I am very involved in my school and I care about the people who are a part of it. 

My sister, one of the people who call me Jess, is an amazing basketball player. She is four years older than me and graduated from Millbrook like I will in June. Naturally, people compare me to her. I suddenly stop becoming Jessica and become “Alex’s sister”. I love my sister very much and I’m proud of how talented she is, but I do not like being compared to her. We are simply just different people. First, I don’t play basketball. Some people think this is a crime against humanity because of my height. However, I am not my sister. I have made a different impact on my high school. While my sister invested her time into basketball, I have invested my time into academics, student government, and clubs. Her and I have different interests. Being compared to my sister is frustrating because I feel that I’m letting people down when they realize I’m not a basketball star like her. That disappointment also discredits what I am interested in, as if it’s not as important as basketball. I think part of the reason I was never interested in basketball at a young age was because of the pressure I would have on me to be as good as her. It’s hard to be confident in myself and my accomplishments while I am being unfairly compared to my sister. 

Link Source:

Huebner, Andrea. "27 Things You've Said If You're The Mom Friend." Web log post. The Odyssey Online. Olympia Media Group, 26 Sept. 2016. Web. 2 Oct. 2016. <https://www.theodysseyonline.com/27-things-mom-friend>.