Theory paper - Professor Kresse PDF

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Jeanora Price Speech 100 Douglas Kresse 29 October 2010 141-Years-Old Natural Product Some products take time to give an excellent result. Others have been in the business for a while and know what they are doing. That is the case for J.R. Watkins products. They have been in the business for 141 years, specializing in beauty products, essentially skin products. They are trying to portray to its readers and targeted demographic that since they have been in the business for a long time, their products will give the desired result without the harmful ingredients and products its rival products & companies have in theirs. To prove this point, I’ll be using the Toulmin Method and analyzing its ad. Starting off, the Toulmin Method is a theory that argues that arguments have mainly 3 parts: a claim, grounds, and warrant. The claims part is the statement that person/persons are trying to make the other accept. To prove the claim is right, this is where the grounds part. It contains the evidence and basis of real persuasion and is made up of data and hard facts, plus the reasoning behind the claim. The warrant part connects the claim and grounds and makes it legitimate. It can either be simple or become a longer argument. The warrant is usually based on the values (pathos, logos, and ethos) that are assumedly shared with the listener. The claim of the ad is that other products besides J.R Watkins are going to take a long period of time to give it customers the desired results. Since they have been in the business for over a century, they mastered its products and know how create ones that are free of the harmful things that could harm the skin. They are also saying if you are trying to the perfect natural products, they are the best because they have had years to get it right. If you are questioning their claim, then they are saying test their products and see for yourself. For its grounds and evidence, they have quite a few. The first thing that draws your attention is the big bold words of 141 years. This clearly gives the fact they have indeed been around for 141 years.

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Majority of people will trust a company that has been around for quite some time, especially for over a century that still exists to this day. Another piece of evidence is a little stamp approval that says “Natural Products Association: Certified”. It gives the reassurance that J.R. Watkins products are indeed natural and it has been certified by an association. The warrant of this ad is basically just generalizing its product. It just gives you fact to fact. It appeals to the ethos side of the listener. They definitely put out the fact that they have been in the business for awhile, giving it credibility. It also gives a good reputation with the stamp of approval proving its claim. The ad also appeals to the logos side of the listener. It does this by giving the fact that since they have been around since 1868, they have had time to change and perfect their products to give the results without the harmful ingredients and things that the skin is better off without. The line in the ad “Experience is a beautiful thing. And we have the products to prove it” give somewhat pathos sympathy: Most of its listeners want a reliable company that has been around and knows what it doing. J.R. Watkins gives this reassurance most definitely. Though the ad is quite convincing, there is one piece of evidence for its rebuttal: The line “And way too stubborn to change.” It makes the listener to hesitant to believe that if, in fact, that there is something they are displeased with the product, the company won’t want to change to benefit its demographic. But on the contrary, I believe that it is coming from another perspective: they know what they are doing and since getting their products right, they are not in fact going to change at all; meaning, since their products are indeed all natural, they are not going to add the harmful ingredients and such to its product. In conclusion, J.R. Watkins products have claimed that since 1868, they have had the time to get their products right and they are the brand to turn for the perfect natural products. It is quite a convincing ad that gives its readers and listeners a reassurance and a thought they should try natural products, if they desire to do so, from a company that has been out for a while....