My rhetorical analysis of Whole Foods Market on Lamar started right as I got into the the parking lot. The parking lot organization was very inviting, with a sign that said “More Parking” for those who cannot find a parking space. Immediately, I felt the attraction of the bright lights and the clear windows. As I walked through the main entrance, an array of colorful fruits hit my eyes. To a customer, this is very inviting. It leads to the customer into the store, and the customer can’t wait to see more. The first section encountered as one walks in is the fruit and vegetable section. As I walked through the area, I saw a “Buyer’s Guide” sign that gave definitions for the terms “organic”, “conventional”, and “local”. This is an example of ethos because facts add to a source’s credibility. Facts and information are throughout the entire store. For example, in the fruit section there is a sign for the name of each fruit along with a description of it and a picture. The format of the signs are quite attractive and modern. At this food store, the appearance of the products and how information is presented are the main attractions. Price is not very much promoted. The prices of all items are visible, but the customer’s attention is drawn to the presentation of the foods and all of the ‘arguments’ made throughout the store. One thing that caught my attention at first was the music that was playing. This draws upon pathos by appealing to the customers as modern and hip. There was also the use of chalkboards and chalk to interest customers because you don’t normally see this in any food stores. Written on the chalkboards were statements like “Fresh Juices Everyday”. The vegetables, such as green beans, were presented as if just picked. This is an appeal to customers because it adds on more to the fact that the vegetables are organically grown. There was also a “Mushroom Buyer’s Guide” that listed sixteen different types of mushrooms and their descriptions, including pictures. This reminded me of ethos. The store is building its credibility by giving its customer’s facts. There were also signs hanging from the ceiling with information about particular farmers. One was from Carrizo Springs, Tx and said, “We do what we can to protect the environment. We don’t use any chemicals. Children can come and role around the dirt if they want to”. This connects the customer with the supplier; it ‘allows’ people to know where their produce is coming from. Another food that caught my attention was the granola. There were like six different types and they were in barrels. This relates again to pathos because it gives the customer a way to look at Whole Foods as an ‘earthly’ store by presented granola as it would be in a storehouse in a farm. I went throughout the entire store, and what always caught my attention was the organization of all the food products, the lighting, and the huge amount of information available to customers, from a sign of “Seafood Nutrition” to descriptions of the different cheeses. This again adds to the credibility of the store. A walk through the store almost makes the customer feel like he/she is walking through a food museum. It relates very much to pathos, appealing to what people want to be – fresh, fit, and modern. Another way that I observed the store was as a small town, with its different areas. For example, there was a sign that said Dairy and then had an arrow. Then, the signs in the dairy department reminded me of street signs. The cheese area had big-sized cheeses. It is almost as if you are going to a small town and getting cheese because you can pretty much order anything, in any size, and packaging does not matter. The bread department appealed to pathos because it had a big oven with a fire burning. It reminded me of homemade bread or a fireplace – nostalgia. The signs that describe the different foods and terms also appeal to logos because facts are being used which are very logical for people to consider. There are also areas for world music, body care, and clothing. This promotes a holistic approach to health. It was like a one-stop shopping for your health. The atmosphere made it seems as if you become healthier just by visiting the store. There was a sign for clothing that said they were made “from the best natural fibers available”. This is an argument that can persuade people to buy the clothes. The atmosphere and the exploration involved in shopping really makes a customer want to stay longer than at a regular food store. Just as in a town, there are also small eating places and seats, where people can just hang out. The prices were high, but to just hang out and not buy anything, I would be persuaded to stay.
Rhetoric of Eating January 23, 2008
I have enjoyed seeing how everything around me is an argument. People present things in different ways. I have been wondering how rhetoric has affected me in purchasing certain food products, like my cereal. The color, the word font, the image of a strong woman on the front, etc. Pathos describes arguments from the heart. Relative to food, this can be seen in the way that sports drinks and power bars are promoted; it gives people a sense of accomplishing something that cannot otherwise be accomplished physically in such an easy way. It is the thought that buying a product will make one feel or be healthier. The way pizza is advertised is also a good example of the employment of pathos. Commercials for pizza include an environment of comfort with friends and family. Food and feelings are very much related. There are comfort foods that we all have. Ethos is argument based on character; the presentation of self that a writer or speaker brings to an argument. In the field of food and nutrition, credibility is important because there is a constant bombardment of messages, such as “loose weight now”. As consumers, we tend to see and buy products, sometimes without paying attention to the origin of the claims that the products are making and checking their credibility. Logos is employed in arguments of logic. Appeals to values, such as enviroment-friendly, can be used to promote food that logically will not harm the environment like organic food. In analyzing the rhetoric of writers, it is important to pay attention to what type of arguments are used to draw their audiences, the audience, and the effectiveness of their argument. Food advertising can be analyzed in such a way.
