O Mara- 1 Morgan O Mara 9 December 2012 Toulmin s Theory Stephen Toulmin s argumentative theory of claims, supports, and warrants can be used to analyze and interpret advertisements in cultural contexts. Toulmin s theory identifies claims as answers to the question What are you trying to prove? The support aspect of Toulmin s theory answers the question What have you got to go on? Finally, the warrant part of Toulmin s Theory is an inference or assumption, a belief or principle that is taken for granted in the claim/support. A warrant can guarantee the relationship between the support and claim as logical or as sound. Using Toulmin s analytic framework one is able to examine an advertisement put out by Sony to promote its new PlayStation Portable in White. The ad encourages the audience to buy the new PlayStation system claiming it is superior to the old Black system. Sony has produced gaming systems for years. People of all ages and background use Sony products, however, the PlayStation Portable is associated with a younger, middle/upper class demographic. By using visual support and minimal text, the advertisement aims to give the portable system a personified identity, one that appeals to a power conscious audience. The ad proclaims that the PlayStation Portable in white is a smart choice for a culture that appreciates race, power, and sex appeal. The ad is set in a black-room with the camera placed below the focus angled up. The ad shows a young female dressed in all white clutching the face of a young black man dressed in all black. The setting is very dark while highlighting the girl, making her skin and hair almost white. The ad reads, PlayStation Portable in white is coming. This
O Mara- 2 particular ad was found on a billboard in the United Kingdom. However, the controversial ad campaign was featured though out the world, in magazine and billboard type advertisements. Based on this information and the content of the ad, it can be deducted that the ad was meant to be eye catching. Since Sony has such a large client base and is widely known, it is believed that the campaign was intended to raise controversy which in turn would interest more people in the product. Using Toulmin s analytical framework, a central claim can be determined for the Sony ad. The claim is that PlayStation Portable in white is for anyone who has an opinion on racial matters. More specifically given the content of the ad, the claim is that the young white generation should buy the new gaming system because it is better than the black system. According to Toulmin, this is a claim of value. As stated in Rottenberg and Winchelle s The Structure of Argument, a claim of value tries to make a judgment in the way that, it expresses approval or disapproval. Moreover, a claim of value works to, prove that some action, belief, or condition is right or wrong, good or bad, beautiful or ugly, worthwhile or undesirable, (Rottenberg). For this particular claim of value, it is important that the audience (young men) expresses its approval of the product in the advertisement. Therefore, there must be forms of visual and textual support to persuade the audience to approve of this product. There are several forms of support found in this advertisement to reinforce the claim. First, in regard to the approval required by the audience of young males, the ad uses dark colors and violence to show the superiority and power in the new white model of the system. By making the ad visually thought invoking, the company is trying to entice viewers and make them switch to this product. This advertisement is trying to
O Mara- 3 prove to its audience that when using the PSP in white, the consumer is able to get a more valuable gaming system simply because of its color, or race. The ad reaches out to a power conscious audience who likes knowing they have the best of the best. The ad states, PlayStation Portable white is coming. It can be inferred that this is in reference to Africa being colonized by white Europeans, leading to the slave trade. The ad uses the image to support a dominate-lifestyle, such as the body language of the models. The white woman is clutching the black man s jaw looking at him in disgust. The black man looks vulnerable and fearful. Since this directly addresses the audience, the visual aspect of the advertisement attracts anyone with a fear of being vulnerable and endangered because of race. The slogan makes the ad much more provocative than simply just having the photo. The slogan makes the audience desire to be a part of a certain race. It is insinuating one race is better than the other and is coming to take over the other. It is human nature for people to want to be a part of the predominant group. The fact that the ad is set in the United Kingdom adds support to the claim that race is important when purchasing a Sony PSP. This can be supported by the fact that 92.1% of UK residents are of white ethnicity, (UK Demographics). The ad also appeals to the personal value of power. Further, the ad is directed to the younger male population, aged 16-24 (Chan), a demographic that is striving to become more powerful. The age and demographic this product is directed to is the most power hungry and have the most desire to succeed than any other age group. When we have some power it is not only intoxicating but it gives us an illusion that anything is possible and this feeling makes us feel very expansive (Borrett). Some other advertisements published by Sony feature the same models wearing the same clothes in
O Mara- 4 other controversial positions. Each advertisement shows the white model conquering the black model using body language and facial expressions. By using these scenes of power, it temps the customer to purchase the more dominant color. By showing one person being dominant over the other, the advertisements encourage consumers to buy the new, PSP. As an audience, it can be assumed that the woman cupping the man s face is much more powerful than he is. Not only does the ad portray the white person more authoritative over the black man, it is also a woman. The depiction of a white powerful woman appeals to this same demographic of young white males as the virtue of power. The young girl is featured wearing a jacket that reveals her navel and cleavage; she also has on low jeans. She is very feminine with long hair and showing off a necklace, drawing the viewer to her chest. The placement of the female is also significant because she is actually positioned off to the side of the ad. However, the man is so dark and so vulnerable he is almost invisible, making sure the viewer notices the white, attractive, powerful woman in a culture that puts a very high value on sex appeal. One warrant that can be detected is that in Western culture is it is important to be attractive. This again is a motivational warrant because it touches on the values of the audience. This particular cultural value can be witnessed hundreds of times a day in other product advertisements. People pay thousands of dollars to have plastic surgery to maintain a youthful appearance. There are also a plethora of personal products, from antiaging cream to erectile dysfunction pills, that encourage members of Western society to appear and act as young as possible. It can be determined that Western culture values youth for two main reasons: fear of death and fertility. People want to stay youthful
O Mara- 5 because it means that they are farther away from the inevitable close of life. As people, we also have a natural, biological inclination to be attractive to other humans that we think could ensure the survival of our species (Landau, Elizabeth). The ad is implying that by simply buying this product the consumer can be powerful, mysterious, and more attractive than others. Another warrant that can be drawn out of this advertisement is that being white gives one power over the black race. In our Western society, race has always been an issue. Acts of racism occur every day worldwide. The ad builds on the stereotype of racism, as Caucasian being the race of superiority. According to the cheat sheet we were provided, this is a motivational warrant because it uses values that are the same for the creator and the audience to form an argument. The value that is similar for most people is that being powerful is something to strive for, and can be obtained through the ownership of a PSP White. People of a less glorious race are able to still share in the power that comes with owning a PSP white. The ad presents the image of power and strength of their product without actually even showing the product itself. Therefore, the appeal is that consumers are superior by simply owning this product. This ad shows that Toulmin s argumentative theory can be used to reveal a lot about our cultural beliefs. The advertisement made a claim that the Sony PlayStation Portable in white was for everyone, including young racially confused males. It supported that claim by providing strong imagery of a physically powerful white woman taking control over the African American male in a dark and mysterious atmosphere. By doing this, Toulmin s structure reveals two values highly coveted by Western culture: power and race. It is important that we as consumers, in both an informational and economical
O Mara- 6 sense, are aware of the cultural values in the messages we receive that are used to persuade us. It is necessary to know the difference between an ad that is promoting a product and one that is aimed at our weaknesses as human beings. Toulmin s Argumentative theory allows us to recognize the techniques used to manipulate sales through their claims, supports, and warrants.
O Mara- 7 Works Cited Borrett, Sam. "Business : Why Are We So Attracted to Power?" Why Are We So Attracted to Power? N.p., Sept.-Oct. 2010. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. Chan, Leo. "Sony Seeks Younger PSP Demographic." Neoseeker. N.p., 20 May 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2012 Rottenberg & Winchelle. The Structure of Argument. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. Print. "United Kingdom Demographics Profile 2012." United Kingdom Demographics Profile 2012. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.