The Politics of French Culture

Personal Video

The Au Pair Diaries

Establishing Rapport and Obama Innuendos

Further Rhetorical Analyses of French Advertisements

Advert #1: yes you can!

This is an advertisement from the town association of Saint Germain-en-Laye (it's a suburb of Paris) to the people of Saint Germain-en-Laye to pick up after their dogs. For those of you who have been to Paris, you may know that there is a LOT of dog poop on the sidewalks here. Apparently the obsession for pets and the lack of green space in the city are not the greatest combination for our shoes. As a result, you are always having to watch where you step. It happens so often though (that you step in it), that it is said to be "good luck" if you step in it with your left foot. Gross, I know. Anyways, apparently the town of Saint Germain-en-Laye doesn't care about our luck (nor do I), because they want people to pick up after their dogs. This is really more of a plea to the public than an advertisement to sell something but I guess one could argue they are trying to sell the idea of picking up the poo?

Okay, so now that I've explained the background details, I'll get onto the analysis...

Kairos: This poster was on a bulletin board in the center of downtown St. Germain-en-Laye. As you can see, the board is full of other events and advertisements...all which relate specifically to this town. It was strategically placed right across the street from a bus stop. That's actually where I was waiting when I took the picture. It's also on the corner of a street with a really long traffic light. This makes the "audience" pretty much anyone who is walking through the town, waiting for the bus, or in their car waiting for the light to turn green. That's a lot of people!

Logos: The really bright green and yellow colors stand out in contrast to the rest of the adverts on the board and immediately drew my attention to this particular one. Next I glanced at the cute little dog,which makes sense to have a picture of one because it is about dogs. I am not a huge animal lover, but I suspect for those who are this giant dog would make it stand out even more. Next my eyes were quickly drawn to the text above the pup, which is surprisingly in english! "yES I cAN?" (I love the caps letters where the inflection should be) "I cAN what?" Then I look down and read "J'aime ma ville, je remasse." This means "I love my city, I pick up"...pick up after my dog, that is.

This is kind of a little side tangent, but before I go any further, I want to point out what this reminds me of....anyone have I guess?

Bingo! My thoughts exactly...Let me tell you one thing, it is loads easier being an American in France right now than it was a few years ago. I was here in the summer of 2007 so I know from experience...the French are a LOT more appreciative of our current president over "he who shall not be named." Seriously, they reeeally like Obama. Maybe even more than their own president right now. Take a look at this picture that's on the front of an art shop around the corner from me.

Yep, that's Sarkozy. I'm not as up to date on the politics in France as I should be so I don't really want to try and get into what this is referring to...but I'd say the box over the face is negative enough to get the message across.

Pathos/Ethos: Back to the point, I think this doggy advertisement is definitely a play on their affection for our beloved Barack and the sentiments attached to this particular image/phrase combination. They are taking the idea of something really big...the hopes and dreams for the future of an entire nation...and putting it with something really simple. "Yes, it seems nearly impossible...but CAN pick up after your dog! And we can have beautiful poop-free sidewalks!"

Advert # 2: interactive advertising

The second advertisement I chose was because of its uniqueness. Have any of you ever been to an Ikea? It's actually a Swedish furniture/household-item megastore with super low prices because you have to put everything together yourself. I went with my host mom like my first weekend here to get some things for my room and it was QUITE the experience. They have little rooms set up with different themes and it actually looks like you could be in a house that someone lives in. All the details are there down to the little things like kitchen utensils and alarm clocks. I was honestly upset that I had forgotten my camera because it was almost like a tourist destination within itself (for me anyways). No matter though, because Ikea is doing a new campaign where they are bringing the stores to the people of Paris...by means of metro.

This may look like the inside of a living room or study, but it is IN FACT the quai for line 12 in metro station Madeleine. Pretty cool, huh? In each station, they have different backdrops, each featuring different chairs or sofas. You can even sit on them while you wait for the metro...which is a much more comfortable alternative to the stiff plastic chairs that are usually there.

Logos/Pathos: I think the backdrop picture with the shelves all over-crammed with books, cds, and videos sort of gives the feel of a “real” media room. It’s not all perfect and pristine...it’s a little bit off, just like real life. The sofas are also “homey” looking. They are not really nice or anything but they look comfortable and worn-in. They even add the touches of the mock hardwood flooring and the floor lamp to make it look more realistic.

Kairos: The metro in Paris is widely used by people of all social classes and situations, but for the most part it is the transport of choice for the working class and young people in particular. This is the perfect target audience for the nice-looking-but-also-low-priced furniture found at Ikea! They may not reach the upper-class, designer-wearing men and women who prefer to take private cars or taxis...but these are not exactly the people who would buy their furniture there anyways.

Ethos: The whole idea of “interactive advertising” is one that really stands out and makes the audience remember the advertisement. I also thing it's a good way to establish rapport between the company and its clients. I don’t know about everyone in Paris, but a lot of the time when I am taking the metro, it is the end of the day and I am tired and my feet hurt. Instead of showing a picture of a sofa that you wish you could be sitting on, Ikea is actually allowing you to sit on it. This makes me feel like they understand me and I really appreciate that they took the extra time and man power to bring me a comfortable place to relax while waiting for my train to come!