Grolsch Beer Advertisement Essay -- Advertising Marketing

Grolsch Beer: Using the Artistic Approach The advertisement for Grolsch beer, taken from the May 28, 1998 issue of Rolling Stone features Vincent Van Gogh’s Self-portrait. Grolsch beer uses three important components of argument (ethos, pathos, logos) to support their claim. However, logos is the most important because the audience must be able to logically interpret the ad. The advertisement connects with the audience by appealing to the reader’s logic of art history, while establishing a reputation of quality and credibility with the Grolsch name. Relying heavily on logos, the makers of this advertisement depend on the readers knowledge of the history of art and specifically of Van Gogh. The main text of the advertisement states, " The same bold taste since the days when body piercing meant cutting off an ear." Obviously the latter portion of this statement suggests a link to Van Gogh cutting off his own ear. Van Gogh’s Self-portrait symbolizes his missing ear by only showing his left one. For the audience to fully understand this, they must have some prior knowledge of the Dutch artist, Vincent Van Gogh. Grolsch beer creates its logos by relying on the wit of the reader. For example, a pun is used with the word "bold" in describing the beer that may also be making a reference to the fact that Van Gogh was a very bold artist. In order for the audience to be captured by this ad, they must be able to recognize that it is a pun, and that it is the punch line that identifies Grolsch beer with the reader. While much of the ad relies on the reader’s knowledge of art, the ad also relies heavily on logical claims. The first is the claim of fact: Grolsch beer has existed since 1615 and because this statement cannot ... ...robably have taken some course in school to know something about Van Gogh. Therefore, the familiarity that people have with Van Gogh enables them to interpret the underlying meaning of the word "bold". When the ad is read it is quite easy to see that "bold" is describing the taste of the beer. Furthermore, the deeper meaning of the word "bold" is related to Van Gogh and his artwork. With many of his works banned from art galleries, Van Gogh was considered one of the boldest artists of his time. Relating the bold taste to the boldness of Van Gogh creates a sense of knowledge in the reader, thereupon giving the reader a feeling of "Hey! I’ve actually learned something." Now the individual feels intelligent because he has interpreted the ad. I believe the ad’s ability to create this feeling in the audience is what makes it such a well-thought out advertisement.