Memo

To: Supervisor
From: Ana McElroy
Date: September 22, 2014
Re: ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Video Analysis

After carefully reviewing and analyzing Paul Bissonnettes ALS Ice Bucket Challenge video, I
have reached the conclusion that the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos in general are effective
especially his. These videos are effective mainly because of the choice of medium a video.
They work so well for several reasons: 1) Videos are easily posted on social media for everyone
to see, 2) they require less work for someone to watch them than it would take someone to read
something, 3) the ideas and emotions are easily conveyed because viewers can watch someone
speak and observe their gestures, hear their tone of voice, see facial expression, etc. The
effectiveness of the argument would decrease if another medium, such as the radio or an internet
article, was used. The videos are an excellent choice of medium because they are likely to be
seen by everyone who has access to a television or the Internet which is the majority of the
American population, not to mention a large portion of the population of the world. As a result,
the intended audience is often very broad and inclusive, which I believe is what we want. Now,
Id like to share with you why Bissonnettes video stands out, and what aspects of it we should
include in our own video in the future.
Paul Bissonnette is Canadian hockey player who is currently a free agent; he formerly played for
the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Phoenix Coyotes, according to Wikipedia. While it would seem
that his video would only attract the views of hockey fans, it doesnt. His goal was to reach a
wide, varied audience. I dont know anything about hockey, but I found his video easily and
thoroughly enjoyed it. His use of language in the video is very casual and broad, which allows
anyone to understand it. His ALS ice bucket challenge video follows most of the conventions of
a typical challenge video. He includes an introduction of himself, mentions who he was
nominated by and accepts the challenge, and nominates others, and of course, has ice water
dumped on him. While Bissonnette does not mention the cause verbally, he mentions and defines
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on a slide at the end of the video, which includes a link to the ALS
Association website and is followed by a call to donate to the association.

While Bissonnette follows most of the conventions of the Ice Bucket Challenge videos, he
breaks a few too. He also goes above and beyond by taking his challenge video to extremes. He
flies a helicopter to a scenic location in the Canadian mountains while upbeat alternative rock
music plays in the background. He uses glacial water right next to its source instead of regular
water, and uses chunks of glacier instead of regular ice. A clip of a thermometer in the bucket
serves as proof of the freezing temperature of the water. He does the challenge nearly naked for
reasons unknown, and has a much larger quantity of water than normal dumped on him from a
helicopter, showing the pouring of the water in slow motion. He puts more effort into
dramatizing the video than most do, which helps it achieve its goals.
The amount of effort Bissonnette poured into the making of the video adds to ethos. It increases
his credibility in the sense that it makes the viewers think, If he was willing to put so much time
and money and effort into creating a video to promote awareness for a cause, it must be a
worthwhile cause. The helicopter, the background music, and the shots emphasizing the beauty
of the scenery all these things pump up the viewers and make them want to continue watching.
Its not clear if the dramatization of the ice bucket challenge is simply to outdo fellow Coyotes
teammate Keith Yandle, who nominated him, and boost Bissonettes public image, or if its to
draw even more attention to the cause; but for whatever reason, its effective (NHL.com). His
video has well over eight million views.
Bissonnette appeals to the emotions pathos of those +8 million people by adding upbeat
background music that evokes a positive response from his audience. He adds in the element of
humor by doing the challenge without any clothes on, but at the same time, he doesnt
completely minimize ALS. He provides a definition of the disease at the end of his video. First,
he classifies ALS as a disease and then defines it as a progressive neurodegenerative disease
that affects the brain and spiral cord. He also uses the phrase join the fight in his call to
donate, which makes it sounds like the donators will be standing for something they believe in.
Lastly, theres a little challenge thrown in after the call to donate that reads Dont be stuck on
the bench like Bissonnette, which provides the viewer with another incentive to donate to the
ALS Association.
Bissonnette also uses other rhetorical patterns that increase the effectiveness of his challenge
video, specifically narration, comparison, and cause and effect, Even though there isnt explicit
narration, watching the process of getting to the video location and gathering the water is still
narration. There is a very clear comparison between his video and Yandles. Bissonnette shows a
clip of Yandles video, which is significantly lower quality, and then cuts to his own video.
There is a stark contrast. Finally, there is a bit of cause-and-effect used. Bissonnette doesnt state
why glacial water is being used instead of ice water, but the logical conclusion is that water
conservation is a concern.
Speaking of logic, the appeal to logos is less clear in this video than it is in others, but its there.
Bissonnette and his crew are very intentional about showing the viewers exactly where the water
they are using is coming from. They show shots of the location of the challenge and actually film
someone collecting the water and breaking chunks of glacier off into a bucket. This forces the

viewer to wonder why they are using glacial water, causing them to arrive at the conclusion
previously stated. In a situation where water conservation is significant, it makes logical sense to
use water from a natural source near that source, where the water cycle can do its thing easily.
Also, the formatting of the video was strategic and logical. There are links embedded in the
video, allowing the viewers easy in-video access to the links that they need to donate.
Bissonnette doesnt need to waste time explaining the donation process or the purpose of the ice
bucket challenge videos; interested viewers can easily click on the links he provides and open
them in a new tab, with very little distraction from the video. This formatting makes sense,
because it doesnt distract from the video hes made, but provides all the information necessary,
should the viewer choose to click.
In conclusion, its probably safe to say that Bissonnettes video was rather effective, and there
are several aspects of it that I believe we should adapt and use in our own ALS ice bucket
challenge video. I would recommend considering investing in a well-made, more dramatic video
to draw and maintain the attention of the audience. Also, it would be a good idea to and focus on
conserving water. That way, well be drawing attention to two causes with one video, ALS and
the drought two birds with one stone. Using a common vocabulary and clearly stating our
purpose, whether its verbal or on a slide like Bissonnettes video, should help get the point
across to anyone who watches. I found few flaws with Bissonnettes method of carrying out of
the challenge. Hopefully this analysis has provided you with an idea of what characteristics of
his video to adopt for our own.

- Ana McElroy

Works Cited
"Keith Yandle." NHL.com. The Arizona Coyotes and the National Hockey League, n.d. Web. 21
Sept. 2014.
"Paul Bissonnette ALS Ice Bucket Challenge." YouTube. YouTube, 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 22 Sept.
2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XOgsIAUpxI>.
"Paul Bissonnette." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Sept. 2014. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.