Alexys C.

Woolard

Professor Maple

English 101-19

3 March 2019

Downy Unstoppables

Everyone knows that Downy is known for their eye-catching designs and smells that make you

want to dive right into your clothes. But what is it about their commercials that make costumers

choose Downy over other leading brands? In this paper I will be analyzing their most recent

commercial to show how the rhetor of the Downy Unstoppables commercial uses numerous tools

such as scenery, diversity, music, humor, and several rhetorical appeals to capture the attention

of the audience.

When looking at the Downy Unstoppables commercial you are instantly immersed in an

ocean of blue. The blue tile in the shower, the blue car in the garage, the blue bed spread. What

does blue do for consumers? Some may say the color blue can be considered calming, and

peaceful which may appeal to older consumers that crave peace and tranquility

(fatrabbitcreative) in their life. Blue is also known to attract men because it can also be linked to

reliability and loyalty (fatrabbitcreative) which is very important to men especially businessmen.

Adding more blue to the Downy commercial may entice men to purchase Downy over other

leading brands like Bounce and Snuggle. Our oceans are blue, when we look up our sky is

covered in blue. Blue is a comfortable color which make consumers feel more comfortable about

bringing this product into their homes.

 The purpose of this commercial is to make this product look relatable in order for

consumers feel as though this product belongs in their home. What better way to make this

product look more relatable then to make the actors in the commercial look like regular everyday

people. Let’s start with the actors/actress. In the first scene of the commercial we have an Asian

male that looks as if he’s around his mid-twenties or thirties. Then we have a middle aged

African American male in the second scene, and lastly a middle-aged Caucasian woman. All are

smell checking their clothing to see if it’s still fresh. Everyone can relate to those lazy days

where you have to smell check your laundry to see if its fresh enough to wear in public.

Diversity also plays a huge part in this commercial. Many commercials we see on television are

targeted to one audience and most of the time that audience is Caucasian. Having more than one

race take part in the making of this commercial make people of color feel like this product is

made for them as well as for Caucasian people. Although we don’t see any Indian or Hispanic

people of color take part in this commercial it is very important in this day in age to include

diversity in the media and that’s exactly what Downy did.

Let’s talk about the song choice for this commercial. The title of the song is “Everybody

Everybody” by Black Box. Using this song could be the rhetor’s way of saying that this product

is made for everyone which would be another way that the rhetor has made this commercial feel

more relatable. The song is also very energetic which makes it easier to grab the audience’s

attention when this commercial comes on. Having a commercial that grabs the audience’s

attention is very important because it is very easy to tune out when your favorite show cuts to

commercial and not pay attention to the ads on the screen. By adding this song to the

background, it makes the Downy commercial more entertaining therefore making the audience


stay tuned into what the rhetor is trying to convey, and making it easier for the rhetor to get their

point across in the short thirty seconds that they are given on screen.

Humor is another tool used by the rhetor to grab the attention of the audience. At first

glance it looks like a regular boring commercial. Then the music starts, the Downy unstoppable

shower starts falling, and the outrageous dancing begins. The use of humor is another way the

rhetor makes the commercial more entertaining. By using Humor as a tool in this commercial, it

gives the audience more than just an informative video about why they should purchase this

product but also a video that makes you want to watch it over and over again, and maybe even

spread the word to your friends and family about the funny commercial you saw on television.

Spreading the word of what you’ve watched on television is great way for Downy to increase

sales.

Logos is a tool used to persuade an audience (YourDictionary,2018). The rhetor uses

numerous tools to persuade their audience to want to purchase their product. For example,

everyone wants to smell good when they walk out the door to start their day. Throughout the

commercial you hear and see the word “fresh”, implying that using Downy Unstoppables will

have you smelling fresh throughout your entirety of the day even after you’ve worn that same

shirt several times during the week. Knowing that Downy has been a trusted brand for many

years is a way of applying ethos to the commercial to make the audience feel more secure about

purchasing Downy Unstoppables. Pathos appeals to emotions (YourDictionary,2018) and one

constant emotion the audience may feel when viewing this commercial is excitement. The bright

blue colors, the flamboyant dancing, and the fast paced, upbeat music, makes whoever is

watching this commercial tune in and want to see what Downy Unstoppables may have in store

for them and why purchasing this product is such a great idea. Out of these three rhetorical
appeals I think the rhetor relies heavily on Logos. Afterall that is what a commercial is supposed

to do. Entice and encourage the audience to want and need to buy a product, and there’s no

denying that the rhetor did a great job at accomplishing that.

The rhetors purpose is very apparent when viewing this commercial. The rhetor wants

their audience to not only feel that they need this product but also want to buy this product.

Because the rhetors message was so rhetorically successful and apparent throughout the entirety

of the commercial, the audience will understand that buy purchasing this product their clothes

will smell fresh when they go on their morning commutes and even when they arrive back home

in the evening. Viewers will also understand they might feel the urge to dance a little bit when

they put on their favorite t-shirt or hop out of the shower and use the towel that’s been on their

floor for a few days. Although it may not make the viewer want to dance on top of their washing

machine it will definitely make whoever decides to purchase Downy Unstoppables excited that

they can feel a sense of confidence when they put on their fresh smelling clothes, and having that

confidence will help them tackle any and everything their day throws at them and do it while

smelling really good.

In conclusion, the Downy Unstoppables commercial was able to successfully use scenery

to immerse the audience in an eye-catching display of tranquil and reliable blues that make the

viewers keep their eyes locked on the screen, and learn more able why they should bring this

product into their home. They use a diverse crew to make more viewers feel as though they can

relate to the characters shown on their television. The use of music from Black Box that gets

viewers pumped up to watch the magic of Downy Unstoppables unfold before them on their

screen. A humorous use of dancing and towel flinging that makes this commercial a joy to watch

every time it is shown to viewers, and lastly the use of logos, pathos, and ethos to persuade the


audience, appeal to their emotions, and use the credibility of Downy to make the trip to the store

worthwhile.
 Work Cited

“Psychology of the Color Blue and What It Means for Your Business.” Graphic Design & Web

Marketing Agency in Morris County NJ, www.fatrabbitcreative.com/blog/psychology-of-

the-color-blue-and-what-it-means-for-your-business.

YourDictionary. “Examples of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos.” YourDictionary, 6 Nov. 2018,

examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-ethos-logos-and-pathos.html.