Chris Renaud

Professor Mayeux
ENG 1400 Section 12: Composition
27 January 2014

The Fallacy of Focus

The modern American consumer is adversely affected by the environment surrounding
them. Wherever an individual may look, the effects of the world on a single person are
staggering. For instance, post-traumatic stress disorder has not only been traced to heredity, but
to traumatic events caused by the outside world- the emotional scars are created by
internalization. Many specific actions, habits, and behaviors (such as biting fingernails, tapping
feet, and humming) are not inherited; these actions are observed from other participants in the
environment, then mimicked by the observer. These facts pose a serious question; what if
humans found a way to manipulate the environment to further their agenda by controlling an
individuals subconscious? This is the purpose of advertisements. Present throughout the entire
world, these suggestive markers have one intent; to alter the viewers subconscious. When many
individuals view an advertisement, the image often falls from memory- in fact, it does around
sixty-five percent of the time. However, when a specific image or thought is brought to the
foreground of an individuals memory, certain emotions and thoughts accompany it, thereby
creating a bias with the product or idea. Closely analyzing ads can yield surprising results, and
the case is no different in Johnson and Johnsons Glassex ad. It is apparent that Glassexs
Magician Glassex ad is ineffective due to the lack of information it presents, the focus of the
enivronment, and the fallacy of its claims.
The Magician ad is set on a darkened stage; it appears as if a performance has already

begun. In the center of this stage stands a single magician with a female assistant. The magician
is holding his hands, palms out, over his attendant- who appears to be floating. In the bottom
right corner, there is simply a bottle of Glassex window cleaner, suggesting that the magicians
assistant is not floating, but is simply laying on a platform of spotless glass. How does this
scenario captivate the readers attention and associate the product with the ad? There are many
examples of this, but the ad appeals to three different ideas; logos, ethos, and pathos.
Logos is a powerful persuasive tool in the minds of left-brained, analytical thinkers-surprisingly, the Glassex ad does not utilize this persuasive technique effectively. When looking
at the advertisement, the viewer will immediately notice how devoid of text and information the
advertisement is. Besides three objects- the magician, his assistant, and a bottle of Glassex
window cleaner in the corner of the panel- the absence of any sort of text, information or factual
analysis is palpable. But, a small chance of redemption does exist. Next to the bottle of Glassex
is a short statement, written in grayscale: Invisible Glasses. There is power in that statement,
and for many reasons. First, invisible glass" is a drawing factor for the viewer. The purpose of
glass is twofold- to shield the viewer from the elements, but also to provide a view of the
landscape beyond the confines of a structure. Glassexs statement seems to imply this: If you
purchase Glassex Window Cleaner, we promise that your glass will appear nigh invisible. In an
appeal to logic, this statement seems to be a fallacy due to the fact that invisibility has not been
achieved in any spectrum of the world. The Glassex ad seems to acknowledge this fact, ignore it,
and create an argument for it, creating a weak logical appeal and an unmemorable experience to
those who appreciate a factual presentation.
Glassex attempts to utilize an appeal to emotion with their "Magician" advertisement, but
falls short in many ways. The emotional appeal of an advertisement is stunning when one

considers the effect of a single symbol on the human psyche. When a viewer sees a pair of
golden arches, a state of tranquility, panic, satisfaction or disgust may overshadow the logo,
creating an emotional attachment to the wildly popular McDonalds trademark. The Glassex
advertisement draws upon pathos through a wide variety of visual and psychological appeals.
The lighting is one of the first ways in which Glassex creates an emotional appeal to the reader.
On the left side of the panel, a beacon of light is depicted, shining across the entire stage and
nearly lighting everything around it. On the right side of the panel, however, the stage is dark and
mysterious, creating an aura of wonder and mystery. There are several reasons the light source is
positioned in this manner. First, it draws the viewers eyes across the entire panel, making the
individuals eyes stop at each character, and finally end on the bottle of Glassex. Secondly, the
lighting creates a mystical aura. Since the light is gloriously bright on one end and nonexistent
on the other suggests that there is a certain amount of focus the reader should divert to the scene
at hand. Also, when shows and stage acts are typically performed, they consist of dark lighting
with a bright, central focus- one that the Glassex ad mimics perfectly. Finally, the lighting
performs one last trick- completing the magical act. If light shines on a glass form or some other
crystalline object, it creates a prism or infraction- through this, the human eye can detect a clear
object by the lights behavior around it. In the Glassex ad, there is no interruption of light- in
fact, it seems as if the light simply proceeds under, around, and through the presupposed glass
box, rendering it invisible. By manipulating the light, Glassex can claim that its glass is, in all
actuality, invisible." The lighting is an obvious emotional barometer- by altering the light we
can alter an individual's mood- but the light source and direction is not the only environmental
element that effects the presentation of the Glassex ad. The appearance of the two performing
characters is key in creating an emotional appeal. The magician, pictured behind his assistant,

appears perfectly calm- in fact, he may even seem coy, or as if he was enjoying himself. This
appearance relieves the tension that typically precedes acts that are magical and mysterious in
nature. By manipulating the appearance of the magician, the viewer can be at ease, relax, and
enjoy the rest of the presentation. The assistants appearance is also very important. She seems
relaxed, cool, and collected- contrary to most magical acts, which instill a sense of wonder and
fear into participants. Her appearance shows her trust in her partner (the magician), the glass box
she is suspended on, and the scenario in general. Despite all these facts, the emotional appeal of
this advertisement is weak. Although it successfully creates a scene of calm, tranquil and
amusing joy, it does not project these feelings successfully on to the product, thereby rendering
the emotional appeal useless.
The ethical approach of the advertisement is two-fold; first, the panel is manipulated so
that the concept of age and trustworthiness is brought to the foreground- secondly, Glassex seeks
to create trustworthiness in its Invisible Glass claim, and succeeds in this regard. When
viewing the panel, it becomes immediately apparent that age is a factor. The magician and his
attendant are not of the same age- in fact, they are closer to complete opposites. The magician
pictured in the center of the panel is in his later years- an estimate would be around the ages of
sixty or seventy. Glassex chose this specific man, his dress, and his composure for a specific and
interesting reason. Simply put, experience is the best teacher. Age is a common measurement of
trust- many companies and establishments market their year of formation as their badge of
quality- serving the public since. By doing this, companies establish their credibility (they
have lasted for many years) and their expertise in treating customers in a particular field. Glassex
attempts to mimic this common practice through a different means- the age of the magician. His
elderly appearance, coupled with his immaculate dress, create a sense of trust in the readers

mind. Next, the viewers focus shifts to the second of the characters- the young woman on the
box. She appears to be a young to middle-aged woman (somewhere near the age of 30), who
appears quite calm- and there is a specific purpose for her. This advertisement was published in
the popular magazine Better Homes and Gardens, a magazine dedicated to those who enjoy
keeping their homes and gardens in spectacular condition. The magazine serves over 7.6 million
individuals per issue, and is the most widely read home improvement magazine in the United
States. What is interesting, however, is who reads the magazine. 81% of individuals who acquire
and view the magazine are female, with a median age of 50 years. With this data, it becomes
apparent as to why Glassex chose this particular woman as the assistant of the magician. Her
appearance puts her just below the average age of the typical reader of Better Homes and
Gardens, and brings some youthful color into a dark, mysterious scene. Glassex chose this
woman because of her age to create a vibrant, enjoyable perspective to complement the elderly
magician. The paradox between the age of the magician and his assistant creates a two-way
appeal; to those of the younger generation, and those of the older regime. By establishing the
credibility of the company, manipulating factors in the environment, and establishing a statement
that requires credibility, Glassex successfully casts a credible (albeit somewhat warped) light on
its product and presentation.
It is apparent that Glassexs Magician Glassex ad is ineffective due to the lack of
information it presents, the focus of the enivronment, and the fallacy of its claims. Although
Glassex succeeds at creating an illusion of reliability, it falls short of any emotional and logical
appeal when analyzed, due to the scarcity of both concepts. Advertising is one of the most
powerful weapons created by the modern capitalist- viewers would do well to analyze the facts,
scenario, and emotional appeal of an article before purchasing a product. Looking beyond the

surface of an advertisement and determining the true function of the elements beneath it is the
best way for a modern-day consumer to make wise choices when faced with a fiscal investment.

Works Cited
"Better Homes & Gardens." Echo Media - Print Experts. Echo Media. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.

"Glassex Magician Ad." Better Homes and Gardens. June 2013: 23. Print.
Mastin, Luke. "Memory Recall/Retrieval - Memory Processes - The Human Memory."
Memory Recall/Retrieval - Memory Processes - The Human Memory. The Human
Memory. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.