Rhetorical analysis of Cultural Artifact

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQAZqJWahr0

* The video clip below presented by Cartier, as a new commercial of renewal of their iconic product, a bracelet named Juste un Clou (Just a Nain) Slim.

Cartier,  is a French luxury goods conglomerate company which designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells its jewellery and watches in all corners of the world (Wikipedia). The company was founded in 1847 in Paris by Louis-François Cartier and was remained under the family control until 1964, when the Richemont Group Inc bought it from the family members. Cartier is known for its jewelry and wristwatches, and has Flagship Stores in Paris, London and New York.

Cartier has a long history of sales to royalty. King Edward VII of England referred to Cartier as “the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers. For his coronation in 1902, Edward VII ordered 27 tiaras and issued a royal warrant to Cartier in 1904. Similar warrants soon followed from the courts of Spain, Portugal, Russia, Siam, Greece, Serbia, Belgium, Romania, Egypt, Albania, Monaco, and the House of Orleans. Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, has been seen wearing the Cartier Ballon Bleu watch.

The Cartier Mansion in New York City, is part of the City monuments, and one of only few Mansions stills left on 5th Ave. Today, Cartier has nineteen Royal Warrants, and considered to be one of the most luxurious jewelry houses in the world.

* Of course, when such a big company starting a commercial to promote the new product, as expected, they tend to hire the best possible PR and Marketing agencies. The video clip is 15 sec long, and it represent the main core values of the company, and introduces their desired clients to the audience. It is a high volume clientele audience, rich, powerful, smart, who is willing to risk all to win all. The specific fact about this exact product, the company is trying to catch attention of the  “Millennials”, and get them as a potential clients for the future. Nowadays, “the old money” clientele present no interest to the brand, and as product oriented company, they try to win over the younger, less sophisticated generation. To create a relationship on trust, and to gain a modern perspective, the company launches the “new” product.

Looking through archives, Cartier  tries to “renew” some of its previous creations. By adding a new edge, the company tries to attract the new “Millennial” generation as a loyal clientele. The audience becomes young,  rich (the only one who can afford it), cool, unisex, free and risky, as we can see a group of young people on the “roof-party” in the middle of the day, enjoying the life, themselves, and sense of freedom. The clip is, basically, attempting to show that luxury products, such as Cartier bracelet and rings, is an indissoluble part of the lifestyle, as it is represented in the video. By viewing young people relaxing on the rooftop, the audience can sense themselves attending such an event. Which creates a desire to have this product, and to imitate the social status.

* Bracelets, that are created by“Cartier”,  represent luxury; the picture, generates the “hunger” for this life, and look. Company no longer show established, mature audience in their commercials. It became more social fuzzy and universal.

I believe, Cartier wants to build a specific desire of a “need” on any of their products-the audience will see commercial projects promoting the product, and  plan to get it at the certain time in their life. For instance, young people can see themselves “growing up”, and buy Cartier, as they would be ready to offer-up a couple of  thousands of dollars for a casual piece of jewelry. From the sunglasses, to the ring and bracelets, the audience is shown as an urban, young people, wearing a universal, cool product. Therefore attracting a young and modern audience. Cartier presents  themself, as a powerful company, that creates needs and desires. It invites a well-off audience to celebrate their success, or at least to promote a want to achieve such. For the past 150 years, the company’s name created a certain reputation in the world of luxury. Offering its status and brand’s name, it calls upon its  potential clients to buy the product that company works so hard to promote. For example, we will never see the middle income or a blue-collared worker advertised wearing such a luxurious brand as Cartier. Nevertheless, a lot of people know about the company, and still admire the brand, and the level of quality that the company offers..

* Urban spaces, shown in the clip tend to build a strong connection between the audience and the group of people on the screen. A beautiful sunset and the mountains, a friendship and relationships. An all day long party is the importance of the moment – to create the most coveted atmosphere for the young people. Behind all of that, are the money and the monetary freedom. Because of the reputation of Cartier, the of company serves the royalties and the most richest families in the world. The company’s clientele list has such famous names as Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Streisand, Sienna Miller, Katie Holmes and many, many more..

*  Recently, as we can conclude from this commercial, company changed the course, mostly to the Millenials orientation. I think that some of the loyal “old-school” clients now struggling to stay with the brand. Cartier has always stayed as an unshakable keeper of an old classical traditions, and believes, but now the company brings in  a new standards, and directions to their market plan strategy, which could lead to the changes of their loyal clientele. This commercial specifically shows young, heap people which is exactly the audience the company is trying to acquire. This audience is having fun, enjoying their life and not burdened by daily life. And the product they selling is part of this luxury life.

* The main reason of commercial to build a desire for this bracelet and collection. Even if public had an old version, this is new release and new perspective with changes in cutting actual amount of gold, and making product thinner than it was before. Regular consumer doesn’t think in course of business critical way. Company create an ideal product, by cutting actual amount of expensive material (because the price on gold in the market has a tense to go higher), and create a perfect commercial that sells product, which would cost the company less money to make it.

The main purpose of this clip is to promote the product that has been recently launched to target “new” clientele. The whole clip is designed around fashionable closing, prestige lifestyle, monetary freedom and enjoying the life.

* We can track all of the Rhetorical appeals in the video. First, I would say importance of the Kairos. Because that was a release of new product, which lounged around 14 days ago by the company, and commercial was specifically made for the opening of Cartier Garage Event on September,7 in New York Maison Store on 5th Ave. Next, Logos is used by the author to present a potential client and associate oneself with people on the screen by alignment of logical connection. Pathos is focuses on values company is trying to create and design for their clientele. Everything in the video is placed (as we know) at the right time and place, group of people on the top of the roof and life, freedom, life without everyday routine, unisex picture of the bracelet, universal usage of jewelry in casual or more formal style, and link to the company credential by the end of the clip – Ethos. Name of the product and company name as a afterword. These things build a simple perfection and trust to the brand name. Anything, created by Cartier will be the best possible quality, best design in the industry and give a customer awareness of high trust, and of cause price. Wearing a Cartier always was a mark of belonging to the up scale and prestige class of life, and it staying the same nowadays.

* After two weeks of release, I would say that rhetor fully accomplish purpose of the commercial, because sales in the company increased, and customers willing to buy the new product. Magazines requesting pieces to be put on hold for photoshoots to include them in monthly issues. Therefor, creator of the commercial has created a desire to inquire.