Starbucks Persuasive Essay

This ad was published by the Starbucks company, and seeks to persuade us to drink starbucks coffee. Coffee is a multi-billion dollar a year industry, and is deeply tied into working culture, and Starbucks is a big part of that. In this ad Starbucks is trying to sell us its coffee and image. They claim that their coffee will bring out the best you and make you a better person. It’s saying that without this coffee maybe you aren’t being all you could be, and missing out on the “good” life. It’s seeking to fill a void in yourself that only you may see, and by offering this product it’s confirming that there is a void. They construct this message using a variety of strategies. First they put the Starbucks coffee up front, so it catches your attention right off the bat. The cup is facing with its logo outwards, so you constantly see it. Next they use bold white lettering, so it’s easy to read and see, but they leave the “YOU” in green, so associate it with their brand color and notice it. Then under that they put a “Taste of Inspiration” in cursive to appeal to an “imaginative” or “creative” person. The cup is recyclable, and it’s trying to come off as safe and healthy.
I don’t like Starbucks personally, but this ad is very well put together. It’s nothing flashy, but the vibrant colors catch my eyes, and I focus on it almost immediately. It has a pretty basic message, and it allows for you to interpret how the “inspiration” will affect you. This ad has really shown me just how overt and in your face advertisement for basic beverages are. This isn’t anything new for advertising though, but it’s far from good. This type of advertising tries to chip at our base insecurities, and get us to question our self-esteem. This is far from a healthy, and the fact that it’s seeping into all forms of advertising can be indicative of hidden societal problems where we’re being constantly bombarded with messages of