Narrative Approach

 

 



This commercial displays a narrative approach to persuasion. The creators play on the viewers fidelity, or how it related to the audience's experience. Many if not all families experience hardships or problems that can rip them apart. This narrative goes through a well designed story that tells about a family spreading apart. Then as it progresses it moves into how an accident happened that forced the son to come home again. From there the father helps in his sons recovery.

As the story plays out in this manner we are able to see a logic of good reasons, as Fisher described it, for how everything comes together (1978). For example, the family depicted is from a culture that has strong family bonds. The scenes progress from the argument to the son working and getting hurt, which leads to a view of him in the hospital.  These all show how they are logically related and the coherence of the narrative.

 The coherence was very well put together. It is easy to follow the story and it provoked an emotional response from the audience. This response they seek is the motivational tool they are using in attempt to add credibility to their company. The company is Bernas (a rice distribution company). This also ties into the fact that they show the family eating many times in the commercial and often having rice. Not to forget the argument with the son that ends in the bowl of rice being shattered. All of these help to direct our minds towards the company behind the narrative.

To better illustrate why the narrative approach with an emotional motivation was used in this commercial, we can look at what Edward Wachtman and Sheree Johnson wrote in their article, "The Persuasive Power of Stories". They claim that in order " to create strong and lasting bonds with consumers and get them to act to our advantage, we must awaken their emotions" (p. 1).  They go on to talk about how the story in the ad leads to an emotional response that ends in what they want.

(Wachtman, E., & Johnson, S. p. 4) 

References 

Fisher, W. R. (1978). Toward a logic of good reasons. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 64, 376-384.

Wachtman, E., & Johnson, S. (NA). The persuasive power of stories. American  marketing association’s marketing management, 1-7.
http://www.storytellings.com/images/StoryTellings_Consulting_The_Persuasive_Power_of_Story.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S14kvB-HMc0