Rhetorical Analysis Of The Commercial Sek Fan

Family is one of the most important things in life. Family supports one another, no matter what happens and they love each other unconditionally. During the Chinese New Year, rice supplier company Bernas released a commercial that encouraged the importance of loving and coming together as one whole family and to put aside any difference that might arise in families. The commercial, titled “Sek Fan” follows the story of a son that disappoints his parents, and is involved with a work accident. The commercial “Sek Fan” by Bernas is an emotional advertisement that uses rhetorical devices such as ethos, logos, pathos, kairos, and different fallacies to stress the importance of being with family. In order for a commercial like “Sek Fan” to be believable

Pathos is what makes the viewer relate to the commercial the greatest, and makes the biggest impact on whether or not the message of the ad is understood. By using pathos and relating to specific elements of the viewer’s life, the viewer is able to connect with the video and its message. In “Sek Fan,” a major theme is the corruption of the family featured in the video. The father seems to look at his son with disappointment, the son feels like he is letting down his parents, and the mother tries to mend the relationship between the father and son. Any person with family issues in the past or present would be able to relate to this common issue and connect with the story. The commercial also appeals to any person who has ever been seriously injured before. Previously or currently injured people can easily relate to the pain and hard work that an injury requires to heal, making the commercial’s message that much more understandable. The pain and hard work required to heal an injury can be compared to the pain and hard work required to heal a family. A very important quote that appears in video is after the father sets aside his differences with his son and helps him learn how to walk, saying, “Little by little, we will make it” (BERNAS 2012). Every person yearns for the approval of their father and mother, and by using a quote like this, the video connects with anyone who hopes for or has

The commercial “appeared in major Chinese and English dailies beginning Monday this week (week of January 25, 2012). It will be appearing until the end of this month in between programs in all major Chinese and other language television stations” (Campaign Brief Asia). The commercial aired on YouTube on January 19, 2012, just four days before the Chinese New Year. It was aired on television on January 22, 2012. The fact that the commercial aired around the time of the Chinese New Year was an efficacious and smart decision made by Bernas. People celebrating the New Year would be with their families and some who might have experienced scenarios similar to the ones in the ad would all see the commercial and think about the message. The Chinese New Year is a symbol of family and togetherness, with the eve of the New Year being the most important. “Normally, this is the family reunion dinner, especially for those with family members away from home” (Chinese New Year Traditions). In “Sek Fan” the last meal shown in the video features the whole family eating together, seemingly happy and content with each other, and one can infer that the meal shown is the New Year’s Eve meal. The kairos in the commercial is the publishing date, which makes the commercial that much more