Annaka Heaton
4th hour
Summary/Response Paper
19 Mar. 2010
Audience: Unsuspecting Readers
Cowboy Tough
Unsmiling he stares at the reader from his place on the page of this “Ariat” advertisement published in the December 2008 Western Horseman magazine. His face: appears impassive, splattered with mud, covered in light stubble. His stance: unyielding. Draped across one shoulder, a thick braided lead rope, his right hand gripping it, sporting the medical tape upon his hand. His left shoulder supports a bucking cinch of a saddle; his hand rests on the back of the seat. His clothes, a basic black and white plaid western shirt with the words “Pro Rodeo” on the collar and traveling down the arm, completed with a safety vest. His jean clad legs enclosed by dark leather chaps. His whole persona contains a shadowy gray look
His gear allows for the reader to clearly read the “Ariat” brand on the vest. A white cowboy hat dons his head. The background, black, consists a glimpse of a fence fading into it on both sides. He consumes most of the page standing slightly off to his right. The words, in white bold print, quote Bradley Harter, “A partially collapsed lung is nothing. All I need is 8 seconds of air.” His profession, also stated, in smaller print under his name reads, “Saddle Bronc.”
The bottom right of the page consists of the “Ariat” brand with the words “Official boot of the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour”. The top right of the ad the reader finds dominated by the “Ariat” brand again with the words “Bring It” below. . The “Ariat” brand came into the world in 1990; “Ariat” sells its products around the world in over 4,000 retail outlets. They also sponsor over 10,000 local, regional and national events as well as hundreds of athletes.
He embodies raw masculinity to the letter. This advertisement uses many different angles to convey that the reader needs to buy this brand. The color contrast and the use of an athlete both aid in making this advertisement effective.
With the whole background consumed by dramatic black with a shadowy picture of Bradley Harter as its focus, the words, in contrast, printed in a very bold font in white. This causes them to stand out while still complimenting Harter. The reader’s eyes dart towards first the picture then to the bold print, planting in them a curiosity to find out the name of this rugged cowboy along with an explanation as to why his facial expression resembles one of impassive dominance. As the reader seeks the answer, their eyes focus on the finer print and discover the identity of the cowboy, Bradley Harter, his profession, Saddle Bronc. The reader next wonders the motive of this ad appearing in the magazine and the bold white print of “Ariat” screams at them from the top right corner. What better colors to use than black and white to contrast each other and draw the eye? Gold, the only color other than the black and white in this ad, the color of the Ariat brand appears at the; top right, middle left, and bottom right. The lack of color variation draws the reader to this page; the magazine on a whole consists of many colorful pages. The lack of color on his face further causes him to appear fearless and commanding.
Ariat’s use of an athlete furthers this ad’s appeal. Ariat uses Bronc riding, widely known as a very dangerous sport, to get the point across that the most trying sports demand the best of the best: “Ariat”. The quote, “A partially collapsed lung is nothing. All I need is 8 seconds of air,” shows the strength and fearlessness in Harter. It gives the illusion that only the strongest and toughest become Bronc Riders and they wear Ariat. The ad makes sure the reader knows the importance of Harter by showing him in a shirt that contains the words, “Pro Rodeo”.
The overall message tells the reader to buy Ariat brand by use of color, and athletic appeal combines to make this ad very appealing to readers. Whoever buys this brand achieves masculinity and toughness, personified through Bradley Harter, a professional Saddle Bronc Rider.
