Analyzing Arguments in the Media: BP Commercial

As most everyone has heard in the news in the past few months, BP, a global gas and oil company, has been involved in the largest oil spill in United States history. This commercial highlights the efforts that BP is making in cleaning up the oil spill, and in so doing, it invariably introduces a variety of arguments. Five of the main arguments used in this video are: Invitational Argument, Argument to Inform, Rogerian Argument, Argument of the Present and Argument of the Future.

This commercial uses Invitational Argument through inviting us, the audience, to hear BP out as they attempt to correct their mistake. In the commercial the spokeswoman for BP says that they are "taking full responsibility" for the spill and that the work is just beginning. Argument to Inform is used as the introduction as the situation of the spill is made clear to the viewers and that BP is going to keep us informed as they progress through the cleanup. Rogerian Argument is used as BP attempts to relate to us as citizens in this case. Specifically the spokeswoman says that she is from New Orleans and has family in this area, which shows that she is attempting to relate directly to us and that BP is made up of people just like us who are also struggling due to the spill as well. In addition to this, it is also said in the commercial that BP is going to work with the communities so that they can address the needs of each specific community and finding the best ways to help out. Argument of the Present is used as BP addresses all that they are doing right now to help out, including how they have placed a high amount of workers in the region to clean up the spill as well as informing us of the billions of dollars they have invested in the clean up. Argument of the Future is used as the plan for cleanup is outlined to us through the spokeswoman as she tells us, confidently, that they will be there until the entire gulf is oil-free.

I feel that from this commercial that BP is giving a lot of effort into the cleanup of the oil spill and that they will follow through on their claims. I buy into the arguments that they introduce through this commercial as they all have ample evidence to support each, and I feel that this is an effective commercial for that purpose.