TOW #3: SmartWater

Millions of people a day buy bottled water. Although most contain the same type of water, many people, including my good friend Leah, think that “SmartWater is just better”. I disagree;  I know it’s all in the packaging.  Due to the fact that there are countless types of water bottles to choose from, and usually they sit right next to each other in convenience stores, SmartWater has adjusted the rhetoric on the bottle so people choose their “superior” product.

In order to influence people to choose and keep choosing SmartWater, the scientists and advertising team, who should know what they are talking about, considering it is their product, utilize a friendly tone and advanced vocabulary to convince the reader of the superiority of their water. On the front of the bottle, SmartWater proudly proclaims that the water inside is, “vapor distilled water and electrolytes for taste” (SmartWater bottle). Although these words are not necessarily SAT words, the average reader is not usually confronted with words like “vapor distilled” and “electrolytes” when choosing water. Besides giving the reader information about the water, these words just make SmartWater sound, well, smart. Many readers may also be prompted to wonder, what is vapor distilled? Maybe this water really is better… And electrolytes, wow! Not only does the vivid vocab on the front achieve its purpose, to get people to buy SmartWater, but the blurb on the back with a casual tone helps as well.

When you turn the SmartWater bottle around to find out more about the water being “vapor distilled,” the blurb back is different than the usual. It boldly says how their water is “a difference you can taste...unless, of course, you prefer the taste of that stuff that comes from underground...like spring water (then you’re on your own)” (SmartWater bottle). This intentionally casual and playful language appeals to both pathos and ethos. Instead of the reader seeing the water company as some removed sources of information, the bottle talks directly to the reader, utilizing second person. Therefore, the author seems like a friend or someone that the reader trusts. Also, the challenge of “unless, of course, you prefer the taste of that stuff that comes from underground,” appeals to pathos because if the reader did like spring water, the light but slightly undermining tone this makes the reader think twice about spring water. Although the company may be making a jab at the customer’s tastes, the blurb does it in such a way that the reader could not possibly be offended, and it still makes SmartWater sound better. SmartWater uses advanced vocabulary and a casual tone to effectively prompt people to buy their water over countless others, and judging by my friend Leah, their tactics are working.