Any person who grew up with siblings understands the rivalry that comes along with it, but they also understand the bond that cannot be broken. Siblings fight, that's just a part of life, but in the end they are always there for one another. The classic case of sibling rivalry vs. sibling love is a beloved family ideal in America. In this past Super Bowl, Coca Cola created a commercial that portrayed this heartwarming bond. Coca Cola mainly persuades the viewer to invest in their product by appealing to the viewer's emotions (pathos), and by using their reputation to convince the viewer that they are credible (ethos). 

The commercial starts off with two brothers, the older one continuously messing with the younger. Throughout the ad, the viewer feels sympathy for the younger brother because he is being constantly picked on, whether it be getting kicked under the dinner table or left in the rain. But that mood changes at the end when the younger brother gets his bottle of Coca Cola stolen by a bully. He appears to be helpless and lost until his older brother steps in to save the day. The older brother gets the soda back and gives it to his sibling with a smile. This emphasizes how even though the siblings fight, they will always be there for each other.

Coca Cola is one of the most popular and successful soda brands in the world. This year, Coca Cola celebrates its 130 year anniversary, making it one of the oldest soda companies to date. Coca Cola has been such a large company for so long that it has become a simple household name. Coke uses their recognition in the family home to tie into the family values seen between the siblings in the ad. Throughout the ad they make it seem that family and Coca Cola go hand and hand, if you drink our soda, you will be a happy family. With their decorated history, Coca Cola is able to establish strong ethos throughout their ad. On top of their reputation, a bottle of coke is placed in nearly every scene making it difficult to forget what ad you're watching. 

The main rhetorical device that can be seen throughout the whole ad is pathos. Coke is reaching out and trying to pull at the heart of its viewers in an attempt to make them feel that if they buy their product, they will be as happy as the two boys at the end. Pathos is seen throughout the first half of the video when the older brother is picking on his younger sibling. Viewers are able to relate to the fighting among the siblings, and it gives them a sense of nostalgia for their childhood. As the video goes on, the viewer becomes sympathetic towards the younger brother and the goal of the commercial begins to come into question. Towards the end of the commercial, the younger brother is sitting alone drinking a coke when a few bullies come over and snatch it away from him. At this moment the viewer feels even worse for the boy, until his older brother comes in to save the day. The older brother gets the soda back and scares the bullies away. Finally, the older sibling gives the soda to his younger brother with a smile, and the phrase "taste the feeling" comes onto screen. This quote affects the viewer's pathos because it persuades the reader to associate this "feeling" of love with what they will feel when drinking a coke. 

What Coca Cola is arguing in this ad is that their product brings people together. Although the siblings constantly fight, it is ultimately the bottle of soda at the end that truly brings them together. At the end of the ad, Coca Cola takes advantage of Kairos. Kairos is used at the end of the ad because when the brother steps in, the viewer has a rush of emotion due to the connection established between the brothers. Coca Cola uses this change of emotion to flash their logo, which makes the viewer associate Coca Cola with happiness and love. On top of the actual video, the song in the ad promotes a similar feeling. The song playing is Hey Brother, by Avicii, who sings about how no matter what happens, he will always be there for his brother.

Throughout the ad, the use of pathos is blatantly obvious, and the use of ethos just comes along with Coca Colas reputation, but when really analyzing the ad, one might wonder where the use of logos comes in. Is it logical that a soda can settle differences between siblings and create a sense of love between people? No, that doesn't make sense. The simple fact is that in our modern day society, Coca Cola is such a huge brand that it has just become a part of almost everyone's life, and can be used in nearly any scenario. There is no need to add a logical appeal behind a soda commercial of this proportion, all Coke needs to do is show their product and make viewers feel as if they must have it. 

Coca Cola is able to employ ethos throughout their commercial simply due to their history and reputation. Being one of the largest soda names in the world, most people deem Coca Cola a reliable provider. Coca Cola puts heavy emphasis on pathos throughout their ad, by comparing the love between two siblings with the love one may feel when they buy a Coca Cola product. The ad is arguing that if you buy their product, you will experience a certain feeling that can only be brought on by their product. By explaining this "feeling," Coca Cola is attempting to convince viewers that happiness stems from a simple bottle of Coke. Coca Cola has a history of strong marketing and great use of rhetorical devices to persuade consumers. This commercial is no different, it is able to reach viewers on an emotional level persuading them to buy their product, in a successful way. 

