Rhetorical Analysis of Toy Commercial--"New Adventures of He-Man: You can be a Hero"

This 1980’s TV commercial by Mattel appeals conventionally, but accurately, to all the little American boys who "gotta have that toy!" While the commercial’s technique is conventionally designed to draw young eyes to the television screen, it also appeals to the parents of the children who want the toys by calling attention to the fact that He-Man is not only admired by so many young boys, but is also a potent symbol of all that is good and heroic.
He-Man has not earned the respect of so many Earthlings easily. His heroic nature is the product of many years of leading the planet Eternia as Prince. He is given an array of powers by a sorceress, and uses them only to prevent the evil Skeletor from finding the secrets of the Castle of Grayskull. By showing this nobility as he combats with his cringing fiendish enemies, He-Man’s character is obviously portrayed as righteous, protecting, and trustworthy. Mattel therefore channels He-Man’s power and authority to sell its own toys.
This commercial quotes, “YOU can be a hero with He-Man! YOU can be a hero with the action packed Astro-Sub! YOU can be a hero at the controls of the incredible Starship Eternia!” Everyone knows that all little boys want to be heroes. So by syllogism this commercial appeals to the viewers’ desire to become superheroes by suggesting that you must have these toys in order to become a hero. This directs us to the conclusion that if you want to be a hero, you must buy these toys, and a deduction like this would definitely be expected from a starry-eyed little boy.
The live action clip at the beginning of the commercial depicts a caped, skull-headed Skeletor shooting laser beams from his eyes and laughing menacingly. A man then growls, “The war between good and evil continues! And you can be a hero with He-Man!” This image of evil provokes a sense of uneasiness and urgency to combat. The announcer man then quickly reassures his viewers that they can defeat this horrible creature, but only they buy these action figures and toys. According to this commercial, it is only with these molded plastic weapons that you can “overcome the forces of Skeletor!”
Kids who look up to He-Man will want to stand for all that is good just like him But it is not only the child who hears of this hot new toy. When advertising, attention must also be directed toward an indirect audience, which is in this case the source of money—parents. Mattel designed this commercial to represent He-Man conquering all evil and standing for all that is good. When a mother thinks about toys, she thinks about how that toy will influence her child, and in the case of He-Man, the scales seem to tip significantly in his favor. Parents desire to teach their children to always stand up for what is right, even when confronted with adversity. In this short commercial, He-Man is being confronted from every direction by Skeletor and his minions, but he struggles to fight for the cause that he has dedicated himself to.
This advertisement portrays exactly the kind of character that parents want as a role model for their young boys, as well as the type of hero that children want to become, and therefore pushes the product even closer to another sale.