IHop, 2012, http://www.brandeating.com/2012_12_01_archive.html
So when I first look at this advertisement, the stacked pancakes dripping with syrup catches my attention almost immediately (though, that shouldn't have been a big surprise- pancakes should catch everyone's attention). The photo is closely zoomed in on the pancakes, allowing the photo of the breakfast meal to be the primary focus of the advertisement. Unsurprisingly, the phrase in large, blue letters, "Slather. Pour. Eat. Repeat" is placed before the image of the pancakes, and above the eye-catching phrase, the words, "All you can eat pancakes are back!" completely pulls me in. The heart placed at the bottom of the ad signifies the importance of breakfast, but most importantly, the importance of eating breakfast at IHOP.
Is this really an all you can eat buffet?
As I look deeper into this advertisement, I find many representations of the sin gluttony. The first representation that stands out the most, is the phrase, "Slather. Pour. Eat. Repeat." This phrase is essentially compelling it's audience of working, low to middle class families to continuously eat the pancakes at IHOP. Since the pancakes are "all you can eat," it is easy for the audience to be persuaded into overeating the pancakes because it seems like the pancakes are endless. However, that is not the case. Another representation of gluttony is the zoomed-in emphasis of the pancakes slathered in syrup in the background. The pancakes are stacked upon each other and the photo takes up a majority of the advertisement, making the pancakes a center focus in the ad. This extreme emphasis on the pancakes is another example of the gluttony presented in the advertisement.
"All you can eat" is a common phrase used in food advertisements; this phrase is especially used by fast food restaurants and buffets. In order to grab the attention of their intended audience of working low to middle class families, a simple phrase such as "all you can eat" must be presented in order to persuade the audience to eat at the restaurant. "All you can eat" symbolizes how simple it is to eat fast food rather than preparing a home-cooked meal. At fast food restaurants, the low to middle class audience can easily and quickly order their dinner after a long, tiring day at work. The low to middle class audience may not be the most educated about health, or, since most families in lower classes work minimum wage jobs, they might not want to buy healthy food at the grocery store because it is much more expensive compared to fast food. Furthermore, the use of language such as the "all you can eat" phrase is a tool that is used to persuade low to middle class families to continuously eat unhealthy at fast food restaurants.
