Advertising Media: Building Las Vegas - Essay Example

The Fallacy of Begging the Question: Of Chris Meyer’s “Building Las Vegas” In Chris Meyer’s (2002) advertisement article en d, “Building Las Vegas,” several architectural buildings, designs, and colors are vividly shown. Published in Los Angeles Magazine, there are picturesque images that exhibit the art and aesthetic prominent in 21st-century Las Vegas. The photo of Palms Casino Resort, for instances, radiates in blue color. What is strange in this article, though, is the presentation of numerous photos of structures, both classical and modern in style, while the presentation of the written text is quite scanty.

Perhaps the advertiser is more interested in enticing the eyes of the viewers through showing them Las Vegas’s “peacock’s colorful plume.” Further, the models in the scenic photos are mostly women with beautiful faces and body shapes. Here, Las Vegas is presented or represented as a type of paradise consisting of exquisite architectural designs, gardens, and women. In a caption in the said advertisement, it states that the Park Towers in Las Vegas is “the only choice for those who seek the ultimate standard of living” (Meyer, 2002, p. 98). This statement is an outright fallacy called begging the question.

Also known as circular reasoning, the fallacy of begging the question is defined as a presumption of a particular premise that needs to be proven (Lawrie, 2005, p. 153). Meaning to say, a certain argument holds a particular premise that is highly dubious which, thus, requires further argumentation or evidence. In the article, there are two premises that the advertiser-writer holds. First, the premise that the Park Towers is the only choice for the people, particularly the elite, who seek a quality vacation or luxury spot.

Evidently, the problem here is the truthfulness of its assertion. One wonders if there are really no other available choices with respect to the place in which people seek for pleasure and comfort. And second, the premise that the Park Towers has the highest standard of living is very dubious. The word “ultimate” speaks of the highest quality of services and amenities offered among the resorts or spots prominent in Las Vegas. Whether or not this assertion is true, one has to prove such highly questionable premise.

Advertisement in the printed media such as the Las Vegas Magazine can be an effective tool for reaching and gaining a wide array of customers. Advertisement as a tool, after all, is reaching out for the “potential customers” to buy or subscribe to a particular product or service (Kelley & Jugenheimer, 2008, p. 262). As to Meyer’s advertisement article, the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of such ad depends largely on the reading public who are themselves the potential customers. In terms of visual presentation and choice, on the other hand, the ad is arguably effective.

But what is accounted in advertisement is the actuality of hooking up target audience into buying or subscribing to one’s product and/or service. Park Towers, as it appears, is a luxurious place and, thus, the only customers who can afford such product and service are those rich elites. References Kelley, L. D., & Jugenheimer, D. W. (2008). Advertising media workbook and sourcebook. (2nd ed.). New York: M.E. Sharpe Lawrie, D. G. (2005). Speaking to good effect: An introduction to the theory and practice of rhetoric.

South Africa: Sun Press. Meyer, C. (2002, February). Building Las Vegas. Las Vegas Magazine, 97-106.