Abby Wambach's Argument

Every generation has that “one athlete” that defies all boundaries and expectations of their respected sport. The player that you pass down stories about to your children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. The player that you appreciate how privileged you were to be able to watch them play day in and day out and grow with them throughout their careers. For most, these athletes have redefined every facet of the sport they associate with, and for millions of soccer fans around the world, Abby Wambach is the person that has become that athlete. Recently in the light of Wambach announcing her retirement from international soccer, Gatorade released a commercial that was felt around the world by millions. The commercial entitled, “Forget

Wambach is already eternalized in American soccer history as well as left her trademark on international play. Despite how much the sport will grow in the next generations, we have her to thank as much as anyone for her contributions to the sport for the waves of younger generations to come. Leaving us to think, if this commercial was not created to market Gatorade’s product by using the technique of association and bandwagon, what is the purpose of the advertisement in regards to Abby Wambach as a player or the sport of soccer? With her use of repetition and appeal to emotion, Abby Wambach wants people to believe she is no longer speaking as the most prolific international goal scorer in all of soccer, the most highly regarded leader in all of women’s sports, or tireless advocate for women’s sports and rights off the field. This was created to encompass the person rather than a player, to recognize Wambach as the individual and not as the

Rather than viewing the Win From Within campaign as a far-stretched effort to increase sales, Gatorade starts a conversation with a population much more than just sports fans or Gatorade consumers. By viewing Abby Wambach as just a regular human and no longer the legendary athlete, Gatorade is able to attract attention to their brand by creating a more personal relationship with the athletes we idolize. Gatorade and Abby Wambach both know her memory will never be forgotten, but disconnecting the individual from their respective sports makes the story more personable for the audience. This advertisement specifically directs to the rhetorical appeals of pathos and ethos because of Wambach’s credibility and the emotion evoked from the story they create. As media consumers we believe that we have to listen to Wambach as she states we must forget her because she has a long history in the sport and knows what she is talking about. With her long line of credibility, we choose to feel emotion because we realize the extent of this advertisement and what it truly encompasses. Even more, because Wambach is so well-respected in her career, it evokes the emotion of nostalgia and sadness watching her make her final bow to a sport we have grown up watching her dominate in for nearly two decades. Using Wambach’s voice over