Rhetorical canons are – invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. As I viewed the commercial produced by Nike in 1995 called “If You Let Me Play” I was able to analyze its aspects of a rhetorical canon. The Nike commercial showcases young women stating the phrase “if you let me play” and follows it with a statistic such as they will not let their husband abuse them or they will not fail classes. When first analyzing the invention component of this digital artifact it is important to see what they are trying to say. Nike is trying to say that if we let girls play sports it will have a positive impact on their lives and improve their well-being. Though we know from years of studies that sports have many positive effects on one’s life, there is zero evidence that states playing sports will reduce your chances of having breast cancer as it is said to in the commercial. The message they are delivering is powerful, but it is important to include accurate information. 

The style of this digital artifact is in the form of a video which is going to engage the audience. Naturally people will be more inclined to watch something than read about it. The video captivates the audience’s attention. The arrangement of the video is set up with a different girl stating the same line with a twist to each one. Each line begins with “if you let me play” and follows with a different ending. The diversity of women allows for the viewers to see themselves in one of those girls. The delivery of this digital artifact is what makes it powerful. The repetition of the same line reiterates the consistent message to allow girls to be more active participants in sports. The more times the audience hears the line, the more it is embedded into their memory. Due to the same line being used I was able to almost memorize the presentation. The use of rhetorical canons in this digital artifact elevated the message and allowed the audience to relate to the artifact more. 

Works Cited

arteysport. “Comercial Nike: If You Let Me Play (1995).” YouTube,

YouTube, 5 Feb. 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbOyOGt-

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