Targeting Age-Related Insecurities: A Rhetorical Analysis of Anti-Aging Product Marketing by Pakistani Brands on Instagram

Abstract

This study conducts a rhetorical analysis of Pakistani beauty brands on Instagram that market anti-aging products. Using Aristotle’s model of rhetorical analysis, the research examines advertisements from eight Pakistani skincare brands. The qualitative analysis identifies prominent emotional appeals such as fear and desire, along with rhetorical devices that reinforce age-related insecurities. Advertisers frequently use metaphor, hyperbole, and personification, with hyperbole being the most common device, often making exaggerated claims about reversing signs of aging overnight. The findings reveal that these advertisements promote anti-aging products as essential solutions to avoid aging, thereby intensifying societal pressure on women to maintain a youthful appearance. The study concludes that such rhetoric may negatively impact the mental health of middle-aged women by normalizing the belief that aging is undesirable. These findings underscore the need for ethical marketing practices and further research on the psychological effects of anti-aging advertisements.