AD RHETORICAL APPEAL ANALYSIS 1

ENGLISH A LANG & LIT

INTEGRATING ACTIVITY I

RHETORICAL APPEAL ON ADVERTISEMENT PROM2023

“There are, then, these three means of effecting persuasion. The man who is to be in command of them must, it is clear, be able (1) to reason logically, (2) to understand human character and goodness in their various forms, and (3) to understand the emotions-that is, to name them...” ― Aristotle, The Art of Rhetoric

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Analyzing Rhetoric

Nowadays, we are inundated with advertisements: on billboards, in schools, on brand-name clothing, and in the print and electronic media that surrounds us all. Advertisements do not merely sell material goods; they also “sell” cultural identities, political and social philosophies, and image makers such as athletes, actors, or politicians. Because advertisements are such powerful, persuasive tools, it has become relevant that students learn to recognize how advertisements incorporate elements of argumentation that influence audience attitude and behavior. To this end, our current assignment will enable us to understand how advertisers and writers use persuasive techniques (a.k.a. Aristotle's 3 rhetoric appeals) in their attempts to persuade.

Persuasive Advertisement Techniques

You can thank Aristotle for inventing persuasive advertising techniques. More than 2,000 years ago, he categorized how rhetoric is used in arguments into three groups: ethos, pathos and logos. This is also known as the the rhetorical triangle. And we still depend on it today. Each category invokes a different appeal between speaker and audience. Ethos calls upon the ethics, or what we'd call the values, of the speaker. Pathos elicits emotions in the audience. Finally, logos puts logic into play by using evidence and facts. Good persuasive advertising technique is when you balance all three. But using ethos, pathos and logos in commercials sometimes means featuring one advertising technique prominently.

What is ethos?

Ethos is the persuasive technique that appeals to an audience by highlighting credibility. Ethos advertisement techniques invoke the superior “character” of a speaker, presenter, writer, or brand. Ethos examples aim to convince the audience that the advertiser is reliable and ethical. It’s easier to make a decision when someone you respect signs off on it, right? This is broadly the function of ethos in commercials. When an esteemed public figure endorses a product, it validates it to the end consumer. An ethos advertisement plays off the consumer’s respect for a given spokesperson. Through that respect, the spokesperson appears convincing, authoritative and trustworthy enough to listen to. Of the types of persuasive techniques in advertising, ethos is best used to unlock trust.

So what does ethos mean? It’s all about credibility. Famous people enjoy a high status in our society. So they’re the ones selling products to us -- whether or not they have product-specific expertise. For example, a recent Infiniti commercial featured Steph Curry. Even though he’s not known for his taste in vehicles, his stature validates the product. (Check out the next slide) Ethos rhetoric is also invoked to tie a brand to fundamental rights. Brands build trust with their audience when they stand with an important cause. Anheuser-Busch illustrated this in their recent “Born the Hard Way” spot. This is ethos in commercials at work. (see the ad commercial #2)

How is ethos used in advertising?

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This spot focuses on the origin story of Anheuser-Busch’s founders. It shows Busch’s turbulent immigration from Germany to St. Louis, and speaks to the importance of immigration and multiculturalism. This is how ethos rhetoric is used in advertising. Of the many types of persuasive advertising techniques in advertising, ethos is best for playing up the strength of a brand or spokesperson’s character.

What is pathos?

Pathos is persuasive technique that try to convince an audience through emotions. Pathos advertisement techniques appeal to the senses, memory, nostalgia, or shared experience. Pathos examples pull at the heartstrings and make the audience feel. A quick way to appeal to a viewer’s emotions? A cute animal. A devastated family. A love story. Overcoming great odds. An inspirational song and imagery. A good zinger. Emotional appeals use literary devices such as imagery, sound devices, figurative language, and connotative diction to appeal to the audience’s emotions or feelings.

So what is pathos?

Well, it's a model enjoying a refreshing Coke. Or a frustrated infomercial character desperate for a better remedy. And "tired" of the "same old blah-blah-blah." The many different pathos advertisement examples not only evoke your feelings but anticipate your responses too. If you want to explore pathos in advertising, language is the best place to start. Why? Because the words we hear and read trigger specific feelings. Positive words conjure feelings of love, excitement and wonder.

Bandwagon advertisement?

What is the "bandwagon advertising"? “Bandwagon advertising” is commonly categorized under pathos advertisement examples. While it may sound unfamiliar, you're probably pretty familiar with it. It creates that impression that using certain product will put you on the “winning team”. It adheres to the pathos definition because it plays off your fear... of being left out. Old Spice used this in their “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” spot. (Watch the video on the next slide.) In its comical way, it puts pressure on men to smell as good as the Old Spice Guy. Like the “Plain Folks” technique, Bandwagon advertising is a very popular form of propaganda. Of the persuasive advertising techniques, “Bandwagon” puts your brand on the right side of popular opinion.

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What is logos?

Logos is the persuasive technique that aims to convince an audience by using logic and reason. Also called “the logical appeal,” logos examples in advertisement include the citation of statistics, facts, charts, and graphs. Ever told someone to “listen to reason” during an argument? This is what logos does. The best logos advertisement examples are when a speaker appeals to logic. Statistics, surveys, facts, and historical data can make a product seem like a more reasonable decision. Whether the data is sound or not is another story...

How is logos being used in advertising?

Technology advertisements use logos because their goal is to showcase cool new features. Consider the example of logos in Apple’s advertisement for the iPhone X (sorry Girls the ad is no longer available.) In logos rhetoric, you have to the sell best reasons to buy your product. How does Apple do that? They have their new innovative features pop out at you. From durable glass to Face ID software. It effectively asks you why you would choose any phone but iPhone. Logos often use buzzwords to sell the product. What's a great example of this? Food companies capitalizing on the rising demand for healthy choices. On the next slide you can see a summary of all 3 appeals.

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your task

Rhetorical analysis- Part B

Rhetorical Analysis- Part A

3. Now focus on the details behind the ad:

• Rhetorical situation or context of the ad
• Theme (if any)
• Visual or graphic aspects (color, shading, lighting, lines, position, etc)
• Rhetorical appeals evidence (logos, pathos and ethos.) Remember, pathos includes figurative language
• Language usage
• Conclusion (include cultural significance and discuss if the purpose behind the ad was achieved or not)

1. With your assigned partner choose 2 ads to make a rhetorical analysis on them. Ad #1 should be a video/ commercial. For Ad #2, search for 1 print ad from a magazine, newspaper or social media campaign. 2. To present your rhetorical analysis include the following elements:

• Ad's name and year it was published
• Ad's Company or brand
• Ad's creator (Agency or Author)
• Target Audience
• Purpose or implicit message behind the ad
• Medium (delivery method: social media, print, multimodal, etc.)

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Sample analysis

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Thanks!

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