Rhetorical Appeals in Advertising Ethos, Pathos, or Logos? What appeal are advertisers using to get you to buy their products?

Objective: As you view each advertisement that comes up on the screen, decide if it’s appealing to your sense of ethos, pathos, or logos.

Ethos Ethos: Ethics To make the audience decide right or wrong about what is being presented to it Political issues, national beliefs, religious issues, etc… Might establish someone as an expert or knowledgeable about a message (“I’m a doctor”, “It worked for me”, “My experience shows…”) Also, celebrity endorsements

Pathos Pathos: Emotion To make the audience feel something about what is presented to it Children, animals, illness, memories, etc… “Tugs at your heart strings”

Logos Logos: Logic To make the audience think about what is presented to it Statistics, facts, authorities, etc… Very straightforward, and not “fluff”. It has a very scientific, factual approach. Cause & effect scenarios.

Can some advertisements have more than one appeal? Yes! The more appeals used in an ad the more likely the consumer is to connect with it. In this lesson, pick the MOST emphasized appeal used in each ad to write onto your sheet.

As we view each ad: Determine the CLAIM. What is the CENTRAL MESSAGE this ad is presenting? Who is the INTENDED AUDIENCE for this claim? What rhetorical DEVICE (ethos, pathos, logos) is the ad using? What is the INTENDED EFFECT (STRATEGY) on the audience?

EXAMPLE #1:

FOR EXAMPLE: Ad Analysis – CLAIM: Our tires protect your family. – INTENDED AUDIENCE: Drivers, especially those with families. – DEVICE: Pathos (without these tires, your child could be hurt. – STRATEGY: Parents question their current tires and will feel that the only way to protect their families is to buy these tires.

#1 – CLAIM: Your donation can help us find a cure for cancer. – INTENDED AUDIENCE: women, people who have women in their lives. – DEVICE: Pathos: we are stronger together. imagery: hands interlocked emerging from darkness. – STRATEGY: Suggest that teamwork provides best chance at beating cancer.

#2 – CLAIM: Nike shoes are made unethically. Buyers should consider the source. – INTENDED AUDIENCE: athletes, hard workers, shoe-lovers – DEVICE: pathos: pity ethos: is the situation morally right? – STRATEGY: Juxtapose a woman fleeing with sweatshop conditions in order to have the reader humanize the worker.

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

Warm-Up9/23/15 Answer the questions on the board for the advertisement below. Claim: Audience: Device: Strategy: