AP Language and Composition What SMELLs?

What is SMELL? Sender-receiver relationship Message Effect Logic An acronym that an AP student can use to analyze visual rhetoric Sender-receiver relationship Message Effect Logic Language

S: Sender-receiver relationship Who is the sender/creator of this visual? Who is the target audience? What is the relationship between the sender and the audience? Why is the sender using this language and/or these images?

M: Message (content) Summarize the statement(s) being made in the visual

E: Effect What is the desired emotional effect? What does the sender want the audience to do in response to the visual?

L: Logic What type of reasoning is at work? Consider images as well as words. How does its presence or absence affect the message?

L: Language How does the language of the text affect the meaning?

Analysis

Analytical paragraph In BMW’s public service/advertisement, drivers are warned of the dangers of driving while intoxicated. With a small logo on the bottom, right-hand corner, the ad also functions to subtly promote BMW’s brand. The advertisement focuses on the contrast of two legs: one of flesh, and the other, a prosthetic leg. The clear message is that drunk driving leads to serious bodily harm. The gray background is bleak, which underscores this message without detracting from the legs. The text and the logo remind drivers that this public service announcement is brought to them by BMW, a brand that cares about their safety, serving to endear the company to potential customers who receive the message that they are more than a sale.