1. Rhetorical Appeals LUC WRITING CENTER  PATHOS LOGOS  ETHOS 
Lydia Craig 2017 ©

2. Writers Want to Convince You!
Every time you read a book, article, or even a tweet, there is an argument of some kind contained in the information it provides.
Even a tweet that says:
“Ugh, I’m so exhausted from #vacationing so much #malibu #nightmare #partytoohard”
is intended to persuade the reader that this person is having so much fun that they are sick of it and should be pitied/envied.

3. Rhetorical Appeals:

4. Examples of Rhetorical Appeals
Ethos is an appeal to credibility:
“I learned this to be true during my twelve years as a UNICEF worker”
(...The author basically claims to be an authority on the issue who deserves trust based on his/her experience with the organization.)
Pathos is an appeal using emotion that does not use proof:
“Tiny babies howled in pain as the UNICEF workers watched helplessly. Funds are needed urgently in Africa.” (The author wants the reader to be horrified by the situation in Africa and donate money to UNICEF.)
Logos is an appeal using logic and proof:
“Four hundred thousand dollars donated to UNICEF by Americans financed twelve medical clinics in Sudan and successfully combated the ravages of a prolonged famine, saving an estimated three thousand people from starvation according to UN estimates.” (The author suggests that the reader should be convinced by the data that UNICEF is a useful and effective organization to support.)

6. What Kind of
Appeal is This?
Example A

7. What Kind of
Appeal is This?
Example B

8. What Kind of
Appeal is This?
Example C

9. What Kind of
Appeal is This?
Example D

10. Answers to Examples:
Example A: Pathos. The target audience is women who want to be respected for their athletic achievements (“Look at my feet”) rather than sexually objectified (i.e. “Don’t look at my face/body”).
Example B: Pathos and logos. Medical facts and statistics are provided on the left (text), but the image of a gun being loaded with cigarettes suggests that smokers are killing themselves.
Example B: Pathos. The soldier, a father with his daughter, is depicted as a good family man, encouraging men to enlist and reap Army benefits to provide for their families.
Example C: Ethos. The reputation of footballer David Beckham is being used to sell watches. Buyers of watches will be cool like Beckham.

11. Works Cited
“Advertisement as a Form of Argument.” Visual Communications and Graphics Portfolio Website. Accessed 20 September 2016.
“Being Proud is Strong.” Army Ad. Accessed 20 September 2016.
“Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.” LinkedIn Website. Accessed 20 September 2016.
David Beckham. Rolex Ad. Accessed 20 September 2016.
“Look at My Feet When You’re Talking to Me.” Nike Ad.
URL: Accessed 20 September 2016.
“Smoking Kills, so Why Bother Starting?” URL: Accessed 20 September 2016.