Rhetoric.

Advertisements- we see different kinds of it everyday, everywhere. Have you ever wondered what is it in them that causes the consumers or a particular audience to abide by their agenda?

Take a look at some anti-smoking advertisements below.

 

 

 The first one is plain and slow-moving, while the second one is made up of mostly dialogue and visuals.  This is similar to the majority of other anti-smoking commercials you see all over national television and Youtube. Take a closer look, you would have realised that they all have something in common.

They apply,

1) Logos (appeal to reason)

2) Pathos (appeal to emotion)

3) Ethos (persuasive appeal of one’s character)

 

In the first video, the producers started out with a little boy holding his mum’s hand in a crowded train station. Initially, this gives viewers a subtle sense of security as the child is seen being protected by his parent. However, as the video processes, the little boy is shown left alone with his mum nowhere in sight. As the camera zooms in onto the face of the kid, his fear is effectively brought out by his helpless expressions. Commuters walk past him as he stands alone, intimidated. The climax of the video is reached when he starts crying for help. Alas, they apply the concept of ‘being alone’ along the idea of how smoking can make your loved ones ‘feel equally alone and helpless’. 

This alone is a good example to show how advertisements make use of Pathos. After viewing such videos, the audience will be touched or affected to a certain extent.

The second video is a better example of Logos, Pathos and Ethos. It is a collage filming the situations of different smokers and the consequences they will have to go through.

Smoker: I’ll quit, maybe next month.

(the aftermath..)

His loved one: He (the doctor) says most likely weeks, than months…

This dialogue itself  appeals to reason (Logos) as they use wordplay to bring out the harsh consequences of Smoking. Evidence is supported by disturbing visuals of the effects of smoking, and this is essentially an appeal to emotion (Pathos) as well. Lastly, there is credibility in the video as it ends of with a scene in the x-ray room; the doctor expressing regret that nothing could be done to reverse the effects of smoking. The creative quitline of “Quitting is Hard. Not quitting is Harder” has made a mark in the viewer’s minds.

Lastly, take some time to watch this video. It carries the same intention as the other anti-smoking videos but is shown differently.

 

One might first wonder why the elder is giving way to the inconsiderate smoker.. but soon enough, the irony is realised.

“Be nice to smokers. They dont have much time left.”

The dialogue alone is piercing enough to leave an impact on smokers. It makes use of reverse psychology to encourage smokers to quit, and it also acts as a deterrent for teenagers who have yet to try smoking.

To conclude, facts alone will not make an advertisement memorable. A good and effective advertisement can be determined by how creative the producers use these 3 concepts into play.

Food for thought : what are some of your favourite commercials? or those that have left an impact on you?

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