Persuasion
• Happy Tuesday! Today, your task is to read
the following slides and copy the underlined
portion in your notebook. You are only
going to read and copy through the 19th
slide. YOU MUST finish through the 19th
slide today, there will not be time tomorrow
for you to do so. You may access this
tonight on my webpage if you have internet.
What is Persuasion?
• To persuade means to:
–get others to believe or act in a
certain way.
–to win them over.
–to convince them of something.
Persuasive Techniques
The Three Appeals
Greek = Pathos
Emotional Appeal – feelings
Logical Appeal – thought/reasoning Greek = Logos
Ethical Appeal – knowing right from wrong
Greek = Ethos
Bias
• Bias occurs when someone has an
opinion or preference to the object
being judged.
• For example: A student’s parents
would not be the best judge for the
talent show their child is in. They may
show bias for their child.
Transfer
Transfer: The act of relating
something or someone we like or respect
with a product. Symbols are constantly
used in this form of propaganda.
Example
When we see a
limo, we think of
wealth and style.
We transfer the
limo to symbolize
these ideas.
We Transfer the Symbol
to the Product
George Foreman
=
George Foreman Grill
More Examples of Transferring
Write one of these examples down.
• The color green
transfers to mean
pure for the
environment.
• A white lab coat
implies the product
is scientifically
proven.
• Images of children
and pets implies a
sense of home and
family.
• An older woman in
a rocker reminds us
of a grandma &
implies love and
protection.
Bandwagon
• Persuading people to do
something by letting them
know others are doing it.
• Gives impression that you will
be left out if you don’t do that
which you are being persuaded
to do – join the crowd!
• Example: “See why so many
women have switched.”
Patriotism Approach
…a type of bandwagon
• Purchase of product will display love of country.
• Person will financially help the country.
“…built American tough”
Testimonial
In testimonial ads, a person, either a celebrity or a
representative of “plain folk," praises the product.
In the case of the plain
folk approach, the idea
is to have consumers
relate to the person
describing his or her
experience with the
product.
Celebrity Endorsement:
A Form of Testimonial Propaganda
For celebrity testimonials,
the intent is to associate the
product or service with a
famous person. If the
famous person likes the
product, then the idea is that
consumers will want it too.
Celebrity Endorsement
• Using the words
of a famous
person to
persuade you
• “Got Milk?”
• Sports figures
promoting
athletic gear,
sports drinks, or
shoes.
Slogan
•
•
•
•
•
A catchword or phrase loaded with emotion
Often sells through repetition
Clever and easy to remember
Stays with you a long time
Often a melody you already know
“Trust Sleepy’s
For the ‘rest’ of your life”
Repetition
• Repeating an element
of an advertisement.
• Words, images, a
slogan, or even the
product name is
repeated to make a
lasting impression.
• Example: The Meow
Mix song.
“Meow, meow, meow,
meow, meow, meow,
meow, meow ………”
Rhetorical Question
• Sometimes a writer
will ask a question
to which no answer
is required. This
implies there is
only one answer
and that the reader
must agree with the
writer.
Sample Rhetorical Questions
• "Aren't you glad you use Dial? Don't you wish everybody
did?” (1960s television advertisement for Dial soap.)
• "Can I ask a rhetorical question? Well, can I?"
(Ambrose Bierce)
• Grandma Simpson and Lisa are singing Bob Dylan's
"Blowin' in the Wind." ("How many roads must a man
walk down/Before you call him a man?") Homer overhears
and says, "Eight!"
Lisa: "That was a rhetorical question!"
Homer: "Oh. Then, seven!"
Lisa: "Do you even know what 'rhetorical' means?"
Homer: "Do I know what 'rhetorical' means?"
(The Simpsons, "When Grandma Simpson Returns.")
Personal Attack
or Name - Calling
• A way of smearing an
opponent
• Intent is to damage
opponent
• It also arouses suspicion of
opponent
• Intention is to create an
uneasy feeling
• Used by politicians and
product companies
Stacking the Cards
(or stacking the deck, same thing)
Although the majority of information presented
by the card stacking approach is true, it is
dangerous because it omits important
information.
Example: A used car salesman talks about the
beautiful paint job on a car but neglects to
mention the transmission is broken.
Expert Opinion
• Ads using scientific sounding language
to make a product seem more effective.
• Appeals to the audience’s intellect.
• “Four out of five dentists recommend
this toothpaste….”
• “Studies show that….”
An Example of the Three Appeals
Emotional, Logical & Ethical
Topic: Trying Teens as Adults
How to use the three appeals to
persuade your audience to believe your
position, either “pro” or “con.”
Emotional Appeal
• No: It is just not fair to the child, just
imagine how it would hurt the family, and
“she's just a child - 14 years old!”
• Yes: He killed someone, he's a murderer,
he’s dangerous, protect our society!
Should we try a teen as an adult?
Logical Appeal
• No: The failure of a child is partly failure of the society
(parents). A child does not have the full mental
capabilities and moral development an adult may have.
• Yes: Children have the same moral capabilities as any
adult. Most crimes for which they want to try teens as
adults are violent ones (murder, manslaughter, rape,
torture, robbery, etc) anyway.
Should we try a teen as an adult?
Ethical Appeal
• No: It is against societies standards to hold
children fully responsible.
• Yes: Justice is blind and if someone
commits a crime, they should be punished.
It is not fair to punish one person but not
another.
Should we try a teen as an adult?
Let’s Test What You Know!
“Come to Florida, everyone loves
our clear, sandy beaches. Don’t
miss out.”
Bandwagon
More Examples…
99% of dentists surveyed
recommend Sparkle toothpaste.
Statistics & Expert opinion
Another…
It’s amazing just how nutritious Kraft
Macaroni & Cheese is, isn’t it? A
good source of protein, vitamins, and
minerals.
Rhetorical Question
One more…
Actress Penelope Cruz has lost
50 pounds on the Jenny Craig
diet plan.
Testimonial
and
Celebrity Endorsement
Persuasion in Popular Music
Persuasive
techniques aren’t
limited to
advertising,
politics & the
media. They’re
used everyday, all
around us. One
example is in the
music we listen to.