AP English Language and Composition
Visual Rhetoric: Advertisements
Directions: You will be watching two video clips below and one of the college brochures from the pdf.
Consider each ad with care and answer the corresponding questions. Type your notes into this document.
I. Video Clips
 Ad: Thank you.
 https://youtu.be/rUrf6Qg4T4E
1. What is the exigence of the ad? What argument does it advance?
2. Who is the (intended) audience(s) of the advertisement? Be specific.
3. How is the speaker or advertiser presenting credibility?
4. Does the text make a rational appeal(s)? How so?
5. Does the text make an emotional appeal(s)? How so?
6. Does the text make an ethical appeal(s)? How so?
7. Identify at least two persuasion techniques that are at work in the advertisement.
a. How does the technique advance the ad’s argument and impact the intended audience?
b. How does the technique advance the ad’s argument and impact the intended audience?


Ad: Giving is Receiving
https://youtu.be/K9vFWA1rnWc?si=cGGqwZPWPRl6Ursf
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What is the exigence of the ad? What argument does it advance?
Who is the (intended) audience(s) of the advertisement? Be specific.
How is the speaker or advertiser presenting credibility?
Does the text make a rational appeal(s)? How so?
Does the text make an emotional appeal(s)? How so?
Does the text make an ethical appeal(s)? How so?
Identify at least two persuasion techniques that are at work in the advertisement.
a. How does the technique advance the ad’s argument and impact the intended audience?
b. How does the technique advance the ad’s argument and impact the intended audience?
II. College Brochures
Ad: Harvard University
8. Who is the (intended) audience(s) of the advertisement? Be specific.
9. How is the speaker or advertiser presenting itself? What aspects of its self is it advancing to its
audience?
10. Does the text make a rational appeal(s)? How so?
11. Does the text make an emotional appeal(s)? How so?
12. Does the text make an ethical appeal(s)? How so?
13. Identify at least one persuasion technique (as listed in the Media Literacy document) that is at
work in the advertisement.
a. How does the technique advance the ad’s argument and impact the intended audience?
Ad: University of California-Berkeley
1. Who is the (intended) audience(s) of the advertisement? Be specific.
2. How is the speaker or advertiser presenting itself? What aspects of its self is it advancing to its
audience?
3. Does the text make a rational appeal(s)? How so?
4. Does the text make an emotional appeal(s)? How so?
5. Does the text make an ethical appeal(s)? How so?
6. Identify at least one persuasion technique (as listed in the Media Literacy document) that is at
work in the advertisement.
a. How does the technique advance the ad’s argument and impact the intended audience?