Rhetorical Appeals in Advertising
Persuasive communication must prove something to its audience. Almost any persuasive communication includes one of the
“persuasive proofs” below: an appeal to pathos, logos, ethos, or mythos. Think of each of these appeals as a strategy for convincing
a specific target audience to do or believe something. Persuasive communication almost always uses a combination of these appeals
to reach multiple audiences and overcome potential objections. When you’re analyzing a text rhetorically, think how these appeals function
together rather than simply identifying isolated instances of particular appeals. Each appeal comes with its advantages and disadvantages.
Together, we’ll consider the strengths and weaknesses of an argument that relies only (or mostly) on pathos, logos, ethos, or mythos.
Appeals to pathos (emotion):

Ex:
Persuades through appeals to emotions (i.e., fear, envy, lust, pity, anger, guilt). Such appeals tap into topics that
usually elicit strong emotions (i.e., social acceptance, security, self-esteem, looking/feeling good, friendships,
relationships, competition, aging, illness, death).
Appeals to logos (logic, fact):


Ex:
Persuades through appeals to reason (i.e., facts, statistics, scientific studies).
Includes definitions of terms, critiques of opponent’s logic, syllogisms (“Monster Milk promotes muscle growth in
humans. John is a human who wants monster muscles. John should drink Monster Milk.”)
Appeals to ethos (credibility):


Ex:
Persuades through appeals to character or persona (i.e., a speaker’s position, educational background, personal or
professional experience).
Includes expert and celebrity testimony.
Appeals to mythos (tradition):

Ex:
Persuades through appeals based on cultural tradition, faith, patriotism, national iconography, community
solidarity, cultural pride, common values, famous heroes and enemies—in short, the shared beliefs, history, or
aspirations of a given culture.