IXL | Identify appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in advertisements

Which rhetorical appeal is primarily used in this ad?

In the Echolife activewear advertisement, a mountain biker rides downhill and a snowboarder hovers mid-air in a jump trick. The text says, "Have an adventure!"

ethos (character)

logos (reason)

pathos (emotion)

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Learn with an example

question

Which rhetorical appeal is primarily used in this ad?

A car winds through a forest road strewn with autumn leaves. The text says, "Blaze your own trail. The all-new Ace 450."

ethos (character)

logos (reason)

pathos (emotion)

key idea

The purpose of an advertisement is to persuade people to do something. To accomplish this purpose, advertisements use three types of persuasive strategies, or appeals.

Appeals to ethos, or character, show the writer or speaker as trustworthy, authoritative, or sharing important values with the audience. An ad that appeals to ethos might do one of the following:

say that a brand has been trusted for many years
include an endorsement from a respected organization, such as the American Dental Association
feature a testimonial from a "real person" who shares the audience's values
use an admired celebrity or athlete as a spokesperson

Appeals to logos, or reason, use logic and verifiable evidence. An ad that appeals to logos might do one of the following:

use graphs or charts to display information
cite results of clinical trials or independently conducted studies
explain the science behind a product or service
emphasize that the product is a financially wise choice
anticipate and refute potential counterclaims

Appeals to pathos, or emotion, use feelings rather than facts to persuade the audience. An ad that appeals to pathos might do one of the following:

trigger a fear, such as the fear of embarrassment
appeal to a desire, such as the desire to appear attractive
link the product to a positive feeling, such as adventure, love, or luxury

solution

The ad appeals to pathos, or emotion, by associating the car with feelings of adventure and independence.

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