Ethos, Logos, and Pathos in Advertising

The art of persuasion is a critical aspect in advertising. One may effectively get their point across by using their advanced rhetorical skills. Ethos, Pathos, and Logos play a key part in grasping a person's attention. An example of effective advertising is the AARP media sales ad below. The ethos of any advertisement is it's ethical appeal and how credible the character or speaker may be. Building ethos is used in this situation. The characters prove their credibility by stating that their older age makes them more experience and overall more prominent. The speakers have pointed their audience to a more elderly crowd. Making sure it is appealing emotionally to the audience, a smiling and extremely joyful male and female are depicted. The pathos also appears in the text that states they are better off at an elder age, filled with emotional confidence and wealth. Although they maybe be aged physically, their age is beneficial to them because they make all the decisions. Thus, displaying a brighter side of aging by complimenting them. Logos is shown by using facts and statistics. Within the text, it states that 75% of discretionary wealth is controlled by those 50 years of age or older. It is a fact that can be proven true. The purpose of this advertisement is to persuade elderly people to control their money and decision making through AARP. Overall, this advertisement is seemingly effective.