Melyssa's Eportfolio



Melyssa HutchinsonEnglish 1010J.BennettFebruary 16, 2015Rhetorical aspects of “My Name is Mary” advertisementA rhetorical triangle is composed of three elements, the ethos, logos, pathos. This triangle was created by Aristotle and used to prove logic as well as win an argument. The creditability of one’s work is the ethos. Logos deals with numbers, facts and proof of something to be true. Pathos is all about the emotions and reaching out to the audience. There are several advertisements that are bold and in your face so you will always remember them, others are subtle and yet they still are imbedded in your brain. These strategies consist of one or all components to the rhetorical triangle. I believe that you need at least one aspect and I will do my best to have you understand why it makes a difference which one you use and how you can connect better to certain audiences.One particular advertisement that I would like to focus on is the public service ad, “My Name Is Emily”. It is an alcohol campaign which focuses on alcoholism and underage drinking. Her name is Emily and she looks like an ordinary girl. The statement tells us that she will be an alcoholic in seven years. The advertiser suggests that she starts drinking in eighth grade and by the time her parents catch on that she’s drinking, she would have tried more drugs besides just the alcohol. The statistics point out that people who drink before they are sixteen that their chances are extremely high to becoming an alcoholic. In fact, they are five times more likely to a kid that doesn’t drink. This advertisement is sponsored by the Ad Council as well as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.This girl looks so innocent and is looking into the camera with a bit of sadness and helplessness in her eyes. She seems vulnerable and you get this overwhelming feeling of protecting her. These are all prime examples of pathos. I feel like not even just protecting her, but trying to find a way to make her smile and comfort her. Telling her it’s alright doesn’t seem like enough. I feel a stronger connection to this advertisement due to the fact that I, myself, am one of those kids that drank before the age of fifteen and I got into other drugs when I was younger. This brings me back to that age when I first took that drink and smoked that first cigarette. I had drinking problems most of my life, so I feel sad knowing that it happens so often that it has become an issue. Kids are meant to keep their innocence. The ethos in this advertisement is the statistics. Before 15 years old, you are five times more likely to drink and have problems due to alcohol leading into adulthood. Those numbers are scary! The sponsors are very reliable and highly looked upon, where you know you can trust them just by seeing their names. The Department of Health and Human Services conduct studies twenty-four seven. Same with the AD Council, very reliable and highly looked upon. They provide a website, which is a great usage for logos, and on top of using this resource, they leave a phone number. I think it’s a great idea for leaving alternative resources, especially for the general public and for the fact that not all people have access to the internet. The statements, “My name is Emily, and in seven years I’ll be an alcoholic”, and “Start talking before they start drinking” are both examples of logos. The mere image of this girl and how her body language is, screams logos. Being in black and white helps make you expand your mind and look into her eyes and see the feelings and thoughts running through this poor girls head. The simple fact of her being a girl, makes you want to instantly keep reading. You want to protect a girl and think that boys can do more, think well, and are able to defend themselves. I know that people don’t think that this happens all that much. I especially know that most parents say, “Not my child”, but those children fall victim to alcohol just as easily. Parents need to wake up and form such good communication and relationships with their children that the child can feel comfortable talking to them about dangers such as this. So in terms of a great, influential advertisement, always remember to live by the rhetorical triangle. Logos, pathos, and ethos all have their own ways of persuading you to read the ad and become influenced by it. It’s not mandatory to use all three, but it never hurts to incorporate them all. The more information and a connection that is made with the audience, the more the idea they wanted to portray will be there, as if it was second nature for them to know. ................
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