When a person is affected emotionally by something, these feelings cause them to act drastically beyond their own judgement. One example of this would be the bond between man and animal. A human would go out of their way to provide loyalty, happiness, and care for their pets. With this being said, seeing an animal hurt or in inadequate conditions could cause a person to feel sympathetic for the animal. The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is an organization that feels the same and would do anything in its power to help an animal in need. The society takes steps toward this goal by developing a campaign in order to support animals in need. Although the celebrity endorser is insignificant, …show more content…
Evidence of pathos contained in the advertisement is the main rhetorical strategy used to convince the audience. The commercial then shows heart wrenching visuals of animals living in shelters due to abuse. These images slowly transition across the screen, each time showing a different animal that looks sad and neglected. The images chosen are especially dramatic in order for the audience to see how desperately these deprived animals need their donations. Seeing the animals causes the average viewer to become emotional and sympathetic. Typically, a viewer’s emotions lead them to act upon things, such as donating to a cause that they feel sympathy towards. The commercial purposefully takes note of the emotional toll that it will have on its viewers. The pathos contained in this ad effectively trigger a viewer’s emotions leading them to fulfill the purpose of the …show more content…
Although ethos is shown in the commercial, it is nowhere near as effective as the other rhetorical strategies demonstrated. While she is supporting the shelter, she is shown sitting on a couch with one healthy dog; although, horrific images of neglected and abused animals were shown directly before her appearance. The way she is portrayed in the commercial is somewhat hypocritical of what she is encouraging the audience to do. The audience acknowledges McLachlan’s support, but she does not produce nearly as much encouragement for viewers to show support themselves. McLachlan, typically, is not a person that a viewer would recognize as inspiring enough to cause them to immediately pull out their wallets for a cause solely due to her sponsorship. Although McLachlan may be an influential feature to some, her sole support of the company is not what inspires an audience to donate to the cause. Her presence in the commercial is recognized by a viewer, but not nearly as acknowledged as the disturbing images and facts about animal abuse.
Overall, the commercial effectively portrays rhetorical strategies convincing animal lovers to support a wholesome cause. The influential rhetorical strategies behind this commercial is strongly pathos and logos, not so much ethos. The British Columbia Society for