Laycee Fairchild

Ms.Diaz
Eng 120
2/7/2015
Commented [SD1]: Wheres your cover letter?

A peek into the mind of advertisement

This add for York Universitys psychology program uses ethos, logos and pathos in order

Commented [SD2]: ad

to persuade students into joining their program. These rhetorical strategies are used through
giving examples of what the degree could earn the students, how it can be used, who endorses it,
and the joy it can bring to a student who takes this course. Ethos is the credibility or ethical
appeal something has, which could be used by having a well-liked and trusted person to
represent whatever it is that is being advertised, or speaking in a manner that makes one appear
to be trustworthy. Logos is the appeal t logic, which consists of mainly facts and numbers, such

Commented [SD3]: to

as charts, lists of what is included in the course, and percents of graduation rates or test scores.
Pathos is an appeal to emotions, this can be used by anything that makes the viewer or reader
feel an emotion of any kind, there for it is the cost common and easiest rhetorical strategy to use.
The most prominent rhetorical strategy in this ad was Ethos. Ethos was shown through
the narrators voice, expert endorsements, and a testimony from an expert. The tone that the
narrator used throughout this ad was a calm and even, the use of this tone made her seem more

Commented [SD4]: Your thesis is solid, although it could

probably be split into two paragraphsyour thesis and then
the explanation of the rhetorical concepts.
Commented [SD5]: Doesnt need to be capitalized unless
it starts a sentence.

Commented [SD6]: Semicolon would work better than

comma.

level minded and therefor more credible and professional. Whereas if she has used a rushed or
aggressive tone she would have seemed as though she were trying to force her opinions on to
you which would make her seem untrustworthy, and I she had spoken in a soft timid voice she
would appear as though she did not know what she was talking about and as if she were just
second guessing herself. Though a calm and level voice is not enough to make an ad seem
trustworthy, so thats where the professors come in. A section of this ad was dedicated to listing

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Commented [SD7]: If?

Laycee Fairchild
Ms.Diaz
Eng 120
2/7/2015
all of the professor that partake in teaching this program, and there is even a testimony by
Jennine Rawana, an associate professor at York Collage. This listing of all the professors in
addition to a testimony by one off them adds credibility to the ad by giving proof of its highly
Commented [SD8]: Very good analysis!

qualified staff.
In addition to listing the qualified staff that make up this psychology program the ad also
tells what degrees a student can earn from taking this program, which uses the rhetorical device
logos. While logos is not very prominent within this ad its presence is still necessary for this ads
success, for without this small listing of the degrees that are offered by this program it would
leave people puzzled and wondering what good it would do them to partake in this program, but
once they see they can get a bachelors or arts or sciences that opens the path to other degrees
from this program they become more inclined to take the ad and program more seriously.

Commented [SD9]: Whoa, big run-on here. This needs to

be broken up a bit.

Listing facts and having credibility is not enough to sway most people to joining your
program over others though. The most commonly, and most influential, rhetorical device is

Commented [SD10]: Good transitions!

pathos. The simple addition of images of happy students in the background of the ad can be just
as momentous as the narrators voice. The happy images in the background of the ad make the
viewer feel as though the program could make them happy like the pictured students, weather the
viewer is aware of the fact they feel that way or not. Whereas if there were images of sad or
angry students in the background it would make it seem as though the program only made
students miserable and was very unpleasant to be apart of. Giving the viewer a feeling of
meaning and opportunity is also an essential part of this ad. By listing an extensive list of

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Commented [SD11]: A part

Laycee Fairchild
Ms.Diaz
Eng 120
2/7/2015
enticing possible careers that could stem from completing this program such as abnormal
psychology, animal behavior, social and clinical psychology, as well as many others, the ad is
giving the viewer an exciting sense of opportunities to do something that could give them a
fulfilling and meaning full life. This feeling of excitement for their future could very well be the
defining factor of weather they choose York colleges psychology program over some other
schools program, so the extra positive emotional boost added to the facts and credibility of the ad
give it an extra boost over ads that only include one or two rhetorical strategies on their own.
The effectiveness of this add lies in its ability to mix and use all three of rhetorical
strategies of ethos pathos and logos. The combination of these strategies makes the program
appear credible, through the use of experts and a trustworthy tone, meaningful, through the
listing of what completing the program earns students, and worthwhile though the listing of eye
catching career opportunities having a degree from this program can get a student. If a single one
of these things were missing the ad would not be nearly as successful in recruiting students to
join this specific program because without credibility it would seem that the program is a scam
or failure, without meaningfulness the program would seem like nothing more than a waste of
time, and lastly without the exciting emotion and sense of worthwhile the program would appear
boring and unappealing. Therefore this ad gains it success from the stewpot of rhetorical

Commented [SD12]: Another run-ontry breaking this

up too.

strategies its creators cooked up and served to the general college student populous.

Commented [SD13]: Nom!

Strong

Good

Needs Work

Weak/NA

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Laycee Fairchild
Ms.Diaz
Eng 120
2/7/2015
Cover Letter (10)

10

Introduction (10)

10

Explanation of concepts (5)

Summary of text (5)

Ethos (20)

20 19 18

17 16 15 14

13 12 11 10 9 8

7-0

Pathos (20)

20 19 18

17 16 15 14

13 12 11 10 9 8

7-0

Logos (20)

20 19 18

17 16 15 14

13 12 11 10 9 8

7-0

Conclusion (10)

10

Bonus awesome point (+1)

Total: 85/100
Laycee,
What you have is good, although its what you DONT have that caused you to miss points.
Most of your points came from the lack of cover letter and lack of description of the ad. Also,
there were a number of surface errors that werent caught by Microsoft Word. Those guys can be
tricky to catch, so be sure youre carefully reading through the document.
-SD

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