Discussion Board: PSA/Advocacy Ad Post
I analyzed the 1st example
● What is the argument presented?
The argument presents the absurdity of our modern society and how skewed our priorities are.
Not only do we spend excessive amounts of money on things we don’t need(i.e. The designer
handbag pictured), but we do it so often without giving a second thought to the people of the
world who are starving everyday.
● Who is the targeted audience?
The target audience is the wealthy first world countries and the consumer population.
● What is the author trying to persuade the audience to do?
The author is trying to persuade us to take a good hard look at what we do with our money. The
image shows the handbag to be expensive for an unnecessary item, while the cost of one full
week of food for someone in a third world country is a mere fraction of that. The author wants
the audience to realize the power that a few of their dollars has, and urges us to spend it on
worthy things(such as helping a human being survive).
● How does the author use the rhetorical appeals to persuade the audience?
Specifically,
○ Ethos: How is the composer of this advertisement/commercial gaining
viewers' trust ? What can be seen in the visual artifact that makes viewers
believe the composer is an authority and knows what he/she is arguing or
selling?
○ Logos: What about the ad or PSA’s organization (for example, large font
or flashy colors) makes an attempt to persuade viewers of something?
Does the advocacy ad or PSA seem rational in its description of the
purpose?
○ Pathos: Does something about the ad or PSA inspire an emotional
reaction in viewers? If so, what is provoking this reaction? What makes
the use of pathos effective -- or not?
3/1/25, 11:33 AM
Discussion Board: PSA-Advocacy Ad Post
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1/3
Ethos: This author’s credibility is achieved in a few ways. Firstly, the advocacy ad is clearly
driven by good motives. The fact that this entire ad is to enlighten and shock the audience into
thinking about and taking steps to doing the right thing is very character building. Secondly, the
ad is unbiased. This can be seen in the text. The only two sentences in the image are facts,
hard and true. The author was clever to have put them together, but all the same they are
reality. Therefore, the creator was able to achieve an impactful ad that is very moving without
having to do any real textual persuading. He simply stated the facts and they spoke for
themselves. Finally, authenticity is achieved through the realistic image. The author pictures a
very authentic looking african person holding what looks like your average designer handbag.
Both objects are realistic and purposeful. The background also coincides with the person
pictured which gives us a good sense of the reality of the situation.
Logos: The ad is organized very simply, and the author has let the strong image and
complimentary words do the work. The facts are written in small font. The first line is larger and
bolded-naming the purse price, and right below is the price to feed this person, unbolded and
small. I believe this design choice was to initially grasp the reader’s attention, then to urge
he/she to follow through with the second line-where the impact is made. The flashiest part of the
image is the pure white handbag against the natural earthy browns which are the rest of the
image. I think this really shows the author's purpose-in that the bag is big and bright and unreal,
while the human is a real entity that our money should be spent on instead. At the lower right
hand corner under the image we see a number where we can donate 1.50(which is also €
impactful because it is the smallest amount listed on the ad). This donation plea is both
reasonable and rational, and it really impacts the viewer by making them realize how little
money it means for them, but how much it could mean for someone else.
Pathos: I think this ad is very impactful. Right from the start, the image(front and center) shows
us the absurd reality of the situation. We see a big white designer handbag being held by a
starving person. This depicts the severity of our social issues and the impact they have. The first
world consumer population spends so much money on things they don’t need. Meanwhile,
millions are starving all over the world. Not many people really understand how even just a few
dollars can help tremendously. The prices listed are also meaningful-showing the bag as the
most expensive, the price for food much less expensive, and then the donation request even
less than the other two. I found the donation of only 1.50to be extremely moving, as they are €
asking for so little because it can really do so much! The entire ad evoked sympathy and pity
from the viewer, from the image of the hungry person to the amount of the bag versus food for
this person. It all is very effective.
3/1/25, 11:33 AM
Discussion Board: PSA-Advocacy Ad Post
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2/3
● How does the author use sound, color, contrast, framing, and alignment to
persuade?
The author uses the color contrast of the bag versus the earthy background to show how
obnoxious and unnecessary the item is, especially when we are given the cost beneath. The
comparison of the handbag price versus the the cost to feed the starving person pictured for a
week is also very shocking. Both the image and the text creates an impactful ad. The image is
framed with a dark border, and is only interrupted by the white text at the very bottom. It asks us
to donate and requests a very small amount of money. The amount seems even smaller after
having seen the cost of the purse. This is very effective in showing how every small and simple
donation can be life changing.
3/1/25, 11:33 AM
Discussion Board: PSA-Advocacy Ad Post
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3/3
