Everyone wants to help out Uncle Sam, right? This advertisement for Scotch tape from the 1940's uses Logos, Pathos, and Ethos to advertise their unique and new (at the time) brand of tape.
First and foremost, this ad obviously appeals to Logos, by showing readers the practical uses of their tape. For example, Scotch tape is being highlighted in this ad as a valuable tool in the war effort. The tape is used to hold together care packages for soldiers and hold together parts in factories producing wartime goods.
This ad also uses Ethos, giving it credibility, by telling of those same ways Scotch brand tape is helping Uncle Sam, and telling of the many places in which scotch brand tape can be found and used.
This ad is also more than an ad. It is a notice, telling faithful users of Scotch brand items that the reason their favorite products can not be found on shelves anymore is that they are helping out the country. An obvious appeal to Pathos, Scotch is spending their money to tell consumers of their efforts to aide in American Victory (notice the use of Victory, a positive description) and advising citizens to invest in war bonds, a completely non profit to Scotch action. Scotch is appealing to the hard ingrained emotions of patriotism within the hearts of Americans.
Another appeal to Pathos that this ad uses is the obvious display of an aesthetically pleasing woman in a bright red dress as an attention getter, drawing people in, particularly men, to read on in the advertisement and be delivered Scotch's intended message. Also notice that everyone in the picture is smiling and happy, showing readers that Scotch has a positive attitude and wants America to win the war.
Scotch's 1944 ad, or public announcement to be more accurate, uses at least a tidbit of every type of Rhetoric, to effectively draw readers attention, sell them on the product, and keep spirits up in America's time of trouble.
6 comments:
Another way I interpreted the use of red in the ad: The red, being a prime color in the American flag, and in all things patriotic, could promote a sense of patriotism in the people seeing the ad. The emotion would lead them to support the war, and therefore support the companies(Scotch) providing aid to the soldiers overseas.
I completely agree with your and Natasha's takes on the red clothing. I think if they did use the red to promote patriotism it was a very clever idea. It's interesting to me that today's advertisement companys and the advertisement companys at that time use the same techniques in trying to pursuade the buyers.
I love the patriotism in your ad and analysis! You picked a very good ad and made great connections!
Yea definitely! A lot more goes into advertisement that I originally thought
well i just going to say this crist u need to log off
your friend skyler haha
I wonder if the appeal to patriotism might also a bit of ethos. It's as if they're saying, "We're an American company. Get behind us like we've gotten behind our soldiers."
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