Rhetoric is a practice that helps to enhance the appeal of whatever is trying to be conveyed. They are mainly four different rhetorical appeals which are ethos, pathos, logos, and stylistic. Each appeal focuses on a different area however they are interrelated to each other. In the Colgate Commercial shown below the pathos appeal is used to convince the audience to donate towards their cause. The goal of the commercial is to convince viewers to donate to the BCSPCA. This donation will be used to help shelter animals, provide food, medical care, and comfort. The commercial begins with a slow song playing and captions telling how an animal is abused or beaten every hour. This is followed by various images of dogs and cats looking distressed. This continues until a supporter of the cause comes on screen to tell how your contribution will be beneficial. For just $18 a month you can save a suffering animal which you will receive a picture of along with a tote bag.

The commercial uses various tactics to appeal to the viewer’s emotions. From the beginning, the sad and slow song leaves viewers in a gloomy mood. The sad images of cats and then adds to the sad nature of the commercial. These images are used as they create a feeling of sorrow in the viewers. Seeing all those sad and injured animals leaves you feeling sorry for them. Everyone feels sorry for an animal when they see them in a helpless state. This causes viewers of the commercial to be interested in donating toward the cause. The brief intermission of the supporter talking also helps to appeal to the viewer’s emotion. By telling you how your contribution will be used and the incentives of donating (a picture of the animal you saved with a tote bag) you now can see where your money is going. This makes viewers feel a helper’s high. This is where you feel happy after doing a good deed. By the end of the commercial, you feel motivated to donate and help the animals in need.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO9d2PpP7tQ&ab_channel=Hollatronix