Rhetorical Analysis Of Smokey The Bear

Smokey The Bear In rural forested areas of North America, forest fires are a big problem. From Alberta to California forest fires wreak havoc, creating a path of destruction that could easily be prevented if people took the proper precautions. The United States government saw the issue at hand and took action, creating the character of Smokey the Bear. Smokey the Bear, as his name suggests, is a human-like bear and his purpose was simple, teach the American people the dangers of fire and how to prevent such destruction. Smokey has been in use for over half a century being quite successful, but with forest fires still being a problem the ad council saw the need for a new campaign and released a new set of advertisements for Smokey. One of

Ethos is one of these appeals and the way it is presented is very out in the open and obvious. The obvious appeal to ethos being that Smokey is a very old and experienced figure in the minds of the American populace, standing as a source of credibility behind the ad. Furthering the credibility argument, the creators of Smokey and his funders also serve as beacons of credibility alongside Smokey. The ad council, which is his creator, have made many advertisements over the years and have always been very credible in their creations, Smokey The Bear is no different. Their funders are the other source of credibility behind the ad, the funders being the United States government, a very credible entity. With the knowledge of Smokey’s support at hand it is not hard to see that Smokey has some major credibility at his side, adding on to the already immense amount that he adds to the advertisement himself. Overall, Smokey has always had a large backing of credibility at its side and the advertisement here is no different from its predecessors. The credibility that Smokey and his backers provide in the end push the rhetorical appeal of ethos very far in the minds of the people viewing the

The pathos appeal, like the ethos presented in it, is very easily seen. One way that the pathos appeal can be seen is through the two cubs pictured in the advertisement. Smokey and his children are meant to represent a regular family and their children, giving people, specifically parents and adults in this example of pathos, something to relate with. Another example of pathos in the advertisement would be the setting in which the picture in the advertisement takes place. The setting resembles a typical setting that regular people would find themselves in at their own homes. The similarities in setting help to create a connection between the viewer and the advertisement, pushing pathos even farther. One of the last appeals to pathos relates to the other appeal with children. The appeal is the situation that Smokey is in. The situation, like the setting, is a common one that many would find themselves in, meaning the situation also creates another connection with the viewer. The viewer would relate the situation with their own personal experiences, helping the ad’s cause. In general, this ad effectively uses the appeals of pathos, making for a very effective advertisement. Whether it be through an emotional connection through the children or a relatable connection that uses the viewer’s own experiences, its use of pathos is very well done