The Role Of Ethos In Advertising

From Geico’s charming british gecko to commercials encouraging the use of tobacco products, advertisements are an integral part of modern society. Advertising companies play a major role in influencing the tastes of consumers. For example, kids after watching a commercial for an easy-bake oven might have a sudden inclination to learn to cook using the product, when they had no such interest before. Therefore, advertisers need to take most of the responsibility for the use of their products because they are fully aware on how best to convince the public to buy their goods and services by conducting in-depth research into their audience and using different marketing strategies.

Media companies research their audience so that they can learn the

The three modes of persuasion are ethos, logos, and pathos. All strategies used for persuasion are centered on those three modes. A common theme used in advertisements is the idea of rebellion or breaking away from the norms of society. Companies such as AT&T, Foster Grant, and No Limits are well known examples of companies that endorsed the hook of “No rules” in the advertisements for their products (Leo 198). The idea of rebellion appeals to consumers because Americans have always been intrigued by the idea of being different from everyone else in society. However, in the article “The Selling of Rebellion, Leo mentions that “The peculiar thing...rule-breaking is largely funded by businessmen who say they hate it, but can’t resist promoting it” (199). This reveals the irony that the people that rely heavily on the theme of rebellion to sell their products are the ones that in their daily life protest against rule-breaking. This also gives evidence to the fact that corporations themselves may not believe in their products or the ideas they promote in their advertisements. Furthermore, advertisers are aware that “Some of the worst cultural propaganda is jammed into those sixty-second and thirty-second spots” (Leo 197). This quote reveals that there is a lot of manipulation in advertisements. A part of our culture and rules of society are influenced by big companies that advertise their products. Corporations, such as the tobacco industry, are fully aware of the consequences that occur when using their products. Companies like Joe Camel, a cigarette company, were aiming their products towards children because they used a cartoon figure to advertise their product (Follis 186). However, they wash their hands off any blame they might get for ruining an adolescent’s life. These practices need to stop, and they have to be more forthcoming about the effects their