Ethos Pathos Logos

Advertisements are a medium that exist to persuade their audience into either buying a product or supporting and idea, and they do this using the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos. Ads that are memorable and successful in swaying the viewers usually make use of all three appeals to support their message; the BCSPCA’s message on animal cruelty does just this. The BCSPCA uses a well-structured advertisement to apply the appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade viewers to support their cause of fighting animal cruelty.
The BCSPCA’s advertisement is structured in a way that hooks viewers with its opening, and then delivers it’s message while keeping the viewer engaged. The ad opens on a shot of a sad looking dog while “In the

Firstly the ad displays 3 facts during the opening; “Every single hour in BC, an animal is violently abused,” “3,000 animals were rescued last year,” and “For hundreds of others, help came too late. These facts tell the viewer that animal abuse is a serious and continuing problem while also telling what the BCSPCA has accomplished, but still reaffirming that it isn’t enough. Later, Sarah McLachlan uses logos while explaining the value of a donation, saying “For just 18 dollars a month, only 60 cents a day, you’ll help rescue animals from their abusers, and provide medical care, food, shelter, and love.” This tells the viewer that even a small amount of money can provide meaningful care for animals in

For viewers the BCSPCA might be an unknown entity with no inherent credibility, so they state their accomplishments of rescuing and providing care for a large number of animals in the previous year in order to build ethos with the viewer. Then the ad uses a well-known celebrity for a spokesperson, Sarah McLachlan. At the time of the ad Sarah had just released a new album, and even before that was known worldwide. Her own music is also used as the background for the entire ad.
The BCSPCA’s usage of pathos is what made the advertisement famous and successful. Most notably, the music in the ad, Sarah’s own “In the Arms of an Angel,” is a song that evokes strong emotions of sadness and can even bring some people to tears on its own. The song’s emotional power is then amplified by using heart-wrenching scenes of abused animals that appear malnourished, disfigured, and in pain. These scenes continue throughout the ad, even while Sarah McLachlan pleads with the viewer to support the BCSPCA, stating animals need your help to end their