Monica Klinkmueller and Lexie Newhouse

Ms. Thompson
AP Lang, Block 2, Skinny B
February 8, 2015
Final Draft: Rhetorical Analysis Paper
Rhetorical Analysis Paper
Advertisements are not just colorful pages with text and a big name brand covering the
surface, they are so much more. Whether we notice it or not, advertisements communicate
messages through rhetoric. When dissecting an advertisement, it is important to notice the many
factors in order to properly recognize what the ad is trying to achieve. Both news and non news
advertisements use similar ruses to display information in a way that is persuasive to the
audience. When looking at news and non news ads one should take into account the various
rhetorical devices it uses and the soapstone method in order to decide which one is more
effective.
In order to construct a successful argument, each advertisement utilizes different
rhetorical devices to convey its purpose. For instance, the news advertisement, Nature Saves
Lives, develops arguments by making appeals to pathos, defined as sentimental and emotional,
in inspiring hope in the audience by stating how lives can be saved with the help of nature. In
addition to its appeals to pathos, it appeals to ethos as well as logos. The appeal to pathos is that
comforting, heart-warming sensation of emotion with the hope that a cure to cancer is found
within nature. Ethos, or the appeal to credibility and morals, is evident since the sponsor of the
advertisement is The Nature Conservancy, a world-wide known nonprofit organization. By
providing statistical support, stating that 51 percent of cancer-fighting drugs are derived from

nature, such as coral reefs creates a strong appeal to logos. This evidence is also an inartistic
proof since it provides statistics to make a statement.
On the other hand, the non-news advertisement utilizes different rhetorical devices,
specifically scare tactics and bandwagon appeals. This advertisement for the American Horror
Story new series Freak Show stampedes fears with an enlarged, startling image of a clown. In
addition to this device, a bandwagon appeal was used; it is currently one of the hottest television
shows. This allows the advertisement to include minimal information (just the title,
actors/actresses, and show date) since it is already so popular, but it also attracts new people to
join the existing audience. These rhetorical devices create more influential arguments by
attracting readers eyes with interesting information and intriguing appearances.
When analyzing advertisements, one of the best things to do is use the Soapstone
method. This allows one to identify the subject, occasion, audience, purpose, speaker, and tone as
well as organizing all of it in a well kept manner. In the American Horror Story ad (from a non
news magazine), it is clear the subject is the premiere of the television show, American Horror
Story. This is obvious through bright, big text located in the center of the ad. The occasion is
advertising the premiere of the new season. This ad focuses on the premiere by typing a large
date in the bottom right hand corner, which draws the readers attention. When creating an ad it
is very important to think about who will be reading it. In this case, the ad is located in a nonnews magazine. In general, this type of magazine reaches all demographics, but due to the
content of the ad it can be assumed that it is geared towards a younger demographic. The purpose
of this ad is to get more people to watch the premiere of the new season. By using a big, startling
display, this ad quickly grabs ones attention. This ad was created by the marketing team, the
speaker per say, for the television show. The speaker uses its knowledge of the audience to

tweak the ad so that it will appeal to the largest amount of people possible. The tone can be
suggested through the large open mouth and blood colored lips and text, the excitement the
speaker tried to display is practically dripping off the page. In the ad found in a news magazine,
the Nature Conservatory ad, all of these elements are easily spotted as well. For example, the
speaker is the company The Nature Conservatory. The occasion is the company trying to have
people realize how important nature is by connecting their cause to cancer fighting drugs. For
this ad, the audience is the readers of the magazine, which are most likely adults. By using a
clean and simple design it is a sophisticated ad, which directly correlates to the location and
audience it is trying to reach. The purpose of this ad is to educate people on the importance of
nature, and more specifically, coral reefs. This is achieved by using a statistic that clearly
displays the purpose. The subject is how important nature is to everyone. Lastly, the tone is
mature and direct. The ad is concise and simple, much like the American Horror Story ad. All
of these elements are fabricated in order to create a successful ad that can be understood by the
entire audience.
Although both advertisements convey powerful messages as a result of the various
rhetorical devices, the news advertisement ultimately produced the best arguments by including
the three primary appeals: logos, ethos, and pathos. In addition to these, sentimental appeals and
inartistic proofs supported The Nature Conservancys claim. The inspiration and comfort by
stating the discovery of cancer-fighting medications alleviates the audience with a wave of
emotion and relief. Not only does it appeal to the heart, but it appeals to the brain with an
inartistic proof, in this case, a statistic. Finally, it also builds credibility since this reliable
organization is working with community leader in more than 75 countries to make sure that
coral reefs have a fighting chance to survive and thrive into the future. In comparison to the

non-news advertisement, the Nature Saves Lives campaign utilizes more rhetorical devices,
therefore leaving a stronger influence on the audience.
Overall, both ads do a great job conveying a compelling message to the reader of each
magazine. By understanding and applying rhetorical devices and the Soapstone method, one
can dig deep into the world of advertisements.