Language Arts 11: Rhetorical Appeals in Advertising

Writer's Journal entry: In this day and age, many of us believe that we have become pretty savvy about advertising tactics. Write about some techniques that advertisers use to try to get you to buy goods and services. Be specific. What exactly do they do in commercials, Internet ads, and magazine ads to try to persuade you to buy products?  Do these techniques ever work on you, even though you see through them?
 

View and discuss television commercials. What persuasive techniques are being used? How have some advertisers become more sophisticated in their techniques?

Notes on the rhetorical appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos. 

Check for understanding: identify the appeals used in a variety of commercial examples. 

Homework: None. 

Be ready to analyze print advertisements in great detail on Thursday, and to create your own "truth ad," showing your understanding of persuasive techniques and the rhetorical appeals.