In today’s world, markets have been globalized; we can access information about any product sitting right at home. Every advertiser tries to sell his product at any cost. Advertising promotes a product to its customers. One main aspect of advertising is persuasion. Every advertiser tries to persuade people effectively.
Persuasion has three aspects – ethos, logos and pathos. The Greek philosopher Aristotle stated this. Ethos is similar to ethics. If the speaker like a popular actor or sportsman has a good image in the eyes of the public, the audience easily believes what he says. Ethos plays an important role in both commercial ads and in politics. In politics, persuasion plays an important role. On the eve of the election, campaigning is the most powerful vehicle of persuasion.
Logos or logic has great value. This can hit the emotion and create a picture of the character of the speaker in our mind. We rely on not simple logic but rhetorical reasoning. When Bubonic Plague occurred in Europe and parts of Asia in the 14th century, many were killed. People had a wrong assumption that cat causes plague. They started to kill cats and the plague assumed a devastating role. This assumption was at fault. Rhetorical reasoning is based on probabilities, rather than truth. We tried to convince people to accept our assumptions as probably true. Though we think that our decision is taken on logical thinking, Aristotle proved that decision is based on our different emotions. Political decisions also are not always based on rationality, rather on emotional motivation. This is called Pathos.
In the presidential election of America, the opponent party J. McCain tried to persuade the people that President Obama has taken the wrong decision regarding sex education in kindergarten. McCain tried to create a bad image of Obama. On the contrary, Obama marked that McCain does not know computers or the tax system. They both took the help of advertising to reach people through persuasion and ethos. The famous campaign advertising “Daisy Girl” created by the agency Doyle Dane Bern Bach, was in favor of President Lyndon Johnson, Senator Barry Goldwater was seen as an extremist there. The ad created a huge impact. It is related to the theory of Pathos.
Post-Iraq-America war, ex-president Bush and democratic senator Kerry beeped their respective advertising campaigns. People remembered the terrorism in Iraq and the 9/11 attacks. Presidents’ ad showed him as commander during the devastation of terrorism while Kerry’s ad concentrated on the people, the ordinary voters, related to Pathos and Logos. Web-based ad created much impact than others as it is specified for a targeted group. The widespread internet plays an important role in campaigning. The ancient theories of Aristotle are still so relevant in the world of ad, be it commercial or political campaigning.