Advertisement is a sophisticated means of communication used by companies to convey a persuasive message to the target audience. Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are the fundamental rhetorical elements that appear to be efficient with video content (Wright). Ethos uses the speaker’s personality to ensure “common ground between speakers and audiences” (Al-Suqri 220); Logos appeals to logic reasoning, and Pathos refers to emotions. This essay intends to discuss the effectiveness of using Ethos, Pathos, and Logos as the persuasive tools in video advertisements, through the example of “Jason Momoa Super Bowl Commercial 2020. Rocket Mortgage” advertisement.
Ethos creates a positive image of a company by creating credibility of the advertising message. This rhetorical component is clearly present in the analyzed advertisement: Jason Momoa is a famous actor, which makes him a role model for many young people. He is rich, famous, and self-fulfilled; therefore, his message is credible for middle-aged people. In such a way, Rocket Mortgage simultaneously addressed a vast target audience, approximately from 18 to 60 years. As Al-Suqri formulated it, “Ethos strategy was emphasized relating to charisma” (212). Some other aspects of the Ethos component can be discerned in depicting paparazzi waiting for Mr. Momoa near his house, as well as in his fantastical shedding flesh, hinting that he is closer to ordinary people than he appears to be. Thus, Rocket Mortgage ensured that their advertising message is going to be trusted by all age groups.
Logos strategy promotes logical conclusions that are be favorable for the advertising campaign. In the case of the studied advertisement, it is the key message conveyed by Jason Momoa: “Rocket Mortgage understands that home is where I can be myself” (Rocket Mortgage). The message above is an implicit inductive argument by analogy: “What is true for one… person… will also be true for other people” (Brochers 104). Momoa sheds his layers of muscles, making himself an average person, inducing that Rocket Mortgage could help anyone to be himself at home. Demostrative rhetoric or epidectic is used here, telling us how positive Momoa’s experience with Rocket Mortgage is. Meanwhile, the viewers perceive it as deliberative rhetoric or symbouleutikon: if they follow the advice, they will have similar benefits in the future (TED-Ed). For this reason, the viewer’s logic is satisfied, and the general message makes sense for the target audience.
Pathos appeals to the viewers’ emotions, their innermost wishes, and concerns. The video starts as follows: “What does home mean to me? It’s my sanctuary. It’s the one place I can let my guard down” (Rocket Mortgage). The words sanctuary” and “let my guard down” are emotionally saturated, creating the feeling of peace, comfort, and security, i.e., they “appeal to a genuine human need” (Brochure 107). The actor’s luxurious house, attention from the audience, beautiful wife, and comfortable life could make the viewer jealous, but it is suggested that the viewers associate with Momoa. Therefore, the feeling of comfort, happiness, and self-fulfillment emerges in the target audience.
Having considered everything mentioned above, one can conclude that Ethos, Logos, and Pathos are powerful methods of persuasion. The modernization of the world is the reason why digital advertising has become the most powerful marketing strategy. Aristotle believed logos to be the most important rhetorical appeal as the most reliable one, but persuasion becomes the most effective when all the three appeals are used, addressing the essential human reactions and behavior (Wright). The advertisement of Rocket Mortgage successfully employs Aristotle’s approach to convince the audience in their reliability, reasonability, and understanding of human needs.
Works Cited
Al-Suqri, Mohammed N, et al. Promoting Interdisciplinarity in Knowledge Generation and Problem Solving. IGI Global, 2017.
Borchers, Timothy, and Heather Hundle. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction, Second Edition. Waveland Press, Inc., 2018.
“How to use rhetoric to get what you want – Camille A. Langstone.” YouTube, uploaded by TED-Ed, 2016, Web.
“Jason Momoa Super Bowl Commercial 2020 | Rocket Mortgage.” YouTube, uploaded by Rocket Mortgage, Web.
“Using the Rhetorical Triangle & Rhetorical Appeals.” YouTube, uploaded by David Wright, 2012, Web.