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Julia Botvinov
Ms. Babcock
English 137 Section 11
7 October 2018

Rhetorical Strategies Used by Banksy and the ASPCA Against Animal Cruelty

In October 2013, anonymous street artist, Banksy, created an art installation titled ‘Sirens

of the Lambs’ in order to target the harsh truth behind factory farming. He assembled a

gruesome-looking slaughterhouse truck that contained 60 or so puppets that squeaked and

screamed while the truck was driven around New York City for over a week. About six years

earlier, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) aired a public

service announcement known as the ‘Arms of an Angel’ commercial, which called for donations

to fight against domestic animal neglect and harm. Through different mediums, Banksy’s art

piece and ASPCA’s commercial use Aristotle’s three modes of persuasion, also known as ethos,

logos, and pathos, to fight the battle against animal cruelty.

Both Banksy’s and the ASPCA’s pieces make use of celebrities and their first-hand

experiences with the cause to appear credible and execute this ethical appeal. With the ‘Sirens of

the Lambs’ art installation, Banksy capitalizes on his own celebrity. He is known worldwide for

his thought-provoking graffiti pieces and art sculptures which are all related in some way to
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taboo topics such as politics, policy, environment, and consumerism. He is the director and focus

of the award-winning film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, and according to StreetArtBio.com, he is

“arguably the most controversial street artist in the world.” His work is recognizable worldwide

and because the installation is a Banksy original, the fame that is tied to his name is ultimately

tied to the piece as well. The overall positive reputation he has fosters the audience to be more

inclined to believe him. Also, viewers who see this piece can listen to an audio guide that can be

accessed by a 1-800 telephone number printed on truck (“Better Out Than In Audio

Commentary”, 2013). In this guide, one learns that Banksy worked as an adolescent mincing

beef in a butcher shop, which validates his experience with the meat-packing industry. His

knowledge about factory farming deems him more competent on the matter than most of the

public, therefore they are far more likely to view him as honest. Banksy is a persuasive element

in his piece because he is not only an icon, but also a primary source on the topic of animal

cruelty.

The celebrity face behind ASPCA’s commercial is Sarah McLachlan. McLachlan is a

Canadian singer who is known for numerous hits, including the song “Angel,” which airs in the

background of the PSA. She is not only narrating the commercial throughout, but also appears in

the commercial towards the end, with a dog in her lap, as she implores the audience to donate.

Because she is well-known, her influence on the public is much stronger than of a random actor.

Noted proof that her role was effective in the advertisement is expressed in the New York Times

when Jo Sullivan – ASPCA’s Senior Vice President in Communications and Development –

states that, “Sarah made it possible to do in two minutes what took 30 minutes before… she

literally has changed the way we fund-raise” (Strom, 2008). In addition to her celebrity status,

she has also had experience within the field, by supporting a small animal shelter in Vancouver,
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British Columbia. Similar to Banksy, her affiliation with the cause, along with her star status,

boosts her trustworthiness and demonstrates proper use of ethos.

Banksy and ASPCA shed light on the brutality behind animal cruelty using logical

ideology with their pieces. When looking at Banksy’s slaughterhouse truck, one easily notices

the boundless amount of animal puppets within it. This is representative of factory farming and

the barbarous conditions that are related to it. Hundreds of farm animals are crowded into

confining sheds to the point where it is torturous and disease-infested. According to

FarmSanctuary.com, the gross reality is that all of the animals “undergo painful mutilations and

are bred to grow unnaturally fast and large for the purpose of maximizing meat, egg, and milk

production for the food industry. Their bodies cannot support this growth, which results in

debilitating and painful conditions and deformities” (2017). Banksy captures the pain involved in

this process through a combination of uncomfortable visuals and sounds. Even though the

horrendous act of factory farming isn’t literally defined in Banksy’s art, the symbolism that is

encompassed within it speaks louder than words. The cruel nature of factory farming has been

documented countless times and the visual provocation through his art piece fuels his argument

against animal cruelty.

In the case of the ASPCA public service announcement, the facts are written explicitly

into the video. Every few seconds or so, the screens present the following: “Every day in

America thousands of animals suffer from cruelty and neglect… thousands were rescued last

year… but for thousands of others help came too late” (ASPCA.org). The choice to emphasize

the word ‘thousands’ – by using it three times – exploits the statistic in a way most effective for

the audience. After leading off with a disturbing fact, the second sentence explains how many

animals were rescued in the past year, leading the audience to feel hopeful. Instead, the last part,
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stating that those efforts were not nearly enough, finishes off the phrase with the cancellation of

potentially any positive claim. Not only is ASPCA sharing legitimate and convincing evidence,

but also utilizing the information cleverly. It leaves the audience with no other choice other than

to feel guilty and responsible for the thousands of animals they did not save – a positive

externality which dips into the usage of pathos. The application of logos in both this commercial

and Banksy’s art piece provide less room for argument, boosting their ability to convince

viewers of their claims.

Pathetic appeal was used by both parties to draw the public to their cause. Banksy’s

disturbing use of cuddly puppets shrieking for their lives truly evokes pity. NPR writer Maanvi

Singh records that, “One look into those animals' unblinking glass eyes will obliterate any fond

childhood memories of playing with Teddy” (Singh, NPR.org). Using anything reminiscent of

children immediately brings a vulnerability to the piece. The combination of toys that represent

innocence and youth, while contrasted with disturbing elements such as the eerie slaughterhouse

truck and spine-chilling audio, create a rather unsettling and grotesque atmosphere. Eliciting woe

in this way guilts the public into becoming concerned with the wellbeing of animals. The use of

emotional manipulation is a powerhouse in arguments regarding civic engagement, and here

Banksy artistically refines it.

In the ASPCA video, it is easy to say the nervous and frail cats and dogs not only

dissolve any joyful thoughts, but decimate them. Throughout the whole commercial, clips of

suffering pets fill the screen while emotional music runs in the background. It is so unbearable to

see the disheveled, disabled, and sickly animals, even McLachlan herself says – in an interview

with Makers – that she finds the public service announcement difficult to watch due to its

poignancy. The concept of utilizing dogs in a video in order to grab at the audience's emotions is
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not just a coincidence. Discussed in an article from the DailyMail.com, a study showed that

“dogs elicited more empathy than abused humans… Professor Levin reckoned findings would be

similar for cats. He said: ‘These are animals to which many individuals attribute human

characteristics’” (Weston, 2017). This explanation holds true, using pets that need rescue in the

ASPCA video are a large part in why the commercial is known for its efficacy to this day. Both

the advertisement and Banksy’s art piece showcase their ability to induce commiseration with

their viewers. They reaped the benefits of utilizing pathetic appeal when it came down to

engaging their audience, urging them to become involved in fighting animal cruelty.

Ultimately Banksy’s “Sirens of the Lambs” installation and ASPCA’s “Arms of an

Angel” video demonstrate use of Aristotle's three mode of persuasion: ethos, logos and pathos, to

persuade their viewers to get civically engaged in the fight against animal cruelty. They each

took strides to develop credibility, perfect their logical support, and successfully appeal

emotionally as a ploy to draw their audience in. Despite the disparate mediums used, both

Banksy and the ASPCA were exceptionally powerful and encouraged the public to take action

against something as significant as animal abuse through their of use of rhetorical strategies.
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Works Cited

“About Banksy Biography | Street Artist.” Street Art Bio Street Artists Biographies,
www.streetartbio.com/banksy.

ASPCA. ASCPA "Arms Of An Angel" Commercial, 2007.

Banksy. Banksy "Sirens Of The Lambs" Audio Guide #6, Better Out Than In, 2013.

“Factory Farming.” Farm Sanctuary, Farm Sanctuary, 2017,

www.farmsanctuary.org/learn/factoryfarming/.

Lefave, Samantha. “Sarah McLachlan Reveals the Truth About Those Sad ASPCA Ads.”
Redbook, Redbook, 16 Oct. 2017, www.redbookmag.com/life/pets/news/a41805/sarah-
mclachlan-aspca-commercial/.

Reporter, Daily Mail. “Abused Dogs Get More Sympathy than Abused Adults, but about Same
Amount of Sympathy as Abused Children.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers,
12 Aug. 2013, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2389202/Abused-dogs-sympathy-
abused-adults-sympathy-abused-children.html.

“Sarah McLachlan.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Apr. 2017,

www.biography.com/people/sarah-mclachlan-9542128.

Singh, Maanvi. “Banksy's Latest Work Takes On The Meat Industry ... With Puppets.” NPR,
NPR, 16 Oct. 2013, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/10/16/235334278/banksys-latest-
work-takes-on-the-meat-industry-with-puppets.

Strom, Stephanie. “Ad Featuring Singer Proves Bonanza for the A.S.P.C.A.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 25 Dec. 2008,
www.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/us/26charity.html.