Unit 15: Advertising Production

Persuasive techniques in Advertising (Ethos,Pathos,Logos)

Preparation work
Name:

ETHOS, PATHOS LOGOS – Persuasive Advertising Techniques

In order to complete LA.P3 and work towards a Merit/Distinction grade, you
need to have better knowledge and understanding of the persuasive techniques
used in advertising. Please use the weblink below and complete the following
tasks.

Introduction Task
Click on the triangular image below and watch the intro video explaining the
three main advertising techniques (Ethos, Pathos and Logos)

Task 1: Advertising techniques (Ethos)

Read through the section on ETHOS and answer the following questions.
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ethos-pathos-logos/ (you may need to
copy and paste into your browser if the link does not work)

1. What is an Ethos persuasive advertising technique?

Ethos persuasive technique is when the advertisement uses a superior

speaker to promote their product or add credibility to their product due
to the speakers following.

2. Explain why using a celebrity endorsement in an advert would be an

example of an ethos persuasive technique.

Using a celebrity for an ethos advertisement would be considered an

ethos technique as the celebrity would have a large following who trust
Unit 15: Advertising Production
Persuasive techniques in Advertising (Ethos,Pathos,Logos)
Preparation work
Name:
them and by doing this allows their following to believe and trust the
product they are talking about.

3. Ethos rhetoric is also used to tie a brand to fundamental rights. Brands

build trust with their audience when they stand with an important cause.
Watch the following adverts for Gillette and Audi and explain how ethos is
being used to tie the brand to a particular social cause?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koPmuEyP3a0https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=koPmuEyP3a0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iksaFG6wqM

4. The use of the ‘Plain Folks’ technique also falls under the category of
Ethos. Explain what the ‘plain folk’s technique is and how it aims to
appeal to the audience.

5. Watch the following Hillary Clinton political election advert and explain
how the technique of ‘Plain Folks’ is being used to appeal to voters.

Task 2: Advertising techniques (PATHOS)

Read through the section on PATHOS and answer the following questions.
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ethos-pathos-logos/

1. What is an pathos persuasive advertising technique?

Unit 15: Advertising Production
Persuasive techniques in Advertising (Ethos,Pathos,Logos)
Preparation work
Name:

2. What types of basic human emotions does the PATHOS persuasive

technique play on?

3. Watch the following Honey Nut Cheerios advert and view the coke print
advert. How are images and language used to evoke positive feelings in
the audience that are then attributed to the brand/product?
Unit 15: Advertising Production
Persuasive techniques in Advertising (Ethos,Pathos,Logos)
Preparation work
Name:
4. As well as evoking positive emotions such as happiness in the
audience, pathos advertisements can also employ unpleasant
emotions like fear and worry just as effectively. Watch the
following British Heart Foundation advert. Identify the
emotions it evokes in the audience and how it uses them to get
its message across.

5. View the BMW print advert below. Identify the emotions it evokes in the
audience and how it uses them to get its message across.
Unit 15: Advertising Production
Persuasive techniques in Advertising (Ethos,Pathos,Logos)
Preparation work
Name:

6. Sex appeal is of course also hugely successful among the pathos

advertising techniques. Although the common expression “sex sells” has
been debated, sexually provocative adverts do leave a lasting
impression. 

Watch the Tide (2017) advert below. How has sex appeal been used in the
advert to create humour?

7. Adverts that use Nostalgia (happy memories) as a persuasive technique

are examples of Pathos advertising. Adverts that are set in the past or
based around the family or happy childhood memories tend to evoke
happy feel good emotions in the audience that the advert tries to connect
to the brand or product it is promoting.

Watch the 2019 Sky Christmas advert. How is Nostalgia being used as a
persuasive technique? Which emotions are being evoked in the audience
to promote the Sky brand? How is intertextuality being used to appeal to
the audience?
Unit 15: Advertising Production
Persuasive techniques in Advertising (Ethos,Pathos,Logos)
Preparation work
Name:

8. The Bandwagon appeal is another technique that comes under Pathos

advertising. What is Bandwagon advertising?

9. Watch the Old Spice The Man your Man Could smell Like’ advert (2010).
The male protagonist uses direct mode of address to the girlfriend of the
male target audience who has not yet purchased the Old Spice product.
Explain why this is effective in targeting the male audience.

10. Explain how the Old Spice advert uses Bandwagon appeal to target the
primary male audience? You could also consider how the bandwagon
technique is used to appeal to the primary male and secondary female
audience.
Unit 15: Advertising Production
Persuasive techniques in Advertising (Ethos,Pathos,Logos)
Preparation work
Name:

11. Use of humour to evoke positive lighthearted emotions in the audience is

another technique that is a good example of Pathos advertising. Watch the
AXE ‘Meet the Parents’ (2012) advert below and consider how sex appeal
as well as humour is being used to promote the body spray to the male
audience.
Unit 15: Advertising Production
Persuasive techniques in Advertising (Ethos,Pathos,Logos)
Preparation work
Name:

Task 3: Advertising techniques (LOGOS)

Read through the section on LOGOS and answer the following questions.
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ethos-pathos-logos/

1. What is Logos advertising?

2. Watch the apple iphone X advert. Give examples of how it uses Logos
advertising techniques to appeal to the audience.

3. Logos advertising often uses memorable buzzwords to sell the product.

Great examples of this are advertisements for food. In recent years there
has been a rising demand for companies trying to cash in on the
consumer’s demand for healthier food options.

Watch the advert below for ‘I Can’t believe it’s not butter’ (2017) and
identify the buzzwords used to make the product more appealing to the
target audience.
Unit 15: Advertising Production
Persuasive techniques in Advertising (Ethos,Pathos,Logos)
Preparation work
Name: