Identifying Strategies of Persuasion in Visual Ads: the Truth Initiative

This week we are going to discuss classical (i.e., ancient) theories of rhetoric. We will apply these theories to visual-verbal modes of communication to hopefully gain a better understanding of how visuals may influence human behavior, attitudes, actions, and beliefs. 

As the authors of "Why Rhetoric" explain, "learning to recognize these concepts will help you understand other people's arguments" (45). The authors of "Understanding the Strategies of Persuasion" agree, emphasizing that rhetorical analysis of visual-verbal texts will "help us understand how arguments work and how we can respond critically to them" (Alfano and O’Brien 29). So . . .let's get started! 

Take a moment to view the following public service announcement created by the Truth Initiative, a non-profit organization (formerly known as the American Legacy Foundation) that aims to prevent teenagers from smoking and to encourage current smokers to stop. This commercial is part of this organization’s youth-focused campaign, Truth.com, and was “released” in the fall of 2017 on prime-time television. 

Figure 1: Public Service Announcement by the Truth Initiative/ 2017

Before we begin discussing the rhetorical strategies we see in the ad, let's define the rhetorical situation. 

• The purpose--the purpose of this ad is to encourage young people to never smoke.
• The audience--the target audience of this ad is teenagers and young adults. 
• The context--this video aired for the first time on August 24, 2017 during prime-time television (7-10pm) on major television networks. It was published on YouTube on November 22, 2017. Since then it has aired on major television channels in the evening. The ad references a statistical finding from a 2013 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. There are many other things to consider about the context (the when and where) of the ad but I think these factors will come out in our discussion of the ad. 

PROMPT: 

1. Watch the ad one more time. 
2. Now, drawing on your assigned reading for the Thursday (1/24), identify 1 rhetorical strategy used in the ad. Be sure to reference one of the readings to define this particular rhetorical strategy. Support your claim (i.e., that the ad deploys that strategy) with evidence from the ad. You may want to post a screenshot of the scene you are referring to or just mention at what point in the ad we can see what you are talking about. 
3. Considering the purpose, audience, and context of the ad (that is, its rhetorical situation outlined above), do you think this is an effective rhetorical strategy? 

Perhaps you will see a specific strategy of argumentation (Alfano & O'Brien p. 24) or mode of persuasion (33). Perhaps you will identify a logical fallacy (37) or an exaggerated use of pathos (41). Or maybe you will want to think about whether or not the strategies used in the ad are kairotic or timely considering what was happening in the world at the time (50). 

NOTE: You should not identify ALL the rhetorical strategies you see (there are many!). Just pick one, name it, define it, and support your claim with evidence from the ad. 

Once you post your response, remember to come back to the blog to see how people have responded to your analysis. Take the time to respond to other's ideas as well!