Dogs are one of the most common household pets. Many of us grew up with them, and consequently have formed strong attachments to the animal. Even if you did not personally own a dog growing up, you likely have experienced a positive interaction with them in passing or at a friend’s house.
This advertisement channels the strong emotional connection many of us have towards dogs in order to elicit a response to further their cause. This rhetorical device is called pathos.
In The Essential Guide to Rhetoric pathos is defined as
“the emotional state of the audience, as produced by the speaker or speech,” (Keith W., Lundberg C., 42)
This rhetorical device is commonly used in situations where the audience is familiar with, and has strong emotional connections to, the subject. For this device to be effective, the speaker must align the audience’s emotions with their argument.
In the example above, ASPCA is counting on its audience’s familiarity with, and positive connection to, dogs. They then exploit this connection by showing an image of a dog who has been chained up and presumably undergone additional forms of abuse. Since the audience cares so strongly about dogs, they will be compelled to rescue this dog, and others like it, for the advertised price of only 60 cents a day.
The advertisement adds a time pressure to their message to convey a sense of urgency. Every 60 seconds a dog is abused. Thus, one could draw the conclusion that every minute you waste before signing up to make a continual donation to their foundation allows another dog to be abused.
If you care about dogs, this urgent call to action coupled with the emotional appeal should convince you to donate, but in case you still need more convincing the advertisement goes one step further by conveying a greater importance to the message: not only are the dogs being abused, but their lives are at stake.
This idea of dogs being murdered creates an even stronger emotional appeal that can be applied to a wider audience. Maybe you don’t feel a strong emotional connection to dogs, but we’ve been raised to be appalled by the murder of innocent beings.
Without the use of pathos, this message would not be nearly as convincing. By drawing on its audience’s emotions, ASPCA connects the audience to their argument. This may not always be the best rhetorical appeal to use, but in this situation, it creates a strong and powerful message. After all, who could say no to helping that poor dog?