Ethos, Pathos, and Logos...

In the world today there are advertisements everywhere. Because there are so many, the creators of the ads have to find ways to make their ad stand out. By using Aristotle's Appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos, the ad catches a viewer's attention in many ways. The ad that I chose is a "vitamin water" ad that uses these three tools to make the viewer want to try the product.

The most obvious tool that is used in this ad is ethos. The ad features a professional athlete, Kobe Bryant, that is very well known. The label on the bottle in the ad says that this particular kind is used for power. By using an athlete that has been very successful in his sport and saying "1,845 bottles of vitamin water... and chugging", the ad portrays that this drink is the reason he is such a powerful player. The ad also says that he has been named MVP (most valuable player) but they changed the wording to "most valuable power" to express that the power that is inside of the bottle helped him become the most valuable player.

Pathos is used in this ad to give the viewer a sense of excitement. Because the man is blurred we know that he is moving very fast. This makes the viewer think that the drink is what made him move so fast. Also, Kobe Bryant is a very fit man. By using a man like this the product appeals to people that want to look like him. People might think that because he drinks this he has enough energy and "power" to make his body look like it does.

The use of logos in this ad isn't as significant as the other rhetorical appeals. The name of the product gives off the sense that it is healthy. The vitamins in this water are just what moms are looking for in order to keep their kids healthy. People in America are always looking for something that is tasty and good for them, and the color of this water makes the viewer believe that the water would have a good taste.

The target audience for this ad is obviously athletes and young males. But by using all of Aristotle's appeals anybody can find something in this that will make them want to buy the product.

College Fears: Rational or Not?

At this point in my life I am starting to look at colleges, and I am wondering what kind of college is right for me. I will try to get as many scholarships as possible, but if I do not get enough I will need student loans. This article, "What We Can Learn From For-Profit Colleges," got my attention and made me skeptical to even consider for-profit colleges.

I think for-profit colleges are way overpriced, and I can get an education that is just as good at a public college for a much cheaper price. When I first read the article I discovered that in the last ten years the number of for-profit colleges have increased by "60%." Judging by the way I feel about these colleges I am really confused about how this happened. As I read more of the article I started to understand the reason behind this: "people don't realize their options." Without realizing that there are better options, a person is just going to agree to whatever comes along. That makes me genuinely sad.

I usually do not click on extra links on articles like this, but I did this time and it took me to this page. I didn't get much out of the text, but the video on this page made me furious. There were so many cases that the student was lied to about the amount they would have to pay. But the worst part was that some of the advisers wouldn't let the students know how much they would need to pay until they enrolled into the college. I was completely blown away by this; to me that would be like committing to a marriage without knowing the husband. Towards the end of the video one of the advisers actually rips up a student's application just because he wants to know how much he is going to have to pay.

The thing that scares me the most about this is that it really happens. I could be tricked into paying way more than necessary to go to college. This isn't going to stop me from going to college, because a post-secondary education is way too important for that, but this definitely will make me more cautious when making my college decision.