Rhetorically analyze an advertisement of your choice; you can write about a print
advertisement or a commercial on TV or the web (published within the last ten years).
The paper’s thesis should center on the ad’s effectiveness in persuasion: is it
persuasive or unpersuasive and why? You must choose between analyzing its success
or its failure; you cannot analyze both.
In support of your thesis, analyze the ad’s use of the rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos,
and logos) and explain how each one is used effectively or ineffectively. You may use
first person singular: “I/me.”
Along with the grading rubric, I will consider the following when assessing your essay:
1. Does the essay focus on a single advertisement from the past ten years (print
or video)?
2. Does the thesis tell me whether or not the ad is persuasive?
3. How well do you support your thesis through the use of detail and examples?
4. Do you analyze both the ad’s text and context?