For Assignment #3: Rhetorical Analysis Essay, choose one of the infomercials in the list below. Please “reply” to the infomercial you choose with a simple statement, “I would like this ad.” (To “reply,” you will need to first open the post.) Once a student has picked an ad here, it is taken and not available. Many of these are “vintage” ads, and all use the elements of rhetoric logos (facts), ethos (credibility), and pathos (emotional appeals) to persuade viewers to buy their products. There are two pages of ads, so check out the second page, too. Once you have chosen an ad you’d like to discuss in this essay assignment.

EXAMPLE

Assignment #2: Rhetorical Analysis Essay Template

Your Name

My Name

Class Name: Section

Date

Rhetorical Analysis Title (Be Creative! Make up your own title.)

Here is a brief introduction to this template. Consider this template your essay form. Save it on your computer, in a file you have created for this course. Title this document Rhetorical Analysis Essay and your last name. When you are ready to write this essay, this is where you should type your words. Leave my typed information until after you have completed each section. Only then should you delete the section. By doing this, you can make sure your essay is formatted correctly, and that you write the essay in the proper manner. Read this whole template, and then start typing any paragraph that you wish. I always recommend that students start by doing the header sections above. If you double-click on LastName, you can edit that (dont touch the number in the header); double-click again in the body of the paper to close the header. Once you have read these instructions, feel free to delete this paragraph only, and continue reading below. Please Note: If you feel stuck at any point while writing your essay in this Template, you may wish to look at the Sample Student Essay in Content, on the ShamWow infomercial. Print out the essay and keep it handy just to check that youre on the right track.

In your introductory paragraph, you should name your ad, and give the URL, using this method: Refer to your ad with the name it was given in YouTube or elsewhere. The first time you mention your ad, put the name of it in quotation marks, and right after the quoted title, give the link (URL) to the work, in parentheses. So, an example might look like this: I found an infomercial on YouTube titled, Amazing Squeegee from Ronco (. After providing the URL (the link) in parentheses, you only need to name the title of the ad after that, and you could shorten it to Amazing Squeegee (or whatever). (Never refer to an ad by its URL in the text of your essay.)Your introductory paragraph should present your thesis + grab the readers attention. Your thesis (a statement of your main point) should name the three elements of rhetoric, and give your overall purpose and opinion on your topic, the ad and its use of rhetoric. A thesis is a combination of a topic (your ad and its use of persuasion) and your opinion about your topic (called a controlling idea). Your thesis statement should do these three things: 1) let the reader know that your topic is infomercials and their use of persuasive rhetoric. It should also 2) state the importance of logos, having strong facts in advertising; the potential persuasive effect of ethos (credibility appeals) to the audience of the ad; and the persuasive power of pathos (emotional appeals)logos, ethos, and pathos, when used in the right amount. This thesis statement should also 3) let readers know that you’re going to show us specifics of the ads use of logos, ethos, and pathos appeals, and whether or not they work (whether they sell the product). You might suggest in your thesis statement what your ad achieves or doesnt achieve. Your thesis statement might include an opinion on the nature of infomercial rhetoric in general, and the overall implications of infomercials success with US consumers. I strongly recommend that when you write your first draft, you first write the body paragraphs, and then go back and figure out your opinion and thesis statement. It will be much clearer to you then.

In your second paragraph, provide a brief discussion of the history of infomercials as persuasive works, and how they use rhetoric. If you prefer you can give a history of your particular infomercial. Go with whichever best fits your essay. In this paragraph, you should not yet go in to detail about the rhetoric appeals in your ad. This paragraph should be brief, no more than 1/3 of a typed page. If you use an outside source, be sure to (see our text for help with in-text citations, and/or Google MLA In-text citation, OWL () to give credit to the source. For example, if you cite information from a website, give us the name of the website so that we can find the quotation or fact for ourselves. If the website has an author given, put the authors name in parentheses after the quotation or summary, like this: Infomercials have been around since the 1960s (Jones). If no author is given, use the name of the website: Infomercials have been around since the 1960s (History of Infomercials). (By the way, I made that quotation up!) No References page will be required for this assignmentthat will be covered in the next assignment.

Some general advice for body paragraphs: In the body of your paper you will have a minimum of three well-developed paragraphs to cover logos, ethos, and pathos (at least a half a page per paragraph to cover the topic well). Each body paragraph should start with a topic sentence which names the element of rhetoric that is the focus of that paragraph; it should also state how well your ad achieves the aims of this element of rhetoric. Each body paragraph will discuss one aspect of your ad, its use of logos (first body paragraph), ethos (second body paragraph), or pathos (third body paragraph). When discussing your ad, you will want to think about the purpose of the work; its intended audience; the persuasive techniques used; and the effectiveness of the message. In Body Paragraph #1 (paragraph #3 of your essay), you may begin with something like this (but use your own wording, please): Some infomercials draw heavily on logos, or facts. This ad uses a number of factual appeals, which persuade [or tend not to persuade?] the viewer. (Discuss the logos aspects of your ad in detail, considering how well any logos appeals reach or persuade the intended audience and achieve the purpose of selling the product. Use at least one quotation from the ad in every body paragraph. Describe how your ad tries to use facts (logos) to persuade, giving examples (quotes and paraphrase) from the ad. Provide a screen shot of the infomercial that illustrates the point you are making. If possible, try using one (<how-to video) for each body paragraph. ( and position your screenshot.) Please check the FAQs (frequently asked questions) section in D2L Materials; I have provided an overview of how to edit screen-shot images for your paper. They add a lot; I suggest you use them! (See the Sample Student Paper for an example of how to use them.)

Moving to the ethos appeal in Body Paragraph #2, you may say something such as the following: This infomercial also draws on ethos, or credibility, followed by your opinion on how effective the ad is in this area. Discuss in detail the examples of credibility appeals, and how well they work on the audience and purpose.) Use at least one to two direct quotations in the paragraph. Ethos tends to be more challenging… Think about what kind of person, organization, or reputation would make an audience think highly of them? It depends on the audience… If children are the target of an ad or article, who or what would have credibility or likeability with them? How about teenagers? Who do they admire? Parentswhat type of credibility appeal would be most motivating to them, or presented by whom? Credibility can be established through what actors in the infomercial wear, her or his credentials, fame, coolness, etc. How does the speakers voice affect credibility? Again, describe how your ad establishes credibility and to what effect. Parentswhat type of ad would be most motivating to them, or presented by whom? Remember to use information you gathered in the Prewriting Activity, in D2L (at least one paragraph).

Pathos is the topic of Body Paragraph #3, where you may start with a topic sentence that starts something like this: And finally, this infomercial also focuses heavily on emotionfollowed by your opinion of how the emotional appeals affect the rhetoric and the success or failure of the infomercial. Following the topic sentence, again give examples, and discuss in detail, showing how the emotional appeals work, or dont work, based on audience and purpose.) Note: Your job will be to vary the wording of these topic sentences so that your ideas naturally transition from one idea to the next, avoiding repetition or repeating phrases.

In your Conclusion, you will remind the reader of the following: 1.) Your thesis; 2.) Your ads use of logos (fact appeals), ethos (credibility appeals), and pathos (emotional appeals); and 3.) Any final comments you wish to make about infomercials and their persuasiveness through the use of rhetoric. What has your ad achieved, or not achieved, through its attempt to use persuasive language and/or images? What types of appeals work bestfact, emotion, and credibility for selling a product? Do you think infomercials are good for America, or conversely, are they symptomatic of a society that is gullible, materialistic, or something else? What should they be doing with their money other than buying overpriced gadgets advertised on TV? The more specific you can be throughout the paper, the more persuasive you will be.

Note: Be sure to use <(click for help) for all direct quotations and all paraphrases (quotations put in your own words). Also note that in writing this paper, you yourself will be using rhetoric, trying to persuade your readers that this infomercial contains specific elements of rhetoric. In writing your paper, you will be answering these questions: How do facts, emotional appeals, and credibility appeals come together to make the “sales pitch” successful? Are there any excesses of emotion, weak “facts,” or poor credibility, that cause the ad to fail to convince you, or the intended audience, in your opinion?