Ecovia stop the violence analysis

Premise Report 1

Premise Report

Jane Doe

Mississippi College

Premise Report 2

Premise Report

Advertisements bombard consumers with a daily onslaught of persuasive messages. From

the Nike Swoosh to Aflac’s Duck, creativity and innovation continue to surprise and interest

consumers. Although images and characters used by different cultures throughout history vary,

the persuasive foundations of advertisements are rooted in philosophies and theories pioneered in

ancient Greece by Aristotle.

Millennia before Madison Avenue became a center of persuasive messaging, Aristotle’s

work “The Rhetoric” attempted to provide a comprehensive analysis of the process of

persuasion. “The Rhetoric” offered definitions of types of proof to use in support of a persuasive

message. Proof supports the intent of a message by providing evidence which is connected by

reasoning to the intended conclusion. Aristotle provided parameters for defining two primary

types of proof - artistic and inartistic. Artistic proofs are those that come within the control of the

persuader. Artistic proofs are particularly exemplified in the realm of advertising. Content

creation in advertising relies on facets of the message that can be controlled, and thus

advertisements offer clear examples of artistic proof in use.

Aristotle developed three categories of artistic proof - logos, pathos and ethos. Logos

refers to evidence rooted in logic and reasoning. This type of proof is supported by evidence in

direct, dramatic, and rational form. Direct evidence is experiential, in which a persuasive

message is effective due to the audience’s previous negative or positive experience with the same

object or idea. Dramatic evidence can be communicated in narrative, testimonial, anecdotal, and

participatory styles, all of which rely on the audience’s identification with an indirect, vicarious

experience. Rational evidence relies on the reasoning capabilities of the audience to draw the

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proper conclusions based on information such as statistics. Evidence that is based in pathos

draws on the emotional and psychological aspects of an audience. Appeals to needs, emotions,

attitudes, and consistency, or the conformity to established patterns of behavior, are all types of

evidence employed in pathos-based proofs. Proofs that rely on ethos encompass evidence

stemming from a communicator’s credibility within their culture. This type of evidence affects

the resonance of a persuasive message based on characteristics that include the persuaders

nonverbal communication. Logos, pathos, and ethos are identifiable as proofs in persuasive

messages of all kinds.

Evidence is only half of proof. Reason must also be present. For evidence to be effective

the audience of consumers must be able to comprehend the reasoning presented, or accomplish

the reasoning themselves. Inductive reasoning proceeds from a specific statement to a conclusion

given in general terms. Inductive reasoning often takes the forms of example, analogy, and

causal correlation. Deductive reasoning proceeds in the opposite direction by starting with a

general statement and leading to a specific conclusion. This type of reasoning manifests itself in

causal generalizations and conclusions of existence. Inductive and deductive reasoning facilitate

the evaluation of evidence to lead an audience to the proper conclusion.

Regardless of the type of evidence and reasoning employed, persuaders base their

arguments on premises. Premises are statements from which the conclusion follows. Content

premises rely on logos, while process premises rely on pathos, and cultural and nonverbal

premises rely on ethos. Persuasive messages often include a major and minor premise that guide

the consumer to a conclusion that is either explicit or implicit. Allowing either the major or

minor premise or conclusion to remain implicit is a device that Aristotle referred to as an

enthymeme. Enthymemes invite cognitive participation from consumers as they allow them to

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fill in the premises or conclusion that is left unstated. Premises and enthymemes together are the

structures that are crafted into powerful persuasive tools by communicators.

In the modern world of advertising, messages are crafted with a specific target in mind

and released into a malaise of media. Creativity is necessary as marketers seek innovative ways

to earn consumer’s attention and generate revenue. Despite the demand for creativity, the

premises and proofs are still present and put to work in persuasion. In this paper, examples of

advertisements will be examined for their use of evidence and reason in proof of their premise.

Content Premises

Advertising that is premised on content such as data or narrative evokes cognitive

participation from the audience. Whether the evidence is given in dramatic or rational form, it is

used to inspire the audience to think a particular way about a product or service.

Advertisements

Advil’s “Relief at the Site of Pain” advertisement offers a visual representation of the

drug’s efficacy in targeting specific sources of pain. The narrator informs the audience that it is a

fact that Advil targets and relieves pain no matter where it is in the body. The conclusion drawn

by the narrator is that “relief doesn’t get any better than this.”

Rational evidence is employed to support the process of reasoning that this advertisement

seeks to stimulate. The narrator uses inductive reasoning when he tells audiences that Advil

reaches the site of pain no matter where it is, and that therefore there is no better antihistamine

for pain relief; the reasoning moves from the specifics of Advil’s efficacy to a generalization

about antihistamines. The enthymeme that occurs within the body of the advertisement is that a

targeted pain reliever is better than one that is not targeted. This is never expressly stated, but

was implied from the explicit message that Advil targets pain and is therefore better.

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Flonase is delivered as a nasal spray in this advertisement, titled “Six is Greater,” which

utilizes direct experience and rational evidence to convince consumers that Flonase is better than

the leading brand of allergy-related antihistamine. The narration of the advertisement uses the

plural pronoun “we” to inspire viewers to contemplate their own experiences with nasal

congestion. The rational evidence that follows is a numeric explanation of the number of

inflammatory substances released in an allergic reaction, which hinges on the explicit message

that “six is greater than one.” By claiming that Flonase targets all six substances that cause

allergic discomfort, the advertisement offers easily understandable data for viewers. This data

then invokes the messages’ enthymeme that Flonase is better than the leading brand of allergy

medication by claiming that the leading brand only targets one of the six substances.

Allegra’s TV commercial “Allegra Allergy” claims that the drug is fast and strong. The

advertisement promises that consumers will experience 24 hours of relief from their worst

symptoms within one hour of taking the medicine. This is claimed to be twice as fast as a

competitor’s product. The rational evidence to support this message’s content is obvious in the

use of numerical data to demonstrate the efficacy of the medication. In terms of enthymemes, the

advertisement compares Allegra and Claritin before claiming that nothing is faster or stronger for

treating allergies than Allegra - implying that Claritin is the only competitor.

Zyrtec’s advertisements consistently present the negative repercussions of allowing

allergies to run your nose and your life. This particular advertisement “Family Outing” creatively

demonstrates how a family’s vacation is altered by the mother’s struggle with allergies when she

sneezes into her ice cream cone. The narrator promises that Zyrtec will free consumers from

muddling through life events, and that it will do so more rapidly than their competitor, Claritin.

Narrative dramatic evidence is presented by the story that the narrator refers to as it plays on the

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screen. This is followed by rational evidence in the claim that Zyrtec works faster than Claritin,

appealing to an assumed audience perspective that faster is better.

The Claritin advertisement “Real People Every Day” shows individuals having their days

upended because they are distracted by their allergies. A narrator then explains that doctors

recommend taking Claritin non-drowsy relief daily during allergy season. This is promised to

free you from distraction. That promise is given as people are shown accomplishing impressive

feats such as throwing a basketball into the hoop using their feet.

Dramatic evidence often takes the narrative form in television advertising. In the Claritin

advertisement, the individuals represented are very believable as everyday citizens which

increases the accessibility of the message. The reasoning offered by the advertisement is that

Claritin frees you to breath easier and accomplish more important things by being able to focus,

rather than be distracted by allergies.

Editorials

On November 13th, 2015, the New York Times Editorial Board published a piece

entitled “Abortion, Back at the Supreme Court.” The article discussed the Whole Woman’s

Health v. Cole case in which a Texas law that raised standards for abortion clinics’ facilities was

being challenged. In the article, the authors argue that the law was crafted to put abortion clinics

out of business under the pretense of concern for their health.

The foundational premise of this editorial seems to be that women should have unlimited

access to abortion. This premise is developed by the application of rational evidence, this time in

historical information regarding current abortion laws and the safety of abortive procedures. The

editorial ends with the use of pathos. By claiming that the law will hurt underprivileged women

most, the authors attempt to ignite attitudes and emotions related to social injustice, such as guilt.

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The syllogism of the argument made is that the law restricts access to abortion, women have a

right to choose abortion, and therefore the law restricts women’s rights.

“End the Gun Epidemic in America,” published in the New York Times on December

4th, 2015, discusses the author's’ perception that America needs to ban the sale of certain kinds

of weapons and ammunition. The author acknowledges the philosophical and practical

challenges that affect such a change, but argues that America should follow in the footsteps of

countries that have made concerted efforts towards ending gun violence.

This article begins with a statement that invokes participatory evidence, stating that “all

decent people” feel a certain way. From the generalization that all people feel a certain way, the

author argues that America’s leaders have not done enough to prevent gun violence, and that

since all people feel negatively towards gun violence America needs to make changes in their

laws. This syllogism is representative of deductive reasoning, where the author has moved from

generalizations to specific recommendations. The anticipated consumer for this editorial would

likely be predisposed to agree with the author, regardless of their political affiliation, because the

argument is not that all guns should be banned, but that sensible steps should be taken to prevent

certain weapons from being easily accessible.

The New York Times editorial from January 16th, 2016, “The Death Penalty Endgame,”

tackles the question of how a nation decides to end its practice of implementing the death

penalty. The author describes the case of Shonda Walter, who sat on death row and asked the

Supreme Court to consider all death penalties unconstitutional. The body of the article is full of

statistics and numbers, as well as references to global attitudes and practices of the death penalty.

Encapsulated by dramatic evidence that uses the narrative form, the rational evidence

makes up the main body of this argument. The author gives an overview of developments in

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public and judicial treatment of the death penalty. The article is premised on the idea that

America is part of the civilized world. Although this premise is never stated, it is implied, giving

the argument an enthymematic aspect. The premises that are explicitly stated are that the

civilized world no longer accepts the death penalty as an appropriate form of punishment, and

that therefore America needs to follow suit and end the practice of the death penalty.

Process Premises

Process premises address needs, emotions, attitudes, and consistency. An advertisement

crafted on a process premise will offer audiences the opportunity to become affectively involved

with a product.

Product Category Advertisements

The importance of persuading drivers to use cellphones while they are operating a vehicle

has been highlighted in several advertising campaigns. One of the earliest Public Service

Announcement messages on the subject of texting while driving was created by Tredegar

Comprehensive School and Gwent Police in the United Kingdom. A group of friends are riding

together while the driver types out a text message. Distracted, she veers into oncoming traffic.

The collision is violent, and viewers watch glass and blood across the screen. When the cars

come to a rest they are hit by a third vehicle. All of this action occurs in the first 45 seconds of

the video. For three minutes and thirty seconds the ramifications are shown. Two of the girls, a

couple and a baby all appear to be dead. A child asks “when will mommy and daddy wake up?”

This advertisement prompts the audience to feel their need for emotional security and

physiological safety by demonstrating the physical and emotional ramifications felt by the driver

who sent the text message and survives the accident. The emotions correlated with this message

are primarily fear and guilt, both of which are a form of psychological discomfort. By showing

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everyday characters driving before the accident, the advertisement communicates that the threat

of such a thing happening to the viewer is real. The implicit conclusion of this Public Service

Announcement is that people must alter their behavior to not text while driving.

Like the previously discussed PSA, AT&T’s “Close to Home” introduces the audience to

cast of characters - a mother and daughter, a young boy, a workman, a caretaker and her charge.

The mother receives a notification of her phone and looks down at it. The workman’s truck

collides with the mother’s car, glass shatters in slow motion as the characters react. The film then

moves backwards to right before the text message came through. The advertisement ends with a

voiceover saying “AT&T reminds you. It can wait.”

Once again, to persuade viewers to alter their behavior or maintain the same behavioral

patterns they currently follow, the advertisement creates an emotionally engaging narrative. The

need for security and the emotional complex of fear and guilt are all activated by this message.

The process premise of attitude is also aroused as the final words of the message directly

contradicts any attitudes that lead to texting while driving.

Blood is captured flying through the air and spattering across a man’s face as it bursts

from the cellphone in his hand. The words “Don’t talk while she drives” are printed in red ink.

This advertisement effectively uses the process premise by combining the need for love objects

and security with fear.

The body copy of the National Safety Council’s advertisement “Don’t Text and Drive”

presents rational evidence regarding the number of automobile accidents attributed to text-

message distraction. First, however, the advertisement claims consumers’ attention by showing a

small child in the road, seen through someone’s cell phone that is raised. Children are a naturally

emotion-inspiring object in advertisement. Fear and guilt work in concert to accomplish the

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advertisement’s goal. If texting while driving endangers the life of a child, drivers should be

afraid that they will cause the death of a child, and feel guilt for past text messaging and

imagined guilt.

“Stop the violence. Don’t text and drive” by Ecovia depicts a man in profile as a punch

forces his head backwards. A truck is drawn on his face, and the fist punching him has a car

drawn on it, representing a collision. The persuaders creating this message connected the idea of

a painful, recognizable experience (a punch) to a painless, often unrecognized choice. The image

can evoke memories of the audience’s experiences with physical pain. This effectively activates

attitudes towards physical violence in general, and connects those attitudes to the behavior that

the persuasive message is intended to change.

Same Brand Advertisements

The cosmetic industry is notorious for advertising that manipulates the psychological and

emotional needs of women and their attitudes towards their appearance. The French company

L’Oréal is the largest cosmetics company in the world. Their brand includes hair and skin

products.

In 2014 the company introduced a new shampoo intended to thicken hair. The

advertisement utilized a credible spokesperson, actress Blake Lively, and rational evidence that

the shampoo was scientifically revolutionary, but the process premise at work was clearly

articulated at the end of the commercial. “Thicker, Fuller Hair Like Blake Lively” ends with the

spokeswoman reminding the audience “you’re worth it.” This directly addresses one of Vance

Packard’s eight hidden needs, the need for reassurance of worth. The advertisement also

addresses the self-actualization of Maslow’s pyramid of needs by asking the audience if they

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have always dreamed of having thicker hair and claiming that L’Oréal can make that dream a

reality.

The rational premise that this advertisement includes is that L’Oréal has invented a new

molecule that will actually thicken hair by moving inside it and increasing its diameter. Whether

or not it is possible remains a mystery. The association of Lively with the shampoo implies that

her hair is thick because she uses the product. This creates the enthymeme that consumers can

have hair like hers if they use the product, although there is no evidence given that Lively

actually uses the product.

L’Oréal’s hair-care products are not limited to shampoo and conditioners. The company

also creates and markets dyes. Their overall strategy includes having spokeswomen from pop

culture represent their products. Gwen Stefani modeled their Superior Preference hair dye in

print advertisement. This advertisement confronts consumers with an image of Stefani with

perfectly styled, golden hair, promising that Superior Preference leaves hair “luminous,

luxurious, and legendary” for eight weeks. Once again, L’Oréal’s advertisers target their

message at one of Packard’s hidden needs, this time the need for ego gratification. Because

L’Oréal’s prices are set within a range that is affordable, this advertisement caters to the

aspirations of consumers in search of gratification of their ego through appearance.

The message’s primary persuasive power comes from the image shown. Rational

evidence claims are made in this advertisement, but no data are presented in support of those

claims. Once again, the imagery and the process premise it plays on are the dominant factors.

L’Oréal’s Colour Riche line of lipstick is represented by Beyoncé Knowles. The color red

grabs consumers’ attention and the text of the advertisement once again focuses on ego

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gratification, this time with “richest indulgence.” This advertisement does include rational

evidence, as it claims that L’Oréal’s is the number one lipstick in the world.

Cultural and Nonverbal Premises

Cultural Premises

Cancer Research of the United Kingdom created an upbeat message with their “Together

We Can Do Something” advertisement, which pictures a fist covering the final three letters of the

word “cancer” so that it becomes “can.” The cultural premise at work in the advertisement is the

Western cultural myth of the possibility of success.

The Wall Street Journal recently featured a Cadillac advertisement that refers to the value

of challenge premise. “Only those who dare drive the world forward” the advertisement states,

and immediately connects the idea of forward motion to “the first-ever Cadillac ctg.” The tagline

is perhaps the most telling portion of the advertisement in identifying the cultural premise at

work - “dare greatly.” American culture is saturated with encouragement to overcome any

obstacles that stand between an individual and their objectives. This advertisement caters directly

to that mindset over pursuing and attaining goals.

Kenneth Cole’s advertisement featuring Shaun Ross represents an appeal to the

triumphant individual premise. The text of the advertisement claims that Ross overcame

society’s ideas of beauty in spite of his albinism. Once rejected from society, he has overcome

the perceived limitation to triumph and become a successful figure in the fashion industry.

“Chance to Live Longer” by Opdivo appeals to the cultural premise of immortality.

Although it does not promise everlasting life, it caters to the desire that is deeply ingrained in

American culture to avoid pain and death as much as possible.

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American cultural myths include the return of a Messiah. This “Legends of tomorrow”

appeals to that myth by presenting seven basketball players from previous Jordan Brand Classics

as legendary figures in an advertisement for that event. In a nation that takes stadiums as

seriously as ancient people took temple-building, these NBA players are far more than athletes in

the culture’s perspective. They are the hope of aspiring players, the representation of masculinity

to millions of males in America.

Nonverbal Premise

This advertisement for Kraft macaroni and cheese demonstrates the nonverbal signal of

position for readiness. The fork is poised and ready to be eaten off of, loaded with macaroni.

Miu Miu’s advertisement in Marie Claire Magazine uses nonverbal communication to

show viewers what to look at. The model’s eyes are focused right where the audience should

focus their eyes - on the perfume bottle, which is the key visual in the image.

Rachael Ray’s “Nutrish” cat food advertisement uses nonverbal communication to

present consumers with the idea behind the food - that it is so good it is the same as if the cat

were eating a fresh-caught fish.

Conclusion

Modern advertising often seeks to short-circuit the logical faculties of consumers with

humor and visual attractiveness. Despite this, the foundations of persuasive messaging still

reflect the theories that Aristotle pioneered millennia ago. Content, process, cultural and

nonverbal premises act in concert together across advertising mediums. The media malaise in

which modern consumers operate makes the advertiser’s job much more challenging, but the

tools described by Aristotle provide the foundations for effective messaging.

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References

Advil. (2014). Relief at the Site of Pain. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji4i61wm7oU

Flonase. (2015). Six is Greater. Retrieved from http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7J6U/flonase-allergy-

relief-nasal-spray-six-is-greater

Allegra. (2015). Allegra Allergy. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK0jXPppUzs

Zyrtec. (2016). Family Outing. Retrieved from http://www.ispot.tv/ad/Aqzy/zyrtec-family-outing

Claritin. (2014). Claritin Clear. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/pSmC2YI2Gek

Abortion, Back at the Supreme Court. [Editorial]. (2015, November 13). The New York Times.

Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/14/opinion/abortion-back-at-the-

supreme-court.html?_r=0

End the Gun Epidemic in America. [Editorial]. (2015, December 4). The New York Times.

Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/05/opinion/end-the-gun-epidemic-in-

america.html

The Death Penalty Endgame. [Editorial]. (2016, January 16). The New York Times. Retrieved

from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/opinion/sunday/the-death-penalty-

endgame.html

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkGltowkNw8

L’Oréal.(2012). Superior Preference Dye. Retrieved from http://everythingintime.com/wp-

content/uploads/2012/03/AowVf5mCQAESE0b.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji4i61wm7oU
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http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7J6U/flonase-allergy-relief-nasal-spray-six-is-greater
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK0jXPppUzs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK0jXPppUzs
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https://youtu.be/pSmC2YI2Gek
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http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/opinion/sunday/the-death-penalty-endgame.html
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkGltowkNw8
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L’Oréal. (2010). Color Riche Lipstick. Retrieved from http://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-

content/uploads/2010/12/beyonce-loreal.jpg

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drive612mz.jpg

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Cancer Research UK. (2016). Together We Can Do Something. Retrieved from

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General Motors. (2016, February). Dare Greatly. The Wall Street Journal, pp. 28.

Kenneth Cole. (2016, February). Kenneth Cole. The Wall Street Journal.

Opdivo. (2016, February). A Chance to Live Longer. The Wall Street Journal.

Kraft. (2016, March). New and improved and you can’t even tell. Southern Living Magazine.

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Rachael Ray. (2016, March). Southern Living Magazine. Pp. 135.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVnRcIXEqaU
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http://www.blogcdn.com/autos.aol.com/media/2011/06/20110629bmw-text-drive612mz.jpg
https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/enhanced/webdr02/2013/4/12/8/enhanced-buzz-31483-1365769407-2.jpg
https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/enhanced/webdr02/2013/4/12/8/enhanced-buzz-31483-1365769407-2.jpg
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