Alkxandra's Rhetoric Blog

With a society centered around the use of technology and the internet, online shopping has unsurprisingly became one of the most popular trends of this era. One of the most trending sites is Fashion Nova, a clothing brand that gained popularity from the promotion it has received from countless celebrities and social media influencers. Fashion Nova uses the rhetorical appeal of ethos to gain credibility by having celebrities like Cardi B use their platform as artists to promote their clothing. Cardi B has made countless posts showing how comfortable and fashionable their clothing is. This is a rhetorically effective strategy that Fashion Nova uses because if Cardi’s million of fans see that she approves the clothing, they will want to hop on the bandwagon as well. They have even went as far as partnering with Cardi and have released a collection devoted to the superstar. Fashion Nova is also promoted by other huge celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and social media influencers like Tammy Hembrow. On the website itself there is a section where you can shop from clothing that is shown on instagram posts of other celebrities and fashion icons. When consumers see that such well known celebrities are wearing their clothing, they receive the approval they seek and feel pressured to look like the people they look up to. A great business move in all actuality.

Fashion Nova also uses another great marketing strategy of employing the rhetorical appeal of pathos. They are constantly promoting sales and maintain reasonable prices. On there site they make a statement about how their goal is to provide their customers with affordable clothing that is trendy and in fashion. Their message is that you don’t have to go broke to look good, and customers greatly appreciate that. Fashion Nova also uses other marketing strategies like pressuring customers into buying clothing by telling them that their items are on hold for 10 minutes in their shopping cart, making them want to hurry up and checkout. This use of the rhetorical appeal of logos is what made Fashion Nova the multi million dollar company that it is today. The company also uses logos by how they promote their sales. Their flyers compare their sales to other online retailers which is enough to convince consumers that shopping with them is the most logical, cost-effective way to shop online.

In conclusion, Fashion Nova effectively uses the rhetorical appeal of ethos by  establishing credibility by having celebrities promote their clothing. Their use of pathos and logos is extremely effective as well because it pressures consumers to purchase their clothing rapidly while appealing to their emotion. 

Poaching, the illegal killing of elephants through hunting, has been a huge issue in Africa for decades. Even today, despite great efforts by African wildlife authorities and environmental groups that fight for the protection of these animals, the killing of these creatures goes on.  

The ad shown above is using the rhetorical appeal of pathos to play with the audience’s emotions and make them feel responsibility and guilt for the killing of these elephants. One way this ad does this is through the setting and placement of the elephant itself. The sunset in the background is fading which is meant to symbolize the beauty of nature disappearing. The ad suggests to its audience that this beautiful, natural phenomenon is fading because it is being destroyed. The sunset functions as a call for help from the audience. The ad depicts the elephant as present, but slowly going away. Like the disappearing sunset, the disappearing elephant aims to make audiences feel regret and guilt, but also aims to convince them that they need to take action. The colors used in this depiction of a beautiful sunset are used on purpose. The overuse of the color red is used to symbolize the bloodshed of the elephants and as a result, associates their disappearance with violent killings. This ad works to receive help from the audience to save the elephants from extinction. The ad also uses pathos by placing the statement “Will only words remain?”. This statement serves to make the audience reflect on the negative impact of poaching. It in itself is suggesting that if things do not change, elephants will go extinct and all what will be left is memories and explanations of them in words. The words “time is running out” is also placed on the ad. This pressures the audience and aims to convince them that action is needed, and it is needed immediately. This ad also uses the rhetorical appeal of ethos by placing the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) logo on the lower right corner. With such a reputable name, adding this logo creates a sense of credibility and authority in the ad. This pushes the audience to take this issue seriously.

This ad is rhetorically effective in convincing the audience to take action, especially because of the fact that it asks them a question, which basically forces them to answer in an urgent manner. It effectively draws readers in and ensures they will continue to the second sentence. The second sentence seems like a demand. The use of an exclamation mark further emphasizes urgency. It creates in readers a sense that they must act fast.

Minimalism, a newly developed way of living that focuses on living life in the most simplistic way possible. This means no extra materialistic goods like unnecessary clothes and multiple cars. Instead, minimalists prefer to spend their time with loved ones and only purchase things that add value to their life. In “Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things”, Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus use the rhetorical appeal of pathos to connects with their audience on a personal, emotional level. Joshua explains how before he became a minimalist, he was working his way up the corporate ladder. As a businessman, he was always preoccupied with work and spent little time with his mother, who became an alcoholic when he was just a child. Although that in itself sparks pity and compassion for Joshua, he doesn’t stop there. He continues to build this emotion connection by further explaining how one day he received a call from his mother, which he didn’t answer at first. Eventually she leaves several voicemails and when Joshua calls his mother back she sadly reveals that she has stage four lung cancer. His mother passed away shortly after and the one thing Joshua wished he did was spend more time with her instead of being caught up in this world of constantly wanting more. This tear jerking story is what further connects the audience to Joshua and makes them realize that he may have a point. Pathos is also employed when Ryan explains how he grew up in a household with a drug dealing mother who was addicted to crack. The explicit details he chooses to include such as the SWAT team busting through their home when him and his siblings were young children serves to shock the audience emotionally and feel bad for Ryan. He then explains how living through that type of childhood is what motivated him to pursue a profession that guaranteed success. He eventually became so tied into buying more things to make him happy and spending his trying to live a “better” lifestyle that he was blinded by the fact that none of that really mattered. None of the things he purchased made him feel happy. When he became a minimalist however, his life completely shifted in a very positive direction. He became much less stressed and for the first time, he was actually happy in life.

This documentary also uses the rhetorical appeal of logos to convince the audience that minimalism is a way to make their lives a lot less stressful and cluttered. There are numerous clips of a neuroscientist explaining how humans by nature crave more. Humans are never satisfied with what they have in the run. In other words, human beings are always seeking to improve our lives somehow. This provides a logical explanation of why we act the way we do with factual information and studies. By including this in the documentary, the audience gains a further understand of the real reason we want to shop until we drop and begin to reconsider the possibility of living a more minimalist lifestyle.

During my visit to my old high school in November, I dropped in on my English teacher and helped her evaluate and grade students’ speeches. Their assignment was to present a speech in first person as a Greek god running to be the ruler of Olympus. One student who was representing Uranus used Ethos when he mentioned how he was the god of the sky and the father of the Titans. He explains to the people that he is the very reason they all exist, giving him that authoritarian power. Without him, Zeus, Aphrodite, Poseidon and all of the other siblings would not have been born. He uses Ethos to explain how Zeus would not be as heroic as he is today if it weren’t for him, given the fact that he is the father of Cronus. He uses this argument to justify the fact that he is above all and is the most important of the gods. He basically said that he is the father of everyone, including the gods. He uses Pathos to show the people that it is in his best intentions to do what is best for the people. He mentions how his heart “speaks to him” meaning he knows the greater good for the citizens and is compassionate. The student makes a connection with the audience by making them feel as if his decisions will always be involved with improving the lives of the people. He expresses a very caring side and shows the audience that he only wants to help them, and never make things worse or cause any inconvenience for them.

Lastly, the student uses Logos by stating that Olympus would be nothing without him given the fact that he holds up and looks over everyone’s home. He talked about how he is the sky for everyone in Thebes (the city where they are from) and is an essential aspect of Earth needed for them to live, which is why he should be elected. The student was successful because he was able to stay in character throughout his whole speech. He delivered his speech very well and was able to balance out the negative aspects of the other gods with his own positive characteristics without having his whole speech revolve around bashing others, like most people. We were able to learn a lot of the things he had to offer and he was very persuasive. People would vote for him since it’s the most logical thing to do. He is the creator of everyone and is the reason for everyone’s and everything’s existence. His audience appreciates the fact that he cares for what the people want and would do anything to improve their lives.

Recently, I saw an older Pepsi commercial from 2017 on Youtube. What caught my attention was that the commercial was starring the highest paid model in America, Kendall Jenner. The commercial starts off with Jenner opening the soda can and then flashes back and forth between her and an ongoing march for peace. Later, the police arrive and attempt to put an end to the march. Eventually Jenner joins the protest and hands the police officer a can of Pepsi as a symbol of unity and peace which ended the march. Is a can of Pepsi and a supermodel really the solution to the ongoing social issues society is facing today? Although the commercial used pathos to establish an emotional connection with their audience, it was overall rhetorically ineffective due to the misuse of ethos and caused controversy.

This pepsi commercial uses the emotional appeal of pathos by showing a march that resembles many of the protest going on in today’s world. Those protesting are young adults of all different races and color which remind the audience of who and what people are currently fighting for including gun control issues, police brutality and immigration. Having a commercial centered around ongoing issues and relatable youth is how Pepsi connects to their audience. By including this in their commercial, Pepsi is showing how they are aware of the social equality issues that we face today and is demonstrating their compassion for their audience.

However, by the end of the commercial you can conclude that it is overall rhetorically ineffective due to the misuse of ethos of Kendall Jenner. Given that she comes from one of the most controversial families on reality tv and is not really known for anything else except her Victoria Secret modeling career, the audience does not take her seriously. She is not credible, especially for anything related to marches for peace. What has Kendall Jenner done to help solve social issues? Nothing. For that reason, this commercial has been criticized all throughout social media. With such a touchy issue like marching for social equality, having someone like Kendall Jenner to represent peace is not the greatest idea. In fact, the audience can perceive this commercial as a mocking joke. Manners this serious require a respected and credible figure to represent them, otherwise it can be seen as disrespectful.

Overall, Pepsi was able to effective employ the rhetorical appeal of pathos by connecting with their audience through relatable scenarios and people in the commercial. However, the commercial is ineffective because of Kendall Jenner’s celebrity status and controversial background. Instead of attracting the larger audience from Jenner’s platform as a celebrity, Pepsi sparked criticism and their commercial was seen as a joke.

For most college students, getting hold of a fake id has nearly become one of the most accepted trends in today’s society. At nearly every “party school” in America, students are using fake identification as their golden ticket to purchase alcohol and get into bars/clubs. With such easy access to something that could provide you with the most memorable college experiences of your life time, why not get one? With one website in particular, idgod.com, college students can have a new fake id shipped their way within a manner of minutes and a few clicks on their laptop. This website uses rhetorical appeals to reel young adults in and convince them that getting a fake id will make their lives a lot more exciting and fun. As soon as you open their webpage, the first thing you see is a wallpaper image of young adults partying in a club. They are dancing and by the looks of it they are having the time of their lives. This image prompts consumers to think that they can achieve that same happiness with the purchase of their product. This ties into the fallacy of popularity and the idea that if everyone is having fun with a fake id, you will too if you purchase one.The website also highlights how spring break is near which pressures consumers into wanting to buy it before their vacation time approaches. The website also uses the rhetorical appeal of ethos by establishing credibility and authority with their customers. On the website, it states how IDGOD is the number one trusted fake ID website worldwide. I mean how more credible can you get? For those thinking about all the college parties and alcohol they can have access to, they have came to the right place. The website makes statements like these so consumers can feel a sense of reliability on the website to provide them with high quality fake IDs. When ordering something as risky as a fake id, quality and credibility go hand and hand as important factors to consider for the consumer. Another statement that is found on IDGOD’s homepage is “Don’t wait another minute. Make it easier for you and your friends and get a fake id like them. Start living today!”. This uses the rhetorical appeal of pathos by playing with emotions and making their consumers want to feel included with others. Don’t be the reason why your friends can’t go to the bar, get a fake id today! You don’t want to be the party pooper and feel guilty for ruining the clubbing plans with your friends, all because you don’t have a fake id. I also found it rather deceiving how the website completely ignores all of the legal trouble one can get him/herself into if caught with this type of fraudulent identification. Instead, the website attempts to make their consumers feel more secure by explaining how they offer anonymous payment methods through Bitcoin or Western Union. In my opinion, IDGOD does a rather excellent job at attracting customer and selling their products. After all, why turn down the chance to have the time of your life?