Elephants: Will Only Words Remain?

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.