Ad with Emotional Appeal: PETA Ad

(Image credit: http://great-ads.blogspot.my/
2013/07/peta-fur-has-no-happy-endings.html)

Type/Benefit of the ad

The above advertisement is a public service announcement (PSA) from People of the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) advocating animal's rights, or specifically, to raise awareness about the cruel act of using animals for fur.

Ad's appeal

The focal point of this ad is clearly the image of Winnie the Pooh, a prominent symbol of many people's childhoods all around the world. The image of this iconic Disney character covered in blood after presumably being skinned emits shock value, which appeals the audience to take a look at the ad and know more about the message being conveyed in the ad.

This ad uses the power of emotional appeal as it induces a reaction from people towards the gruesome looking picture and makes a connection between a real life situation with a cartoon character they have grown to know and love. It provokes people to consider that animals deserve the same kind of empathy as humans do.

What I like about the ad

The ad creates a powerful message and leaves something for all of us to ponder -- if we feel sympathy towards a cartoon animal facing cruelty, then why do we not feel the same about real, living, breathing animals? The message is also delivered effectively with a simple yet creative slogan: "Fur Has No Happy Endings" that aligns perfectly with the Disney theme in the ad.

Others

There are many types of emotional appeal that can be used in an ad, and this particular ad capitalises on the feeling of fear. Fear appeals focus on negative outcomes that may happen because of the consumers' action or inaction. In the case of this ad, the ad instills fear in the audience and promotes behaviour change in consumers that use products made of fur. Apart from that, an ad can be emotionally appealing through humour, which makes the viewers recall the ad easily as well as make them link the product with humour. The bandwagon concept is another type of emotional appeal as it focuses on the fear of being isolated. In an ad utilising this concept, one person would be shown to be left out as a result of not using a certain product while everyone else is doing so. 

(Source: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/top-five-appeals-advertisers-use-sell-product-31373.html)

Persuasive Elements in an Ad: Magazine Print Ad

Image credit: Galaxie Magazine, November 2012 issue

Type/Benefit of the ad

The above advertisement is in the form of a public service announcement (PSA) by the Malaysian government. A PSA acts as a message sent to the audience with the objective of raising awareness, changing public attitudes and behaviour towards a social issue – in this particular ad, the message is intended to persuade the audience against smoking.

Ad's appeal

Upon looking at this ad, the audience is compelled to observe the illustration on it that appears to have been drawn by children. The amateur yet lively drawings bring the audience a sense of nostalgia and establishes an emotional connection with them, attracting them to further analyse the ad. 

Persuasive elements in the ad/What I like about the ad

The message conveyed through the drawing is clear -- 'Sara & Geng' are representatives of children and the society opposing smoking as a whole, advocating the ‘Tak Nak Merokok’ campaign by the Ministry of Health. 

Apart from showing support towards the cause by declaring that "no smoke = happy", they have drawn a small demonstration of what to do if a person smokes in front of you. This calls for the audience to have an active part in the campaign instead of just taking in the message conveyed.

The slogan on the ad, "Express Your Rights. Say No to Cigarette Smoke" emphasises on the audience's right to clean, unpolluted air. This is a persuasive element because it recognises the audience's basic rights and validates them, pushing the audience towards a palpable change that they have the power to make themselves. 

Others

Apart from emotional appeals, there are various key persuasive techniques that can be used in advertising. Some of them are endorsements, through characters and storylines, and solutions. In an endorsement, an ad would utilise a prominent figure such as a celebrity that would provide a testimony to the effectiveness of the product being advertised. Characters and storylines work best as viewers are typically drawn to stories, especially relatable or unconventional ones. Lastly, putting the product as a solution by directly addressing the viewers' problems pushes them to try it out in order to overcome said problem.

(Source: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/key-persuasive-techniques-used-consumer-advertising-74567.html)