Persuasive Techniques used in Advertising and Speech Writing

Activator Think of a commercial you watched on TV or saw online or in a magazine. What product was being sold? What was the target audience? What rhetorical technique was being used?

KAGAN Think of your favorite food. Write it down but do not share your answer with anyone else.

KAGAN Find two people who have the same favorite food as you. Compare your practice answers and make corrections as you feel necessary. Be ready to share out.

Transfer Positive words, images, and ideas are used to suggest that the product being sold is also positive. A textile manufacturer wanting people to wear their product to stay cool during the summer shows people wearing fashion made from their cloth at a sunny seaside setting where there is a cool breeze.

Plain Folks The suggestion that this product is a practical product of good value for ordinary people. A cereal manufacturer shows an ordinary family sitting down to breakfast and enjoying their product.

Bandwagon The suggestion that you should join the crowd or be on the winning side by using a product – you don’t want to be the only person without it!

Testimonial Using endorsements from well known celebrities, sports figures or satisfied customers. As an athlete, I need all the energy I can get without all those calories. That’s why I replenish with G2.

Parallelism Repetition of similar grammatical structures, words, phrases, or sentences. It is used to show that ideas are related or equal in importance. We can no longer go without proper funding for our school district. No longer will our students go without the resources they need. No longer will we struggle without enough teachers.  

Analogy A point-by-point comparison of two subjects helping to convey two ideas that are hard to grasp such as how a complex object looks or functions. Sound cancelling head phones are essential on a long flight.

Loaded Language Using words with strong positive or negative connotations to stir people’s emotions.

Repetition Using the same word or words for emphasis. (In a speech) Let there be justice for all, let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. “From Glory and Hope” -Nelson Mandela Or an advertisement-

Activator Please grab a text book. Name one persuasive technique we learned yesterday. Define it and give one example of it being used in advertising or a speech.

Analyze a speech Please turn to page 662 - 15 minutes You will analyze the “I have a dream” speech by Martin Luther King. You will try to find and label examples of each technique including: Ethos Transfer Plain Folks Pathos Band Wagon Testimonial Logos Parallelism Analogy Loaded Language Repetition

Pair Work Working with a partner, you will compare your findings. Be sure to add/correct any techniques you or your partner discover Be ready to share your findings with the class. You have ten minutes to complete this task.

Write a letter of persuasion Using the graphic organizer provided, you will compose a letter to a parent/guardian, etc asking for something or some priviledge. You must use ethos, logos, pathos, and one other form of persuasive technique learned yesterday

Summarizer Name an ad that “sticks” in your head. What makes it memorable?