Identifying Strategies of Persuasion in Visual Ads: Trump and Warren

This week we are going to discuss classical (i.e., ancient) theories of rhetoric. We will apply these theories to visual-verbal modes of communication to hopefully gain a better understanding of how visuals may influence human behavior, attitudes, actions, and beliefs.

As the authors of "Why Rhetoric" explain, "learning to recognize these concepts will help you understand other people's arguments" (Losh et al. 45). The authors of "Understanding the Strategies of Persuasion" agree, emphasizing that rhetorical analysis of visual-verbal texts will "help us understand how arguments work and how we can respond critically to them" (Alfano and O’Brien 29).

So . . .let's get started! Take a moment to view the following political ads for President Donald Trump and Senator Elizabeth Warren who are both seeking to persuade United States citizens to vote for them in the upcoming presidential election.

Figure 1: Campaign ad for Donald Trump, “Four More Years!,” YouTube, 17 Jun 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIrtAASuMbQ#action=share

Figure 2: Campaign ad for Elizabeth Warren, “Elizabeth Warren Stands Up to Billionaires,” YouTube, 23 Nov 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN0a_ZhYjac


Before we begin discussing the rhetorical strategies we see in the ad, let's define the rhetorical situation.

• The purpose--the purpose of each ad is to encourage viewers to vote for them in the upcoming presidential election.
• The audience--the target audience of each ad includes United States’ citizens of voting age (18 or older). However, Elizabeth Warren’s ad is likely more narrowly focused on viewers who are registered democrats as she must first secure her position on the democrat’s platform before getting a chance to run against Donald Trump. 
• The context—these videos aired at slightly different moments: Donald Trump’s ad aired in June of 2019 while Elizabeth Warren’s ad launched in November of 2019. Trump’s ad is longer and more clearly designed for his website and YouTube channel, though it may air on T.V. soon. Warren’s ad is designed for a short spot on television. There are many other things to consider about the context (the when and where) of the ad but I think these factors will come out in our discussion of the ads. 

PROMPT:

1. Watch the ads one more time.
2. Now, decide which of the two ads you would like to analyze. 
3. Then, drawing on your assigned reading for the Thursday (1/23), identify 1 rhetorical strategy used in the ad you want to analyze (Trump or Warren—not both!). Be sure to reference one of the readings to define this particular rhetorical strategy. 
4. Support your claim (i.e., that the ad deploys that strategy) with evidence from the ad. You may want to post a screenshot of the scene you are referring to or just mention at what point in the ad we can see what you are talking about. 
5. Considering the purpose, audience, and context of the ad (that is, its rhetorical situation outlined above), do you think this is an effective rhetorical strategy?

Perhaps you will see a specific strategy of argumentation (Alfano & O'Brien p. 24) or mode of persuasion (33). Perhaps you will identify a logical fallacy (37) or an exaggerated use of pathos (41). Or maybe you will want to think about whether or not the strategies used in the ad are kairotic or timely considering what was happening in the world at the time (50).

PLEASE NOTE: You do not need to identify ALL the rhetorical strategies you see (there are many!). Just pick one, name it, define it, and support your claim with evidence from the ad.

Once you post your response, remember to come back to the blog to see how people have responded to your analysis. Take the time to respond to other's ideas as well!