Aristotle was a Greek philosopher born in the year 384
BCE. His wrote treatises on many topics including rhetoric, logic, ethics,
theater, and persuasion. It is in his theories and writings on these subjects
that modern advertising theory finds an explanation. Aristotle’s categorization
of rhetorical persuasion is universally accepted as the archetypical model used
in contemporary forms of communication and message content.
To Aristotle, rhetoric meant all forms of verbal
communication. Today, advertising theory and methodology expand upon the use of
rhetoric solely as a form of the written or spoken word. It is the display like
nature of advertising that demands the incorporation of visual elements into
Aristotle’s ways of persuasion as well. As with many philosophical hypotheses,
Aristotle’s premises on persuasion have been debated and reinterpreted
throughout the centuries.
Let’s begin with a basic explanation of Aristotle’s
ideas. Aristotle believed there were certain definable components that are used
to persuade an audience to accept the significance of a message. He created separate
arguments to describe each of five aspects of persuasion. They were Logos, Ethos,
Pathos, Telos, and Kairos; the latter two being somewhat less notorious than
the first three. Aristotle believed that these idioms represented the primary
components in all rhetorical situations.
Logos
Logos refers to the use of “logic” and
rationality within an advertising message. The application of Logos occurs
through the use of information and facts to shape the content of message. Educating
and informing an audience are emphasized in this persuasion approach. Logos
appeals to an audience that is in search of knowledge about a subject or
product. The audience finds interest by seeking an intellectual, logical and
rational interpretation of message content.
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| "Helmets." Client: Honda. Agency: DDB Bogota Columbia. |
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| "Don't drink and drive, please." Client: Toyota. Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Spain. |
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| "in vanilla and chocolate creme." Client: Oreo. Agency: Interface Communication India. |
Ethos
Ethos, which translates to “ethics” relates
directly to credibility or trustworthiness as it pertains to a message. The
threshold component of Ethos is the concept of believability of a message. In
advertising, Ethos can also reflect on the particular character and sincerity of
a person or personage that delivers or endorses a subject or product. It
reflects on the message content as it relates to reliability. This can also be
transferred to the advertised subject or product. Ethos content attempts to
strike a balance between the viewpoint of a presenter and that of an audience.
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| "We agree." Client: Chevron. Agency: McGarryBowen. |
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| "Join the global conversation." Client: The Economist. Agency: Memac Ogilvy Dubai. |
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| "Think before you eat." Client: PETA. Agency: Young Gins Submission. |
Pathos
Pathos is the root word for “empathy“, which in
the context of advertising messaging, refers to content with an emotional
appeal and is in direct contrast to the reasonable approach of Logos. Pathos is
realized by way of association with the personal real life experiences already
resident in an audience. A Pathos message can invoke any form of emotion within
an audience; anger, happiness, guilt, sorrow, elation, etc. The success of
Pathos advertising depends on understanding the state of mind and perspective
of an audience.
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| "Some children get to heaven earlier." Client: Child Health Foundation. Agency: ServicePlan Germany. |
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| "Some things can't be covered." Client: King Khalid Abuse Foundation. Agency: Memac Ogilvy Riyadh |
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| "Animals are not criminals." Client: Animal Care &Control of New York. Agency: Unit7. |
Telos
Purpose
Telos is a term that is used to explain both the
purpose and the intention or attitude of a message. Although not necessarily a
part of all advertising, with regard to purpose, the principle behind Telos
applies to forms of advertising that require some kind of participation by a
viewer. Telos in this capacity is a necessary component for defining a course
of action for an audience.
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| "Join us." Client: BBDO Dusseldorf. Agency: BBDO Germany. |
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| "Just feed them." Client: Agencies In Action. Agency: Cossette. |
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| "Don't drive and text." Client: Ecovia. Agency: Terremoto Propaganda Brazil. |
Intention
In reference to intention or attitude, Telos functions
more in the form of a manner of presentation i.e., an
inflection or slant of a speaker, a visual style, or a temperament to be
imparted in a message. Although a greater emphasis has been placed on Logos,
Ethos, and Pathos, Telos has just as much importance and plays a vital role as
a facet of persuasion in contemporary advertising.
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| "World Press Freedom Day." Client: Reporters without borders. Agency: BETC Paris. |
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| "Even angels will fall." Client: Axe. Agency: DDB Puerto Rico. |
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| "Getting crap done." Client WD-40. Agency: O'Leary & Partners. |
Kairos
Kairos refers to an element
of time, specifically to a moment. In an advertisement it can be looked at as
an instant opportunity to present a “teachable’ moment. Kairos is the most favorable
time, place, and situation for a message to be presented. Kairos is the all-encompassing
environment that sets the stage for a message. It, as well as the other methods
of persuasion, plays an important role in influencing an audience.
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| "Loose change menu." Client: McDonalds. Agency: DDB Australia. |
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| "Locate the logo." Client: Pepsi. Agency: BBDO Germany. |
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| "You are the key." Client: Padre Hurtado Foundation. Agency: Y&R Chili. |
Conclusion
Logos, Ethos, Pathos, Telos, and Kairos, although universal
in nature, are explanations of persuasive communications that affect a viewer
and influence the content of a message about a subject or product. These
categories interact with one and other in varying degrees to form the
presentation of an advertising message to an audience. It is the specific
qualities of these terms that establish basic advertising theory and
methodology.
