Kurtzner 1 Torrey Kurtzner Professor Jennifer Burg Introduction to Rhetoric 4/30/17 Too Much Pathos? Analyzing a State Farm Commercial Intro Have you ever seen a television commercial that was so emotional in its delivery, it had the power to move you? A commercial that was so gut-wrenching in its structure, you found yourself wiping away tears as it ended? If you answered “yes” to the above questions, congratulations; you’ve been influenced by a guilt driven commercial! Don’t feel bad; you’re not alone. The emotional driving powers that these well-constructed commercials build themselves upon are known to affect even the most cynical of people, myself included. Take the old school ASPCA commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan, for example. This perfectly orchestrated commercial is oozing with layers of pathos. McLachlan’s song “Angel,” accompanied with a montage of abused dogs staring sadly into a camera, helps convey the commercial’s message that animal cruelty is bad, and furthermore influences the audience to donate some cash to the ASPCA. And even if you didn’t donate money, the sadness that this guilt based commercial showcases will haunt you for the rest of your days. Yes friends, it’s that good. But alas, I’m not talking about that commercial today, if you haven’t already guessed by the title of this essay. Instead, I’ll be discussing a recent guilt commercial made by State Farm that’s also oozing with layers of pathos (along with other rhetorical methods). But unlike the ASPCA commercial, I believe this ad isn’t as affective in delivering the feels (for me at least),