ASSIGNMENT 2

RHETORICAL PROOFS – LOGOS, ETHOS & PATHOS

This is an advertisement
Save the Children released
to raise and spread
awareness about child
healthcare.

LOGOS: The statement, “A

baby like Nirob dies every
six minutes in Bangladesh
because healthcare is out of
reach.”, is a statistic the
Save the Children
Foundation has put forth to
make us realise the direness
of the situation when it
comes to child healthcare.
The following line is anoher
fact, a solution, that if every
viewer donates just 5
pounds, the money raised
could help build a clinic for
children in need.
ETHOS: Save the Children Foundation is one of the best non-profit organisations there is
working for the protection of child rights. The Foundation in itself brings credibility along with
it, assuring viewers about the authenticity of the brand.
PATHOS: The first thing one notices in the advertisement is the picture of the crying baby,
Nirob, and sympathise with him, almost making us tear up ourselves. The statements, “HE’S SO
SICK HE COULD DIE BEFORE YOU GET TO WORK.” and “NO CHILD BORN TO DIE”, add to the
sympathy we feel for the baby and hundreds others just like him, making us want to help in
every way possible. The first statement particularly will also make someone feel guilty in
hindsight if they decide not to donate to the Foundation.
 This is an advertisement Adidas
released to promote their new
basketball shoes, the adiZero
Rose 1.5.
LOGOS: The two statements,
“Increased strength &
breathability” and “Lighter &
improved quickness”, appeal to
the logical part of our brain as
Adidas is simply stating facts
about the quality of their new
product. What they mean by
the first statement is that,
basketball being a high
intensity sport requiring quick
direction changes, the shoes
are more durable than their
predecessors along with
providing extra ventilation. And
what they mean by the second
statement is that, though
quickness is a relative term, the
fact that these shoes are lighter
than before helps players move
quicker and more easily on
court.
ETHOS: This advertisement shows Derrik Rose, a professional basketball player, during his time
playing for the Chicago Bulls, wearing these shoes going in for what looks like a dunk. Rose,
being an NBA player, adds a certain credibility to the shoes, making viewers believe that these
shoes are actually worth it, seeing it’s being used by a professional. Also, Adidas is a famous
brand known for producing reliable, high quality sports apparel, which again adds to the
credibility of the product.
PATHOS: The statement, “Rise Above”, appeals to the sentiments and emotions of the viewers.
These being basketball shoes and the basket being 10’ high, players often need to be able to
jump really high. This statement makes viewers believe that they can ‘leap’ over others (pun
intended), “rise above” the rest and reach their goals (the basket, in this case).
 This is a tribute
advertisement Nike made
and released for Kobe
Bryant, after the tragic
passing of the basketball
legend.

LOGOS: Nike, being a

sporting brand, has
focussed more on the
professional side of Bryant’s
life throughout the video,
that is, his basketball
career. They mention
statistics and some of his greatest achievements throughout his career before the word
“Forever”, along with the live commentary that was taking place on the night of each of his
achievements mentioned here. They mention his historic 60-point game as well as his four NBA
Championships with the LA Lakers, just to name a few.
ETHOS: As mentioned earlier, Nike has taken sections of live commentary from Bryant’s NBA
games and have mentioned achievements and records that have been set in stone by him, all of
which can be traced back to the very credible live telecasts of the games. Kobe Bryant too
brings with himself his fair share of credibility, and a strong fanbase, as he is regarded as one of
the greatest basketball players of all time. The famous Nike brand, that sponsored Bryant, also
adds credibility to the tribute.
PATHOS: Nike released this tribute the day of Bryant’s memorial service. His tragic demise was
sad as it is, but releasing this on this specific day only added to the immense sadness everyone
was already feeling. He called himself the “Black Mamba” when he was on court as an alter ego
to separate his personal life from his professional one. The last three things mentioned in the
video are “Daddy Forever”, “Live Forever” and “Mamba Forever” – he spent his last few
moments with his daughter, an aspiring basketball player herself, being a “Daddy” to her; they
were travelling for his daughter’s tournament (he was also his daughter’s coach), being a
“Mamba”; and his legacy will live on forever, in our hearts.

Link to the Tribute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_VU5wwv2lM

Aditi Krishnan
2485