For the second discussion question of the week, I'm choosing to complete objective 3 on page 195. Objective 3 states, "Find an advertisement that uses an appeal to fear. Is it a good argument?"
Using an appeal to fear aspect on any argument is a very effective way of capturing an audience's attention. Many ads utilize this as all humans are susceptible to fear, whether it be an ad for a politician, law enforcement, or some sort of health issue.
I found this Bayer advertisement that is a perfect example of a bad argument that appeals to certain health fears that millions of humans face. Basically, the argument this advertisement is trying to state is, "If you don't take Bayer, you'll have a heart attack like this random father with his kid." It doesn't tell us if this random individual that was quoted had any family history of heart problems or if this person lived an unhealthy lifestyle of bad food/no exercise.
The football and "father-son" moment would instill fear into any father out there who has a child. As humans, all of us remember the past and usually ponder what the future may hold for us. Health issues are usually the main focus when thinking about the future, which is why most advertisements related to health care, a recalled drug, or new advancements in medical technology use an appeal to fear.
I totally agree with you about this advertisement. You do state a great argument of why this is a bad argument. It is true that this advertisement is bad because it really doesn’t state the reason why the person had the heart attack. This advertisement is mainly focusing on persuading people to take this medicine so that they will not have a heart attack. I totally agree with you that millions of American fear death so the visual picture of having a father holding his son and stating, “It was a year ago I had a heart attack and died” may have an effect on a person. This advertisement overall is not stating the facts of how the man got the heart attack and things people should do so that they wont have a heart attack.
ReplyDeleteThis advertisement is interesting in so many ways. First, as you stated, the father doesn’t appear to a person who is in stereotypically bad health, but that might be part of why they picked this particular image (to show that anyone is susceptible to heart attack). In addition, it appears that the advertisement is sponsored by American Heart Association as well (although it’s really small print), which adds an appeal to authority. I think it also makes the assumption, that readers know that aspirin acts as a blood thinning agent, reducing the chance of heart attack, but is not a guarantee that a heart attack can be prevented – for the various reasons you listed. I agree with you that they are attempting to visually raise health concerns by stirring up feelings related to children and family. Good job!
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