Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in a Failed Running Shoe Ad

Introduction

Creating an effective magazine advertisement is not simply about the ability of marketers to inform consumers about a product, but also to create a positive psychological association with it. This association can have a powerful impact for better or for worse. The magazine advertisement examined here, published in a running enthusiast publication, was designed to sell Pearl Izumi running sneakers. The ad pairs the tagline "Run Longer" with an image of an athletically fit individual attempting to revive his dead dog. Needless to say, the advertisement was a terrible failure.

Though its intended audience of runners will likely have understood the message—that the sneakers are so excellent that one could run to the point of exhausting a dog to death—the highly negative and tasteless association of this image far overshadows whatever persuasive value the ad might otherwise have had. An understanding of Aristotle's classical rhetorical appeals—ethos, pathos, and logos—helps explain precisely where and why this advertisement went wrong.

Ethos: Brand Credibility

Examining the ethos of the ad, the image presented may establish the credibility of the brand in one limited regard. The depiction of the runner suggests that the sneaker is marketed toward, and implicitly approved by, experienced and highly fit individuals. The runner shown on an open trail with a beautiful mountain landscape on the horizon implies that the shoe is worn and enjoyed by those with a serious background in running. Viewers are inclined to believe that the shoe appeals to running veterans rather than those who are new to the sport.

This may be, however, where the effectiveness of the advertisement ends. The credibility earned through this athletic imagery is insufficient to compensate for the damage inflicted by the ad's central concept.

Pathos: An Emotional Misstep

Pathos is where the marketers demonstrated their greatest failure of judgment. The very concept of the advertisement confronts members of the target audience with an unquestionably negative emotion. While the ad may have attempted to inject a degree of dark humor into its proposition, few in the buying public are likely to appreciate the angle taken. The image of a man standing over his dead pet is not only disturbing and grim, but is also likely to conjure emotionally devastating memories of loss for those who encounter it.

As AdWeek reported, the ad largely made people sad rather than motivated to purchase (Kiefaber, 2013). The best-case scenario is that the product name is simply overlooked in light of the ad's imagery. More likely, however, is that many in the target audience will develop a lasting negative emotional association with the Pearl Izumi brand itself. In advertising, emotional resonance is among the most powerful tools available—and here it has been wielded in entirely the wrong direction.

Conclusion

Though the Pearl Izumi ad achieves limited rhetorical success through ethos—by associating the product with serious, experienced runners—and draws a narrow logical connection through logos, its profound failure in pathos ultimately defines the advertisement. The disturbing image of a dead dog triggers grief and revulsion rather than motivation, ensuring that any positive associations the brand might have cultivated are overshadowed by negative ones. Effective advertising requires all three rhetorical appeals to work in concert; when pathos is mishandled so severely, neither ethos nor logos can compensate for the damage done.