Rhetorical Analysis of a Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Ad

Introduction: Advertising, Persuasion, and Public Service Announcements

Persuasion is the cornerstone of advertising. Using the classic rhetorical devices of pathos, ethos, and logos, advertisers create emotionally powerful campaigns designed to change the ways consumers — or voters — think, act, and feel. The goal of advertising is ultimately behavioral change. With public service announcements like those for gun control, advertisers use the same principles used to market goods and services. As with commercial product advertising, public service announcements are created to invoke a cognitive and emotional response, to change social norms, and to induce meaningful and lasting behavioral change. One print advertisement by the organization Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America demonstrates the deft implementation of pathos, ethos, and logos in a striking visual campaign.

The Advertisement: A Visual Overview

In one Moms Demand Action ad, two school children — both girls — sit cross-legged on the floor of their school library. An American flag is clearly visible in the background. The girl on the left holds up a picture book of the classic story "Little Red Riding Hood," a version apparently banned because its illustration of the title character depicts the young girl carrying a bottle of wine in her picnic basket on the way to Grandma's house ("Gun Control PSAs By Moms Demand Action Are Striking And Powerful" 1). The girl on the right holds an assault rifle. The text of the ad reads, "One child is holding something that's been banned in America to protect them. Guess which one." The final line, "Guess which one," is rendered in red text. The "Little Red Riding Hood" advertisement is effective because of the skillful combination of pathos, ethos, and logos.

Logos: Logic and Language in the Ad

Logos refers simultaneously to the use of logic and language in persuasive advertising campaigns like the Moms Demand Action "Little Red Riding Hood" ad. The language used in the advertisement is concise and clear, including the name of the organization itself. Moms "demand action," with the word "demand" underscoring the urgency of their issue. Moreover, the moms are demanding action for "gun sense" in America. The use of the phrase "gun sense" instead of "gun control" achieves a key persuasive goal, since the advertisement juxtaposes the American flag with a clear reference to how sensible gun policy does not conflict with the Second Amendment. The term "gun control" is value-laden and threatens gun proliferation advocates, whereas the term "gun sense" suggests that guns need to be taken seriously and that gun policy should be based on common sense and reason, not on mythical interpretations of the American Constitution. Placing a flag in the background of the advertisement was therefore an important choice to reinforce the logical underpinnings of the Moms Demand Action campaign.

Moreover, the advertisers use logos by referring to the documented ban on this version of "Little Red Riding Hood." The picture book is created for children, and yet because an illustration depicts a bottle of wine in a picnic basket, it was banned from several public school libraries in America. Even if a viewer of the advertisement knows nothing about this specific ban, the ad remains effective because it is widely understood that guns are liberally permitted throughout America while innocent children's books face prohibition. The advertisers make a logical case about gun sense: banning books instead of guns makes no sense if the goal is protecting the best interests of children in America. Finally, the advertisers use logos by empowering the audience to reach the rational conclusion on their own. The red line that reads "Guess which one" asks the viewer to consider which of the two items — the gun or the book — has been banned to protect children. Because the question is posed in the context of a "gun sense" campaign, the answer is unmistakable.

Ethos: Credibility and Ethical Framing

The rhetorical question "Guess which one" also invokes the principle of ethos, which is critical to the effective advertising campaign. Ethos refers both to the ethical credibility of the speaker and to the ethical framework used to persuade the audience. In this ad, ethos calls upon the organization itself to establish its credibility and moral standing. The group is called Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and several elements of this name appeal to both logos and ethos. One is the first word: "Moms." Mothers carry ethical credibility when speaking about children; they are the people who bring children into the world and are entrusted with their care. No demographic can more credibly speak to the rights of children and how to protect them than moms.

The ethical credibility of the organization is further established through the use of the phrase "gun sense" rather than the more inflammatory and even clichéd term "gun control." Furthermore, the inclusion of the word "America" in the organization's name anchors the group as patriotic. By invoking "America," the group allies itself with constitutional values and the ethical foundations of the nation. The American principles of liberty and freedom are not threatened by sensible gun policy — that is the underlying message of the advertisement. Common sense and logic likewise become American values. Consistent with the overall theme of the advertisement, the message also makes clear that banning books instead of guns is patently unethical, whereas sensible gun policy is entirely compatible with a Constitutional law framework.

Conclusion: Rhetorical Balance and Persuasive Effectiveness

Because it combines pathos, ethos, and logos in an ideal balance, the "Little Red Riding Hood" advertisement is far more successful than most gun control ads. The text of the ad does not even use the word "control," which connotes authoritarian command rather than the American principles of freedom and personal liberty. To promote dialogue on sensible gun policy with potentially hostile audiences, groups like Moms Demand Action need to appeal more to the logic and ethical tenets of the American Constitution, and less to the partisan politics typically invoked in gun control public relations campaigns. Similarly, most gun control ads rely too heavily on pathos without deploying logic, language, and ethical tenets strongly enough to stimulate a genuine shift in perspective. This advertisement achieves its goals of policy change through the disciplined and balanced use of rhetorical devices.

Works Cited

"Gun Control PSAs By Moms Demand Action Are Striking And Powerful." HuffPost. April 15, 2013. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/15/gun-control-psas-moms-demand-action-for-gun-sense-in-america_n_3082504.html