It all begins with theory.

If you only care about the destination - not the journey - this page isn’t for you.

Artful combinations of words require a lot more than good taste. I think good copy (if you want to be genuinely persuasive) needs to rely on rhetorical theory.

There are three major tenets of rhetoric.

Pathos

Comes from the Greek “path”, meaning experience, undergo, suffer.

Did it pull on your heartstrings? Make you cry? Make your niche problem feel real? Pathos is all about emotions; the siren song of rhetoric. Whether it is fear, desire, anger or FOMO, pathos does it all. We can utilize pathos through (but not limited to) vivid imagery, metaphors, value-based wording, or specific colours.

Ethos

Greek word meaning moral character

Did 9 out of 10 doctors recommend that toothpaste? Did the politician on stage tell you they graduated from Harvard? Did the anti-vaping ad use a teen actor who claims they struggle with addiction? Ethos is about credibility and moral respectability. We use statistics, expert testimony, personal anecdote, celebrity endorsement etc.

Logos

Greek for “word”

Let’s get the facts straight. Logos relates to any cold, hard, facts. Think soda with 50% less sugar or streaming subscriptions that are only $9.99, HD camera technologies in iPhones. Logos appeals to the rational consumer: the health-conscious, the financially-aware, the tech-savvy.

Every ad is a cocktail of theory.

My cocktail recipes (essays):

C*nt as Catharsis: Cybernetic Gay Sensibilities of the Cyborg in M3GAN

Babysitting Mothers: Intensive Mothering, Addiction and Advertising Under the Australian Nanny State

P.S.

Thanks Aristotle!

That being said, knowing these rules is crucial to breaking them. Some of the best ads break all of these rules.