At the heart of all persuasion tactics are the age-old Ethos, Lagos and Pathos. But, when we think of these tactics, we don’t necessarily think of The Rhetorical Triangle. Around 2,000 years ago, Aristotle taught these in order to improve a speaker’s ability to persuade an audience. But, in advertising, they invoke action taken by the viewer. The three of these are called the “three pillars of persuasion” in the ad world. Seems that some things stand the test of time and are still very effective today. Let’s take a look at what each one entails.
Ethos: This appeals to the credibility of the speaker to persuade the audience with authority. This can be through a celebrity endorsement or even an expert in a field. This is to create a sense of trust and connection through ethics. The person used to appeal to ethos must be presented in a way that shows their credibility through professional, academic or authorial credentials.
Pathos: This appeals to the heart through emotional connection. It also uses the sympathetic imagination as well as beliefs and value systems. Think of what we do. UGC and/or Found Content creates an emotional response through the created content by real people. Others can relate to it and connect with it on a deeper level. When someone creates an ad using pathos their words are chosen wisely to invoke specific emotions.
Lagos: This appeals to logic, reason and fact of the viewer. This can rely heavily on data, statistics, tables, numbers, facts, etc. When creating an ad using Lagos it is presented in a clear and concise manner. Connections between ideas and facts are presented as well as historical analogies. There will be no holes in the argument.
When making an ad, creatives don’t necessarily have to stick with just one of these, they can mix in a couple. These techniques work so it’s important to understand them. I mean, think about it, they have been around for like 2,000 years. If they didn’t then brands wouldn’t still be using them today.
