Aristotle's Rhetoric in Allstate Ads

Every year, companies spend billions of dollars in advertising in hopes to persuade consumers to buy their product. Companies use Aristotle’s approaches of Rhetoric; which use ethos, logos, and pathos. According to “The Allstate Corporation,” The Allstate Corporation is the second largest property and casualty insurance company, by premiums, in the United States” (The Allstate Corporation). Writer Stuart Elliott, supposed that in the first quarter of last year, Allstate spent $85.9 billion in advertising (Elliott). Elliott also stated that beginning in July 2011, Allstate would retire the face of Dennis Haysbert for Dean Winters in their television advertisements (Elliott). Winters performs as the character of Mayhem, as a toddler, in the "Mayhem Toddler" commercial to persuade buyers to obtain insurance from Allstate. Allstate exercises ethos, logos, and pathos in the “Mayhem Toddler” commercial.

The advertisement opens with Dean Winters in a black business suit with a butterfly band-aid on his upper right cheek, just below his eye. Winters is in the back seat of an SUV. He is holding a purple and yellow sippy cup, which has two handles on either side of it. In his lap is a gallon size bag of Cheerios, which he is consuming with his left hand. On his left is a grey sun blocker; most mothers have to protect their children from the sun while they are in the car. On Winter’s left, a clothes hanger has a pink and green cloth ball tied to a purple string. Winters has crumbs covering not only him but also his car seat. Behind his car seat is a yellow blanket. As soon as the commercial opens, Winters is screaming "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Three seconds into screaming, he looks directly at the viewer with a sly...

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...c of distractions cause accidents. Dean Winters is acting as a toddler causing a distraction, and therefore he can prevent an accident. Finally as the pathos part of appeals, Allstate uses the emotion of humor. All in all Allstate is effective with the advertisement for the use of Aristotle’s approaches of Rhetoric Allstate apply in the commercial.

Works Cited

“The Allstate Corporation.” “International Directory of Company Histories.” 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 13 Dec. 2011.

Allstate Insurance by Allstate. Advertisement. Television.

Edlund, John R. Ethos, Logos, Pathos: Three Ways to Persuade.” Cal Poly Pomona, n.d. Web. 6 Dec 2011.

Elliott, Stuart. “Allstate Adds Villain, With Car Insurance as the Hero.” New York Times. New York Times, 21 June 2010. Web. 6 Dec. 2011.

Olson, Annie. “An Introduction to Rhetoric.” Le Tourneau U, May 2006. Web. 6 Dec. 2011.