

It can be a negative, as in, “Yikes, I might die if I keep smoking.” And how about guilt? “Adopt this puppy and give it a home.”įor more, get a refresher on the pathos definition with examples. This can be a positive, such the happiness you would feel if you bought, say, a new bike. Pathos aims to persuade viewers by prompting an emotional response. This often means a respected authority figure or celebrity giving a product or brand a testimonial or endorsement.įor more, brush up your ethos definition and examples. In another post, you'll find a general overview of ethos, pathos, and logos but for now we'll do a quick recap.Įthos convinces the audience by presenting reliability, honesty, and credibility. But even when a commercial fires on all cylinders, either ethos, pathos, or logos rhetoric stands out as a primary appeal. A compelling video, advertisement, or speech ideally draws from all three strategies.
