A Rhetorical Analysis Of Big Bad Cough

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 28,639 reported cases of pertussis in 2013. Big Bad Cough’s advertisement appeals to the audience because of its unusual portrayal of pertussis, also known as whooping cough. The purpose of the advertisement is show the audience how serious pertussis is. The advertisement is very effective because it follows the rhetorical triangle by taking a serious position on pertussis while using a comical play on, a literary allusion to an iconic children’s story, and making the focus of the advertisement evident to the audience.
To appeal to logos, the designers of the advertisement use play on words and various elements, such as color, to create an illusion and an ironic setting. The …show more content…
The advertisement does a very good job of showing pathos. It can appeal to innocence, fear, or comedy. Innocence is shown in the child’s face. The eyes are slightly squinted as well as the face displaying a half smile. It shows the baby is happily comfortable and that the wolf is it's “grandma.” Innocence is also shown in the clothing of the wolf. Wolves don’t dress in soft pink and pearls. They are wild and feral animals. You could replace the face of the wolf with a nice older lady. The clothes take away some of the wild out of the wolf. The wolf is also holding the baby gently, which symbolizes that the baby will go through no harm. Also, the open mouth can be viewed as the grandma wolf smiling at her grandchild. Fear is an emotion that the audience could also feel. Wolves are natural carnivores and have attacked humans before. This could be an instant reaction by some viewers. They could be in fear for the baby and hope that the wolf would do no harm to it. The beady eyes of the wolf add to the fear. It seems as if it is studying intently on the child. Lastly, a broad range of viewers’ reaction is to laugh. The wolf is dressed in this old grandma pink. It also seems to be sitting down with its front paws holding the baby. Well, the dog family sits on their back haunches with their front …show more content…
Logos is pointed out in many ways. It’s most evident one is the illusion to the childhood story Little Red Riding Hood. The audience can also see that the wolf is meant to portray a loving grandma in a loving home, where a baby, the focus of the advertisement, should receive all the love and care not some serious sickness. To appeal to pathos, the advertisement can make the audience feel innocence, fear, or satire. Innocence is displayed in the child’s face and caressing of the baby by the wolf. Fear is another feeling the audience could feel. The open mouth could lead some to assume the wolf is going to eat the baby. Wolves are natural carnivores, so this give logical explanation why the audience could feel this. Satire is a big role in the advertisement. Wolves do not live in houses, hold babies, or dress in clothes. It is a clever way of displaying the illusion. Ethos is established in the text below the advertisement. They used a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact to establish credibility. As well as, saying a doctor would want you to just like they are

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