Pathos In Advertising

Despite the constant and incredible exposure to it, the impact of advertising is often undermined and overlooked. Almost anywhere one can turn is an advertisement, sometimes subtle and other times completely blatant. The influence of advertisements varies depending on the mood attempting to be drawn from them in relation to the product. This is why many commercials can be incredibly controversial, attracting both negative and positive attention that can be remembered for years. However, aside from advertisements regarded only through nostalgia, the greatest impact stems from the evoked emotion – typically, the pathos. As this commercial originates in Thailand, it is not widely regarded across the world. To those who have watched and commented on it, however,
With that said, this commercial's objective is to arouse the pathos of the audience. It is presented realistically, depicting a mute father and his teenage daughter in everyday scenarios. These scenarios are portrayed in between stressful events experienced by the girl, many of which occur as a result of her father’s disability. The overwhelming stress eventually brings her to attempt suicide, in which the most poignant scenes are shown. In these scenes, the father’s love for his daughter is further revealed as he is willing to sacrifice everything for her to live. Within many of these scenes, the individuals are shown to be crying in frustration, anguish or love jointed with relief. The exhibition of these emotions is primarily what is used to arouse the emotions of the audience. The advertisement ends with a slogan, name and logo, revealing it is a company’s life insurance commercial. This makes it clear as to what audience was targeted and why humor or anything else otherwise was not used. It does not disguise this fact or its objective, the narrator stating clearly at the commercial's conclusion to care for your loved ones. Again,