Advanced payday loan companies all serve the purpose of reeling in their customers with their use of catchy slogans and false advertisement. This specific cartoon comes from a website called www.stoppaydayloanpredators.org which has numerous reports and studies regarding these alternative financing companies. This advertisement, which has a short sentence and image, is effective at selling an idea to the viewer through its use of rhetoric.
First off, the use of sharks swimming around in their tank with smirks on their faces is an excellent way to capture the reader by its use of pathos. It plays on the emotions that are attached with the thought of sharks and what they are capable of. The only wording in this advertisement besides the title on the building is, “Come on in… the water’s fine…”. This also appeals emotionally to the reader because it suggests the sharks are saying it. Alternative financing lenders can be clever in their use of wording to attract consumers. I work at an alternative financing company, so from firsthand knowledge I know that the advertising for payday advance loans can be deceiving. They send out brochures and fliers that have big bold letting and happy pictures associated with what they have to offer. This appeals to consumers just like the wording on the building in the advertisement shows. On the building, it says, “Payday Loans” and “Checks Cashed”, with smiley faces all around. This use of logos makes consumers contemplate that since other consumers must be happy with this specific advanced payday loan company, they will be too. It makes the overall feel of a ‘Payday Loan’ look and sound not as dreadful. They reel in customers with their advertising about how different of a program they have compared to other companies. According to a study from The Los Angeles Times, the average payday loan business model is designed to keep borrowers in debt, not to provide one-time assistance during a time of