Introduction to

VISUAL & DIGITAL RHETORIC

Let’s Review

Rhetoric is “the faculty of discovering in any particular case all of the available means of persuasion.” -- Aristotle

What is rhetoric?

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/rhetoricdefinitions.htm

There are three types of rhetorical appeals, or persuasive strategies, used in arguments to support claims and respond to opposing arguments. A good argument will generally use a combination of all three appeals to make its case.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/04/

Rhetorical Appeals

Rhetorical Appeals

•Logos, or the appeal to reason, relies on logic or reason.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/04/

•Ethos, or the ethical appeal, is based on the character, credibility, or reliability of the writer.

•Pathos, or emotional appeal, appeals to an audience'sneeds, values, and emotional sensibilities.

Cannons of Rhetoric

1.Invention2.Arrangement3.Style4.Memory5.Delivery

http://thevisualcommunicationguy.com/2013/07/18/how-the-5-rhetorical-canons-will-make-you-more-persuasive/

What do you think of when you hear the phrase...

Take a moment to discuss this with your neighbor or write down some thoughts and ideas.

What is Visual Rhetoric?“Visual rhetoric” has been used to mean anything from

the use of images as argument, to the arrangement of elements on a page for rhetorical effect, to the use of

typography (fonts), and more.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/691/01/

Tools of Visual Rhetoric

• Text (including font style and wording)• Graphics (or images)• Color• Overall Design (i.e. layout, spacing,

arrangement)https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/729/01/

This is Visual Rhetoric

This is Visual Rhetoric

This is Visual Rhetoric

All of This is Visual Rhetoric

What is Digital Rhetoric?

1. The conventions of new digital genres that are used for everyday discourse, as well as for special occasions, in average people’s lives.

2. Public rhetoric, often in the form of political messages from government institutions, which is represented or recorded through digital technology and disseminated via electronic distributed networks.

3. The emerging scholarly discipline concerned with the rhetorical interpretation of computer-generated media as objects of study. http://www.digitalrhetoriccollaborative.org/2012/06/25/defining-digital-rhetoric-with-20-20-hindsight

/

Tools of Digital Rhetoric

• Images (or graphics)• Audio (such as music and dialogue)• Text (including font style and wording)• Editing (ex. transitions, cuts, zoom in/out)

Questions to Guide Your Viewing

• Which tools of rhetoric do the filmmakers use to deliver their arguments?

Think about these next few questions while watching the following examples of digital rhetoric. Write your responses on your guided notes.

Which of these do you find to be the most effective?

• How do the two videos work together to serve as an example of onlinediscourse?

• What arguments are being made by the filmmakers in each example ofdigital rhetoric?

Video: Dove Evolution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XF66Ku4a9U

Video: Dove Evolution Parody

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-kSZsvBY-A

Why is it Important to Study

Visual and Digital Rhetoric?

Take a moment to discuss this question with your neighbor.

Why is it Important to Study

Visual and Digital Rhetoric?

Examples of rhetoric are all around us. We are bombarded by advertisements, YouTube clips, websites, emails, television, and film throughout nearly every minute of our daily lives.

Understanding this multimedia involves more than merely passively observing images and text. We should study visual and digital rhetoric to understand the intent behind the images and videos we see.

Why is it Important to Study

Visual and Digital Rhetoric?

Why is it Important to Study

Visual and Digital Rhetoric?

Advertisers are finding quicker and more efficient ways to reach consumers.

Let’s take a closer look…

at examples of visual rhetoric in popular culture.

Coca-ColaCoca-Cola has become one of the most recognized brands in the world as a result of a series of successful global advertising campaigns. Over the past several decades, Coca-Cola has sought to make their product as familiar as the celebrities, musicians, and figures in popular culture they use to advertise their soft drink. To ensure their symbol stays recognizable, “Coke” has decided to raise their advertising budget to nearly $5 billion starting next year.

Big Tobacco

For decades, cigarette companies like Camel have used well-crafted advertisements to convince consumers that smoking is sexy, cool, and even fine for your health. Listen to these classic radio advertisements from the 1950s and see if you can pick out the rhetorical appeals and strategies used. Take notes.

got milk?This slogan, first created for the California Milk Processor Board, is part of one of the most famous advertising campaigns in American history. Originally starting as a series of television commercials, the campaign evolved into print advertisements featuring celebrities and pop culture icons ranging from Bart Simpson to Harrison Ford. What argument is being made in the advertisements below?

Example: Apple iPod

• Which rhetorical appeals does Apple utilize to connect with consumers?

• What is Apple implying about the people who buy/use their products?

• Which tools of visual rhetoric are most effective in this advertisement? Which are least effective? Why do you think that is?

Example: Marlboro cigarettes

•

• Which rhetorical appeals does Marlboro utilize to connect with consumers?

• What is Marlboro arguing about consumers who use their product?

• What elements of American identity are evident in Marlboro’s advertising campaign?

Example: Corona Extra

• Which rhetorical appeals does Corona utilize to connect with consumers?

• What tools of visual rhetoric do you see at work in this advertisement?

• What argument is Corona trying to make about the experience of using their product? Is it effective?

Where Do We Go From

Here?ASSIGNMENT:

• Alone or with a partner, locate an example of visual or digital rhetoric in advertising or popular culture. These can be in magazines, newspapers, or on the Internet.

• Develop a 3-5 minute presentation where you discuss...a) The argument made in your visual or digital rhetoric exampleb) The rhetorical appeals used in your example and how the cannon is

addressedc) The tools of visual or digital rhetoric used in your example and how

they are usedd) The effectiveness of the argument in your example

• Bring in an electronic version of your visual or digital argument to share with the class during your presentation. You can bring these in on a flash drive or just email them to me and I will upload them for you.