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  • Essay / Use of pathos in advertising - 701

    Which yellow creatures love to eat bananas and “have been on this planet much longer than us” (Enlightenment)? These yellow creatures, the Minions, who have appeared in three animated films from Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures so far, have gained popularity because they are one of a kind and absolutely fun to watch. No matter where you go, you may see at least one child possessing a marketed product containing these yellow creatures. For the latest film in the Despicable Me franchise, Illumination Entertainment created a simple visual like a movie commercial to attract a particular type of audience. The advertisement for the film, Minions, is incredibly effective for families with children, the target audience, due to the use of colors. The use of pathos in this visual is shown by two Minions showing the correct way to show their pride by using makeup, while the other Minion displays his pride by applying ketchup on his face. This image creates the emotion of laughter and a smile on the faces of the audience. Due to the stupidity of an "innocent" Minion, the use of pathos proves to the audience that the film does not need to be inappropriate to be funny and thus makes it suitable for families with children. The use of ethos in this advert is created by incorporating familiar characters that parents of children would recognize, to prove that the Minions movie is appropriate for children. To further confirm this, the visual contains the word "Minions" to show its credibility in being mentioned in two relevant films that were made for children. Just like humans, all the Minions shown in the visual have different heights and sizes. Two of the Minions have two eyes while the other Minion only has one. The smallest Minion in the ad suffers from an eye disorder where the two eyes are different colors. This diversity among these yellow creatures shows that Minions are not all the same and can also be different from humans. From this advertisement, children are able to identify and relate to a particular Minion because of the diversity displayed in the image of three Minions. When this connection is made, children feel more comfortable watching something they can relate to in real life. The visual advertising for the film Minions successfully reaches its target audience: families with children. The film's advertising used minimal and child-friendly colors to make the film more appealing to the audience. The visual is able to invoke pathos in the audience by using the servant's mistake with ketchup. The ad displays an ethos using recognizable characters and demonstrates the use of diversity among the Minions to connect with children. Families with children will want to watch the Minions movie, thanks to this kid-friendly film.