This creative commercial has many forms of rhetorical argument in its short time span. But where does their credibility come from? One of the first questions to ask is who is behind the making of the piece. And with a little research it is clear The Real Cost campaign was actually started by the FDA or Federal Drug Administration. This is a widely recognized federal agency in the United States Department of Health and Human Services. People tend to trust the United States government so that builds the ethos of the commercial tremendously. The campaign worked so well that it was rewarded a Gold Effie Award in 2015 in the Disease Awareness and Education category. Recognition from a widely acclaimed institution also builds ethos.
-Mihrete Samuel
Many of this commercials rhetorical arguments are made through logos. The most obvious example being the "National Survey" that is spoken about by the voice over. The commercial claims that doctors all over the nation and in all branches of medicine were asked what brand of cigarettes they prefer and an overwhelming majority claimed it to be Camels. The validity of this statement is questionable but nonetheless the logic here is if all these doctors enjoy this particular brand, then most likely you will as well. Another example of logos lies in the succeeding segment. The voice says, "Why not change to Camels for the next thirty days and see what a difference it makes in your smoking enjoyment." This suggestion is logos because it tries to bargain with the viewer and offers a choice to try it for a little just to try it out. This may seem small but they are trying to come off as having a lot of confidence in their product, this is an important trait of logos. The final description of the cigarettes as "mild" and "good tasting" shows how overcompensating for these traits in a commercial is used to the advertisers advantage.
-Mihrete Samuel
