To: Ms.

Diaz
From: Kelsey Dorsett
Date: 2-5-15
Subject: MWA Rhetorical Analysis Cover Letter

Rhetorical Situation
I am interested in the field of counseling. Im not interested in drug and alcohol counseling but I
do think the way this advertisement appeals to the audience is important. I went ahead with this
ad because in my rhetorical situation my group would benefit from the way the ad I chose
advertises the benefit of counseling They are recruiting students and workers by advertising a
promising future, which was an important thing I added in my rhetorical situation. My audiences

Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:50 PM

Comment [1]: Period here.

for this analysis are my peers in my major of communications. The purpose of my analysis is to
show my peers how this advertisement appeals to their common audience and how it is effective.
My Decisions
Firstly I decided to go with the first layout in the book to follow. This layout was: introductionexplanation of rhetorical concepts-historical concepts- summary-analyze ethos, pathos, and
logos- conclusion. Along with a lot of new analysis, I recycled most of my proposal into my
analysis. I changed the tone of the writing to make it sound less like my proposal. I reused some
of my introduction but this time I added a thesis in order to make it clear what I was about to
analyze. Next I added a clear explanation of what the rhetorical concepts were. I copied my
historical context and summary straight from my proposal because I felt like that was analysis
appropriate content. Except I took out my brief sentences about how the ad worked towards
ethos, pathos, and logos in my summary and used those as a start for my concept paragraphs.

Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:50 PM

Comment [2]: Cool beans!

Next I analyzed my concepts. Pathos was a longer paragraph filled with more examples because
the ad used that appeal most. By making this paragraph longer this added even more justification
to my thesis. I also restated how pathos was used most at the beginning of each concept
paragraph to make my thesis very clear to the reader. Lastly for my conclusion I rewrote it and
tied it in with my thesis.
Areas of Interest

My clear analysis of the rhetorical concepts and how I justify my thesis that pathos is
strongest.

My use of headers for a clearer, easier way of reading

My addition of the company logo for visual effect

Clear descriptive summary of text

My explanation of concepts is before my analysis that way my audience is aware what

the concepts are

Slo Progression
Slo C is how you wrote something and what you did to get to the final product. I worked towards
this slo when I wrote my proposal for this assignment. In my proposal I included my historical
context and summary, which was a big part I used in my analysis. I also drafted. So at first my
summary included a sentence about each appeal like this, The commercial begins with a timelapse of the sunrise over a birds eye view of the city. The use of the bright sunrise colors and the
big city inspires the audience, contributing to the emotional appeal, pathos. But to go with my
analysis I included the appeal part elsewhere. So now it sounds like this, The commercial
begins with a time-lapse of the sunrise over a birds eye view of the city.

Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:51 PM

Comment [3]: SLO

Slo G is how we use our writing and research to learn about things we personally have interest
in. I did this by choosing to write about a counseling ad. Through this analysis I learned more
about my interest of counseling. I learned about the benefits of counseling in my essay here,
This is especially important for people interested in counseling since contribution is a main
motivator.

Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:51 PM

Comment [4]: Really in-depth cover
letter! Good job!

Kelsey Dorsett
February 3rd, 2015
Taylor Diaz
ENG 120

Rhetorical Analysis of Mueller Colleges Alcohol and Drug Certificate Program Advertisement
Mueller College advertises a commercial for their Alcohol and Drug-Counseling
Certificate Program. The advertisement is different from most college advertisements by
showing mainly the result of the program. It uses many appeals including pathos, ethos, and
logos to effectively convince the audience that they will have a job after completion.
Audience Appeal
The rhetorical concepts considered in this analysis are the appeals ethos, pathos, and
logos. Ethos is used to show credibility. An advertisement uses ethos when showing a celebrity
or someone who seems sincere and fair-minded. Audiences may pay attention more when
information is coming from someone important. Pathos targets the audiences emotion. This
appeal affects the audiences emotions by playing music or showing things that make the
audience feel a certain way. Logos is an appeal that affects the audiences reasoning. The
audience is provided with facts and logic to persuade them. The purpose of using these appeals is
to gain the audiences trust with what is being advertised.

Who is Mueller College?

The audience for this advertisement are people who go to college to better their lives.
Having been around for 40 years, Mueller College has graduated thousands and has a mission
statement focused on changing their students lives in a positive way (Muellers College). The
commercial shows how the colleges program is for adults who wish to change their career.

Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:51 PM

Comment [5]: No points deducted for
this, but titles in essays arent bolded.
Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:51 PM
Comment [6]: This sentence kind comes
out of nowhere. The second sentence is a
much better introductionthe first
sentence might work better to support the
second.

Mueller Colleges Alcohol and Drug Counseling Program presents a commercial through
the Clearshow Media YouTube channel. The YouTube channel also has a couple of other
commercials for more of Muellers programs. This specific commercial was published May 11th,
2012. One of their main slogans is Life, Changing. They advertise how flexible their hours are
and how the program can be completed in only a year, so this college is for people who might
have other commitments in their lives, like adults, but still want to advance their careers. Being
that the commercial featured a middle- aged man starting the program, the intended audience is
clearly for middle-aged adults. This commercial was produced by Mueller College in order to
make themselves better known to people who may be interested and to explain what they do.
Using Emotion To Target Audience
The commercial begins with a time-lapse of the sunrise over a birds eye view of the city.
Throughout the entire commercial, delightful music plays in the background. A middle-aged man
then speaks about how his life has changed. He says, Im finally in control of my life and my
career. He uses an expensive espresso machine and talks about how he truly loves what he does.
He then explains that he went to Mueller College and did their Alcohol and Drug Counselor
program in 12 months. He says It only took a year to change my life forever. As he is sitting
outside with a group he counsels, he talks about how he has many opportunities now and a bright
future ahead of him because of Muellers certificate program. At the end him and his client shake

Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:52 PM

Comment [7]: The section below seems
more of a synopsis, not using emotion.

hands and he talks about how being able to give back to others gets him out of bed. He finishes
by stating that he called Mueller College.
Analysis Of Concepts
Pathos is used strongest by the way people value feeling good about what they do which
is heavily described in this advertisement. Between the music, sunshine, and feeling of helping
people, the audiences emotion is targeted the most through the pathos appeal. The use of the

Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:53 PM

Comment [8]: Title of this section is
appropriate
Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:53 PM
Comment [9]: First part of this sentence
is a little confusing.

bright sunrise colors and the big city inspires the audience. As he speaks about how the audience
can do this program too, everything seen around the character is happy: the warm weather, nice
house, professional clothing, and empowering posture. By doing the program like he says, the
audience knows they can feel this way too. Along with making the audience feel good, the
delightful music gains the audiences trust by sounding professional and not too distracting to the
message. Pathos is used here again to show the audience how not only they can benefit from the
job, but the people they help benefit as well. This is especially important for people interested in
counseling since contribution is a main motivator.

Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:53 PM

Comment [10]: Good analysis!

Ethos is not used as strongly as pathos by the lack

of examples that appeal to authority. To show credibility,
Mueller College uses an ordinary man as the main character in the ad. The

Logo shown in
commercial

audience can now trust that any regular people like themselves can be successful with the
program. Throughout the entire commercial a phone number and professional looking logo are
displayed (See figure). This makes the advertisement seem legitimate. Legitimacy is important
for the audience because it provides a clear and direct way to know who they are and why to
trust them.

Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:54 PM

Comment [11]: Another very solid
analysis!

Like ethos, logos is also overshadowed by pathos by only using experience based facts
rather than cold hard calculation facts. Through the appeal to logos, common sense facts from his
experience are shown to the audience when he talks about his many opportunities and bright
future ahead. Logically the audience wants more financial stability without having to go out of
their way, this advertisement promises that. Knowing they will be able to finish the program in

Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:54 PM

Comment [12]: This might work for
pathos as well.

12 months is something logical and possible for this audience. For more clarification the ad
states that, You do not have to be in recovery to do this job, you just have to truly want to help
people. Confused audience members are now aware that anybody is eligible.

Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:54 PM

Comment [13]: The second half of this
analysis is the stronger half.

The Overall Effect on Audiences

Today there are plenty of colleges just like Mueller. This advertisement takes a different
approach to convince the audience that they are the best. Muellers commercial focuss on the
characters personal life after their program rather than the program itself. Through pathos, the

Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:55 PM

Comment [14]: focuses

ad channels the audiences hunger for a job instead of providing facts or showing prestigious
people. Because of that, the advertisement effectively convinces the audience that Mueller

Sunny Diaz 2/8/2015 3:55 PM

Comment [15]: This kinda seems
dropped in here. It would be tied better
together is you briefly recapped the other
appeals as well.

Colleges program will change their life.

Strong

Good

Needs Work

Weak/NA

Cover Letter (10)

10

Introduction (10)

10

Explanation of concepts (5)

Summary of text (5)

Ethos (20)

20 19 18

17 16 15 14

13 12 11 10 9 8

7-0

Pathos (20)

20 19 18

17 16 15 14

13 12 11 10 9 8

7-0

Logos (20)

20 19 18

17 16 15 14

13 12 11 10 9 8

7-0

Conclusion (10)
Bonus awesome point (+1)
Total: 97/100

10