Topic > Use of Pathos in Advertising - 701

Which yellow creatures love to eat bananas and "have been on this planet much longer than us" (Illumination)? These yellow creatures, the Minions, who have so far appeared in three animated films from Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures, have gained popularity because they are one of a kind and absolutely fun to watch. No matter where you go, you can see at least one child who owns a marketed product that contains these yellow creatures. For the latest film in the Despicable Me series, Illumination Entertainment created a simple image as a movie advertisement to appeal to a particular type of audience. The advertisement for the film, Minions, is incredibly effective for families with children, the target audience, thanks to the use of colors. The use of pathos in this image is shown by two Minions showing the right way to show pride by using face paint, while the other Minion shows his pride by applying ketchup to his face instead. This image creates the emotion of laughter and smiles on the faces of the audience. Due to the stupidity of an “innocent” Minion, the use of pathos demonstrates to the audience that the film does not have to be inappropriate to be entertaining and therefore makes it suitable for families with children. The use of ethos in this advertisement was created by incorporating familiar characters that children's parents would recognise, to demonstrate that the film, Minions, is suitable for children. To support it even more, the image contains the word "Minions" to prove its credibility by being mentioned in two relevant films made for children. Just like humans, all the Minions shown in the image have different heights and body sizes. Two of the Minions have two eyes while the other Minion has only one eye. The smaller Minion in the advertisement has an eye disorder in which both eyes are different colors. This diversity between these yellow creatures shows that Minions are not all the same and can be as different as humans. From this advertisement, children are able to relate and make connections with a particular Minion due to the diversity shown 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 of the film Minions successfully reaches its intended audience: families with children. The film's advertising used minimal, child-friendly colors to make the film more appealing to audiences. The image is able to evoke pathos in the audience by using the servant with the ketchup mistake. The advert shows ethics by using relatable characters and demonstrates the use of diversity among the Minions to connect with children. Families with children will want to watch the movie, Minions, because it is kid-friendly