Entry #9- The Persuasive Genre is All Around Us

This week I had the opportunity to reflect on and learn more about the persuasive genre. One of the largest take aways I had was that the persuasive genre is really all around us, even when we do not realize it. I appreciated the fact that our Genre Expert Workshop presenters had us bring in our own advertisement because that is what lead me to my realization. When reflecting on the dozens of advertisements I had come across in the week prior, I realized how prominent they really are. Advertisements are everywhere; therefore, the persuasive genre is everywhere. It is important to note that there is a distinct difference between persuasion and propaganda, as mentioned by Tompkins. Both persuasion and propaganda are included in advertisements, and it is crucial to have a critical eye in order to tell the difference between the two. 

I enjoyed sharing the advertisement that I selected with Dr. Jones and my writing group mates. I ultimately chose an advertisement for Olympic One paint and primer, purchased at Lowe's, which I have included below.

This advertisement stood out to me, since I have recently purchased a home and am in the process of deciding which renovations to make, including picking paint colors for each room. I noticed that each person that shared their advertisement had a reason that they selected that specific advertisement. There is a strong connection that must be made between the audience and the advertisement in order for the advertisement to be successful. Therefore, each advertisement (or persuasive genre text) has a specific targeted audience. If the advertisement I selected was shown to a renter who can not paint their apartment, it would not be as successful. Since it was shown to me, a first time homebuyer, it definitely caught my attention and was (almost) successful in persuading me to purchase this paint. Although I have decided to go with another paint brand, this persuasive text was successful in reaching its targeted audience. 

An additional aspect of the persuasive genre that stood out to me was the three appeals: pathos, logos, and ethos. I remember in 11th grade AP English, my teacher had us write what seemed like hundreds of essays in preparation for the AP exam. When we got to class each day, he would immediately give us a prompt in which we had 40 minutes to respond to as best we could. One requirement was that we needed to include reasons that matched with the three appeals. Naturally, I would include a paragraph for each appeal, which was often difficult to do given the time constraint. Looking back, I now see why my teacher had us write using the three appeals, as it made our persuasive writing so much stronger. By consistently practicing using the three appeals, I was successful on the AP exam and wrote a very strong persuasive piece.