Rhetorical Analysis Paper

Social Advertisement: Moms Demand Action Advertisement Name: Institutional affiliation: Course: Date: Introduction Moms Demand Action is an American movement that seeks to promote public safety measures that protect America from any form of gun violence. Through this movement, the goal is to pass strong gun laws and find ways to close any loophole that jeopardizes the safety of American citizens (Moms Demand Action, 2024). In the advertisement by “Moms Demand Action” two children, a girl and boy stand alongside one another with one holding a gun and the other a Kinder Chocolate egg. The question posed by the creator's ad is: “We won’t sell Kinder chocolate eggs in the interest of child safety. Why not assault weapons?” On top of tapping into viewers' emotional appeal, the advert is engaging and persuasive, a call to action, and has compelling creative concepts. Background of the Problem According to Granlich (2023) approximately 48,830 people died in the US from gun-related injuries in 2021 alone as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Granlich, 2023). This figure includes gun suicides (54%), and gun murders (43%), alongside other gun-related deaths such as accidental causes and those whose causes and circumstances could not be established. Overall, there has been a rise in gun-related deaths and suicides as compared to earlier years, with the most affected demographic group being children and teens under 18 years with whom gun deaths rose by 50% from 2019 to 2023. The rise in gun related deaths explains the sole purpose of “Moms Demand Action” ad campaigns over the past few years. Analysis and Interpretation of Advert Park, Jeon, & Sullivan, P. (2015) argue that the aesthetic appeal of an ad image has a major influence on ad viewers' intentions including whether to purchase or not to purchase (Park, Jeon, & Sullivan, 2015). The aesthetic was a key consideration in “Moms Demand Action.” The aesthetically pleasing visuals increased the likelihood...