Peter Pan Peanut Butter Ad Critique

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Peter Pan Peanut Butter showcased their “Youngsters Prefer Peter Pan Peanut Butter” ad in the 1950’s. With a charming “little blonde boy” enjoying a piece of bread smothered in peanut butter, this advertisement influenced mothers shopping for their precious children. The advertisement agency knew that when a mother or motherly figure saw this young boy, she would associate the child with her own children. This advertisement is printed with calm colors allowing the viewer to look at it and think relaxing thoughts. There are three main ways to associate this ad with feelings. This advertisement represented three modes of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos. These modes identify the feelings of the speaker. While viewing the “Youngsters Prefer Peter Pan Peanut Butter” ad, one can see that the Peter Pan Company shows honesty from a child’s point of view and, therefore, appeals to the Ethos mode of persuasion. A child is the peanut butter company’s number one critic. If the “little blonde boy” found Peter Pan Peanut Butter yummy, than it has to be the right brand to buy for all other children! By showing the little boy in this ad, the company was displaying the perfect blonde hair, blue-eyed male that was the well known favorite figure in the 1950’s American household. The Peter Pan Company found a perfect fit while trying to establish good ethos in its advertisement during the 1950’s. The Peter Pan Company appealed to the emotions of its viewers, and displayed pathos in its 1950 “little blonde boy” advertisement. What mother or mother-like figure would not be drawn in to buy Peter Pan Peanut Butter when they saw how much a little boy loved it in this ad? This advertisement shows the positive side of pathos for the peanut butter company, but may have confused its consumers. Just because the little blonde boy in the advertisement loved the Peter Pan
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