Rhetorical Devices used in Print-Ads

The rhetorical device used in this advertisement is very obvious. This print-ad for Pepsi uses personification to appeal to the audience. Personification can be described as giving human attributes of form, character, feelings or behaviour to an animal or an inanimate object. In this case, the lime has been given human form as the lime peels form arms and legs that reflect the human figure. Also, the lime is given the attributes of human behaviour (urinating in an upright stance). Through personification, the advertisement suggests that the lime is adding a touch of its flavour into the Pepsi.

In this advertisement, the rhetorical device that is used is called a hyperbole. A hyperbole can be defined as a deliberate use of exaggeration for emphasis. In this case, the sharpness of the advertised knife is exaggerated greatly. The picture suggests that the knife is so sharp that when you’re simply chopping carrots, the knife is capable of cutting through the wooden object holding the carrot as well. Through this hyperbole, the main message of the advertisement can be easily depicted—the knife is very sharp, so it requires less force and energy to use it.

The rhetorical device used in this picture is more difficult to identify right off the bat. This advertisement against smoking metaphorically conveys the message that those who choose to smoke tend to occupy more space in the graveyard. Metaphors are rhetorical devices that compare two objects, ideas or concepts without using “like” or “as”. This advertisement metaphorically compares any regular non-smoking area to an empty space in a cemetery. This conveys the message that those who choose not to smoke are healthier and generally live longer.

The rhetorical device used in this advertisement for Burger King is fairly obvious. By putting band-aids on the corner of the person’s mouth, the advertisement exaggerates how wide a person must open their mouth to take a bite of a burger from Burger King. They suggest that the person was forced to open her mouth so wide to eat the sandwich that the corners of her mouth stretched and tore open. In this way, the ad uses a hyperbole. This hyperbole effectively communicates the main idea of the advertisement, which is the fact that the burgers from Burger King are very large and filling.