Every time that the ASPCA animal shelter commercial comes on TV you instantly know that you are going to be heartbroken the rest of the day. These commercials show the horrid side of the animal shelter: abused dogs, starving animals, and cats scared for life from past events. After watching you feel the need to act and protect these animals in need. Sarah McLachlan and the ASPCA use pathos and connect to ones emotions to help fight animal cruelty by the music selection, the images on the screen, and the speech by Sarah McLachlan at the end of the advertisement. The central music in this ad elicits powerful emotions from its viewers attempting to make them act on the problem at hand. The music, which is Sarah McLachlan’s own “Answer”, starts off very dreary and melancholy, reducing the mood to a very serious and gloomy state. The first lyrics in the song go “I will be the answer…I will be there for you”; by having you hear this song Sarah McLachlan and the ASPCA wanted to get into your head that you can be the answer and be there for the shelter pets. The lyrics subconsciously imbed in your head that you can be the answer and you can be there for the abused animals …show more content…
She talks about ways that you can help. This strategy works because it makes the viewer act and donate based off of their emotion. If the commercial did not sell them on the idea to donate, then they offer incentives like a monthly picture off the animal that the donator is sponsoring, giving them a personal connection to where their money is going. The personal connection goes a long way in making it feel like you are truly making a difference in the animal’s life. Sarah McLachlan takes advantage of the viewers’ feelings and catches them at the end of the commercial when they are most vulnerable and feel like they need to help in some