Persuasive appeals in English and Arabic TV Advertisements

Abstract

This paper reports on the findings of a study that explored the different persuasive appeals used in English and Arabic TV advertisements related to marketing electronics, particularly televisions, air conditioners and cameras. A total of six TV advertisements (3 Arabic and 3 English) were randomly selected from YouTube. The analysis suggests that both groups of TV advertisements employed several appeals to persuade the viewers to purchase their products and brands. It also reveals that the most used appeals in the sample were emotional, rational, and play on words. According to Artistotle's categorization, pathos was the most used appeal. The data also showed that the majority of the messages were implicitly conveyed. The study concludes with some pedagogical implications for EFL learners and teachers.