Ashley Lewis
Instructor Thomas
English 102
01 February 2013
Angel:
A
Look Inside the BCSPCA Video
We have all seen the commercials for BCSPCA: images of
abused animals with sad eyes, the song, “Angel,” playing in the background, and
Sarah McLachlan pleading for donations that way animal cruelty can be stopped.
Every time that commercial comes on our televisions, we automatically want to
change the channel, but there is a part of us that wants to keep watching. We
want to be able to jot down that phone number or web address so we can help the
innocent animals. That is exactly what BCSPCA wants their audience to do. In
this commercial, BCSPCA and Sarah McLachlan creatively use excellent metaphors,
heart wrenching word choice, and heartbreaking
sounds and images of abused animals, which lures the audience into donating
money and stopping animal cruelty.
BCSPCA’s overall goal in this commercial is to raise
money and put an end to animal cruelty. Multiple times you hear Sarah McLachlan
say to, “Call the number on your screen…with a monthly gift right now.” As
heartbreaking as the commercial is, they are trying to raise money and BCSPCA
makes sure to pound that into the audience’s head. By donating money to them,
one less animal will be abused and that is exactly what we, as the audience,
want. Also, during a majority of the commercial, the audience notices a phone
number and web address at the bottom of the screen. BCSPCA does this that way
it will be the last thing the audience remembers as soon as the commercial goes
off. This sort of repetition of the phone number and web address is pounded
into the audience’s head and makes it nearly impossible to forget to make a
donation. Also, having their phone
number and web address on the screen proves their credentials.
BCSPCA appeals to the audience’s sense of knowledge by
stating astonishing facts about animal abuse. At the very beginning of the
video, a text pops up that reads, “Every single hour in BC, an animal is
violently abused.” Most people are stunned by this fact. But by BCSPCA stating
this, they are proving their credentials. A fact like this is something that
BCSPCA knows and researches every day. It is their job to know facts such as
this. Again, repetition is reflected since facts are stated and the phone
number and web address repeatedly come up during the commercial. Also, the audience’s reaction to these
facts evokes emotions in them, which is an example of pathos. With these emotions from the shock and
anger, it makes the audience more willing to go out of their way to make a
donation to BCSPCA.
BCSPCA definitely gets their audience by pulling on their
heartstrings. The first thing McLachlan asks the audience is, “Will you be an
angel for a helpless animal?” McLachlan metaphorically calls the audience angels, which covers her request for
money and flatters the audience at the same time. And of course, the audience
wants to feel like angels by doing a
good deed; donating money to BCSPCA makes the audience feel benevolent.
Everyone wants to help the poor, innocent animals have a second chance at life.
Another aspect that makes this commercial so powerful is McLachlan’s tone. Her
tone is pleading, almost begging, for donations. At the end of the video, she pleads to her audience by saying, “Please
call, right now.” She desperately wants her audience to help contribute, so
she knows just what to say and how to say it to get her point across.
The
word choice used in this commercial also plays
a strong role in why it gets to the audience’s heart. One particular sentence
used in the commercial was worded like this: “Every day, innocent animals are
abused, beaten, and neglected; and they’re crying out for help.” The words abused, beaten, and neglected
appeals to the audience’s sense of melancholy and rage. No sane person wants to
hear about a poor animal being beaten or
neglected. Hearing words like that
hurts the audience’s heart and at the same time, makes them want to hunt down
all the abusers and do terrible things to them. For me, it hurts to watch this
commercial because it makes me want to scoop up all of the animals and bring
them home with me. But that is exactly the kind of reaction BCSPCA is trying to
get out of their audience. If the audience is riled up enough, they will want
to call in, donate money, and put a stop to animal abuse.
The
strongest element, I would say, are the sounds in the BCSPCA commercial.
As Sarah McLachlan’s song, “Angel,” plays in the background, images of helpless
animals appear on the television screen. Some of the lyrics played in the commercial
go like this:
In the arms of the
angel,
Fly away from here,
From this dark cold hotel room,
And the endlessness that you fear,
You are pulled from the wreckage,
Of your silent reverie…
Fly away from here,
From this dark cold hotel room,
And the endlessness that you fear,
You are pulled from the wreckage,
Of your silent reverie…
BCSPCA knew exactly
what they were thinking when they chose this song for their commercial. The
lyrics perfectly describe what is happening with the abused animal. When the
audience reaches out and donates to BCSPCA, they are pulling animals from
whatever wreckage they are in and they will be in the audience’s arms,
receiving love and comfort. The audience wants to feel like they have given an animal
a second chance at life. The soundtrack
alone makes the commercial what it is. Without the song, the commercial would
not evoke as much emotion in the audience.
Seeing
images of abused animals evokes
sadness and rage in the audience. For some audience members, the images may
even be a little offensive. Images of
animals with a missing eye, three legs, or gashes on their bodies are so
graphic, but that is the point BCSPCA is trying to make. Animal abuse is
offensive, heartbreaking, and outraging. So, in showing those images, it makes
the audience want to call in more than ever.
BCSPCA does an amazing job at achieving their purpose
with their commercial. The images, sounds, metaphors, and word choice all
contribute to make a powerful public service. When creating this commercial, BCSPCA knew exactly what elements needed
to go into it to create rhetorical appeal for their audience. Millions of
people donate to BCSPCA all the time, which is what they want. Of course,
animal abuse is still an ongoing problem, but at least with commercials like
this, light is being shed on it and things are being done to stop it.
Works
Cited
McLachlan, Sarah. Angel. Surfacing, 1997. MP3.
Ragefc. “Sarah
McLachlan Animal Cruelty Video.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 03
Oct. 2006. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
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