Advertisement Analysis

http://admissions.uiowa.edu/sites/default/files/slide16.jpg

The advertisement that I chose comes from the University of Iowa. The University of Iowa is one of the top public research universities in the nation, and attracts an international student body. The advertisement that I chose to analyze is an image from the admissions page of the University of Iowa website and says, "Iowa will change you, you will change the world". The University of Iowa is identifying itself as a positive and proactive step forwards in life for potential students, saying that through experiences at Iowa students can pursue their interests in meaningful ways. The purpose of this advertisement is to communicate to students that by attending the University of Iowa, they will be gaining a better experience than they could at a competing school. The advertisement conveys this message through logos and pathos. The words on the advertisement are an example of logos used to convey the idea, but what the words say is what engages pathos. By stating that students can change the world using experiences gained at the University, the advertisement engages pathos and makes students think ahead about how their time at the university can help them pursue their ambitions in the real world. Through this combination of logos and pathos, superimposed over a picture of the Old Capital, a symbol of the University, I believe that this is an effective advertisement in connecting Iowa with an image of success beyond a student career.