Final answer:
Commercials predominantly use pathos, or emotional appeal, to connect with viewers and persuade them. Images, music, and narratives evoke emotions making pathos effective in advertising. Ethos and logos may also be integrated for a well-rounded persuasive strategy.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of commercials, the appeal predominantly used is pathos, or the emotional appeal. Advertisers frequently utilize vivid imagery, music, personal stories, and dramatic presentations to trigger emotions such as happiness, excitement, nostalgia, or even fear, aiming to create a strong emotional connection with the viewer. This connection attempts to persuade the viewer to make a purchase or engage with a product or service based on the feelings it invokes, rather than purely rational decision-making.
Commercials also employ ethos, establishing credibility by featuring trusted celebrities or experts, and logos, presenting logical arguments or facts, but pathos is often the most effective in capturing immediate audience response. To make the appeal to pathos more effective, advertisers may also integrate ethos and logos, thereby creating a multi-faceted approach to persuasion that combines ethical credibility, logical reasoning, and emotional engagement.