Be an Angel...End Animal Cruelty

As I was waiting to be called in for my dentist appointment today, I saw the famous commercial by BC SPCA with Sarah McLachlan's song Angel playing in the background. Because of this, my day was ruined. I hate this commercial so much for several reasons.

First of all, every single time I see it I always want to burst into tears because of the faces of the animals. It uses pathos to persuade us to help by using our emotions to convince us. Whenever I watch this commercial I think of my dog, which we adopted from the SPCA, and I think about all the other pets we were not able to adopt and what happened to them. This thought usually leads to thinking about what the animals were rescued from, whether its abuse or abandonment. This commercial really plays with my emotions because they have really cute dogs that look really sad and lonely. There's also a scene of a dog attempting to walk without the capability of moving his two hind legs, which usually gets to me the most. The song by Sarah McLachlan doesn't make it any better because it's a slow song and sounds sad. There is just a whole lot of sad in this commercial.

Another reason why I hate this commercial is because I feel so hopeless. I want to help these animals, but it's hard to know if the money put into this association really does help animals. Sure, it says that they'll give them food and shelter, but there is no way to really know for sure except to actually be there watching them save animal's lives. There is also the option of going to my local SPCA and adopting a pet there, but I already have one dog, and that's enough for me. This commercial makes me want to help these animals, but I get stuck in how to proceed, and ultimately just end up feeling like a fail in life.

Some needs the commercial uses to get the consumer to donate money to help stop animal cruelty are the need to nurture, the need for affiliation and the need to satisfy curiosity. Because the commercial shows these lonely pets in need of an angel, we feel that we need to take care of these animals. Our need for affiliation is satisfied because we see that by either adopting or donating, we can have an intimate connection with those we saved from abuse. Lastly, the commercial gives the facts about how often animals are mistreated and abused, which satisfies our need for curiosity.

Techniques used in this commercial are facts and figures, testimonial, and time/pressure exigency. By telling us the facts, the commercial makes us want to help. When adding Sarah McLachlan promoting the program, it becomes more believable. By adding the time/pressure exigency, the commercial really pushes us to get off the couch and do something to help.

The positive connotation of angel is also used to convince the consumer to help out. An angel is seen as a heavenly being that constantly does good. As humans, we strive to be like angels, and this commercial tells us that we can be angels by helping this program and the animals they rescue. Reification is also used because of the multiple times the word "angel" is said.

This commercial is, no doubt about it, one of the most depressing commercials I've ever seen. However, it is also on of the most affective commercials, getting to me in all the ways it was made to. The sad dogs, their attempts to recover, their cute faces, and the song just make it the worst commercial because it ruins my day, but also the best commercial because it's the only commercial that makes me want to get up and do something to help.