TOW #3: "Crest Dice ad" - Visual Text

In this advertisement, a toothpaste company, Crest, discusses how risks should not be taken, regarding cavities and dental health. Crest, one of the world's biggest dental hygiene businesses, has been incredibly successful, selling various products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss and mouthwash. In this advertisement, they appear to be speaking to potential customers, particularly those who have suffered from cavities before, stating that second chances for healthy teeth are not given to those who take the chance of not properly caring for their teeth. Crest uses many rhetorical devices, in an attempt to achieve their purpose, including analogy. They compare oral hygiene with gambling, picturing two teeth with various holes, similar to those of dice, and state "There are some things you just can't afford to gamble with". This comparison serves to describe to the audience that taking a chance, similar to gambling, with their teeth's well-being is not a smart decision. With this analogy, they also appeal to pathos, working to convince their audience of how big of a risk it is not to use their products. They appeal to ethos when they state that Crest is "The dentist's choice for fighting cavities", meaning that dental experts highly recommend their products.  They also  establish their credibility, when they state that "Crest has prevented 523 million cavities since its introduction in 1955", displaying that they have been in business for a very long time and they appeal to logos, by providing data about the number of cavities their products have prevented. With the strategic use of all of these devices, Crest achieves their purpose of convincing consumers to purchase their products. The first time I saw this ad, I felt convinced that Crest would achieve its ultimate goal of enhancing dental health, and I thought that I should maybe start to purchase their products. In this powerful advertisement, Crest effectively promises to help prevent cavities and to stop people from risking their oral hygiene.