AD VERECUNDIAM

Presented by Jackson Vaughn and Logan Null

Ad Verecundiam
/ad/ /we.reːˈkun.di.am/
noun
An appeal to authority.
 Sensodyne: repair, protect, clean. This toothpaste advertisement presents the
reptilian hot button, front and center. The first object that draws close the concerned
brusher’s eye is the giant, clean, white tooth portrayed in the middle of the ad. Like a
reptile, the consumer immediately wants, needs, as pure white a tooth as this. Then, the
eyes are drawn to the largest words on the image: “9 out of 10 dentists recommend.”
The bold, linear typography here reveals the assertive stance this ad is taking; it is
straight to the point. Ethos is applied, showing how such credible sources - dentists -
would recommend this product. Yet, this is fallacious. Ad Verecundiam rears its head
here: an appeal to authority is made to show the product’s worth, to please consumers,
to make sales. A consumer is no longer able to make an unbiased decision, because they
are no longer able to see the product as just toothpaste, but as a recommendation from
their dentist.

Sensodyne Ad. 23 Feb. 2018.

 The article “Abortion Will Only End When Children Are Raised with Biblical
Worldview: Researcher” puts forth Ad Verecundiam directly in the title. Using the Bible
as a source of authority and credibility on the topic of abortion is illogical, as the Bible
outlines many sins in the Christian religion and is biased based on the beliefs of that
religion. The author of the article, Lisa Bourne - “Catholic mother and wife,” uses the
main researcher she writes of in her article, George Barna, to back anti-abortion ideas.
By doing this, Bourne uses another supposed figure of credibility and authority to
further her argument. Barna appeals to the Bible, and Bourne appeals to Barna, and this
article is rich with fallacy. However, the devil’s advocate can be played, and it can be said
that a great amount of logos, ethos, and pathos is brought forth through statistics, data,
and “worldview issues.” Overall, the fallacious nature of this argument, in general,
causes the article and its weak statements to fall short of any sort of confirmation.
Bourne, Lisa. “Abortion Will Only End When Children Are Raised with Biblical Worldview: Researcher.” LifeSiteNews,
14 Mar. 2018,
www.lifesitenews.com/news/abortion-will-only-end-when-children-are-raised-with-a-biblical-worldview.
 The Backpack Backpack is designed to be a fallacious product; it is designed to have
ridiculous reasoning for a customer to buy it. And yet, a theoretical customer may be
inclined to purchase this unnecessary product. The Backpack Backpack is recommended
by the best when it uses Ad Verecundiam, it plays on your emotions when it uses Ad
Misericordiam, and it makes you know that this is the best product you can buy when it
expertly uses Self Evident Truth. Although it is fallacious, it is designed to get a
customer’s attention. A thick red line points to the Backpack Backpack. In even bigger,
redder letters the typography of the product name jumps out to the viewer. By a quick
glance somebody knows the name of this product and is certainly intrigued. The text of
the ad is surrounded by frames in order to make the text easily readable but also makes
the ad rectilinear, a strong, straightforward product. The ad is completed by the
lovemark of the Backpack Backpack: it compares to a hug for your backpack. This plays
on a consumers emotions by making this backpack unlike any other: it has emotion. It is
the best product out there, and people know that just by taking a quick look at this
fallacious ad.