Commercials serve many purposes for their audience. Whether it be to influence someone to purchase a product, or to advertise for a new movie release, commercials serve to persuade someone to do something. Advertisers are able to persuade and extend to a greater audience with the right amount of ethos, logos, and pathos, making the commercial more effective. Commercials are able to persuade the audience to the argument being presented by using pathos to apply to one's emotions, logos to show evidence, and ethos to show credibility. In the BC SPCA End Animal Cruelty campaign, the commercial, l featuring Sarah McLachlan and "Angel" contains all three appeals, but relies on pathos to persuade the audience to support animals in distress and protect them further abuse. 

The commercial begins with a dog staring into the camera, a dramatic, saddening look on its face. It is being held by someone and petted while the words "in the arms of an angel" play in the background ("Sarah McLachlan Animal Cruelty Video"). The video continues to play as facts about animal cruelty flash across the screen, followed by more distraught animal videos. There are cats with missing eyes, dogs limping with their back legs broken, and numerous videos of puppies and kittens crying out for help, all while Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" plays in the background ("Sarah McLachlan Animal Cruelty Video"). Sarah McLachlan then comes on the screen, reaching out to the audience, asking "will you be an angel for a helpless animal," and giving more information on the abuse and mistreatment of animals every day ("Sarah McLachlan Animal Cruelty Video"). Videos and clips continue to play with the rescued animals being nurtured and cared for now that they have found someone to love and take care of them. 

Throughout the BC SPCA's End Animal Cruelty Commercial, pathos is implemented to educate the audience on animal cruelty and show exactly how damaging abuse really is to these innocent creatures. Most people, sensitive or tough, have a soft spot in their heart for animals. The commercial is able to appeal to this emotion and make the audience sympathize for the cats and dogs. As the clips of the animals play, one feels somewhat depressed and saddened by the misfortune the animals have faced. The helpless creatures are just lying there, staring off with a painful look in their eyes, when animals usually have this happy glow to their faces ("Sarah McLachlan Animal Cruelty Video"). These expressions and images are able to jerk one's heartstrings and make them feel for the animals. People feel bad for them and have the desire to reach out and take care of the animal on the screen. The company knows exactly that these images are going to steer people in this direction, and that is exactly what they are aiming to do. They are using one's emotions and sympathy to make people want to help their organization. People want to donate to the BC SPCA and help save animals after watching this commercial. They want to be the reason why at the end of the commercial the animals are happy and smiling.

The commercial is also able to use pathos to apply to one's emotions in a positive way, not just negatively. At the end of the commercial, when the animals are being loved and taken care of, one can feel a sense of hope and happiness. One sees a dog playing with its owner, a cat purring and nuzzling up against a shelter employee, and another dog running back and forth as its food is being laid out ("Sarah McLachlan Animal Cruelty Video"). The animals that were so brutally mistreated can be healed. They are not going to stay in this damaged state their whole life, but only if people try to help them. If one donates to the campaign and helps save an animal, they will be helping an animal have a better life, and what can be more exciting and pleasing than that. The commercial is not just trying to make one feel terrible, but bring light to the situation and prove there is hope if people help out.

The commercial is very effective in getting its message across that animal cruelty is wrong and that the BC SPCA needs peoples help to take care of these innocent creatures. The point of the commercial is not just to make one feel bad for how the animals are treated and the conditions they are left, but to persuade people to actually do something about the matter. The commercial also applies to the audience through logos and ethos. Through logos, facts and visual evidence of animal abuse are used to relate to people with less of an emotional side. Ethos is used to bring credibility to the commercial by having Sarah McLachlan as the spokesperson. While both these appeals help to persuade the audience, pathos is the major appeal that convinces people on the argument within the commercial, that animal cruelty is wrong and people need to do something to make it right. 

While the BC SPCA commercial may be grueling to endure, it uses all three appeals to bring forth awareness to the End Animal Cruelty campaign and educate all audiences on the effects of animal cruelty. The commercial works so well that it is able to relate to all types of audiences over many different mediums and create a buzz for the issue. The company's intentions with each BC SPCA commercial is to create awareness and attention to animal cruelty, not just tear out one's heart strings with the tragic videos and images. While many television commercials are easy to forget, BC SPCA commercials truly stick around and people will always feel heartbroken when they hear the words "in the arms of an angel" or see Sarah McLachlan sitting with the dog, spreading awareness of animal cruelty. 

