Background Information The image is part of an awareness campaign done by Sécurité Routière, the French institute for Road Safety. The advertisement was meant to point out the dangers of speeding in neighborhoods.
First Impression The main focus of the picture is the large dent in the young girl’s head. Your attention then moves to the scratches and scrapes on her face that are similar to that of a car that has been in an accident. Certain cuts and scrapes show hints of silver or gray which is meant to be like the metal of the car.
Appeal to Pathos Upon seeing the image you immediately feel sorry for the girl because of the amount of damage to head. People tend to associate children with happiness and joy. The girl’s expression shows absolutely no sign of either. The child’s sense of innocence increases the audiences’ sympathy towards her.
Appeal to Logos The box in the lower left corner states that “At 60 km/h, it takes 8 meters more to stop than at 50.” Considering that there are 26 ¼ feet in 8 meters it makes the audience think: If the person who had hit the child had only been going 50 km/h instead of 60 km/h, 26 ¼ feet might have been all that was needed to stop before hitting her.
Appeal to Ethos The creators of this ad are a well known company in France that focus on informing the public of the dangers of irresponsible driving. Their logo is located on the bottom left side of the ad.