Aristotelian Causal Analysis and Creativity in Copywriting

Written Communication Apr 2007

Aristotelian Causal Analysis and Creativity in Copywriting

Charles Marsh

Abstract

Advertising may be the most pervasive form of modern rhetoric, yet the discipline is virtually absent in rhetorical studies. This article advocates a mutually beneficial rapprochement between the disciplines—both in academe and the workplace. Rhetoric, for example, could help address an enduring lacuna in advertising theory. Persuasive communicators since Aristotle have maintained that rhetoric begins with invention, the generation of compelling ideas. Studies of advertising creativity hold that invention begins with the gathering of facts to fuel an association of disparate ideas at the heart of creativity. However, studies of the fact-gathering heuristic in advertising fail to identify a systematic approach for product analysis. In hopes of advancing a rapprochement between rhetoric and advertising, this article demonstrates that Aristotelian causal analysis, long associated with rhetorical invention, can provide a systematic heuristic for product analysis. Rhetoricians can help advertisers strengthen a crucial element—the invention phase—of advertising copywriting.

Journal: Written Communication
Published: 2007-04-01
DOI: 10.1177/0741088306298811
Topics: rhetorical theory multimodality multilingual writers

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

Jones (2014)

Unwriting Food Labels

Journal of Business and Technical Communication

Cites in this index (1)

Gross (2004)

Why Hermagoras Still Matters: The Fourth Stasis and Interdisciplinarity

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