Bumper Stickers.!

Whether on a quick run to the store, a drive to a friends house, or a cross country road-trip you are sure to have seen the catchy social-political slogans that individuals place on the backs of their cars. Bumper Stickers! Since the introduction of the first sticker in World War II, there has been a drastic change in appearance, application, and, agenda but the general function has remained the same.
So what do these bumper stickers really do for us, what do they accomplish? Well first they’re simply fun to choose and use to demonstrate ones beliefs and values. Most importantly they evoke thought. Bumper stickers are used in a sense to create exigence and cause change (even with just one person).

Let’s look a few:

 Over the past few years a nationwide campaign was started in order to increase awareness of the dangers of drunk driving. The above bumper sticker has this same intention. A clever one right?! The use of the short hand texting language, “LOL. OMG”, works to generate light hearted feelings for the reader. “... RIP,” then severely impacts the reader demonstrating the reality of how quickly an individual can die from an “innocent” text, an LOL. Here a story line is established and that is what makes this bumper sticker so persuasive, for me at least.

Abortion is a hot topic and has been for decades. Of all the bumper stickers I can remember abortion seems to be a very common one. These bumper stickers illustrate the two very polarized sides of the issue: pro-choice and pro-life. The first sticker is simple, few words and no images are used. Why? Because a simple reasoning method is hoped to be implied, leave the choice to the person it’s a private matter. While the other bumper sticker demonstrates a pro-life take on the issue. Using the heart and the heart monitor lines works to appeal to the readers pathos.

Whether comical or serious bumper stickers are little rhetorical pieces of work.




 http://www.northernsun.com/Against-Abortion-Bumper-Sticker-(5749).html
http://www.zazzle.ca/lol_omg_rip_dont_text_and_drive_bumper_sticker-128914258003886323
http://www.smileyme.com/listprod.asp?ptype=412