Enthymemes in magazine advertisements: An analysis of Oneida silverware ads from 1900 to 1990

Magazine advertisements use various techniques in order to entice consumers to buy a product. One of those techniques is the use of enthymemes. I analyze the rhetorical effect of enthymemes in a select number of Oneida ads beginning in 1900 and continuing through the 1990s. This chronological progression demonstrates the gradual development of what I term, an enthymematic magazine ad. In this type of advertisement, the headline and the image work together to evoke certain emotions in readers leaving them to complete the message by providing information that is well-known by the target audience. The added effort on the part of readers makes the ad memorable and in fact induces readers to persuade themselves of the possible benefits of the advertised product---in this case Oneida silverware.