The song In the Arms of an Angel begins playing and you immediately know the commercial is with Sarah McLachlan for the SPCA. Everyone knows the commercial, the song is playing while sad images of dogs and cats who have been mistreated appear on the screen. The commercial is asking for you to sign up and pay a monthly fee in order to help the animals. The tone of the commercial is somber and makes you want to sign up to help the animals. The commercial is designed to motivate you to do something to help the animals. It tugs at your heart so much that it inspires you to want to do something to help them. The commercial would not have been as effective if the images of the animals were not shown. If the commercial was just Sarah McLachlan talking to about how animals need help and we should do something it would not have motivated and inspired its audience as much. It would not have motivated and inspired its audience as much.
According to instinct theories, people are motivated to behave in certain ways because they are evolutionarily programmed to do so. The incentive theory suggests that people are motivated to do things because of external rewards. According to the drive theory of motivation, people are motivated to take certain actions in order to reduce the internal tension that is caused by unmet needs. The arousal theory of motivation suggests that people take certain actions to either decrease or increase levels of arousal.
The most relevant theories that apply to this advertisement would be the incentive theory, and the drive theory. Although, it seems to be a mesh of the two theories. The reward for donating to the SPCA is knowing that you “did the right thing” and that you can somewhat gloat to yourself that the “sad commercial” no longer causes any guilt (from an unmet need to do the right thing). The instinct theory is somewhat relevant in that, no one wants to see another living creature be in danger, or suffer because it causes our own personal...