The document analyzes a Crisis Relief Singapore ad campaign image that features an injured child surrounded by people holding thumbs up. The image makes the claim "liking isn't helping" to criticize social media activism that is not accompanied by real action. The injured child represents suffering people in need of aid, while the thumbs symbolize "likes" on social media. Together, they form the argument that likes alone do little to help those in need. Through evoking guilt and drawing logical comparisons, the image aims to compel viewers to do more than just online activism and instead take meaningful action to promote lasting change.

1. Nathaniel Wright
WRIT 3671
Visual Rhetorical Analysis: “Liking isn’t helping”
The image being analyzed is part of an ad
campaign by Crisis Relief Singapore, a Christian
foundation that works to assist countries in times
of political and natural crises. It uses several
rhetorical and visual tools to engage and persuade
viewers, ultimately putting forth a compelling and
effective visual argument, one which sends a
message to online social and political activists
everywhere.
The Argument
Anthony Blair offers a framework that
identifies five necessary and explicit properties
existing in all arguments. This structure can be used
both as a test (does a potential argument contain all
elements listed), and as a guideline with which to analyze, discern, and explain what an argument is
claiming and how it is supporting that claim. Blair’s framework asserts that all arguments contain the
following: 1) a claim, 2) support for the claim, 3) potential linguistic expression of the support, 4)
potential linguistic expression of the claim and 5) an attempt to communicate the claim and the
support (Blair, p. 24).
Crisis Relief Singapore’s image, which I analyze using Blair’s criteria, features a severely
injured child surrounded by people holding up their thumbs, with a small, single line of text reading
“liking isn’t helping” in the upper left hand corner. This line of text, making a bold and
straightforward declaration, can clearly be identified as the claim of the image, satisfying Blair’s first
criteria. Of course, this claim, in a vacuum, is fairly meaningless, as it doesn’t specify what exactly is
being liked, and what it isn’t helping. However, the visual elements making up the rest of the image
simultaneously put the claim into context, and provide support for it.
The two main visual elements of the image, the bedridden child and the thumbs surrounding
him, combine to represent support for the main claim. First, the injured child, central to both the
visual and the argument, is meant to represent, by way of synecdoche (a part representing a whole),
the thousands of injured, sickly, and impoverished children that are suffering in the world today,
ones which are central to many of Crisis Relief Singapore’s relief efforts (Ehses & Lupton, p. 11).
The image again utilizes the synecdoche with the thumbs, which represent the thumb-
shaped logo used to represent “likes” on Facebook (Figure 2). Generally speaking, the thumbs are
Figure 1 - Crisis Relief Singapore's ad campaign

2. meant to represent all forms of political “activism” voiced over social media that isn’t accompanied
by any real, concrete action, such as donating money, volunteer work, etc. The interaction of these
two symbolic elements manifests as support for the initial assertion; “liking isn’t helping” is
demonstrated by the fact that mere support for a cause (the thumbs), while well intentioned, doesn’t
actually do much, if anything, to combat the issues that they’re meant to address (the child).
Figure 2 - Facebook "like" button, represented by the thumbs in the main image,
which in turn represents all social media support that isn’t accompanied by action.
The third andfourth elementsof Blair’sframeworkdemand the potentialforexplainingthe
argument’s claimandsupportlinguistically.Inotherwords,forthisimage tobe consideredan
argument,we shouldbe able toclearlyarticulate the claimthatit’smakingandthe reasoningthatit
putsforth. The implicitclaimhere isacall to action,a demandaimedatthose in the worldwhocare,
askingthat they expandfromsocial mediato make a real difference inthe world.Thisissupportedby
the assertionthat merely voicingyoursupportfora cause or organizationisnotenoughtofurtherthat
cause.
Finally,Blair’sfifthexplicitelementof argumentationisthatthe argumentmakesaclearly
demonstratedefforttocommunicate the claimandreasons.Seeingashow there’slittleelse inthe
picture otherthanthe boy,the thumbs,andthe text,and alsoconsideringthe worldwide familiarityof
the “like”sign,the argumentandsupportisexplicitlyexplainedtoreaders,containingalmostno
ambiguitywhatsoever. Thisisespeciallytrue whenconsidering thatthe targetaudience of the image are
internetactivists,whoalreadyare,bydefault,avidusersof social mediasuchasFacebook.
The Rhetoric
Beyondlookingatsimplyhowthisad constructsits visual argument,arhetorical analysisisa
meansby whichwe can analyze howitattemptstomake that argument compelling.The classical
Aristoteliandefinitionof rhetoricintermsof ethos (appeal tocredibility), pathos(appeal toemotion),
and logos (appeal tologic) offersaframeworkwhichcanbe usedto analyze the inherentrhetorical
techniquesusedinall arguments. (LaGrandeur,p.125) KevinLaGrandeurremindsusthatthe scope of
these toolsare by nomeanslimitedtooral andwrittenarguments,andcan justifiablybe employedto
understand visual arguments,likethe one beinganalyzedhere,justaswell (p.115).
The internet,beingarelativelyimpersonal anddisconnectedmedium, lendsitself tothe
subconsciousseparationof actionsfromconsequences. Inotherwords,forindividualinternetusers,
howcertainactionsmake us feel oftenmattersmore thanthe actual effecttheyhave onthe otherside
of the screen,since we’re unable tosee the actual impactthat we’re making.CrisisRelief Singapore
undoubtedlysawthisas the reasonthatotherwise caringindividualsmightbe satisfiedwith a“like”on

3. social mediaasopposedtoreal action.This ad campaignsoughtspecificallyto disruptthispattern.The
attemptwasto cause associationbetween socialmediaactivists thatittargetsand those holdingup
theirthumbs inthe picture,puttingviewers inasituationwhere,byassociation, they’re forcedto
confrontthisinjuredboyface toface,realizingthe uncomfortable andironictruth:theyreallyaren’t
doingmuchof anything.
The ultimate goal of thisverypersonal approachisto invoke astrong sense of guiltinviewers,
compellingthemtofeel personallyresponsible fornotdoingenoughtosupportaparticularcause. This
sense of guilt,representingAristotle’s pathos oremotional appeal, isespeciallybolsteredbythe use of a
sad lookingchild,missingaleg,layingatthe centerof the picture.While usingagrownman or a child
witha lesssevere injurywouldconveythe exactsame logical argument,childrentypically invoke deeper
senses of responsibilityandguilt,andthe factthat the childis missingalegonlyaddsto the sense of
helplessness thathe givesoff.The thumbsthemselvesalsoaddtothissense of guilt,creating,bywayof
antithesis,astrongcontrastbetweenthispitiableinjuredchildandthe signalsof joyousapproval all
aroundhim.Since the image aimsto putthe viewersinthe shoesof those holdingupthe thumbs,it
attemptsto make themfeel personallyresponsibleforthe abhorrent sense of approval beingdisplayed
inthe picture.
Alongwith the strongemotional appeal,there’salsoanimportant logicalfoundation tothe
image.Campbell arguesthatone of the primarymodesof reasoninginvisual argumentationisthe
drawingof comparisons,andthisimage drawsseveral of them. Firstof all,the injuredchildrepresents
the fact that there are,withouta doubt,people sufferinginthe worldtoday,justlike him.Secondly, the
thumbsrepresentthe factthatlikes,alone,donotcontribute tothe well-beingof those people. Thisis
demonstratedbythe factthat the childlaysinbed,unaffectedbythe people aroundhiminanyway. So,
the logical argumenthere isthatthissituationisan abstractionrepresentativeof the largerpicture;
people aresuffering(the child),andsocial mediasupport(the thumbs) is nothelpingthem. Further,the
sense of approval conveyedbythe thumbs issimilartocivil rightsactivistMartinLutherKingJr.’s
argumentthat “he whoaccepts evil withoutprotestingagainstitisreallycooperatingwithit”(King Jr.).
The ad makesthe argumentthat failingtoact in waysthat promote real,lastingchange isequivalentto
ignoringthe problem,thusindirectlyallowingittoperpetuate.
The Conclusion
CrisisRelief Singapore ultimatelyputs forthanargumentaimed atsocial mediausers, telling
themthat whatthey’re doing,whilewell-intentioned,isessentiallymeaninglesswhenitcomesto
combattingworldwidesuffering. Of course,thismaybe anoversimplificationof the impactsocial media
can have,as online advocacy can raise awareness,organize large groups,andcreate asense of
communityforcharitable foundations.However,the logical argumenthere,andone that’sundeniable,
isthat advocacy inand of itself isnotenoughtocombatthe many issuesfacingthe worldtoday. By
representingtheirtargetaudienceinthe image,CrisisRelief Singapore furthersthisclaimwiththe bold
assertionthatyou, the viewer,isindirectlyresponsible forthiskindof injustice,andthatonlyby
contributinginamore significantandmeaningful waycanyou prove your worthas a morallyrighteous
person.Thus,a compellingsynthesisof logical andemotional persuasionisemployedinmakingthis
argumenta compellingone.

4. Works Cited
Blair,A.(1996). The PossibilityandActualityof VisualArguments. Argumentation and Advocacy.
Ehses,H.,& Lupton,E. (1988). Rhetorical Handbook.
KingJr, M. L. (1967, April 4).BeyondVietnam - A Time toBreak Silence.NewYork,New York.
LaGrandeur,K. (n.d.).Digital ImagesandClassicPersuasion.