The use of persuasion in public spots during the pandemic period: An example of the Turkish Ministry of Health

Public service announcements, also known as PSAs, are advertising films designed to guide and provide solutions to societal issues. They aim to address a problem and direct the public's attention towards finding a resolution. The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in 2020, deeply affected people and caused numerous deaths. The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey released several public service announcements during this pandemic to inform and guide the target audience about the disease. To have an impact on people, these PSAs incorporated various advertising appeal elements into their narratives. Elements such as fear, guilt, morality, and many others found their place within these public service announcements. This thesis examines in-depth the extent to which advertising appeal elements were used and the narrative formats utilized when incorporating these appeal elements, using content analysis methodology.