Kairos is an Ancient Greek word essentially meaning to “strike while the iron is hot.” Kairos is the special circumstances surrounding a certain artifact that make the message more urgent or timely allowing for a greater means of persuasion.

The advertisement I have identified as taking advantage of kairos is Ryan Reynolds’s The Gift that Doesn’t Give Back. It is a commercial for his Aviation Gin. The commercial features three women, with a focus on the one in the middle. The three women, presumably friends, went out for a night of drinking to help the women in the middle. However, the two friends are clearly worried for the woman, saying thing’s like “you’re safe here” and they cheer to “new beginnings” after drinking (the women in the middle chugs the glass). The ad works with commonplaces such as going out for drinks when you’re emotional with friends and the idea of changing one’s life for the better. The exaggeration in the friends concerned looks gives an awkward and humorous tone that makes the ad very funny and appealing to young adults.

Now, onto the actual usage of Kairos. This commercial may seem like just another one of Ryan Reynolds’s comical alcohol commercials, however, if that were the case, it would not have gotten as viral as it did. This commercial was in response to a Peloton commercial where a women was gifted a Peloton exercise bike as a gift by her husband for the holidays. Many were critical of this commercial  saying it was sexist and upholding gender stereotypes. Others laughed at how scared the wife looked in the commercial as she was using the product.

This opened up a kairotic moment in which Reynolds’s latched on to. He hired the actress who played the wife from the Peloton commercial, Monica Ruiz, to be the women in the middle for his Aviation Gin commercial. This happened in less than a week after the Peloton ad aired. Now, Reynolds’s commercial gained a whole new and interesting meaning. The commercial posted on YouTube has nearly 7 million views contesting to its popularity and wide acceptance. The public loved it and I am sure Reynolds’s made good sales. This is all thanks to the Kairos of the time #freethepeletonwoman.

The Marlboro Man originates from a 1954-1999 campaign series for the Marlboro cigarette industry. Marlboro was originally advertised for women, selling “feminine” filtered cigarettes with the slogan “Mild as May.” Sales were not very good, so the company decided to hire a new advertiser in which they would completely revise their advertisements and target audience. They wanted men to buy their cigarettes, and thus, the rugged cowboy Marlboro Man was born.

The advertisement was a huge success. In the first two years, Marlboro sales increased by 200%. However, this feat could only be done because of the commonplace of the time. This accepted standard was that the the ideal man should be hard working, reserved, and macho. This idea is clearly shown in the campaign.  In the advertisement inserted, we can see a young man dressed in a outdoor working outfit, boots, and a cowboy hat kneeling in the dirt of what appears to be a farm. He is looking away from the camera and holding a cigarette in one hand. All of these details put together create the image of an independent and confident man not relying on his mom to care for him. He seems very assertive and is comfortable in his natural environment. By using this image of a cowboy to be the figure of their brand, Marlboro is implying that boys who use their cigarettes will turn into the ideal man desired by all. This greatly persuaded the male audience who debated buying what was once a female product. The cowboy image became ingrained in their mind as they could picture their faces being the face of the cowboy.

If this advertisement was still around now, it would be under fire immediately (and not just because of the scientifically proven negative effects of cigarette use). Today’s commonplace of what a man should look like or act like is completely different. Luckily, we are in more progressive society where we view the ideal man as just being who he is. This includes showing emotions and relying on others, as well as dressing in whatever clothes they want to express themselves. Trying to conform individuals into a certain stereotype is seen as negative, and this advertisement enforces the idea of toxic masculinity. It is interesting to see  how commonplaces change over time and how company who understand commonplaces of their audience can manipulate their advertising to appeal to a majority and gain success.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlboro_Man

https://www.marketingdive.com/news/goodbye-marlboro-man-how-marketers-are-breaking-with-traditional-notions/530094/