The Real Crimes

Bumper stickers, memes, comic panels in newspapers or magazines, t-shirt slogans, etc. are known for summarizing a logical argument in a comedic and/or concise fashion. These are often very appealing to the public as they are often perceived as amusing and witty. The following is a cartoon strip that aims to make a logical political argument in a concise and witty way:

https://usadecay.wordpress.com/category/politics/

The cartoon box depicts an exchange between a male child and his dad. The child tells his father that he is considering a career in organized crime. When the father responds with “government or private sector?” he is implying that the government and the private sector are both forms of organized crime. In fact, the dad actually implies that the government and private sector are the biggest or most common methods of organized crime. This implication can be derived from the fact that he immediately assumed that the child was referring to either the government or private sector. As most assumptions that are made are made because they are usually generally accepted as accurate, the comic argues that the idea that the government and private sector are the biggest forms of organized crime is so accurate that it can classify as an assumption in this context.

Overall, this comic does a very good job at making a concise logical argument that appeals to the consumer. Not only is its direct message clear but so are its implications. The combination of humor and wit instills an understanding or appreciation in the consumer which is the most someone could ask from a singular cartoon.

The Kairos of Emergency Preparedness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzilt-ntn3M

The advertisement placed above is an advertisement that aims to incentivize people to be prepared for natural disasters. As preparedness is about being ready for something before it happens, the entire advertisement is centered around the use of kairos.

The advertisement starts out by displaying text over a background scene of real natural disasters that says, “When is the right time…”. The first line used in the entire advertisement stresses the concept of time and directly addresses its relevance to the issue the organization that runs the advertisement is aiming to tackle. By introducing the concept of time with regard to when one should partake in action, it captures the audience’s attention. This is because viewers already have a general idea of whether or not they want to or should partake in different actions or initiatives. However, what people do not necessarily consider is at what moment in time they should partake in such actions or initiatives.

Also, the concept of time was reinforced at the middle to the end of the advertisement. When discussing when one should partake in being prepared for a natural disaster, the advertisement showed clips of different possibilities for when one could do so with the text “Now?” next to it. The first clip was during a flood, the second was during a tornado, the third was during a blizzard, and the fourth was during a casual conversation absent of any natural disaster. This instilled the idea in the reader that if one waits till a natural disaster occurs, it will probably be too late to create a plan for being prepared. Therefore, such use of kairos is effective in prompting urgency.

Additional to this, the advertisement uses heavy amounts of emotional appeal. Firstly, the melody of the music is somber and evokes a sympathizing response in the viewer. This helps prompt the viewer not only to pay attention but to take action. By appealing to the emotions of the viewer, the advertisement also makes itself more memorable. Secondly, the series of natural disasters attempt to put the viewer in the shoes of those experiencing a natural disaster. This is done in order to make the viewer to fear the possibility of a natural disaster enough to spark conversation with their family on how to be prepared when a natural disaster actually occurs. Thirdly, the depiction of specific items within the advertisement are meant to evoke sympathy and eventually, fear. In the beginning, the camera focuses on a washed up bunny and a photograph of a child in order to make the viewers realize that actual human beings were affected in these natural disasters. Such a strategy evokes sympathy and then, eventually, fear. As a result of this fear, they are more likely to pursue being prepared in the face of a natural disaster.

Both pathos and kairos were used as the primary drivers for inspiring the audience. All in all, it seemed to be as effective as possible. That being said, it is hard to incentivize people to take initiative and therefore, if it did make any progress, it was small progress.

The Ad that Ruined Skittles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6_cj35ZMnk

The video Wrigley Company released to advertise Skittles was one of the worst ads to ever be released. The visuals, setting and lack of energy used to persuade the audience creates a negative impression of an already well-known product. Not only is the ad nonsensical from a marketing perspective but it also has a negative effect, turning people away from purchasing Skittles.

The introduction to Skittles in the ad was when the female character asks the male character “What’s wrong Billy?” and the male character, Billy, replies by saying “My doctor says I have Skittles Pox.” The introduction to the product in this ad is through associating it with a disease or illness. To strengthen this association, the ad visually illustrates Billy having pox. However, instead of rashes, Billy’s face is covered in Skittles. As a result, the implied and actual association instilled in the audience is an association between Skittles and rashes. When viewing this, the audience is prompted to feel disgusted. The rationale behind this effect seems to be that if people are disgusted by it, they will not only share it but also remember it. However, this rationale is extremely flawed. If Skittles’ biggest issue was a lack of popularity, this marketing strategy would not be an issue as it would likely solve that issue. However, Skittles is and has been very well-known across the globe as one of the most popular candies. Therefore, all that is left for Wrigley Company to do in order to get people to purchase their product is make their product attractive. By associating Skittles with rashes, the ad released does the exact opposite.

http://pluperfecter.blogspot.com/2012/12/skittles-pox-and-viral-tv-commercial.html

Not only do the visual strategies cause the audience to view the product as unattractive but the setting does so as well. By taking place outside the empty stands of a stadium, the audience views the characters as excluded and alone, creating the subconscious assumption that the characters are outcasts experiencing isolation. The fact that they are standing right outside a fence amplifies this affect. By associating such feelings, through the setting, to the consumption or appreciation to their product, they make it appear unattractive.

https://www.dollargeneral.com/skittles-original-bite-size-candies-14-oz.html

Another way in which Skittles is made out to appear unattractive is through the absence of enthusiasm or energy. Most food ads display enthusiasm and pedantic energy when the food is consumed. However, when consuming a skittle, the girl has little to no reaction and simply asks “Are they contagious?” While deviating from norms can create popularity, Skittles does not need popularity. It needs attractiveness and this strategy works against them in that regard. Because other products exhibit some form of enthusiasm or energy, they tend to seem more attractive to the viewer.

If Skittles wants to create an effective ad, they need to actually promote their product.