Rhetorical Analysis When one thinks of a commercial for an animal shelter, they probably picture monochromatic footage of a forlorn dog, wistfully gazing out from their metal confines onto a sea of animals equally as miserable as they are. Maybe a marginally popular vocalist makes a cameo in order to provide a few brief anecdotes about the progress that the animals have made since their days of suffering, and maybe the commercial closes with a montage of more animals as a somber ballad by the aforementioned vocalist plays over the footage. However, this commercial that you maybe have seen before is nothing like FurKids’ “Kitty Kommercial”, a low-budget advertisement that, without surprise, went viral and earned FurKids the fame of being the
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Shamelessly, they use advertising strategies typically used in large commercial settings to their own advantage, twisting them into humorous versions that humanize the adopting experience. For example, the very first segment of the commercial nods to infomercials, as the narrator asks the audience, “Has your goldfish lost its novelty? Do potted plants not excite you like they used to?” While this dialogue seems childish and hard to take seriously, it serves a greater purpose of setting an informal tone throughout the rest of the commercial, all while pulling in a wide range of audiences—both kids and adults can easily recognize the rhetorical identifying questions made famous through numerous infomercial openings. Additionally, it quickly becomes obvious that FurKids is satirizing this format through their using of a poorly-drawn paper “goldfish” in a small clear container to substitute a real, apparently unsatisfying fish in its bowl. Moreover, the woman acting out her discontent in these scenes shows her sarcasm through acting overly exasperated and downtrodden, confirming that this commercial is, indeed, intentionally “bad.” By satirizing infomercials, FurKids sets themselves apart from other retailers, showing that they are aware of the realistic abilities and capacities of their audience, unlike infomercials, who drastically …show more content…
It is a well-known fact that a company’s image is dependent on whoever their spokesperson is, and by choosing this specific dorky yet admirable narrator, FurKids easily made their way onto the radar of pet owners and animal lovers alike. The narrator repeatedly makes a fool of himself, whether it is through his inability to pronounce “Siamese” correctly, or the terrible puns he makes as the featured cat runs on a hamster-style wheel. These cheap laughs may not be funny to every viewer, but there still remains a large population of animal lovers who appreciate a simple laugh, which can be proved with a single YouTube search about “Funny Cats.” Not only does FurKids play into the humor of their target audience, but they also gain credibility. While this would be false in any other occasion, the lack of professionalism is one of the biggest selling points of this advertisement. Being the most successful no-kill shelter in the state of Georgia, it can be assumed that FurKids easily could have added some professionalism and production value to their advertisement, but they ended up trading their prestige and polish to save their funds to spend on their animals. By humbling themselves, FurKids becomes more admirable in the eyes of a logical pet owner by appealing to their drive to adopt ethically from shelters that promote humane and loving care for their animals. Not only
Shamelessly, they use advertising strategies typically used in large commercial settings to their own advantage, twisting them into humorous versions that humanize the adopting experience. For example, the very first segment of the commercial nods to infomercials, as the narrator asks the audience, “Has your goldfish lost its novelty? Do potted plants not excite you like they used to?” While this dialogue seems childish and hard to take seriously, it serves a greater purpose of setting an informal tone throughout the rest of the commercial, all while pulling in a wide range of audiences—both kids and adults can easily recognize the rhetorical identifying questions made famous through numerous infomercial openings. Additionally, it quickly becomes obvious that FurKids is satirizing this format through their using of a poorly-drawn paper “goldfish” in a small clear container to substitute a real, apparently unsatisfying fish in its bowl. Moreover, the woman acting out her discontent in these scenes shows her sarcasm through acting overly exasperated and downtrodden, confirming that this commercial is, indeed, intentionally “bad.” By satirizing infomercials, FurKids sets themselves apart from other retailers, showing that they are aware of the realistic abilities and capacities of their audience, unlike infomercials, who drastically …show more content…
It is a well-known fact that a company’s image is dependent on whoever their spokesperson is, and by choosing this specific dorky yet admirable narrator, FurKids easily made their way onto the radar of pet owners and animal lovers alike. The narrator repeatedly makes a fool of himself, whether it is through his inability to pronounce “Siamese” correctly, or the terrible puns he makes as the featured cat runs on a hamster-style wheel. These cheap laughs may not be funny to every viewer, but there still remains a large population of animal lovers who appreciate a simple laugh, which can be proved with a single YouTube search about “Funny Cats.” Not only does FurKids play into the humor of their target audience, but they also gain credibility. While this would be false in any other occasion, the lack of professionalism is one of the biggest selling points of this advertisement. Being the most successful no-kill shelter in the state of Georgia, it can be assumed that FurKids easily could have added some professionalism and production value to their advertisement, but they ended up trading their prestige and polish to save their funds to spend on their animals. By humbling themselves, FurKids becomes more admirable in the eyes of a logical pet owner by appealing to their drive to adopt ethically from shelters that promote humane and loving care for their animals. Not only