Paper Example on Funny KFC Ad Captivates Viewers

Introduction

In the current world, there are all types of commercials which aim at publicizing some major products. There are some particular funny and intriguing commercials, all of which aim at selling the advertised products. These commercials are placed on phones, televisions and some are played before streaming videos and television shows. One particular commercial that I found intriguing was the Kentucky Fried Chicken advertising video which was put on YouTube. The video has excellent graphics and outline which makes it among the most outstanding commercials. It uses a song to present the message and persuades the viewer to buy the products. This paper aims at bridging the gap between persuasion/ science theories and the reasons as to why KFC decided to use such a commercial.

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KFC Chicken & Waffles Commercial Case Study

KFC promoted Kentucky Fried Chicken & Waffles with a television spot breaking which exemplifies the popular dance scene from the end of "Dirty Dancing." ("Luther Vandross - Dance with My Father", 2019). The roles from the film are replaced by Colonel Sanders and Mrs. Butterworth belonging to Mrs. Butterworth's syrup, which is currently owned by Conagra brands. The dance movies show that the conjoining of KFC and Mrs. Butterworth's syrup is the most delicious of all time. The waffles in the commercial are the Belgian Liege- Style waffles, which are prepared from a yeast-raised dough instead of batter. The commercial ends with the viewer's being convinced to buy the chicken and waffles, doused with Mrs. Butterworth Syrup. The angle of the camera moves from angle to angle to show the beauty in the dance. The graphics are excellent as there is a white background which makes the viewer's focus on the dancers and the main message.

The Specific Target Audience

The specific target audience of this audience is the chicken lovers and the general public. The company tries to persuade the viewers to try their new combination of foods which has been improved. It aims at getting the viewers to try using KFC and Mrs. Butterworth together with the newly introduced waffles. The target demographic includes people of all ages including children, teenagers, and grownups. The children's would be fascinated to see the big bottle dance hence follow the advert to the end. It would be easy for the teenagers and the grownups as they already know the meaning of the sweet dance moves. The video serves as a vital aspect in convincing any viewer to view as it uses a popular song and a dance, which introduces a comic aspect to the song. The message is at the very end so that the viewers may get the main intention of having created the dance. As it is, the video would attract most people, including those people who dislike chicken.

Components of the Commercial

The length of the clip is thirty seconds which makes it easy for the viewer to follow through the whole commercial. The length allows the video to have precision and deliver the main message to the viewers. It is advisable that commercial videos should be concise to attract the attention of the viewer. The angle of camera shifts from place to place to focus on the dancers. There is camera is kept in a low angle in such a way that it makes the subjects and objects to appear powerful and magnificent. The words are said aloud at the end of the commercial convincing the viewers that the new Kentucky fried chicken and waffles are the most delicious combinations of all time. There is a song played in the background to add vigor to the commercial. Also, there is a white background in the commercial which makes the viewer concentrate on the main objects and subjects of the commercial video. Generally, the video uses all the above mentioned components to project the main message to the target audience.

The rationale as of why the Components Were Included

The effect of the cameras is critical in bringing out the general powerful outcomes out of a commercial video. The commercial video by KFC incorporated use of a wide and low angle to bring out a greater view without the camera having to move or pan. The closer angle lens is used at the end of this video to bring out the beauty in the chicken and waffles and how delicious just like the commercial presents. A tracking shot is used where the camera moves together with the dancing subjects. This shows that a close-up of the subject is not decreased as the character moves. The words are pronounced in a strong manner where the presenter portrays confidence that the Kentucky Chicken and waffles are the most delicious of all time. The words are pronounced in a deep and strong voice which helps in bringing the message in a clear and likable manner. Moreover, the background has no other objects, hence attracting the attention of the viewer.

Theories Present in the Persuasion Strategy

Classical conditioning is used in this commercial video whereby the concept of pairing is used. For instance, each time a person eats the delicious chicken and waffles, they are filled with delight hence they might dance as a result of happiness. The balance theory (P-O-X theory) is also used in this commercial. This framework refers to the desire to maintain a balance when a person and other objects are linked in a specific manner. As in this case, a balance is used where there is Mrs. Butterworth syrup dancing with Mr. Colonel and there are the chicken and waffles at the end. Just like Mr. Colonel is happy to eat the chicken and waffles, to maintain balance, the viewers would also want to have chicken and waffles. Moreover, there is the theory of reasoned action which includes focusing on the behavior as the final outcome after being associated with something. In this case, the chicken and waffles are presented as bringing out a feeling of delight that would make a person dance. The Yale Approach is also incorporated where the viewer is persuaded to focus on the message of the commercial. The persuasion strategy used in this case includes the capturing of the viewers' attention, making them comprehend the intended message, convincing them to follow the message and that the message leads to some sort of positive action.

Action-Plan on How to Improve the Commercial

The commercial could have been improved if the Elaboration Likelihood Method (ELM) could have been introduced. The theory includes the likelihood of an individual being motivated and also the viewer receiving the persuasive message. The motivation could have been based on congruency, personal responsibility, and personal relevance. It should have been based on previous positive experiences so as to convince the prospective viewers to buy the new Kentucky Chicken and waffles.

References

Luther Vandross - Dance With My Father. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmDxJrggie8