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UNICEF

I found rhetoric used in a Korean promotional video for UNICEF. It starts with sad music and shows pictures of poor children in Africa who are sitting on a dirty floor and studying in poor surroundings. After that, the most handsome and famous actor in Korea shows up. He is playing with skinny kids who look really starved and tired but are smiling at the camera. It also shows sick children lying in bed with hopeless faces. The Korean actor then strokes their cheeks and gives them a lot of hugs and medicine with a gentle smile. He narrates some touching words like, “The children I met still live in my heart. All children should be healthy and happy but there are so many children starving and suffering from diseases. They need your love. Their lives can change with your little help. Please give them hope.”

The advertisement uses sound and photographs to appeal to the viewers’ emotions. Stirring music and pictures of poor, starving children make us feel pity for them and make us feel like we could really give them hope. Also, the video uses the handsome and popular actor to draw people’s attentions. Also, by seeing the famous actor participating in helping children and by listening to what he says, people will think they should also take part because he is famous and trustworthy.

I think the argument of the video is reasonable and the tactics it used are persuasive. I was moved by the starving, sick children and even more moved when I saw them smile. The actor did his part, too, because he is one of my favorite celebrities. I was enticed to watch him and therefore the video. Even though I wasn’t able to donate money because I didn’t have much money and I wasn’t old enough to participate either, my mom and grandfather called UNICEF right away and subscribed to be monthly contributors. Now my mom is sponsoring about 10 children.
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Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 11, 2015 at 11:13 AM

    I think that's awesome that your mom is sponsoring children, Julia! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kate weberJanuary 15, 2015 at 2:00 PM

    I think something we over look a lot in advertising, though, that you pointed out is how they use sound. Sound can be a big part of an advertisement, like in this one when they played sad music in the beginning. That music made the whole picture of the little starving kids with their smiles all the more sweetly tragic. Isn’t it interesting how advertisements try to reach our emotions in so many ways?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Clay BuxtonJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:48 PM

    I don't think they should make them so sad, everyone skips over them cause they don't want to cry. But all their doing is wanting pity for money. Such Cry, many sadnessess

    ReplyDelete
  4. Abigail OverbeyJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:50 PM

    I think this video you are talking about just shows how much our society revolves around celebrities and pop culture. If a regular citizen did this in a video it would probably not be as effective. I think it's good that celebrities are able to use their fame for a good cause though! If one of my favorite celebrities did this, I might want to donate as well.

    Liz

    ReplyDelete
  5. Abigail OverbeyJanuary 22, 2015 at 5:52 PM

    Part of the most powerful part of this commercial is the use of children. Sad kids make us want to do things and help them, especially when they use sad music. The commercial is also using pathos when saying things like "They need love. Their lives can change with your little help." This is an emotional appeal.

    Kaitlyn

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownMarch 26, 2015 at 6:07 PM

    The music really does make a difference! They always have sad music when they ask for money, whether it's for the SPCA, sponsoring Indian children, or funding education for children in Africa.

    ReplyDelete

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