Media Blog #6: Easy to Fold?

In this commercial, Blake Griffin is advertising the Kia Optima. It starts out with an average men and women trying to fold sheets. They talk about how impossible to fold, and that's when Blake Griffin comes in. He says that the side mirrors of the 2012 Kia Optima are easy to fold, and with a push of a button, they fold automatically. This commercial is trying to get people to buy the Kia Optima by only advertising the cool side mirrors that fold automatically. 

The first ad technique that is very obvious s testimonial. Blake Griffin is used to endorse this product and try and make more people buy the Kia Optima. Everyone loves to see famous people in their commercials because they automatically think it's good if someone famous is helping sell the product. We think that because someone that is more important/well-known then us helps sell it, then we can be just as successful as them. The need to achieve can also maybe fit in to this because Blake Griffin is a very successful person in the NBA, so we can have that same kind of achievement with this car.

The use of ethos is apparent in this commercial because Kia is trying to prove their credibility with Blake Griffin. Because he is a famous NBA player, some people automatically think that this must be a good car. However, what does Blake Griffin really know about cars? Well, probably nothing. He plays basketball, how does that make him a credible person to advertise a car? However, it still is a very good technique to use.

I have a problem with the commercial in general. The only thing that is really said about the car is how the mirrors can fold automatically with the push of a button. I do think that is very cool, but what does that say about the car? Not much at all. How does the car run, are there any other cool features to the car? I am not fully convinced, and wouldn't want to buy this car. I love Blake Griffin, but that doesn't mean I would buy the car.

I do not particularly like this ad, but it is still somewhat effective. Blake Griffin is a pretty well-known NBA player, so it is very smart to have him help sell the Kia Optima. However, not much is being said about the car, and I am not convinced this is a good car.