Rhetorical Situation for 1960's Cocoa Puffs Commercial

This 1960’s Cocoa Puffs Commercial is targeting all the “young friends” in the audience.  It opens with the well-known Sonny the Cuckoo Bird swinging on a swing and singing about “yum, yum” Cocoa Puffs.  The bird jumps off the swing and dances around as he flaps his arms.  Clearly, he is a very happy bird.  However, we are beginning to get the idea that he is a little crazy.  He is a smiling, frolicking, spastic bird singing about the deliciousness of this particular cereal flavor.  Throughout the commercial, we also hear the voice of a narrator.  He asks us the question, “Wanna have some fun?” and then tells us to watch.  This makes the audience curious as to what is going to happen.  We are drawn into the commercial and then, when he makes this comment, we are hooked.  We have to keep watching to find out what this so-called “fun” is.  A table with a bowl, milk, and Cocoa Puffs cereal is placed in front of him.  As he is frolicking around, he bumps into the table.  If you thought Sonny the Cuckoo Bird seemed crazy before, you haven’t seen anything yet.  Seeing the Cocoa Puffs cereal makes him go absolutely nuts.  He begins shouting and moving his body around frantically.  The narrator makes a logical appeal to the audience, providing an explanation for why this bird is so cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.  He reasons that it is because the cereal is made with real Hershey’s cocoa, which makes them irresistible for anyone who craves a chocolaty taste.  Furthermore, the narrator establishes an ethical appeal by using the name “General Mills,” which is a popular and well-known cereal brand.    

-Therese Renzi