Item #9: Cartoon Network Promos

COMMUNICATION CHANNEL: Television

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Anyone who enjoys watching cartoons, mainly children.











These promos for Cartoon Network aired during the station in the late '90s. Quite obviously, they use humor and mix live action and animation to capture the audience's attention. Most importantly, however, these promos use the common ground to persuade audiences to continue watching Cartoon Network, thereby forming brand loyalty.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle believed that persuasion was most effective when it had common ground. Common ground is "the shared beliefs, values, and interests between persuaders and persuadees" (Larson, 2010, p. 20). Both Cartoon Network and its audience are interested in cartoons. Therefore, the promos use popular cartoon characters in one-minute long cartoons to remind audiences that Cartoon Network is where these cartoons can be watched and where audiences can continue to enjoy the stories that cartoons tell. The network was trying to tell its audience, "You love cartoons, and we love cartoons. Therefore, keep watching us and we'll give you the cartoons you want."

These promos can also be said to use a conditional syllogism. Larson (2010) defines syllogisms as "forms or reasoning with three parts: a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion" (p. 222). Conditional syllogisms use if/then reasoning. In this kind of syllogism, the major premise gives a "logical relationship that is presumed to exist in the world and that receivers are to accept. The minor premise states the existense of one element in the relationship, and the conclusion is then drawn between the relationship and the existence of one element in it" (Larson, 2010, p. 222).

In the case of these promos, these three elements are as follows.

Major premise: "If you love cartoons, then you are looking for a network that will satisfy your want to see them."

Minor premise: "Cartoon Network airs cartoons 24/7, from classics to original series."

Conclusion: "You should watch Cartoon Network."

Of course, this was the 90s. Cartoon Network isn't anything like this anymore, and in my opnion, it's changed for the worse.