Identifying metadata about Froot Loops (the context, date/timeliness, expected audience/target demographic)
Starting with the date, this box seems to be timeless in its many iterations. There is a consistent quality regarding the packaging, which subtly hints to the consistent quality of the breakfast cereal itself. Froot Loops are the same exact food, from the time they were initially released to the current time. The context of the imagery makes the cereal seem fun and attractive. Toucan Sam is a well designed and cute mascot. The box is primarily red, which not only grabs a shopperâs attention, but also makes the shopper hungry (this strategy is used in many fast food establishment logos, such as McDonalds, Burger King, Wendyâs, Taco Bell, etc.). A photo of the cereal is the only non-cartoonishly drawn feature of the packaging, because the producers want to inform the customers what they are purchasing (and that what they are purchasing is consistent with what theyâve come to understand Froot Loops are). I suspect that the expected audience is everybody who enjoys breakfast cereal. Letâs be honest: Froot Loops taste good. Sure, theyâre overly-sugary. Sure, they all only vaguely taste fruity. Sure, the flavor is the same in every piece, despite the different colors. However, most people associate Froot Loops with their childhood, so many adults purchase them out of nostalgia. Speaking of nostalgia, if I had to narrow the targeted demographic down further, the cereal is mostly consumed by children. Because of Toucan Samâs happy demeanor, children expect to become happier due to the pleasant taste of Froot Loops. Relating back to the context and consistency, this helps these children to recognize Froot Loops later in life, and bring them back to the happiness they experienced in childhood. The demographic and the character of Toucan Sam will be discussed further down. - NC
Further Metadata, and arguable claim regarding the marketing giant that is Toucan Sam
As mentioned above, the actual quality of the cereal is less important than the consistency of the cereal and packaging. Yes, the cereal is sweet and tasty, and yes, the box is bright and colorful, but is it just as sweet and tasty and bright and colorful as you remember them? Kelloggâs did an excellent job crafting this box design to be timeless, especially the character of Toucan Sam. He is a toucan, which makes customers think âOoh, I wonder if this cereal tastes tropicalâ, and his beak is very colorful, in reference to the colorful nature of the cereal itself. Also, as you might notice, Toucan Sam is swinging on a vine, instead of flying. Why is that? Well, my interpretation is that he needed to be further anthropomorphized than just being a cartoon bird. âWow! Heâs swinging on a vine! I can do that too, because I also have hands with opposable thumbs!â Says the little kid looking at the packaging. Well, perhaps itâs not that literal. However, to some degree, that is what children are thinking. âHeâs just like me, and he loves Froot Loops! Now I want some!â The character of Toucan Sam will be discussed further down. Â Â - NC
Analyze (not summarize) a) purpose, b) main points/claims, c) argument types, d) appeals to credibility, logic, and emotion, e) use of support, warrants, qualifiers, backing, f) use of language, graphics, humor, and
The purpose of this cereal box is to entice children into picking it up off of shelves and bringing it over to their parents in order to be purchased.
Evaluate persuasiveness for intended audiences.
Toucan Sam is renowned by all children- he has a smiling face and appears to be having a good time by eating/being around Froot Loops. Considering the fact that the primary audience is children, the front of this cereal box does a great job capturing and holding attention with its vibrant color scheme. Kids enjoy colorful foods, and by having s bright red box with a mix of all sorts of colors, Fruit Loops successfully targets this younger audience by getting them to pick up the cereal box to begin with. The secondary audience, arguably, is the parents buying this cereal for their kids. The cereal is persuasive to them in the sense that it offers nutritional facts right on the front. Thereâs no need to go searching for whether or not natural fruit flavors are used because itâ right there on the front. Along with other nutritional facts such as how the cereal is a good source of fiber and made with whole grains. Parents appreciate this kind of information, seeing as how most parents want their kids to have balanced diets. By listing what most parents would categorize as the most important nutritional information at the top, itâs easy to say that Fruit Loops does a great job at persuading parents to buy this cereal for their kids.
In an interesting sense the toucan works as an appeal to authority. Although he's not real, he's a beloved character telling impressionable kids which cereal is the most fun. Cereal companies try to make the most lovable âmascotsâ if you will, with fruity pebbles using the flinestones being a great example. Although not from a show, kids like the cartoon, the cartoon looks fun, and the cartoon eats the cereal.