K-Mart has taken a large leap in the advertising community with its new marketing campaign. They have released several videos with similar styles within the past few months. One of these videos, “Ship My Pants,” with clever usage of words and annunciation, has become an instant classic.
This commercial begins inside of a K-mart store with a K-mart customer questioning weather or not he can ship his pants to his house with a salesman. After acknowledging that the man can ship his pants he tells his wife and young son to do the same. Several other customers are then seen explaining what they have shipped, including middle-aged and elderly people, prior to the explanation of the “If we don’t have it we will ship it for free” policy.
This commercial is meant to target all individuals who shop at K-Mart and even those that may shop at other retail locations. It is used to describe the advantage of shopping at K-Mart versus the competitors by showing the free shipping policy. This statement is supported by several proposed customers who have shipped various items from pants to beds. The range of age is also a good visual indication for the audience as it shows that there is no discrimination in age and that anyone can take advantage of the offer.
The main persuasive technique used throughout the commercial is humor. The use of the phrase “Ship my pants” is a reference to a common vulgar English phrase with similar pronunciation. The use of this type of marketing is a hit and miss with the audience with some finding it repulsive and others finding it humorous and creative. As the commercial progresses the “ship” phrases become more common to the English vulgar phrases as exemplified by the man lying in the bed who states, “I just shipped my bed!” The use of this type of marketing can be very effective in drawing the audience in becasue it is an unusual persuasion technique.
The speakers in this K-Mart commercial are the salesman, the dad and his family, the elderly couple, the lady who shipped her drawers, the woman who shipped her nighty, and the elderly man.
Overall the commercial captures the large picture of shipping out of stock products directly to the customers door very quickly and humerously. The use of the “ship” phrases created an instant classic in the commercial marketing world.
tippierhetoric0044 
Would you really assume that this is a commercial for people of all age? Although young adults may pick up on the humor, I can’t particularly see a 6 year old kid who get’s his pants there to understand the humor…
Do you think that the people that are the speakers represent anything such as the dad, elderly couple?
Do you think the audience could really be intended for people who don’t shop at K-mart? I think if people already choose not to shop there, this commercial won’t do much to persuade them.
Do you think maybe the repetition could have been the more effective technique rather than the humor?
Do you think that even though k-mart did make their point about shipping, the commercial doesn’t give enough information as it could have? Is there a way to include humor, while also giving a viewer who may have never heard of K-mart, more of an idea about what types of products they’re advertising?