Tia Fish's #3 -Just Checking Cheerios Commercial

Tia Fish

Nancy Cook

 Writing 122

14 November 2013

                                                 Just Checking Cheerios Commercial

      Each day we see countless advertisements throughout the day whether it be through tv, billboards, or magazines.  Some ads are very interesting and others are just plain simple. One ad that got my attention is the Cheerios ad “ Just Checking”. This ad was like no other because it didn’t just try to sell the product but, it also gave a very important message. I found interest into this commercial because it introduced a interracial family . Even today across media, family structure is still shown as two parents of one ethnicity, and rarely mixed people are not fully represented on television. Across the years interracial marriage has been legalized since 1967, it’s no secret that interracial families represent a good portion of our country (Wikipedia). The thirty minute advertisement does a great job of displaying a family through emotions of love and support, emphasizes a popular breakfast staple, and captivates the audience by using a young child to talk to her parents about the product.

      In the commercial, the advertisement begins with a girl talking to her mother about the health benefits of cheerios and she is curious to know if the nutritional values lead up to what they really perceive to be .  The mother then reads on the box that it lowers cholesterol, which is a key factor in keeping our hearts healthy as individuals. When the girl realizes this, she pour a box of cheerios over her dads chest while he is sleeping.  He then wakes up, and discovers he has cheerios all over him. Although the commercial is very short and gets straight to the point, the camera throughout the video is constantly moving at a steady pace, the colors represented are very lit and bright to keep the audience engaged in the short commercial. The elements used to convey messages in the ad include several different styles of camera angles, music is very soft and happy, and movements are filled with excitement and laughter. The people pictured in the ad appear in the foreground, while the background is blurred .In my opinion; these choices were made to allow the consumers to pay close attention to the advertisement and not become distracted by the background. The elements used in the ad help establish an environment that families can relate to, and helps develop a happy mood in the audience that allows the consumer to become interested in the product.

The ad is based on supporting all kinds of families, no matter their race, religion, or age. They also know how important family’s our to an individual, that is why they chose something so powerful and meaningful to our hearts. And with breakfast being the most important meal, the concept is that you want to preserve their health by eating a healthy breakfast like cheerios.

   Despite the meaning cheerios is trying to imply to their audience, there are still several people who don’t like the idea of mixed race. The media had gone so viral that YouTube had to disable all comments for the video, just like many I found this shocking that people find this video so offensive. In a recording by Charles Burris, he interview kids reactions to the controversial commercial. And when asked if they saw anything wrong with the video none of them could find anything wrong (Merwin Par 1).The significance is that it doesn't matter what kind of race your family is or is combined of, it’s still a family. There are many interracial families in this decade but some audience might conclude that only a same race is a normal family.

  Although sadly racism still exists in our nation, people need to check their hearts and realize that stereotypes towards people and the color of their skin does not define them as a person. Despite what media or some people may say, Cheerios has done an outstanding job letting America know the true resemblance of what a true family really means. They have intertwined there product into something that has truth, love, and compassion. It is commercials like this that make a stand in our lives, and stay within our hearts forever. 

"Interracial Marriage in the United States". Wikipedia.Wikipedia Foundation, 11 Dec.2012.Nd.Web.14 Nov. 2013

Merwin,Hugh " Kid's Dont see a problem with that Interracial Cheerios Ad".GrubStreet.15 Aug.2013 .Web.Nov.2013