Rhetorical Analysis of Paypal’s Online Payments Commercial

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PayPal’s online payment commercial intends to make life easy for the audience. It was made on the belief that every day should be simple. The commercial’s primary target is millennials old enough to enter into a legal contract. Therefore, it targets the various segments for anyone above 18 years. I consider this commercial to be effective in reaching its target audience because the solution it presents of making it simple to buy, sell, and send money anywhere with a simple click while observing its clients’ privacy meets the needs of millennials directly. They constantly shop online and want everything simplified to avoid the hustle of physically booking tickets, buying goods, and enjoying easy checkouts. This essay will examine how ethos, logos, and kairos are utilized in PayPal’s online commercial to show how the company makes life simple.

Ethos is a technique of appealing to ethics and is used to depict the credibility of content or the persuader (Brinks). An example from the commercial is the list of popular brands that accept PayPal payments, such as Uber, Airbnb, TypeTees, Jane, and StubHub (PayPal 01:08-01:15). PayPal attempts to convince its audience that they are correct by using words that have weight which can evoke the audience to take them seriously. For instance, PayPal uses the visual aid of a guy that calls for a ride using its online payment module (PayPal 0:20-0:26). The combination of the Uber logo and the visual aid helps link the compatibility of PayPal’s online payment services with the transport services, which boosts the company’s credibility.

Additionally, the commercial utilizes kairos which promotes the idea that the time for a particular action or thought has come (Brinks). The commercial uses two concepts to persuade its audience using the technique. First, PayPal says, “To pay without giving out credit card numbers or personal information” (PayPal 0:37-0:41). Data protection and privacy are a concern to individuals worldwide. The commercial assures its clients of privacy which is a tactical use of the rhetorical appeal that contributes to the commercial’s persuasive nature. Secondly, the claim that “we believe every day should be simple” gets supported through the commercial’s use of kairos (PayPal 0:00-0:03). The commercial utilizes visual aid to show how PayPal makes life simple. For example, a father pays fees for his daughter and friends that split the cheque (PayPal 0:27-0:36). Millennials want their lives to be simple, where they can sell or buy items from anywhere they want.

Furthermore, the claim that “PayPal is the most trusted way that millions of people buy, sell and send anywhere they want” gets supported through the commercial’s use of logos (PayPal 0:41-0:47). Therefore, the commercial uses statistics to seek to persuade and convince its listeners. An example is the use of a persuasive tone bucked up with visual aids of individuals from different races and ethnic backgrounds to support the “millions of users” concept. The visual aspect is an impetus that may attract individuals of various races and ethnic origins to sign up for the company’s services. Moreover, it uses specific language to tempt viewers to consider PayPal for its services. The commercial utilizes the data to persuade viewers into signing up for the organization.

PayPal is a popular online service platform for millennials that calls on the world to embrace its ability to simplify their lives. The company offers a simple method for the purchase, sale, and transfer of funds in addition to privacy for its clients. Such elements have allowed PayPal to engage its target audience while delivering the message of the simplicity of life. The logic behind this is that the target audience could see one click on the commercial and live simple lives as it appears in the commercial.