Case Study Chick-Fil-A

1995: the year of the first “Eat more chicken” billboard, the year Chick-fil-a began broadcasting 672 square feet of chicken love. When one envisions this fast food chain, families come to mind. However, in 2016, Chick-fil-a made an executive decision to expand their business by promoting catering, specifically for events like office parties. As a result the famous Chick-fil-a cows found themselves on new billboards, broadcasting phrases like “office parties”. Chick-fila-a utilizes ironic humor, atypical font, vibrant color, and exaggerated fact on a billboard to appeal to a new consumer: corporate business. At first glance, the billboard credibility is clear. Chick-fil-a has been a growing business since Mr. Cathy’s first restaurant in 1967.

Though Chick-fil-a most likely did not actually interview or construct research comparing office party catering and attendee satisfaction, tempting the reader to believe they did improves their ethos. Research is the most common way to prove legitimacy. With such a high percentage, the viewer assumes substantial improvement with Chick-fil-a catering. Yet, the percentage does not equal one-hundred percentage. Perfect often reads fake. The “96.4%” sounds significant but not made up. Not only does fact appeal to the logic of business but the legitimacy of the Chick-fil-a itself. According to kairos, the timing of a billboard would be perfect to attract corporate personnel. Billboards line the interstates and mass highways traveled daily by those working in largely populated areas. Business men and women practically park on these roadways prior to beginning or post a long day. This is prime time to begin that person’s day with a smile or turn a stressful time around. Smiles and business proves a goal of Chick-fil-a, ending every conversation with, “my pleasure”. The timing of these exposures to Chick-fil-a’s genuine heart peaks at the most vulnerable time in a business person’s day. The person could remember this feeling the brainstorming catering for the next workplace

The words read, “Chikin makez office partees 96.4% better” in atypical but still legible type. This variation from the normal text of grant proposals, contracts, and other formal documents immediately focuses attention on the billboard. Since the words are spelled wrong and messy, they resemble the writing of a stereotypical child. Pathos states appeal to emotions, invoked by this childhood resemblance. The spirit of a child is lighthearted and fun, developing a positive emotional reaction to the advertising on the billboard. The viewer likely may assume that this Chick-fil-a catering will bring the same emotion to their event, encouraging the purchase of the product, Chick-fil-a catering. Also, Chick-fil-a chose the term “better” over “more fun” or “yummy” because words like fun and yummy are relative and vary person to person. “Better” simply standardizes improvement. Improvement resinates logically with business people as that is the goal of their career. This logos holds true to the norm of the desired customer acquisition from this