© 2019, Society for Technical Communication. All rights reserved. Purpose: This article examines physical and rhetorical characteristics of videos used to promote technology projects on Kickstarter. In this study, successful projects are defined as projects that reached their funding goal; failed projects did not meet their funding goal. Method: Content analysis of 25 successful and 25 failed technology project videos. Cross-cultural analysis of successful U.S. videos and non-U.S. videos. Results: ¿ Successful project videos were more likely to include iconic and analytic still images and to demonstrate the final product; usually displayed a combination of static and dynamic pictures; and tended to use shorter on-screen texts. ¿ All videos comprised at least one of the kairos subtypes. ¿ Successful U.S. videos were more likely to present the creator onscreen, include static pictures and provide information on why the creator needed donations (logos). These also always referred to timeliness or a call to action (kairos). ¿ Successful non-U.S. videos were much more likely to refer to the exclusivity of the product (pathos) Conclusion: Kickstarter project videos are an important feature on the main project page and may influence potential supporters¿ decisions to fund projects. While other factors can also contribute to project success, an awareness of physical characteristics and rhetorical appeals of successful videos can help project campaigners, technical communication practitioners, and educators create more effective videos.