Advertising Appeals and Strategies

Advertising Appeals & Strategies The Testimonial Appeal: In this technique, a celebrity or authority figure endorses the product. This could be a celebrity, sports star, or “professional” (i.e. dentist endorsing toothpaste) The Slice of Life Appeal: This is a technique based on a conflict or problem/solution. It tries to engage people who have the problem or people who want to avoid getting the problem.  Usually involves an emotional appeal like fear, shock, or humour. The Lifestyle Appeal: In this technique, an advertisement provides a glimpse from a particular lifestyle or way of living. The hope is that the audience will desire this lifestyle and transfer that longing to the product.

Advertising Appeals & Strategies 4. The Humour Strategy: In this technique, humor is used to break through the "noise" of all the competition advertising messages out there and get people to pay attention to the sales pitch. One of the most effective ways to get the audience's attention is to be funny -- if the attempt works and doesn't misfire. Must be sensitive to audience variables. 5. The Deal Appeal (Beibery): This technique involves making the audience a compelling offer, and telling them exactly how to get it. Key words associated with this technique are ”free” and “save”.

Advertising Appeals & Strategies Bandwagon Appeal: This technique uses peer pressure to influence the consumer. If everyone else is doing it so should you. Name Calling Appeal: In this technique, the advertiser compares its product or service to the competition in a way that is favorable to the advertiser.

Advertising Appeals & Strategies 8. Exaggeration Strategy: This technique takes the basic idea and exaggerates it. These advertisements exaggerate the benefit, the problem, the size, and/or the physical appearance of a product or idea. Caricatures 9. Personification Strategy: This technique gives human characteristics to a product, or service.

Media Studies Adult Advertising Techniques (7:31mins): http://www

Appeals & Strategies Take out a pen and paper Write down the numbers #1- 15 Using the information on the “Advertising Appeals and Strategies” handout, identify the appeals/strategies used in the following advertisements. **There may be more than one for each!

#1 The slice of life, humour, name calling, exaggeration

#2 Testimonial

#3 Humour, personification, exaggeration

#4 Bandwagon, lifestyle

#5 Bandwagon, humour

#6 Exaggeration, lifestyle

#7 The deal appeal, testimonial

#8 Lifestyle, testimonial,

#9 Humour, exaggeration,

#10 Humour, exaggeration

#11 The slice of life, lifestyle, personification

#12 Exaggeration, humour

#13 Personification, the slice of life

#14 Slice of life, humour, personfication

#15 Exaggeration, humour

Write a Formal Letter Look through some magazine ads and find one that makes you react strongly, whether in a positive or negative way. Perhaps it’s an ad that makes you laugh or cry or rage. Think about why you like or dislike the ad. Jot down notes describing your reaction. Now, use these notes to write a formal letter to the advertiser. Either a complaint or a complement letter.