Persuasive Techniques in Advertising

Bandwagon The suggestion that you should join the crowd or be on the winning side by using a product. The ad persuades you by making you believe you might get left behind or be the only person without the product if you don’t purchase it. Examples: Pepsi Max “I’m Good” Pedigree “Adoption Drive”

Glittering Generalities Emphasizes highly valued beliefs, such as patriotism, peace, family values or freedom with such claims as “All American” or “New and Improved” Example: Pedigree “Doggie Dentures” Chevy

Transfer Positive words, images, and ideas are used to suggest that the product being sold is also positive. Example: Coca Cola “Pinicquot” McD’s

Testimonial Uses a celebrity or “everyday people” to endorse a product. Examples: Bridgestone “Taters” Chrysler “Eminem”

Fear Uses scare tactics to get consumers to purchase a product or take action. AT&T: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92kPKbXHqss&feature =relmfu

Time Crunch Creating the impression that action is required immediately or the opportunity will be gone forever. Automax: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptxZs8ku63Y

Card Stacking (Semantic Slanting) Advertisers change the way they say something to make it sound more positive. They may twist their language so that their message is said in a way that puts them in a better light. On this cereal box, Frosted Flakes claims to be a good source of vitamin D, but if you read the label, you might be surprised.

Notice the cereal alone only contains 10% of your daily value of vitamin D. Do you consider Frosted Flakes to be a good source if you are only receiving 10% of your daily intake? If you add ½ cup of vitamin D milk, it raises the value to 25%. What is the “REAL” good source of vitamin D?

Card Stacking (Semantic Slanting) Another example could be on packaging for foods, when they say "90% fat-free" because that sounds much more appealing than saying, "10% fat", even though they mean the exact same thing. Can you spot semantic slanting in this popular fruit drink?

Determine the Persuasive Technique Who appears in the ad? The people who appear in the ad often reflect the target audience or whom they admire. (Testimonials) Does the ad appeal to emotion or to logic? Some ads appeal to the audience’s emotions, such as pity, fear, or vanity. (Bandwagon, Fear, Time Crunch) Some ads appeal to viewers’ emotions of happiness or nostalgia. (Transfer, Glittering Generalities) Some ads use humor. What language is used? Every word in an ad counts words—such as “tasty” and “sensational”—can make a product seem more desirable. (Glittering Generalities) Does the slogan stick? The best slogans are memorable and create an “image” of the product.

Guess the Technique!