A DVERTISING & P ERSUASIVE D EVICES How Are We Persuaded to Buy Things?

W HAT ARE SYNONYMS FOR THE WORD “ PERSUADE ”? Convince Influence Urge Coax Brainwash?

WRITERS TRY TO PERSUADE US TO … Buy/not buy something Try/ not try something Go/ not go somewhere Stop/start doing something Vote for someone Step to action Believe or stop believing something Think or stop thinking a certain way

H OW ARE THINGS ADVERTISED TO US ? Commercials (TV and Radio) Print Advertisements Billboards On the sides of buses or tops of taxis Posters Can you think of any others?

TYPES OF PERSUASIVE DEVICES 1. Bandwagon 2. Fear 3. Rewards 4. Testimonial 5. Transfer 6. Euphemism

1. B ANDWAGON Making it seem like EVERYONE ELSE is buying or using a product. Making you feel like you may be left out if you don’t use this product. “Everybody is doing it. You should do it too.”

E XAMPLES OF B ANDWAGON &feature=related

2. F EAR Scaring you into buying into an idea or buying a product. Something bad might happen to you if you don’t buy this product.

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3. R EWARDS Giving you something for free if you buy a product. EX1: Buy one, get one free! EX2: Sign up for a one year gym membership and get your first three months free. EX3: If you purchase this now you will get free shipping and handling.

E XAMPLES OF REWARDS

4. T ESTIMONIAL When someone speaks about using the product. When an AD uses a quote by someone about the product. EX: “Proactive changed my life. I am more confident and happy.”

E X OF T ESTIMONIAL

5. T RANSFER Using a celebrity OR a person in power to sell something. EX1: Jennifer Hudson selling a weight loss plan. EX2: Katy Perry selling Proactive. EX3: A doctor selling cough medicine.

E XAMPLES OF TRANSFER

6. E UPHEMISM For Ex: “passed away” instead of “died” “correctional facility” instead of “jail” “letting someone go” instead of “firing them” A polite expression used in place of words or phrases that otherwise might be considered harsh or unpleasant to hear.

E XAMPLES OF E UPHEMISM IN ADS atch?v=BXndhAEcDjU

7. G LITTERING GENERALITIES Ex: WONDERFUL OUTSTANDING FOREVER IN LOVE The use of words that contain good connotations without actually relaying any significant information.

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8. L OGICAL FALLACIES Ex: Because of the possibility of a terrorist hijacking or a mechanical failure, flying on a plane is too dangerous and should be avoided altogether. Ex: Because of the possibility of poisoning of Halloween candy by some people who give it out to trick-or-treaters, communities should ban trick-or-treating. Definition: refers to the concept of making an error in terms of reasoning.

E XAMPLES OF L OGICAL FALLACIES E

9. NAME - CALLING Abusive or insulting language referring to a person or group, a verbal abuse. EX: Referring to a labor union supporter as anti-business EX: Calling a Policeman a Pig

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10. P LAIN FOLKS TALK Plain folk propaganda tricks people into thinking that a corporation or politician is just like ordinary people. They have noble ideas and goals that will benefit your regular Joe. EX: if your local governor were to go out to a small college and talk about how he was once taking tests and exams too.

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T HE “ PROMISE ” OF AN ADVERTISEMENT ( AD ) Every time you look at an ad it is promising you something. The promise is the benefit you will get as a result of buying into what they are selling. EXAMPLES: Using this perfume will make you feel like a princess. Using this cologne will make women fall all over you. Eating this will make you thin.

T ARGET AUDIENCE You cannot properly sell something unless you know who you want to sell it to. A target audience is the SPECIFIC group you are targeting your product/idea towards. EXAMPLES OF TARGET AUDIENCE Females between Males between Teachers Men and women senior citizens