1. Propaganda

2. Propaganda
“Their [the advertisers] purpose is to persuade us to believe in something or to do something that we would not normally believe or do.”

3. Propaganda
Any technique used to influence the actions and the beliefs of people.

4. Uses words to describe ugly, unpleasant situations that make you want to buy the product.
Negative Words

5. Happy words that imply excellence or uniqueness are used.
Positive Words

6. Doesn’t promote a product – it promotes the entire industry.
Institutional

7. Name Calling Puts down or insults another product
Name Calling

8. Permissible Lie Claims that their product is better than all others.
Permissible Lie

9. Used for products which are designed for every day living and keeping families happy, well-fed, clean and within their budget. The “typical” American family, their pets and problems are highlighted.
Plain Folks

10. Promotes the idea that their product is only for a select group of people. Choosing it reflects your good taste and helps you to be the very best.
Snob Appeal

11. Statistics Technical Jargon
Gives percentages, survey results, or other numbers to prove their product. The statistics are often misleading.
Technical Jargon
Uses scientific words or technical terms to make the product seem better.

12. Rhetorical Fallacy
An argument that does not make logical sense that is intended to distract the consumer.
Ad hominem
Exaggeration
Stereotyping
Categorical Claims

13. Attacking an opponents character rather than answering his/her argument.
Ad Hominem

14. A statement that represents something as better or worse than it really is.
Exaggeration

15. Over simplifying an image or idea of a particular type of person/thing.
Stereotyping

16. Categorical Claims
A categorical claim is a type of universalizing premise
Categorical claims relate two groups (categories) of objects with one another
“All monkeys eat bananas”
This claim relates one group (monkeys) with another (banana eaters)

17. Categorical claims have some standard indicators:
All, some, none, every, most, only
All = every single one (no exceptions)
Some = at least one
Every = All = every single one (no exceptions)
None = not a single one
Most = at least one
Only = there is nothing else that is included in the category

18. Examples
All dogs go to heaven
Some textbooks are extremely expensive
Nobody was very late to class
All cars built since 1998 are required to have front and side passenger airbags