Advertising:
The Magic of Communication
Love – Ads targeting love appeal to the desire
to love and be loved, and use beauty, masculinity,
We usually associate the word brainwashing
with prisoners of war undergoing a torturous form
of mind change, but we are exposed to
brainwashing every day of our lives: advertising.
In its simplest form, it is the sign at
McDonald’s that says “Big Macs 99¢.” In its
most complex form, it is a meticulously planned
and executed campaign to make us we want what
we don’t have and buy, buy, buy!
We are constantly bombarded by advertising
and sex appeal.
Comfort – Ideas of comfort appeal to being
warm, nourished, relaxed, and free from stress.
Personal importance is about ego
fulfillment: the desire for status, success, power,
and respect. It includes ads to avoid
embarrassment, such for products like
antiperspirant and dandruff shampoo.
Sense enjoyment appeals to sight, hearing,
touch, smell, taste, and fun.
from radio, TV, magazines, newspapers, and the
Internet. Our mailboxes are flooded with circulars
and catalogs. Our virtual mailboxes are filled with
spam. Billboards hug the edges of streets.
Advertising is as old as newspapers and as
modern and sophisticated as on-line services. Ad
agencies have developed because advertisers want
to reap the greatest rewards from the money they
invest in their advertising. The agency serves the
Agency “Secrets”
Besides appealing to the basic and secondary
human desires, advertising agencies use “secrets”
for their ad campaigns to help sell their products.
Product names are chosen to convey an
image. Burger King, Dairy Queen, Atlas, and
Tiger Paws help make the product seem strong,
large, and important. Nike, the “Winged Victory”
needs of the advertiser and in return receives as a
commission 15% of the total dollars the advertiser
spends in television, radio, magazines,
newspapers, billboards, and other media.
goddess, suggests speed. Sunkist and Ocean Spray
bring to mind the idea of freshness from nature.
Emotional Appeals
Advertisers want to gain the attention of the
buying public and to encourage sales, so their ads
are designed to appeal to five basic human
Themes - The theme is the main message of
the ad. The theme for Chevy trucks is that they are
built to last. McDonalds’ theme is fun. The theme
gets the message across quickly and simply and
emotional needs that are considered universal,
desires that human beings share:
Life – Safety, security, health, bargains and
economy, convenience, efficiency, cleanliness,
dependability, quality, and receiving information
about the product fulfill the desires for an
improved life.
often provides a catchy slogan.
Name Association - Advertisers remind us
that a new product is from the same makers of
another product we already use and trust.
Slogans - The slogan is important because it is
often the only thing the audience remembers when
the ad is over. The slogan must be simple,
containing only one message, and should include
the product’s name. Chevy’s truck slogan supports
its theme of being well-built: Like a rock.
Sex Appeal - Because the desire to be loved is
one of the strongest emotions, sex appeal is a
Scientific Statistics and Polls are used to help
convince the consumer which product to purchase.
powerful tool. Billion dollar industries from
Revlon and Clairol to Levi and Gap use
campaigns focused on the desire to attract the
opposite sex. Beautiful girls and handsome men
sell endless varieties of soaps, soups, and sodas.
An actor in a white coat may proclaim that 9 out of
10 dentists recommend that their patients use a
particular toothpaste or that the toothpaste reduces
cavities by 98%. An actor in coveralls and holding
a clipboard may explain which automobile has the
best crash test ratings or the best gas mileage.
Numbers are used to make products seem
beneficial, dependable, and vital.
Endorsements or testimonials gain attention
and help sell products. Endorsements are made by
everyday housewives claiming which detergent is
the best and by super athletes raving about hot
Color psychology is a relatively new science
dogs. Millions of dollars are paid to sports and
movie stars to tell us which aftershave, which car,
that has changed many ideas about advertising.
Color ads sell most products better than black and
which beer, and which soft drink to buy.
white. Some ads are black and white, using color
only for the product being promoted! Studies
show that cool colors such as greens and blues
produce calm feelings good for cleaning or health
care products and hot colors like reds and oranges
create excitement that sells sports cars.
Humor, Children, and Animals - Most
people love to laugh and enjoy looking at cute
children and adorable animals. Therefore, ads are
full of clever remarks, humorous happenings, and
all kinds of kids and animals. Young people
identify with such images and older persons
remember their own childhood.
Promises - Among the promises advertisers
make are weight loss, clear skin, more energy,
greater sex appeal and eternal youth. (But only
promise what you can deliver!)
Guarantees allow people to feel safe buying
something they have not tried before because they
believe they can get their money back if the
product does not work or if they do not like it.
Special Offers make buyers feel that they are
receiving a better value for their money. These
incentives include coupons, gifts-with-purchase,
quantity discounts, and free samples. A buyer
deciding between a Ford and a Dodge may choose
the Dodge when she finds out that air conditioning
is included at no additional cost this month.
Offers with deadlines may spur buyers to action.
Plain folks - The person endorsing the
product reminds the consumer of someone to be
trusted, like a neighbor or grandparent.
Bandwagon - Join the crowd. Everyone else
is buying this product, and you should, too!
Transfer - If you buy this product, you’ll be
happy, secure, adventurous, successful, or
beautiful - just like the people in the ad.
Glittering generalities (puffery) Words like
“helps” or “new and improved” are used to
impress us, but are unsubstantiated. Think of this
as inference without evidence. Although
advertisers in the real world use these terms, you
should avoid them in your campaigns.
As you prepare your ad campaigns, appeal to
their emotions and desires of your target audience.
Make sure the theme is clear, the slogan is simple
and easy to remember, and the jingle is catchy.
Use the “secrets” of advertising to help you get
your message across and sell your product.