Persuasive Devices
used in Advertising
AKA: MARKETING TECHNIQUES
Advertising companies have created their own
science behind persuading audiences (called
marketing) by employing specific techniques
that combine 2 or 3 of the Aristotelian Appeals.
Avante Garde
Suggestion
that using this
product puts
the user
ahead of the
times.
Weasel Words
Suggests
positive
meaning
without
actually
making any
guarantee
Magic Ingredients
Suggestion that
“magic” makes
the product
exceptionally
effective.
Patriotism
Suggest that
purchasing
this product
shows your
love for your
country.
Transfer/ Transference
Positive words,
images, and
ideas that
suggest the
product is also
positive.
Plain Folks
Using ordinary
people to
suggest the
product is
good value
for ordinary
people.
Relatable.
Snob Appeal
Aims to flatter by
suggesting the
product is better
than others, giving
a sense of
exclusivity if you
purchase it.
Flattery
Appeals to the
audience’s vanity
by implying that
quality people buy
the product.
Bribery
Offers you
something
“extra” to
entice the
sale.
Bandwagon
Don’t be left out and
join the crowd or be
on the winning side
by using this product.
Loaded Words
Words with
strong
emotional
associations,
such as
“home,”
“family,”
“dishonest,”
and “wasteful.”
Name Calling
Comparing
one product
to another
and saying it
is weaker or
inferior.
Glittering Generality
Using appealing words that are too
vague to have any real meaning, like
“pure and natural.”
Repetition

Commercial
A product’s name
or catchphrase is
repeated over
and over with the
goal of having it
stick in the
audience’s mind.
Urgency
The feeling
of needing
this product
right away.
Sex Appeal
Lures in the
audience by
appealing to
their sexual
desires and
fantasies.