Persuasive
Techniques
How the Advertisers
Hook You
Bandwagon
• Stresses popularity of
the product
• Viewers buy because
they want to fit in
• If everyone’s buying
it, it must be good
“…everyone
wants to be
a pepper,
too”
Testimonial or Celebrity
Endorsement
• Picture or statement
from a famous person
• Viewers associate the
product with the
celebrity
• Viewers like the product
because they like the
celebrity
Tiger says, “Buy it from Nike!”
Transfer
• Associating love, respect or
admiration we have for a person
or symbol, and transferring it to
a product.
• Viewers transfer the feeling for
the symbol to the product
• Viewers think if they buy the
product, they’ll get the feelings
associated with it
Transfer examples
• Put a picture of a flag on a company logo or
package product feel patriotic; buy
American and support the troops
• Car ad shows cute girl in the passenger seat
buy the car, get the girl, too.
• Soap ad under a waterfall  feel cool and
fresh
From the official Chevy website
Ad for Super-Chevy magazine subscription
Purr Words…
glittering generalities
• Words have no specific
meaning, but sound good
• Words make product seem
more desirable
• Words appeal to emotion
rather than reason
Ad for a dandruff shampoo
called Nozoral
Emotional Appeal
• Commercials are
designed to trigger
certain emotions
• If viewers feel good
about the
commercial, they’ll
feel good about the
product
Excerpts from a Hallmark
Commercial
Girl is late for
music lesson…
knows it’s her
grumpy teacher’s
birthday, so she
writes him a
card…
Grumpy teacher can’t
stay grumpy when he
reads the sweet card….
Girl is happy she made
him smile…
Everyone feels good!
Product comparison -cardstacking
• All facts and figures
support one product and
not the other
• Viewers question the
quality of the other
product
• Viewers believe the
featured product is
better
OUR BRAND
X
BRAND X
FRESH
X
TASTES GREAT
X
WHITENS
X
BRIGHTENS
X
X
NO
NO
Name-Calling
• Give someone or
something a ‘bad name’ so
others will dislike him or it
• Viewers will dislike and
distrust the person/product
• Viewers question the value
/ honesty / worth of the
person or product
Plain Folk or Elitism
• Ads appeal to the common
man or to the rich/elite
• Viewers think the
ad/politician can relate to
them because they are like
them
• Viewers want to be elite,
so they buy the product.
“Pardon
me, would you have any
Grey Poupon?”
Repetition
• Commercial features
words or images that
are stated or shown
over and over again.
• Viewers will be more
likely to remember the
product.
Meow, meow, meow,
meow, meow, meow,
meow, meow…
Meow, meow, meow,
meow, meow, meow,
meow, meow…
Security (fear)
• Draws on viewers
fears by telling them
their jobs or lives are
in danger
• Makes viewers feel
unsafe
• Viewers believe
product will protect
them.
This could happen to YOU!
Slogan
• “A memorable phrase is used in a
campaign, or a series of commercials for a
product or company.
• Viewers remember the slogan and associate
it with the product.
• Effective slogans can become part of
everyday language.
Things go better with Coke!
You deserve a break today, so get up and get away
to McDonald’s…
Be All that You Can Be --- In the Army
One
Thousand
Points
of
Light…
Just Do It!
got
milk?
Review
Persuasive
Techniques
Bandwagon
• Stresses popularity of
the product
• Viewers buy because
they want to fit in
• If everyone’s buying
it, it must be good
Testimonial or Celebrity
Endorsement
• Picture or statement
from a famous person
• Viewers associate the
product with the
celebrity
• Viewers like the product
because they like the
celebrity
Transfer
• Associating love, respect or
admiration we have for a person
or symbol, and transferring it to
a product.
• Viewers transfer the feeling for
the symbol to the product
• Viewers think if they buy the
product, they’ll get the feelings
associated with it
Purr Words…
glittering generalities
• Words have no specific
meaning, but sound good
• Words make product seem
more desirable
• Words appeal to emotion
rather than reason
Emotional Appeal
• Commercials are
designed to trigger
certain emotions
• If viewers feel good
about the
commercial, they’ll
feel good about the
product
Product comparison -cardstacking
• All facts and figures
support one product and
not the other
• Viewers question the
quality of the other
product
• Viewers believe the
featured product is
better
Name-Calling
• Give someone or
something a ‘bad name’ so
others will dislike him or it
• Viewers will dislike and
distrust the person/product
• Viewers question the value
/ honesty / worth of the
person or product
Plain Folk or Elitism
• Ads appeal to the common
man or to the rich/elite
• Viewers think the
ad/politician can relate to
them because they are like
them
• Viewers want to be elite,
so they buy the product.
Repetition
• Commercial features
words or images that
are stated or shown
over and over again.
• Viewers will be more
likely to remember the
product.
Security (fear)
• Draws on viewers
fears by telling them
their jobs or lives are
in danger
• Makes viewers feel
unsafe
• Viewers believe
product will protect
them.
Slogan
• “A memorable phrase is used in a
campaign, or a series of commercials for a
product or company.
• Viewers remember the slogan and associate
it with the product.
• Effective slogans can become part of
everyday language.
DON’T TAKE THE
BAIT!
Don’t let
advertisers
hook
you….
THINK BEFORE YOU
SPEND!