Propaganda Techniques
These persuasion devices are often used in advertising and political campaigning. Be critical readers and
listeners by being alert to these attempts to mold your choices and viewpoints.
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Bandwagon: Using the argument that because everyone is doing it, you should, too.
o “Last year 30 million winners switched to Nike athletic shoes. Isn’t it time you did, too?”
Card Stacking: Telling only one side of the story as though there is no opposing view.
o “This diet pill will make you lose 20 pounds in two weeks” (nevermind that the pill will make you have a
heart attack).
Exigency: Creating the impression that your action is required immediately or your opportunity will be lost
forever.
o “Saturday and Sunday only! It’s your last chance to get a really good deal on ’99 Hondas!”
Flag Waving: Connecting the person, product, or cause with patriotism.
o “Me drink foreign beer? Never! I drink Budweiser—American all the way!”
Glittering Generality: Using positive or idealistic words based on a detail or minor attribute to create an
association in the reader’s mind between the person or object and something that is good, valued, and desired.
o “Ron’s been on the varsity team for all four years. You couldn’t find a better team player or more
sportsmanlike young man.”
Innuendo: Causing the audience to become wary or suspicious of the product, person, or cause by hinting that
negative information may be being kept secret.
o “Other products claim they can handle the big, grimy, once-a-year cleaning jobs like a garage floor.
Think what they will do to the no-wax finish on your kitchen floor where your baby plays.”
Name Calling: Using negative or derogatory words to create an association in the reader’s mind between the
person or object and something that is bad, feared, or distasteful.
o “Barack Obama knows William Ayers, a domestic terrorist.”
Plain Folks: Using a person who represents the “typical” target of the ad to communicate to the target audience
the message that because we are alike and I would use/buy/believe this, you should, too.
o “If you’re a sinus sufferer like me, try extra-strength Claritin. It helps me. It will help you, too.”
Prestige Identification/Endorsement: Showing a well-known person with the object, person, or cause in
order to increase the audience’s impression of the importance or prestige of the object, person, or cause.
o “Michael Phelps likes to play Guitar Hero. You should, too.”
Red Herring: Highlighting a minor detail as a way to draw attention away from more important details or
issues.
o “The new Chevy Camaro—the only sports car available in 32 eye-catching colors.” (Nevermind that the
car will stop running before you are finished paying for it.)
Snob Appeal—Associating the product, person, or cause with successful, wealthy, admired people to give the
audience the idea that if they buy or support the same things, they will also be one of the “in-crowd.”
o The luxury car commercials where the wife finds car keys under the tree and goes outside her mansion
to find her brand new car.
Testimonial—Using the testimony or statement of someone to persuade you to think or act as he or she does.
o “I’m a doctor, and I take Advil when I have a headache.”
Transfer: Linking a known personal goal or ideal with a product or cause in order to transfer the audience’s
positive feelings to the product or cause.
o a textile manufacturer wanting people to wear their product to stay cool during the summer shows
people wearing fashions made from their cloth at a sunny seaside setting where there is a cool breeze.
Avante Garde: The suggestion that using this product puts the user ahead of the times
o a toy manufacturer encourages kids to be the first on their block to have a new toy.
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Facts and Figures: Statistics and objective factual information are used to prove the superiority of the product
o a car manufacturer quotes the amount of time it takes their car to get from 0 to 100 k.p.h.
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Weasel Words: “Weasel words" are used to suggest a positive meaning without actually really making any
guarantee
o a scientist says that a diet product might help you to lose weight the way it helped him to lose weight.
(Remember conditional language?)
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Magic Ingredients: The suggestion that some almost miraculous discovery makes the product exceptionally
effective
o a pharmaceutical manufacturer describes a special coating that makes their pain reliever less irritating
to the stomach than a competitor’s.
Bribery/Something for Nothing: Bribery seems to give a desirable extra something. We humans tend to be
greedy.
o Buy a burger; get free fries.
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Wit and Humor: Customers are attracted to products that divert the audience by giving viewers a reason to
laugh or to be entertained by clever use of visuals or language.
o the Geico caveman commercials.
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Simple Solutions: Avoid complexities, and attack many problems with one solution.
o Buy this makeup and you will be attractive, popular, and happy.
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Heart Strings: Commercials often create an emotional ambience that draws you into the advertisement and
makes you feel good.
o The McDonald's commercials featuring father and daughter eating out together, or the AT&T Reach
Out and Touch Someone ads are good examples. We are more attracted by products that make us feel
good.
Scale - is when advertisers make a product look bigger or smaller than it actually is.
o A Burger King burger looks enormous on the commercial or billboard but not so great when you
get one
Put Downs - are when you put down your competition's product to make your own product seem better.
o Bounty paper towels are much more absorbent that the competitor’s
Repetition: Product names are repeated at least four times
o “Head On, apply directly to the forehead.”
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Fear: Exploiting people’s fears to make them want to buy a product or subscribe to a cause
o “Vote for Saxby Chambliss, because Jim Martin will raise your taxes.”