What is Advertising?
Advertising is paid communication in
which the sponsor is identified and
the message is controlled
Why does advertising exist?
To solve a problem- more goods than
needed
***If there were only brand of
sneakers, you wouldn’t need to
advertise them!
Where do we see advertising?
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Television
• Movies
• Radio
• Human Directors
• Billboards
• Shopping Carts
• Vehicles
• Internet
• Placement of a
product (TV/Movie)
Covert Advertising
Did you know every time you say Band-Aid
or Scotch Tape YOU are actually
advertising for FREE???
OR when a singer says a product’s name
that is free advertising too?
Stages of Advertising
1. Information Stage: before the 19th
century (price lists, signs, town criers)
2. Attention Stage: Use of devices to
attract attention (borders/type)
3. Repetition Stage: at a time when it
was ruled to be unfair to use LARGER
type, the type was repeated (familiar
and accepted)
Stages of Advertising
4. Association Stage: graphics and
pictures (product associations)
5. Product- Benefit Stage: how will the
customer benefit from the product?
6. Motivation Stage: People buy goods
because of psychological needs (make
them more powerful/beautiful etc.)
Stages of Advertising
7. Entertainment Stage: Commercials
that sell things because they are
entertaining (You like the commercial so
you buy the product)
8. Behavioral Stage: Present the product
image as satisfying a real consumer need
(organics-health conscientious)
Advertising Techniques
• ETHOS- Ethos is appeal based on the character of the speaker. An
ethos-driven document relies on the reputation of the author.
• PATHOS-Pathos is appeal based on emotion. Advertisements tend to
be pathos-driven.
• LOGOS-Logos is appeal based on logic or reason. Documents
distributed by companies or corporations are logos-driven. Scholarly
documents are also often logos-driven.
ETHOS = Appeal to Character
• Ethos appeals to an audience by creating an atmosphere of
trust.
• Ethos highlights the character of its source. We look less to
the message than to the person who’s delivering it.
• Ethos is all about CREDIBILITY:
–
–
–
–
The
The
The
The
source
source
source
source
strikes
strikes
strikes
strikes
us as
us as
us as
us as
authoritative.
worthy of respect.
likeable.
honest.
Examples of Ethos in advertising:
• A doctor endorsing a diet plan.
• A sports figure endorsing athletic shoes.
• A celebrity endorsing just about anything.
• An “everyman” figure endorsing a product
who strikes us as honest and likeable and a
lot like us.
Buy this book because
Oprah says to! (She’s
honest and level-headed
and knows a good read
when she sees one—plus
she’s rich and famous!)
PATHOS = Appeal to Emotion
• Pathos appeals to an audience through
emotionally charged language and images.
• Pathos appeals to both positive emotions like
love and sympathy and to negative emotions
like anger and insecurity.
• Pathos is all about gut reactions that we
don’t analyze. It has the greatest potential to
spur the audience to act.
Examples of Pathos in Advertising
• Ads that feature adorable kids.
• Ads that feature shocking or violent images.
• Ads that show embarrassing situations that
prey on insecurities.
• Ads that feature sexy actors that arouse
sexual desire.
If you don’t
buy me
Pampers,
you’re
making me
cry!
Look how happy
I am now!
LOGOS = Appeal to Reason
• Logos appeals to the audience through
logical argument.
• Logos provides reasons and points to
cause and effect.
• Logos is the main method of persuasion in
academic writing and speaking.
Examples of Logos in Advertising
• Ads that quote statistics.
• Ads that argue for superior performance or
durability.
• Ads that claim health benefits.
• Ads that use deductive reasoning (X is good,
Y is an example of X, so Y is good).
Research shows
there are good
reasons to drink
fluids when you
exercise, and
Gatorade is a fluid
!
EHTOS, PATHOS, AND LOGOS
ALL WORK TOGETHER…
• Rhetoric usually involves a mixture of all
three types of persuasion.
• Even in academic writing, where logos is
predominant, authors attempt to earn their
readers’ trust by appearing authoritative and
credible (ethos), and may also bring in
emotional anecdotes or case studies as
supporting evidence or employ subtly
charged language (pathos).
ETHOS:
Name of
organization
gives credibility.
PATHOS:
Shocking image of
bloody body creates
sense of outrage.
LOGOS:
Text makes argument
that reporters need to
inform public about what
goes on in combat zones.
 ETHOS = appeal to character (TRUST ME!)
 PATHOS = appeal to emotion (GUT RESPONSE!)
 LOGOS = appeal to reason (LOGIC’S ON MY SIDE!)
logos
ethos
pathos
Advertising Techniques
The Unfinished Technique
The ad claims that the product is better or
has more of something but does not
finish the comparison.
Example: “Magnaflux gives you more.”
The Weasel Word Technique
Sounds convincing at first, but when you
look closely, the words are empty.
(helps, virtually, can be, up to, fights, feels,
strengthened, comforts, as much as,
refreshes)
Examples: “Leaves dishes virtually
spotless”
“Part of a nutritious
breakfast”
The “We’re Different and
Unique” Technique
States that there is nothing quite like the
product advertised
Examples: “There’s no other mascara like it”
“Only Inca has this unique filter system”
The “Water is Wet”
Technique
Ads say something about the product that
would be true for any brand in that
product category
Examples: “Super Lash greatly increases the
diameter of every lash.”
“The detergent gasoline”
The Vague Technique
Uses words that are colorful and
meaningless, usually with emotional
opinions/often overlaps with other
techniques
Example: “For skin like peaches and cream”.
The
Endorsement/Testimonial
Technique
Use of a celebrity or an authority to sell
the product
Examples: Michael Jordan for Nike or Hanes
Variation- “John Doe” endorsement
people “just like you” use the product
The Scientific/Statistical
Technique
Ad refers to specific numbers,
experiment, or impressive mystery
ingredient
Example: “Molly’s oven cleaner has 33%
more cleaning power than another popular
brand”.
The Compliment the
Customer Technique
Ad that flatters the consumer.
Examples: “Hungary Man: For the real
man.”
The Rhetorical Question
Technique
Demands a response from the audience
to affirm a product’s goodness
Examples: “Wouldn’t you rather drive a
Buick?”
“Shouldn’t your family be drinking Hawaiian
Punch?”
•
•
•
•
•
•
Plain-folk pitch-associates product with simplicity. “We bring
good things to life” General Electric
Snob-appeal approach-attempts to persuade consumers that using
a product will maintain or elevate their social status,
Bandwagon effect-points out in exaggerated claims that everyone
is using a particular product “America’s favorite “ “best”
Hidden-fear appeal-plays on consumers’ sense of insecurity
Irritation advertising-creating product name recognition by
being annoying or obnoxious.
Association principle-an ad associate a product with some
cultural value or image that has a positive connection but may have
little connection to the actual product symbols of American
patriotism in the wake of September 11th