Advertising & Propaganda Techniques:

Let us tell you how to think & what to believe!

http://www.geico.com/about/commercials/beverly-hillbillies/

Assertion

Urgency

• You need this!• You need this

NOW!

• Our country needs you to do this!

• NOW!

Celebrity Endorsement

• Uses Fame to sell• BE LIKE MIKE!!!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2408021715493902604

Transfer/ Lifestyle

• Selling lifestyle, not product

• You can be cooler, more popular, “hipper” if you buy this!!!

Compliment/Counter-Culture/ Rebel

• You’re different, special, elite, better

• Hidden message:“If you are better, you’ll

use our product! If not, YOU’RE NOT!”

http://www.advertisementave.com/tv/ad.asp?u_player=realplayer&adid=116

Fear/Guilt

• Uses common fearsto convince you of a need forthe product

• What if you don’t have a problem?

Because so much is

riding on your tires

Attraction/ Beauty• Uses images of

beautiful people to sell products

• It is the person/ beauty that we are buying, not product

Unproven Claims/Facts and Figures

• Words like “best”,

“better”, “almost”, “virtually”

• Makes claims that aren’t proven or can’t be

• Uses statistics to sound convincing

Omission

• Listen for what is NOT said

• “Part of this complete breakfast”

http://www.ciconline.org/poptart

Humor/ Entertainment• Uses fun or

humor to sell a product

• Often, the ad has nothing to do with product

http://trevc.net/whassup/cparodies/true.mov

http://giesbers.net/video/Budweiser-Girlfriend.mpeg

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/127162/wasabi_wassup/

Unique / Different• Tries to show that the product is

different/better

than competitors’.• Often uses scientific jargon• Often has nothing to do with how

well the product actually works

Band Wagon

• Everyone’s buying this, why aren’t you?

• What’s wrong with you?

“Come see the movie that

everyone’s raving about!”

Humanizing • Gives a product

human-like characteristics

• People buy the person, not the product

http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/