Advertisement Appeals

Here are some persuasive devices you can use in creating your political commercial.

Examples are given when needed for clarification.

  1. Word magic: Selling the product through catchy phrasing and slogans that stick in the consumer's mind. Includes jingles.

    Examples: "GE, we bring good things to life." "Image is nothing, thirst is everything" (Sprite)

  2. Testimonial: The use of personalities (usually well-known) who lend their good name and reputation to a product.

    Examples: Michael Jordan selling Gatorade. Arsenio Hall selling 1-800-COLLECT long distance service. John McCain endorsing George W. Bush for president.

  3. Presenting inferences as facts/unsupported claims: Cleverly stating opinions and conclusions in a factual matter to sound more authoritative or convincing. (An inference is a conclusion.)

    Examples: "Al Gore is the best man to lead us into the next century."

  4. Name calling: When companies deliberately mock each other in ads. This is more common in political advertisements.

    Examples: "Al Gore is a tax and spend liberal." "George W. Bush is an elitist who's in the pocket of big oil companies."

  5. Fancy figures:Using facts, statistics, percentages, and cost figures to give the illusion that there is a more factual basis behind selecting the product.

    Examples: "Crime went down 56% under George W. Bush's leadership while the economy rose 11%."

  6. Soft soap: Flattery or insincere compliments designed to get the audience on the side of the speaker.

    Examples: "I love visiting you folks in Iowa where the people are wholesome, hardworking and family centered. You all know what works in your state better than Washington bureaucrats."

  7. Glittering generality: Highly general, abstract statements that can't really be proven. A common application is when advertisers claim they have the best product for individual needs.

    Examples: "Secure, safe and stable. That's the advantage of a Subaru. No other car on the road is as reliable." "George W. Bush will renew America's promise and fight for freedom here and abroad."

  8. Transfer: The speaker's intent is to have the history, qualities and appeal of the image behind/beside him transfer onto himself.

    Examples: Al Gore speaking to an environmentalist group with the Grand Canyon as his background; a politician making a speech in front of the United States flag or picture of Thomas Jefferson; President Clinton next to Rosa Parks during a civil rights speech.

  9. Quoting out of context:Removing juicy quotes from the appropriate context to skew the meaning in favor of the advertiser.

    Examples: "Two thumbs up!" for movie reviews.

  10. Plain folks: The average person appearing in commercials or writing letters of praise to the company. Uses the common person's touch.

    Examples: Wal-Mart using real photos of employees in sales flyers.

  11. Card stacking: Presenting overwhelming evidence for one side and not the other or leading questions that force the consumer into choosing the product advertised.

    Examples: Bar charts of differing tax programs presented side by side.

  12. Bandwagon: Everyone is using this product. The advertiser may use words that say, "nine out of ten Americans choose..."

    Examples: "Millions of Americans use Bayer aspirin." "Mitsubishi is the fastest growing car maker."

  13. Repetition: The repetition of key phrases, the product name or images in print. Most radio advertisements rely upon repeated phrases since there is no visual stimuli.

  14. Appeal to fear and prejudice: Often indirect, these appeals play upon our worst fears. It is commonly used in home security ads and deodorant commercials.

    Examples: George Bush using the Willie Horton ads in 1988 that showed a criminal committing another crime after being released under a furlough program Michael Dukakis approved.

  15. Two-valued orientation: The advertiser gives you only two choices when there are actually more.

    Examples: "It's either Bush or Gore in 2000." (Ralph Nader, Patrick Buchanan and others are also running for President. Bush and Gore would like you to think it's a choice only between those two.)

  16. Selling the image:Every ad sells an image and a name. The content of the ad determines the image.

    Examples: Politicians wearing plaids and jeans in the Midwest. Ronald Regan was often pictured on horseback to convey a outdoorsman image. The power of the image has more lasting effects than the voice over in commercials.

  17. Appeal to sense of value: Using sales, pricing information, percentages off. Ties into fancy figures.

    Examples: "All women's clothing is 50% off." "Protect your children's investment with Prudential."

  18. Sex: Using attractive models to convey the idea that a product will make you more appealing.

    Examples: Abercrombie & Fitch clothes are similar to GAP and Old Navy, but A&F uses young, half clothed models in nearly all of its advertisements. Calvin Klein has used similar tactics successfully.

  19. Humor: One of the most effective and popular ways for a consumer to remember a product/company. Humor does not always inspire trust, and it is rarely used in political ads. It is effective for selling sodas and pizza (like Little Caesar's).

  20. Snob appeal: High class, material goods are preferred. Why own a Chevy when you can have a Lexus? The name brand is superior to others, and despite the products' relative similarity, the high class image inspires us to spend more.