Tricks Advertisers Use

Read the vocabulary words below and their definitions. Then use them to help you answer the questions in red that follow. Answer all questions in Microsoft Word in Full Senctences.

Beauty Appeal:  Beauty attracts us; we are drawn to beautiful people, places, and things.

Celebrity Endorsement:  Associates product use with a well-known person.  By purchasing this product we are led to believe that we will attain characteristics similar to the celebrity.

Compliment the Consumer:  Advertisers flatter the consumer who is willing to purchase their product.  By purchasing the product the consumer is recognized by the advertisers for making a good decision with their selection.

Escape:  Getting away from it all is very appealing; you can imagine adventures you cannot have; the idea of escape is pleasurable.

Independence/Individuality:  Associates product with people who can think and act for themselves.  Products are linked to individual decision making.

Intelligence:  Associates product with smart people who can’t be fooled.

Lifestyle:  Associates product with a particular style of living/way of doing things.

Nurture:  Every time you see an animal or a child, the appeal is to your paternal or maternal instincts.  Associates products with taking care of someone.

Peer Approval:  Associates product use with friendship/acceptance.  Advertisers can also use this negatively, to make you worry that you’ll lose friends if you don’t use a certain product.

Rebel:  Associates products with behaviors or lifestyles that oppose society’s norms.

Rhetorical Question:  This technique poses a question to the consumer that demands a response.  A question is asked and the consumer is supposed to answer in such a way that affirms the product’s goodness.

Scientific/Statistical Claim:  Provides some sort of scientific proof or experiment, very specific numbers, or an impressive sounding mystery ingredient.

Unfinished Comparison/Claim:  Use of phrases such as “Works better in poor driving conditions!”  Works better than what?

Use the picture below to answer questions 1-6

1. Who is the advertisement trying to sell the product to? Describe the target audience (age, gender, culture, lifestyle).

2. Does this ad appeal to your emotions?  If so, which emotion(s)? If not, then why?

3. Do you detect any exaggeration or suspicious promises?  If so, describe the “hidden message.”

4. What is the intended use(s) of the product?  Does the advertiser point out special features of the product that distract for the intended use?  If so, explain the distractions.

5. Are there any signs or symbols in the ad?  If so, what are they trying to tell you?

6. What advertising techniques are being used to sell the product (see glossary of terms)?  Explain how each technique is being used.

Use the picture below to answer questions 7-12