Glossary of Commonly Used Advertising Techniques



Glossary of Commonly Used Advertising Techniques

Companies appeal to consumers in many different ways to persuade them to buy their products. Here are a few of the most common.

|Technique |Explanation |

|Avant garde |The suggestion that using this product puts the user ahead of the times ex:. a toy manufacturer encourages kids to |

| |be the first on their block to have a new toy |

|Bandwagon |The suggestion that everybody is using the product and that you should too ex:. a credit card company quotes the |

| |number of millions of people who use their card |

|Facts and figures |Statistics and factual information is used to prove the superiority of the product ex: a car manufacturer quotes |

| |the amount of time it takes their car to get from 0 to 100 k.p.h. |

|Glittering generalities |"weasel words" are used to suggest a positive meaning without actually really making any guarantee ex:. a famous |

| |sports personality says that a diet product might help you to lose weight the way it helped him to lose weight |

|Hidden fears |The suggestion that this product will protect the user from some danger ex: a minivan manufacturer makes the |

| |consumer feel as though buying any other vehicle for their family is unsafe |

|Magic ingredients |The suggestion that some almost miraculous discovery makes the product exceptionally effective ex: a pharmaceutical|

| |manufacturer describes a special coating that makes their pain reliever less irritating to the stomach than a |

| |competitors’ |

|Patriotism |the suggestion that purchasing this product shows your love of your country ex:. a company brags about its product |

| |being made in Canada and employing Canadian workers |

|Plain folks |The suggestion that the product is a practical product of good value for ordinary people ex: a cereal manufacturer |

| |shows an ordinary family sitting down to breakfast and enjoying their product |

|Snob appeal |The suggestion that the use of the product makes the customer part of an elite group with a luxurious and glamorous|

| |life style ex:. a coffee manufacturer shows people dressed in formal gowns and tuxedos drinking their brand at an |

| |art gallery |

|Celebrity Endorsement: |A famous personality is used to endorse the product ex:. a famous hockey player recommends a particular brand of |

| |skates |

| |

|SEE REVERSE FOR MORE TECHNIQUES |

| | |

|Humour |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. ex: an advertisement for a movie shows a few funny scenes in its|

| |preview |

|Beauty/Sex Appeal: |Beauty attracts us; we are drawn to beautiful people, places, and things. ex: an ad for sunscreen shows and |

| |exceptionally pretty woman using the product. |

|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. ex: an advertisement for a diet |

| |product says to its audience something like “You are working hard to work out and eat well. Our product can help |

| |you achieve the goal you’ve already started working toward. |

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

| |pleasurable. ex: an advertisement for a SUV shows it winding around a mountain road and then pulling up to a |

| |beautiful and peaceful campsite. |

|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. ex: an ad for toilet paper shows puppies |

|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. ex: an ad for a new cell phone claims it can keep you |

| |in better touch with your friends than older phones. |

|Rebel: |Associates products with behaviors or lifestyles that oppose society’s norms. ex: an ad for a new unusual style of |

| |jewelry says something like: “for those who stand out” |

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

| |making. |

|Intelligence: |Associates product with smart people who cannot be fooled |

|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. |

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

 

 

Information for this handout was compiled from:

and Tressler and Lewis, Mastering Effective English (Third Edition), pp.470-472)

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