Fundamentals of Communication: Advertising Techniques Analysis

This assignment delves into the realm of persuasive techniques employed in advertising, examining how these methods influence consumer behavior and beliefs. The analysis begins with an overview of common techniques such as the famous-person testimonial, plain-folks pitch, and snob-appeal approach, illustrating their application with real-world examples. The assignment then explores the impact of TV commercials, discussing specific examples like the Gillette and Washington Post ads and their social and political implications. Furthermore, it investigates the use of myth analysis in advertising, illustrating how commercials can shape perceptions and influence consumer decisions. Finally, the assignment extends its scope to the use of communication in politics, education, and religion, highlighting how persuasive techniques are utilized by leaders to influence the masses. The assignment references key concepts such as hidden-fear appeal and psychological reactance, providing a comprehensive understanding of the power of advertising and communication.

FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION
Fundamentals of Communication
1. Persuasive Techniques in Advertising Work
The primary goal of an advertisement is to provide the customers with the right
information regarding an existing product in the market. A persuasive technique like the
famous-person testimonial uses a famous football star or a music artist for marketing a
product to the consumers. For instance, Tiger Woods has done a lot of advisements for
companies like Nike, American Express, Rolex, ABC, ESPN, and a lot more (Campbell et
al., 2010). The approach works because a customer will watch a program or by an item
simply because a great golf player Like Tiger Woods is linked to the product or service.
Another technique, which is the plain-folks pitch, is about being simple. This approach
utilizes simple slogans to convince the clientele, like, for instance, when a company like
Volkswagen says, “Drivers needed.” The advertisement is so simple, and a customer does not
need any advanced skills to understand the message (Drew and Gottschall, 2018).
Additionally, there is the snob-appeal approach that targets the individuals who want to
maintain their social status; consequently, this tactic is used frequently by advertisers in the
jewellery, perfume, and clothing industry (Campbell et al., 2010).
2. TV Commercials
A lot of TV commercials have trended since 2019, and this includes the Gillette
advertisement, which had a slogan “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be” and the Microsoft
ad, which was tagged “We All Win.” Additionally, there was this advertisement regarding the
Washington Post, which had a message regarding democracy in journalism (Pratiwi, 2019).
My most favourite commercial was the one that focused on Gillette and democracy in the
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FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION
journalism industry. The ad was one of the best commercials in 2019, which had people
talking since its launch. The piece created a lot of social awareness regarding social justice
and political issues. Importantly, the advert talked about problems related to toxic masculinity
to the spotlight. A lot of men who felt attacked by the commercial rebuked it because they
viewed the ad as scandalous showcase. The advertisement was so great that almost everyone
ended up talking about Gillette (Altberg et al., 2018).
Regarding the Washington Post, it came in handy touching on the controversies in the
journalism industry in a very bold and unapologetic manner. The Washington Post was trying
to regain the trust of the viewers by proving they are still the best in providing credible news
to the viewers (Campbell et al., 2011). The whole commercial was costly, which was coupled
with a powerful and painful message, and, I would say the initiative was worth it.
3. The Myth Analysis
I have been caught up in moments where I get persuaded to believe something even
though I had a different belief regarding the issue. An instance occurred when an SUV
commercial made me believe that I could use the vehicle to access places that I knew only the
Jeep and Hummer could access. Subsequently, this created a lot of conflicts because it was
like living in the fantasy world and the real world. The advertisers used the myth analysis to
convince me otherwise because they majorly focused on me, the organization, and the social
norms. They provided me with a narrative story that left assessing my beliefs regarding all
idea of SUV acting as a Jeep or Hummer. In most cases, SUVs are best for their ability to
navigate through fast-paced urban centres like in traffic jams (Campbell et al., 2011). The
commercial was avoiding the facts like the crowding of SUVs in suburban highways, how
they burn gasoline and cause air pollution.
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4. Advertisement in Politics, Education, and Religion
Communication is a very crucial tool used to influence the masses, and leaders,
including the religious leaders and the politicians, have always exploited these approaches to
control their crowds. The advertisement technique promotes the image of candidates and
engages the masses to adopt their views (Altberg et al., 2018). Back in the days, any leader
would be given an opportunity which was close to thirty minutes to air their views through
televisions, unlike today, where they only get seconds like any other product advertisement.
Some of the leaders, especially those who engage in terror attacks, use the coercion
persuasion approach to convince a particular set of individuals (Ghaffari et al., 2019). These
leaders bank on the fear of individuals, which is known as the hidden fear appeal.
Subsequently, they end up sending the intended message to the crowd, an approach that has
sparked the levels of terrorism across the globe. Additionally, some leaders have utilized
psychological reactance as a way of advertising their idea to the audience. This technique
engages the audience in a feeling that particular freedom is being restricted, therefore they
end up being persuaded to fall into the leaders’ trap (Drew and Gottschall, 2018).
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FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION
Reference
Altberg, E., Faber, S., Hirson, R., Van der Linden, S., Lyon, B.H., Manca, P.G., 2018.
System and method for providing advertisement.
Campbell, R., Martin, C.R., Fabos, B., 2011. Media and culture: An introduction to mass
communication. Macmillan.
Campbell, R., Martin, C. and Fabos, B., 2010. Media And Culture, An Introduction To Mass
Communication. 7th ed. St. Martin's: Bedford, pp.343-378.
Drew, C., Gottschall, K., 2018. Co-optation of diversity in nationalist advertising: a case
study of an Australian advertisement. Continuum 32, 581–593.
Ghaffari, M., Hackley, C., Lee, Z., 2019. Control, knowledge, and persuasive power in
advertising creativity: An ethnographic practice theory approach. Journal of
Advertising 48, 242–249.
Pratiwi, D.R., 2019. myth analysis of makeover brand advertisement: a semiotic study, in:
International Conference on Education, Language, and Society.
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