Creamier - er - er - er!

Yum yum yum. Kraft cheese. Now, it even has Philadelphia Cream Cheese to make it creamier – er – er! Mmmmmnnnnn….. muy delicioso!

I love love love cheese. And now, they made it even creamier!?!?! What more else can you add? Let’s go to the store Mom!

I have just fallen for their use of physiological needs.  Even if I am not hungry, it looks sooooooooo good! Ughhh! My mouth is just watering!

This commercial also satisfies the need for affiliation. Look at the family who is making the pizza using Kraft cheese. All smiling and laughing. They’re so happy! Kraft cheese implies that if you use Kraft cheese and make a pizza, your family will be happy and cheerful like this one. Advertisers can use this negatively too. If you don’t use this product, then your family will die and be sad and you will lose your family forever! – if you don’t use Kraft cheese.

The background music also adds to what Kraft cheese is trying to tell consumers. It has a happy, joyful rhythm to it, linking the mood to the people in the commercial. The music was the first thing I heard, so those tricky advertisers first put me on an already happy mood. To me, this technique is very effective. While watching this commercial, all I was saying to myself was awwww, how cute!

All the bright colors also caught my attention. The contrast of them amused me as I listened to the background music. Another thing is that this commercial is very fast paced but what kept repeating slowly was the Kraft cheese bag. Everything was very fast, from the mom cutting tomatoes to spreading the cheese. But, when it came to showing the Kraft logo and the product, it would stay there for a couple of seconds. By this, I would be constantly reminded of Kraft and how it’s not just good, it’s amazing.

Strengthen YOUR Brand

Whoa there. Look at that.

What did you think of when you first saw this? The yellow, the wood, and the thick piece of charcoal colored thingy. Any resemblance? Any connection?  

Why, it’s a pencil!

Well, what is it saying? Why is the pencil in the structure of a barbell?

You silly people, it’s trying to tell you that their brand of pencil is as strong as a barbell. It even says, I’m strong right across the whole advertisement. You see it?

It’s the need to aggress that appeals to us. Come on, let’s admit it, we want the best of everything. I know I do.  Even if it’s just the smallest things like pencil and paper, I want what I think is the best product.

This advertisement is trying to tell us that this brand of pencil is very strong and durable. And to do this, advertisers transform a pencil to the form of something sturdy, durable, and strong: a barbell. Barbells are connected to power and muscles and strength. So, when I usually see a weight, the words heavy, tough, strong come to my head. A connection immediately occurs when I see a barbell and a pencil. The message is obvious. Use their brand of pencil because it is sturdy and long lasting.

Well, what’s wrong with other brands of pencil? Here, this advertisement is making a reality assumption that says, all other brands of pencil are fragile and weak.

Adding on, those advertisers set the object in the center of a completely white background so all you really notice when you see this advertisement is the barbell.

Also, on the bottom right, there is a motto that says Strengthen your brand. Advertisers use this in a really persuasive and demanding tone. It’s like its saying, come on, are you really going to use that brand of pencils when you obviously see this. It’s as strong as a barbell! Switch your brand of pencils!

Really, does it really matter? I mean, all yellow pencils are the same, aren’t they? I guess not. I personally don’t use these pencils anymore. I use mechanical pencils. I think I am gonna have to Strengthen your brand no huh? 

It's That Simple

Have you guys ever used UPS or any other shipping companies? Well, if you guys don’t use FedEx then hurry up and switch to them. Look at that! How did that guy just that little boy his gift like that?

This advertisement pleases the need to satisfy curiosity. How did they do that? FedEx’s answer? It’s simple, use FedEx Express.

This advertisement shows here that all you have to do is get a FedEx box and stick the object in there and bam! The receiver will have the object!

W – R – O – N – G. Wrong

Guys, it’s not that simple and we know that (right?). What advertisers are really trying to tell us is that when you use FedEx, it is as simple and efficient as this picture shows here.

This advertisement also uses some common techniques such as weasel words and plain folks. Did you guys notice that it’s not just FedEx, its FedEx Express? Ooooooooooh, FedEx Express! What does that mean though? We just assume that because it’s on there, it must be an immediate upgrade. And, as for plain folk, it implies that anyone can use this shipping company. Even if you are just using it to send someone a gift.

Again, these advertisers use a plain beige background to really focus on the FedEx box.  This technique is really common and when advertisers do this, you notice nothing but FedEx, the box, the hands and the robot. It is simplicity they are enhancing. Is it working? 

Puffs Plus With VICKS

Ooooooh! Puffs Plus … with VICKS! That makes it even better! *Wink, wink*

The use of magic ingredients and weasel words creates a huge impact on this advertisement. I even admit that I would buy this product over just regular Puffs tissues or Kleenex. Who would even buy regular, plain Kleenex over this magical, extraordinary product?  Puffs have always advertised their product to be softer and better than other brand tissues. Now, it comes with a scent of VICKS! Don’t deny that you didn’t ohh or ahh when you saw this new product.

Especially for moms, they can’t resist this. I mean, take a look at what those advertisers did. It is a typical mom’s need to nurture that attracts them to this product. A Touch of Mom in Every Tissue.  Aww, it just melts my heart hearing this. Imagine what it would be like for those silly moms. Every mom wants their children to think of them, and mothers are immersed to this. Adding on to this, there are little tiny hearts cuddling the little boy and he is caressing the box of tissues. Aaaaaah, I love you Mommy!

Stupid as it sounds, mothers will imply that if they buy this product for you, then your maternal bond will grow and you will form a connection that is unbreakable. All because of the new product: Puffs Plus with VICKS.

Don’t fall for this! Advertisers are just enhancing this product to attract you. The colors used also affect this overall product. The blue and green contrast gives a smooth, tranquil background to the advertisement, matching the little boy. He looks at ease and well – pampered. And this is what mothers want, they want their children to be well taken care of.

This technique of weasel words, although very common, appears to be effective. 

Are You Feeling Fat? No Worries, Just Drink Lipton!

Tea is tea. It’s a very ancient beverage. Throughout my life (and plus the fact that I am Asian), I have heard many fantastic things that tea can do for you. It can beautify your skin, secure god health, etc., etc… You get the point, drink tea. Better yet, this ad states that you can even burn.

Burn what? This advertisement pleases the need to satisfy curiosity.  This is how those tricky advertisers attract us. Do we know what this advertisement really means? Because of our desire to know things, it appeals to us.

This advertisement uses vagueness to deceive consumers. Many people (especially women) will read this advertisement and immediately assume “Burn … oh, burn calories and lose weight!” And with this, women will want to purchase this product.With respect to the documentary, Miss Representation, the media is impacting their minds, brains, and emotions. The media has always favored nice fit, skinny bodies over pleasantly plump ones. Being women, we are often judged on how we appear and are under the pressure of needing to look skinny. When advertisers use the technique of vagueness, we imply our own connotations to words and their incompleteness. What do the advertisers really mean when they say Burn more? For all I know, it could mean burning your tongue. This lack of completion is one of advertiser’s techniques to appeal to us. There are unanswered questions and incompleteness. It can make customers wonder or just imply their own meaning to the product.  

The flush of vivid colors also adds to the appeal. Because the pain part of the advertisement is a dim, dark green, the yellow at the bottom really popped out to me. I was attracted to the distinct in color variation. Yellow and green has always been associated with freshness and life also. It reminds the consumer of the product itself because the logo contains such colors.  

Anyways, see the woman that is created by the steam? She looks pretty fit in my opinion. And her posture makes her seem even more flattering.  She has a sense of airiness that embraces her as she prances about. Ahh … beautiful. And then, on the bottom right, it has the Lipton tea logo and says that Lipton can do that. Again with the vagueness and incompleteness, do what? For those foolish, insecure women, they immediately jump to the assumption that this is a weight loss product and they will look like this angelic – like woman (which is fake). Don’t fall for this appeal of simple solutions. All of your problems won’t be solved with just a cup of Lipton tea.

Crest 3D White Arctic Fresh Toothpaste is Romantic!

Are you forever alone? Without a partner? That one lonely soul that has no one to spend with on Valentine’s Day? Well no fear, Crest is here! With this new product, you will never be alone again!

Crest 3D White Arctic Fresh Toothpaste   

Yeah right.  

Sorry to all the silly single people out there who think this will help your love life. Do you really think that using this product will get your other half? Well, you are W – R – O – N – G.

This product is a complete fraud. Advertisers are just using the need for attention to attract you. Don’t fall for it! For us humans, especially to women, we want to look our best all the time. According to Jim Fowles Advertising’s 15 Basic Appeals, we want people to notice us; we want to be looked at. That is OK, but don’t be tricked by this commercial ad. Its bright colors and pleasurable dream looks tempting, but it’s not real. Like really, is some stranger going to walk up to you and suddenly become you husband, your “loving father to your children?”, you soul mate if you purchase and use this product?

*clap, clap* Come on people. Reality here. If it really was that easy, the heck, what has this world come to?! Those marketers are again just using some common advertising techniques to tempt you. They have applied the appeal of simple solutions to attract all you silly people. “It’s easy, just use this product and you will have a spouse in no time! Yes, it’s that simple!”

No, no, no! It’s not that simple! Have some common sense guys. Ohh, how those glittering generalities fool us. They make it sound like this is such a wonderful product and it will forever change your depressing, sad, lonely life.

In the background, the inspiring music urges us to take action because this is supposedly some sort of product that will change your life.

Adding on to it, the girl in the commercial imagines her future life with the guy. It’s perfect. They have a romantic wedding … she gets pregnant … they become parents … It’s a big happy family! “And you can only get this if you purchase and use this new Crest toothpaste!” Oh really, is that so? This tricky commercial can also have this negative effect. Those advertisers can make people think that if you don’t use this product, then you won’t find that special someone. What a complete fraud! Come on guys, have some confidence and smile whether or not you have a snowy white one or not. I’, pretty sure you can still find that special someone without this unnecessary product.    

Smile for Happy Lips!

Is that real fruit or is that the lip balm? This eos lip balm has been popular for perhaps the last year or so.  What average teenage girl has not heard of this so – called ‘heavenly’ product? It has been said to moisturize and smooth.

In this advertisement, what attracted first me was their use of bright, fresh colors. Its raspberry pop of red really drew my attention. Adding on to it, in the background, there are actually real fruit. Blurred out in the far back, there are glasses of what look like red, ripe, juicy strawberries. Yum … (If you’ve haven’t already noticed, I consider food to be my soul mate) Not to mention the blueberries and pomegranate seeds to add to the contrast of colors. By looking at this background theme, it gives the consumer a feeling of freshness and brightness. 

It is the need to escape that attracts us to this lip balm. Those advertisers have placed the individual lip balms in a blender and caused us to believe that when you use this product, it will almost be like drinking a fresh smoothie itself. Now doesn’t that sound nice? 

Another thing, it states that it is “packed with shea butter and jojoba oil”. Umm, translation please? Does anyone know how to decipher that? What does it mean when beauty products lists it contains shea butter and aloe vera and all these other extracts that I’m not sure of? If it’s listed there, it means it’s good right? Are you sure? This is a method of vagueness that marketers use to grab our attention. Whenever we see these items listed on beauty products, it’s an immediate upgrade. 

“The lip balm that makes you smile.” Once again, it’s weasel words that are tricky. It implies that when you use this product, you will smile. I don’t know about you, but when I put lip balm or chap-stick on my lips, I don’t smile. Hmm … I wonder if that is going to change if I purchase this product.

Twist it. Lick it. Dunk it.

The Perfect Mother's Day Gift

Aww…  Isn't that adorable? It’s Mother’s Day, there are you kids, and Oreos. Jolly little picture. Watching it just makes me smile. Imagine what mothers would do if they watched it. Their delicate hearts would melt.

This Oreo commercial is intentionally made to draw attention to mothers. Whats more happy than to be with your family on Mother’s Day eating Oreos together? Again, those tricky advertisers, always trying to mislead us with their appeals. It’s a silly mother’s need for affiliation that attracts her to this simple, ordinary product. Mothers love to see the “everyone is happy” picture and when they see this Oreo commercial, they are absorbed to it. 

What marketers do when they advertise for a product is set a background to fool.  This commercial was uploaded around April. As you can recall, each year, Mother’s Day is in May. They get mothers all hyped up about their special day so they fall for this advertisement. Or maybe moms are just distracted by rationalizations. I can just picture moms standing in the snacks aisle holding the package of Oreos in her hands like she’s making the hardest decision in her life yet. “It’s all for a good cause,” I would imagine her saying and put it in the cart at last. 

This advertisement can also have a negative effect. Look at it this way, marketers make it like if you don’t use their product, then your result will be the opposite  it is here. Mothers are actually convincing themselves to buy the product because if they don’t, their Mother’s Day will be a complete disaster! Oh no!

Come on guys, let’s go back to planet Earth, the reality. Calling out to all silly Mothers, “Do you really think that without Oreos, your entire Mother’s Day won’t be filled with laughter and joy?” These marketers are just misleading you. Take the title of the commercial ad for instance. The Perfect Mother’s Day Gift. How sweet. That weasel word sure does enhance the product. Perfect. What could be better that perfect? Uh, let me think … nope, nada, nothing. This appeals to consumers because everyone wants everything to be perfect or alt least close to perfect. When advertisers add the word ‘perfect’, the whole product just jumps to a whole new level of better.

Dearest Mother (who will never read this, but), it’s OK, you don’t have to buy a package of Oreos. No, your Mother’s Day won’t be a complete disaster if you don’t. By any means, I bet you can still feel like the happiest Mother in the world.

Zzzzzzzzzzzz...

Ahh… Sleep. Its been a long day. Everyone deserves a good night’s rest.

We tend to incorporate these thoughts into our minds. This VICKS product draws attention to customers that fall for their tricky advertising techniques. According to Jib Fowles Advertising’s 15 Basic Appeals, we sleepy heads have fallen for the last one: Physiological needs. Sleep is essential for our bodies because without it, they won’t function properly. People are attracted to this product the most because they persuade themselves that this is essential and they need this product.  Do we really? I mean, when I’m tired, man, I don’t need anything. Just give me a blanket and I’ll be in ‘La-la land’ in two – minutes tops.

Take a look at the woman sleeping like she’s never slept before. The room is soft and dim, there’s a fluffy pillow, cozy blanket, … What else can you add? Just by looking at it makes me feel comfortable Advertisers make it so like when you buy this product, you will have a perfect night’s sleep like she is. Because we see that visual image and the bottle of ZzzQuil, our brains immediately go “Oh my god, I totally need this! If I get this, I will be able to sleep!”

This technique completely counts on pathos. Our emotions get the best of us. When we’re all tired and we see this wonderfulness, of course, we are going to be immersed in this product. It’s alright though, we aren’t the ones to blame. Those sly advertisers are.

Just read the label. Just look at the darn thing. ZzzQuil. And the bottle is dark with cool colors and a moon. Ahh, soothing … Those advertisers can really fool. Also, the first thing I saw when I looked at this advertisement is the big, bold white “Just for sleep.” Acting like a weasel word, “just” makes the product look very soothing. It tricks customers into thinking the effect is easy to achieve.

This VICKS over – the – counter sleeping aid can attract many consumers just by their calm and comforting background theme. Methods like these are often used to deceive people.

Even if you are a sophomore taking zero period at 7:18 a.m. in the morning, do you really need a sleep aid to help you sleep? Or can you, just like me, sleep without any treatment?  

Is it really "Unstopable"?

Downy Unstopables-Cheerleaders

Heard of Downey, the laundry detergent right? Although this commercial didn’t grab my attention, it grabbed someone else’s. Ask yourself, who does your laundry? Who uses these household supplies? Of course, our mothers. Just in the name itself, of the product of Downey Unstopables can lure us to purchase this. For people who take no time to even consider the product, they would buy it from the store right away. Again, advertisers use the weasel word to enhance this product. Take “Unstopables” for instance. When some people hear this word, it gives them a feeling of something being very powerful and godlike enough to be “Unstopable”. This tricks Downey customers. According to Jimmy the Laundry Intern, the blue dress was washed eight weeks ago! And it still had the fresh scent, which in my opinion, is pretty darn amazing. I mean, if you washed your shirt eight weeks ago, will it still have the same fresh scent? But, how do you know if it really smells fresh after eight weeks? 

They also use some components of ethos to establish credibility. Jimmy goes to cheerleaders and asks for their opinion of the scent.  Most of the cheerleaders in the group are women. And women, as we have to admit, are usually the ones to do the household chores. In other words, women are basically the experts when it comes to chores, especially laundry. If advertisers can get women’s’ opinions on the scent, then that is what it really must be. Score! This draws attention to how this heavenly product is. 

OK, first of all, can I even really trust this? Yeah, the cheerleaders say it smells terrific, but am I smelling it? No. Do I know if it’s really been eight weeks since he washed it? No. All these are questions I can’t even guarantee. Should I buy it?  Would you buy it?

Starbucks Holiday Drinks

Doesn’t that just look plain delicious? Don’t you dare tell me that you looked straight into that picture and didn’t even have the slightest yearning for those Starbucks drinks. I know you did. Ohh, how Starbucks can make us crave. 

For many people like me, this advertisement is a quick attention – grabber. Just imagine, you’re outside on a cold winter morning, barely awake. You come across a Starbucks Coffee Shop and spot the ad. Your heart immediately melts.

This is what advertisers do. They immerse you to their product. What’s better than a nice, sweet, warm cup of coffee on a cold, wintery day? Especially a cup of Starbucks coffee. This tricky method relies on pathos. They make you feel that exaggerated pity for yourself. “It’s extremely cold out here, I deserve this,” But, is your life going to end without it?  I don’t think so. 

So why are we so immersed into just an ordinary cup of coffee? That’s a very good question. Why are we? Customers tend to use rationalizations when making hard – to – choose choices. A common one for this situation is: It Doesn’t Hurt Anyone. Being human, we have a likelihood of wanting more and more products and merchandise. To excuse our little misconduct, we apply and are often distracted by that rationalization. “I’m just buying a drink, is this going to hurt anyone?”  In fact, if you even consider this, it’s actually a win – win situation. I, the customer am pleased and Starbucks, the retailer is happy. What a nice happy ending? 

Anyways, familiar with their motto, “Rekindle the season” “Three reasons to be jolly”? Well this just adds to the fun. “Rekindle the season”, meaning to spark, light up … the fall and winter days. Doesn’t that sound amazing? Advertisers out there use these techniques to enhance the product. These weasel words tempt us; it makes us get into that warm, Christmas, holiday feeling. They make it sound like if you purchase a Starbucks drink, you are going to drink a cup of magnificent wonderfulness. Is this really going to be so? And “Three reasons to be jolly”? This creates an attraction to certain people who have that “Holiday spirit”. This phrase can also cause a form of projection for some people. Take the word “jolly” for example. It has many different definitions in other perspectives. In most of our cases, it simply can mean “in good spirits, merry, cheerfully festive …” on behalf of dictionary.com.

All in all, Starbucks holiday drinks can cause a great amount of people to be attracted. Are you going to fall for it?