Persuasive Techniques Bandwagon Peer Pressure Repetition Testimonial Transfer Loaded Words Appeal to Logic

Discuss: What did you see? Think of the last time you flipped through a magazine, went on Facebook, or watched T.V… Discuss: What did you see?

Advertisements!!!! Did you know that companies spend billions of dollars a year advertising to kids and teens like you? They want you to think like they think and buy what they want you to buy, but how do they communicate that to you? They use subtle persuasive techniques to sway your opinion.

Bandwagon Bandwagon is the idea that you should believe something or buy something because everyone else believes or wants something. Saying that it’s the #1 Movie in America is supposed to make you feel like EVERYONE has seen it, and you should too!

Peer Pressure Peer Pressure tries to persuade you to do, believe, or buy something because it will make you cool and will make your peers accept you. The stylish looking background and cool models are supposed to make you feel like wearing Sketchers will make you cool!

Repetition Repetition tries to persuade you by repeating certain words or ideas so that they get stuck in your head and you think of them often. The repetitive jingle is supposed to get in your head so that when you’re hungry, you think of 5 Dollar Footlongs!

Testimonial Testimonial tries to persuade you by using someone’s personal success story with the product. They tell you that the product worked for them, so it will work for you, too! There are two kinds of testimonial – Plain Folks, in which a normal person gives his/her testimony and Celebrity Endorsement, in which a celebrity tells his/her testimony. Dwane Wade’s celebrity endorsement testimonial is supposed to make you feel that if you drink Gatorade, you’ll be a great athlete, like him.

Transfer Transfer tries to persuade you by getting you to associate positive feelings with something that is familiar to you with an unfamiliar product or idea by linking them together creatively, thus creating the message, “If you like __________, you’ll LOVE ____________!” The picture of the tropical beach is supposed to bring up positive emotions, implying that if you like tropical vacations, you’ll love febreze fabric spray!

Evil Instant Racist Hope Triumph Loaded Words Loaded Words tries to persuade you by using words with a very strong positive or negative connotation so that you begin to associate those words with the product or idea. They are very popular in political speeches and are sometimes referred to as “glittering generalities.” Words like these are supposed to make you feel strong positive or negative emotions. Evil Instant Racist Hope Triumph

Appeal to Logic Appeal to Logic tries to persuade you by using facts, statistics, or other logical arguments to believe or buy something. Comparative statistics are supposed to make AT&T seem like the logical choice.

Rhetorical Question A question to which no answer is expected because the answer is obvious.

Allusion A reference to a person or character from a well known historical event or from literature Think of it as an “inside joke” that the author uses. Not everyone will get it.

Five Basic Sources of Allusions BIBLICAL– Often reflecting the heroes of the Old Testament and the parables of the new. MYTHOLOGICAL – Greek, primarily, but Roman, Viking, and Native American. HISTORICAL – events, people, scandals, triumphs

Five basic sources of ALLUSIONS LITERAL (from literature) – references to famous works through either dialogue or characterization. COMMERCIAL (strictly a contemporary source – thanks to our video-driven world) This includes references from films, television shows (including cartoons), and commercial ads *NOTE: video games that incorporate elements from any of the above are another outlet for allusions.

BIBLICAL MYTHICAL HISTORICAL LITERAL COMMERCIAL Little guy vs big guy – little guy wins (David and Goliath) caught by terms like Goliath, Philistines, slingshot, or giants. Flying too close to the fire \ sun (foolish behavior) Icarus One if by land (the enemy is coming \ be vigilant) Paul Revere's signal when “the British (are) were coming” When “Nurse Rachet” takes care of someone, she is brutal (from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – a psychotic and none too gentle nurse) Person of Interest, Det. Fusco nicknamed an evil hacker “Cocoa Puffs” because he thinks she’s “Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs” (crazy) Any reference to apple, garden, serpent, wearing a fig leaf to imply point of origin, nakedness, temptation (taken from first book of the Bible, regarding Adam and Eve’s sin of eating from the forbidden fruit and their first “clothing”) “Don’t look at her, or you’ll turn to stone!” (This is a throwback to what happened to anyone who looked upon the face of Medusa (she was an ugly sight with writhing snakes for hair - and a controlling woman) Whenever someone says something is infallible, they are reminded of how “unsinkable” the Titanic was advertised to be, too (meaning either extremely strong or ANYTHING can fail) When someone is accused of being a “Scrooge,” it is saying that they are selfish with their money (like the protagonist in A Christmas Carol) “That’s no moon, that’s a space station!” is taken from Star Wars IV, in which something that was expected to be one size was actually much more (intimidating, invincible, etc) “Don’t look back” is a reference to Lot’s wife, who, in fleeing Sodom, looked back and was turned to a pillar of salt because she did what she was warned not to do. “…more than a man, but less than a god,” usually refers to someone who is held in awe for skills or prowess (similar to Hercules) “I am not a crook!” is a famous line Richard Nixon through out during the Watergate Hotel scandal. Essentially, even though he claimed it, he was still impeached for his role in the conspiracy to keep it quiet. “just click your heels,” “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore,” “Toto,” “Flying monkeys” or any reference to landing a building on a witch are all from The Wizard of Oz. “Double your pleasure,” (double your fun) is a corporate slogan for Wrigley’s gum, in which they use twins to promote the gum, but it now refers to twice as much as something for more satisfaction. “…like manna from heaven” refers to the miracle food that fell from the sky daily to feed the Jews as Moses led them from Egypt and they wandered through the desert for 40 years. Venus, Roman god of love, is often referred to when it comes to either romance or extremely beautiful women who make men fall in love with them. “I’ll be back,” was an exit line of General MacArthur, when he had to leave one battlefront for another one more urgent. This line was then alluded to in Terminator, in which the robot DID come back – and destroyed everything in its path. Anyone who is referred to as “Sherlock” means (either seriously or sarcastically) that person has discovered something the famous detective would have seen. Through sarcasm, it means someone “discovered” something fairly obvious. “Where’s the beef?” was a Wendy’s ad that ran in the 80’s that has come to mean that the greedy corporations have been selling us an ideal product, but when we look closely, it is sadly lacking.