Bandwagon Peer Pressure Repetition Testimonial Transfer Loaded Words Appeal to Logic

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 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 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 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 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 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!

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.

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.