Here are some ad techniques that advertisers use.

• • Bandwagon
    • They want you to jump on the bandwagon. It’s an expression that means, “Everyone else is doing it, so you should too.” The ad tries to make it seem like everyone else already knows how great this is. What’s taking you so long to join them?
    • An example might be something like: Join the millions who have already switched to…
  • Individuality
    • These ads encourage you to be unique. They appeal to the desire to be cool, stand out, celebrate your own style.
  • Bait and switch
    • They lure you in with one thing, usually a bargain, and then sell you something expensive.
    • I see this often on websites. Get your free….and then you scroll and scroll trying to get to the end of it to get your free book or whatever, and then it says you can have all these others things as well, just pay…
    • Some people do this dishonestly and will say there is a bargain inside, but once you are in the store they say they’re all out and offer you other more expensive alternatives.
  • Celebrity spokesperson
    • People trust the celebrity and think if they use the product, it must be good.
  • Plain folk
    • The opposite of celebrity, but with a similar impact, this approach shows how this product is used by regular folk, just like you. If they chose it, then it’s good enough for you as well.
  • Emotional appeals
    • These obviously appeal to your emotions, most recognizable are the ads that try to make you feel bad, like the ones about dogs who have been abused, send money to help these poor….
    • Most ads use emotion if they are good ads. They want to create a feeling of excitement or create a mood, like perfume ads. Another example is all those horrible medicine commercials. While they are listing all the ways it can kill you, they are showing happy families and trying to create an emotional response in you to override what your brain is hearing about all that could go wrong.
  • Loaded Language
    • This is also used in most ads. It means using words that appeal to the emotions. They are called “purr words.” Fresh, juicy, adventure, …
  • Glittering Generalities
    • Related to these is the appealing to the emotions through a broad theme such as patriotism or world peace. They are invoking a feeling and hoping you connect that feeling to their product.
  •  Humor
    • This can be seen in the Geiko and Progressive ads. They are both for car insurance. They both only basically say that you can save money by using them, and they make you laugh.
  • Comparison/name-calling
    • This can be comparing products showing that theirs is better, or just attacking the other product/person to show how they aren’t as good.