The Three-Step Technique – Steps 1 and 2 33computer games, mobile phones, and new types of household goods
are all promoted, at least in the initial stages, by advertisements that
are designed to inform and to promote awareness of the new type of
product or design that’s on the market.
In the same way, at the other end of the spectrum, the overtly
manipulative advertisements can similarly be broken down into their
types. At the very least they attempt to manipulate the consumer by
using information selectively to emphasise what’s good about their
product and to omit what’s bad. Others will use comments and infor-
mation taken out of context to promote their product, even though
these may be taken from reports and reviews that are highly critical of
it. An unfavourable report from a consumer association might contain
just a single sentence of praise, but it will be this that finds its way into
the advertisement.
Equally effective are advertisers who appeal to a convincing,
though distorted, picture of what is taken for common-sense or
accepted values in our societies. Archetypal characters and scenarios
are created to evoke predictable responses that advertisers believe
we will all share. Those promoting slimming products try to convince
us that everyone wants to be slim, that it’s associated with success,
and that if you’re overweight this is a sign of social failure and self-
indulgence.
But perhaps the most common strategy is for advertisers to sell
their products by associating them with our strongest feelings, desires
and prejudices. In this way they can by-pass our reason, thereby short-
circuiting our ability to make conscious choices. As our understanding
of the psychology of the individual has grown, so too has the adver-
tiser ’s capacity to tap into our deepest motivations and develop more
effective means of manipulation by exploiting the sex, status and
prejudices of the consumer. Indeed, the most effective means of
doing this, subliminal advertising, is now banned or regulated by
many governments.Answer
Once you’ve done this, look at the analysis in the structure on p. 34.
It’s unlikely that yours will be a lot different. You may use different
examples and you may have seen things that I haven’t, but the final
structure is likely to be quite similar.
If you think you haven’t gone far enough in your analysis, or you
haven’t seen enough, don’t worry too much. You will get better at this
with practice. And you’ve still got Step 3 to come.HTW4 7/26/01 8:48 PM Page 33