The Goals of the Message
In general, all good advertising must do certain things: attract atten-
tion, arouse interest, create a desire and incite action. At the heart of
all ads, though, are the features and benefits of the product or service.
Virtually every element of the ad should support and explain these
features and benefits. Through concise but vivid writing, the members
of the audience learn what the product or service offers and how it can
improve their lives. Most consumers will make a purchase decision based
on their understanding of these features and benefits.
Before the copy is written, however, the advertiser must decide what
kind of appeal to use with the audience. An advertising appeal is an
attempt to draw interest to the ad itself. The appeal should reflect the
style of the business as well as the style of the intended audience. The
most widely used appeals include the following:-^ Humor—eliciting anything from a chuckle to a guffaw to
attract attention to the ad.
-^ Emotion—tugging at the audience’s heartstrings by includ-
ing a moving story or illustration.
-^ Sex—using words or images of a suggestive nature.
-^ Testimony—promoting a product or service by including
an account of how it changed an individual.
-^ Bandwagon—creating interest by telling the audience that
everyone else is buying the product or service.
-^ Comparison—demonstrating that the features and benefits
of one product are preferable to those of another.
-^ Economy—showing the opportunity to save money.
-^ Prestige—proudly proclaiming to be exclusive or the best.
The appeal should provide a framework for the advertisement. This
framework will help the copywriter—the person who actually writes the
words in the ad—to determine the style and content of the ad. Remember,
though, that some ads are deliberately misleading or untruthful. Often
these ads are nothing more than propaganda. Propaganda is the
name given to any organized, widespread attempt to influence people’s
thinking or behavior. It may be good or bad, according to the purpose
or intentions of its originator, the way it is used, or how it’s received by
an audience.
(^380) PRODUCING THE NEWS
advertising appeal
an attempt to draw interest
to an ad. Among the most
common are humor, emotion,
sex, testimony, bandwagon,
comparison, economy and
prestige.
propaganda
the name given to any orga-
nized, widespread attempt to
influence people’s thinking
behavior
Your Beat
- Go through current magazines and cut out repre-
sentative examples of each of the eight advertising
appeals described in the text. - Through research and interviewing, collect some of
the most popular product slogans today. Quiz other
class members to see what their “advertising IQ” is.
3. Find an advertisement that seems “at home” in your
school’s publication. Why is the school paper or
yearbook the right place for this ad? Now find an
example of an out-of-place ad, and explain its
inappropriateness.