The advertising industry is filled with players whose methods are questionable. Adverts promise to makes the consumers beautiful, cool, thinner, muscular, and healthier or any other desire one may have (Stampler par 1). They tend to prey on the deep unfulfilled needs that each and every human being harbors in their heart, but are unable to express openly. Advertisers know the fetishes of their target market and maximize on exploiting those weaknesses to drive them into buying the advertised goods. That is why they peddle lies and use fake statistics to convince the consumer that they are the best or everyone’s favorite.
What does a lady in bikini suit have in common with a mouthwash? What does a pretty young woman have to do with aspen cigarettes? At a glance, and even after some serious thought, one would probably find no association between the two in both cases. Still, these attractive ladies are used to advertise almost anything (Albrighton par 8). They are used in adverts of almost every item, from a pen to a car and household items. The reason for this is that it appeals to the human innate need for sex. A man having watched the cigarette adverts for long may come to associate it with attractive ladies, albeit unconsciously. Also, the inclusion of attractive women these adverts makes them gets noticed. The audience notices the ladies first and is curious to know what the advert is all about.
Some adverts exploit consumers’ need to belong and feel loved. They purport to make the family strong or help a person bond with their lover. One may wonder how laundry soap contributes to a better family or how a certain brand of chocolate would contribute to deepening the love that a couple share (Morris par 8).
advertisers use vague terms such ‘deluxe,’ ‘99% pure,’ ‘lighter,’ ‘improved’ or ‘low fat’ to make their products appear superior (Morris par 1). A deeper analysis into the meaning of these terms proves that they really mean nothing (Sargent par 3). A good example is the 99% pure fad. A pure substance should have no impurities and if it is not 100% perfect, then such a term should not be used on it.
Advertisers are so daring that a certain pharmaceutical company had proclaimed that the vitamin pills produced by it cud prevent cancer (Edwards par 2). They promise quick results, especially the weight loss ones that promise to make one reduce weight in days (Stampler par 2). Most of these claims cannot be proven. They just research on what the society needs and claim to provide it. They then get paid millions for that.
Reflection
Writing this essay was refreshing for me, as it gave me the opportunity to write about the subject of my choice. I usually get concerned by the way advertisements misrepresent product to people. This essay gave me the opportunity to rant about it without much inhibition. The usage of questions in the second paragraph was in the hope that it would make the essay more engaging with the reader. This essay was not meant to reprimand the advertisers or make the reader not buy what they see advertised, but an observation and a reminder that not everything said about a product is true.
It also made me reflect on the various times that t I have been duped by adverts. I recall feeling frustrated and wanting to sue the company only to read that some company executives feel that only idiots would believe what they see, hear and read from the adverts. I also felt that the number of words given to write this essay was limited. I think I could go on and on. Maybe I could have used more examples, but that would have taken a lot of space over and above the required. Finding the sources to cite was a dilemma. They were so many and all of them were so interesting that I was spoilt for choice. I had to restrain myself from reading each and every article on the conniving tactics of advertisers to have the time to write the essay itself. All in all, I enjoyed doing this activity and look forward to writing more essays as such.
Works Cited
Albrighton, Tom. "It’s all lies - ABC Copywriting." ABC Copywriting, 2011. Web. 8 Feb 2014. <http://www.abccopywriting.com/blog/2011/09/27/its-all-lies-rice-krispies-squares>.
Edwards, Jim. "The 10 Biggest Lies Ever Told in Advertising." Cbsnews.com, 2014. Web. 8 Feb 2014. <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-10-biggest-lies-ever-told-in-advertising/2/>.
Morris, M. "10 Advertising Lies We've All Been Fed - Listverse." Listverse, 2014. Web. 8 Feb 2014. <http://listverse.com/2013/01/22/10-advertising-lies-weve-all-been-fed/>.
Sargent, J.F. "5 Outrageous Lies Companies Are Legally Allowed to Tell You." Cracked.com, 2013. Web. 8 Feb 2014. <http://www.cracked.com/article_19485_5-outrageous-lies-companies-are-legally-allowed-to-tell-you.html>.
Stampler, Laura. "The 15 Biggest Lies Ever Told By Major Advertisers." Business Insider, 2012. Web. 8 Feb 2014. <http://www.businessinsider.com/the-biggest-lies-ever-told-by-major-advertisers-2012-11>.
