Demo This.

                                    Demo This.

A "demo" of a product, by its very definition, is something that demonstrates how a product or process works. But the word can be used as a lure to promote a company or its full-line of products, without any "demonstration" of how their "unique method" works. 
I fell for this lure when I decided to brush up on my "school" Spanish. I called a well-advertised product's number for a "free demo CD". 
After a few penetrating questions, I was able to get the salesperson to admit the CD wasn't going to show me a sample of how I would be learning the language, but a sales pitch about all the languages they sell. The call was designed  as a marketing tool to get information about potential customers who would land on lists for mailings and possible phone calls. 
I ended the phone call.

Borrowed Interest

                                    

Borrowed Interest

Whenever you are drawn into an ad by a device that isn’t really organic or connected to the product being sold, you have been tricked by “borrowed interest”. When an advertiser doesn’t think his message isn’t interesting enough to attract your attention, they will use this device. It is a bad choice for them because the device they use to get your attention is by definition more interesting than their message. Which defeats their purpose. You are attracted, but only to the device  (celebrities, sex, pets, shocking words or situations).

And how many of you actually think the celebrity hawking a product isn’t being paid to repeat the words they are saying, and is only doing it for the exposure or money?

Try to become aware of being tricked by different borrowed interests. Ask yourself if you were persuaded to try the product by these means.

E.D.

         E.D. Commercials

It’s no wonder those men in the Cialis commercials have erectile problems. By the time they drag those two bathtubs out to the woods or the seashore, plus all the warm water to fill them, it’s a wonder they’re not candidates for hernia operations.

The chief selling point in all those E.D. commercials is disguised in the medical warning about getting four-hour erections.

Persuasion in Advertising

                              

              Persuasion In Advertising

An advertising message has a lot of competition in a free marketplace. But getting noticed is not the primary purpose of an ad. That’s important, but how it does it is very important. You can be surprised or shocked into being aware of something, but that doesn’t fulfill the purpose of an ad.

The message of an ad is to persuade you to investigate a product or service. That can be difficult in a competitive environment. And, because it is difficult, very many ads take what they think is the easy way: to remember the product by “entertainment”- Music, dancing, pretty women and men. These things can be entertaining, but what about the message of the ad which becomes buried in all that? Who even notices it, let alone remembers it? I can remember the pretty girls, but don’t have a clue what they were standing in front of, or dancing around.

 A persuasive ad is very rare. It will have you thinking about the product if you are a potential customer. Whenever you see a persuasive ad, even if it isn’t aimed at you as a customer, make a note of it. You’ve experienced a rarity. 

Having Fun Beating The Pants Off The Competition

Having Fun Beating The Pants off The Competition

Being Highly competitive in advertising doesn’t have to be serious, nuts and bolts comparisons. It can be fun for both the creators as well as the viewers. There is a campaign for work clothes that is just that. It is a series of cartoon illustrations comparing, in exaggerated situations, the advantages of the product. It is very creative in language as well as the situations themselves. The voice is of a “trucker”. The descriptions of the clothes is also clever: “The Long T “Shirt-The Cure For Plumber’s Butt.”, “Ballroom Jeans- Room To Crouch Without Singing Soprano”, “Unwet Your Pants”. The spots are easy to watch and even encourage the anticipation of the comparison. You’ll remember the commercials and products. That’s the real goal of advertising.

                                         (Deluth Trading Company)

Advertising: Science Or Art?

                 

                    Advertising: Science Or Art?

Before deciding on this philosophical issue that pops up occasionally, you must understand the difference between a science and an art. And how they apply to advertising.

A science requires two basic qualities to be considered a science: repeatability and predictability. One scientist or engineer using a procedure should get the same result as another scientist or engineer using the same procedure, each time. Because they employ the same formulas and tested materials. When an engineer builds a bridge, he knows the load-bearing qualities of reinforced concrete and the tensile strength of I-beams and steel cables. He’s relying on scientific information.

That works in science. But formulas and repeatability doesn’t work to foster creativity or interest in advertising. The human mind is not intrigued by the familiar. It hungers for something new, novel and excitingly different, to fascinate the imagination and interest. (Once you see a movie with a surprise ending or hear the punch line of a joke, you don’t find the repeating of them that interesting). That’s what makes persuasion so challenging in advertising. There are no formulas to follow. No “safe” way to be creative. That’s why advertising is an art.

Does Sex Sell?

     

    

                                 Does Sex Sell?

Yes, but what does it sell? Certainly not any product that appears next to what is happening that’s sexy. Evolution has hard-wired us to respond to sexual attraction for the survival of the species. Sexuality is it’s own payoff for attention. It attracts attention to itself. And, it’s hard 

to ignore.

What does get ignored is any product that tries to take advantage of being in the vicinity of the sexual content. [Note to advertisers of non sex-related products: Don’t throw your money after a cliché. Try a persuasive idea instead.]

Product Advertising vs Political Advertising

When a claim is made for a product in advertising, 

it will eventually come down to the product to prove 

out the claim. If it doesn’t, it will be found out and disappear from the market. That’s the value of a free market system.

When a politician uses advertising to make claims 

about what he or she will do if elected, it’s a ploy to get votes. If they are elected, they can’t be forced 

to follow through. 

A product’s function can be demonstrated. Try to get a politician to answer why they didn’t do something 

they promised. they can use many excuses. 

The end result is that you, as a consumer, have been 

duped by false advertising.

Cause advertising:: "Potty Mouth Girls"

         

Most people who are interested in the goals of a cause aren’t usually fanatical. Fanaticism is pushed by “idealogues”. These people believe the cause is more important than the means. Therefore, any means is acceptable, whether it is shocking or even destructive. The operative words are “raising awareness”. That justifies everything.

There is a commercial showing very young girls with adult words in their mouths commenting on women’s issues. (You know how much I hate putting adult words in children’s mouths to sell a product.) These words are “adult” in the worst meaning of it. These young girls might not even know the meaning of the words.

Who isn’t aware of the issues of equal pay for women, or that attractive women sometimes are taken advantage of? The only thing people are aware of because of this commercial is that some idealogues don’t care that coming into your home showing these young girls swearing is telling your kids this language is OK. Sure, they sometimes hear the “F bomb” from adult mouths, but not 

from kids’ mouths.

Child abuse can come in many forms. This is one of them. These stage mothers (and fathers, too) that would push girls this young into doing this commercial are certainly guilty of it. Especially since it’s been reported that one of the girls was crying during the filming. They should be cited and penalized for it. And what about the production company that filmed it? Will they do anything for money? If they wanted attention, they should be given it by child protection agencies.

The sad part is, this ad wasn’t about “women’s causes”. It was done by a web site to sell T-shirts.