ADVERTISING CLAIMS

Name

Description

Example

Testimonial

The endorsement of a product by a well-known person or organisation

"Joe Hockey uses Face Power aftershave lotion"

Transfer

The transfer of the

qualities of one idea to those of another

"Smoke Mint Fresh and get a breath of springtime."

Plain folks

The technique of talking

down to the masses in

order to appear to be

one of them.

"Use Whitewash. It makes your clothes as white as Momma used to wash them."

Bandwagon

The suggestion that everyone is doing it.                                                 

"Sparkle! Canada's #1 best-seller"

                                                          

Snob appeal

The association of a desirable life.

"She lives in Oakville.

  She spends her winters in the Swiss Alps. She drives a Mercmobile.

Her perfume - TUSK."

Fads and Figures

The implication that figures and statistics prove a point beyond dispute.                                          

                                                     

"No-ache Pills - the only headache tablet with 30 mg of pain reliever

Hidden fears

The exploitation of an individual's fears and insecurities

"Don't lose friends. Use Sweet-Pit the friendly deodorant"

Repetition

The constant statement of an idea in order to fix the image of a product in a person's mind

"Finally - Natural Glow! The natural shampoo with nature's ingredients to bring out the natural glow in you."

Magic ingredients

The implication that a product's effectiveness is scientifically based

"Drink Eau-Boire, the mineral water with H20."

Weasel words

The use of vague qualifiers or disclaimers, such as "helps'; "fights'; ""up to", and "Virtually" to mislead the consumer into thinking the product is better than it really is

"Use Zit-Kwit the only skin medicine that helps fight virtually all skin blemishes."

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From Jeffrey Schrank, "The Language of Advertising Claims", Media and Methods 10 (March 1974): 44-51

http://home.olemiss.edu/~egjbp/comp/ad-claims.html